178 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



through a slit in the tube, situated between the calyx and 

 the corolla. The tube has only two such slits, and Ihe 

 bees are not always successful in their efforts to extract 

 the nectar through them. The humble bees, having the 

 advantage of a longer proboscis, readily reach the nectar 

 through the mouth of the tube. The blossoms of white 

 clover, as well as those of white and yellow melilot, have 

 short tubes, and the bees encounter no difficulty in ex- 

 tracting the honey through them." 



MANAGEMENT OF HONEY BEES. 



The past winter, though very mild and favorable to 

 bees with plenty of stores, has been exceedingly disas- 

 trous to all stocks short of honey. In some cases, more 

 than half the number of families on hand in December 

 last have perished. Even the most experienced bee keep- 

 ers have lost largely, owing to the mild winter causing 

 the bees to comsume their stored honey much faster than 

 is the case in colder seasons. 



The only remedy against such losses is to feed all the 

 families which have not stored up an abundant supply, 

 liberally in the months of October and November, on 

 mild, warm days. But then comes the question, Does it 

 pay to feed bees in the fall? My experience is that it 

 does pay, if but a few pounds of honey or sirup of sugar 

 are required for each family, and the feeding can be done 

 without attracting all the bees in the neighborhood — 

 which it requires considerable experience to do. 



The next question is, should each family be fed sepa- 

 rately, or should the bees of the entire apiary be fed in 

 common? 



Though this subject is not particularly in season now, 

 perhaps it will be as well to dwell on it sufficiently to 

 give my readers the benefit of my general experience on 

 that especial point. 



Feeding a large apiary, say forty or fifty hives, would 

 require — if fed in common — five or six shallow boxes, 

 about two feet long by six to eight inches wide, with a 

 float made to fit closely to each, made of half-inch board, 

 and either bored thickly with a gimlet, or sawed in nar- 

 row cuts to near the centre, and the slits cut out on both 

 sides to enable the bees to extract with facility the honey 

 which will rise into these chaunels. If the float is bored 

 the holes should be burnt out a little with a hot iron, to 

 make them smooth. 



Now we will proceed to feed said forty or fifty stocks 

 on some warm, sunny day in October. We want the job 

 done in " double quick time," so as to attract as few of 

 our neighbors' bees as possible ; and in order to trail the 

 bees to the honey speedily — as it sometimes takes half a 

 day to let them know that the boxes contain honey, so as 

 to draw them out in full force — the previous day we will 

 place a few empty combs in the places where we intend 

 to set the boxes, and either fill the cells with strained 

 honey or sirup made of sugar, simply sufficient to draw 

 out the bees to these places in search of food ; and the 

 next day, as soon as the boxes are brought out— not be- 

 fore 9 or 10 o'clock— the bees will immediately find the 

 supply, and in two hours every box will be empty, though 

 each were to contain three gallons of honey or sirup. 

 i r es, it is a fact that fifty families of bees in a single day 



would, if an opportunity were afforded them, and if they 

 had combs to store it in, carry fifty gallons of honey into 

 their hives. 



Now, if a full supply be afforded at one filling of the 

 boxes, I think but little honey would be carried off by 

 neighboring bees. Every family with but little honey 

 stored up, would require from one to two gallons of honey, 

 or from 10 to 20 lbs., to carry it through the winter. The 

 cost of a gallon of strained honey — such as comes from 

 the West Indies— is about 75 cents to $1 ; and a gallon of 

 sugar syrup — white coffee sugar is best — is about 80 cents. 

 But the honey is best, and, at $1 per gallon, should be 

 preferred. So it will cost from 80 cents to $2 per hive to 

 save most of the bees that perish in the winter season for 

 want of food. 



But feeding in common has this disadvantage : The 

 strong families that already have enough, will take more 

 honey than the weak ones, which alone require feeding. 

 This is rather a serious drawback to the system, and 

 some bee keepers may find it quite too unprofitable to 

 practice it. 



Feeding the weak families — such as are short of honey 

 — by themselves is, perhaps, the best way. This is done 

 in various ways ; but great care is necessary to avoid at- 

 tracting other families to the hives fed, which leads to 

 robberies, if the fed families be weak in population. If 

 honey in the comb be placed in the supers of the hives — 

 where the boxes for the surplus honey are placed — the 

 bees will take away no more than their present necessi- 

 ties require, and will leave the balance for winter use — 

 which would be right if the weather were not often so 

 cold that they can not ascend into these supers to ".obtain 

 it, and consequently perish. If strained honey or sirup 

 be placed in the supers in shallow boxes or pans, with 

 floats upon them, perforated as before stated, the bees 

 will carry it down into their cells and store it there, which 

 is a safer way of feeding weak families than with comb 

 honey. 



Some apiarians attach a covered box containing honey 

 to the side of the hive, with a tin tube to connect with 

 the combs in about the centre of the hive. This is a good 

 plan, and does not attract other bees much if the boxes 

 are tightly closed. 



Another method, is to make boxes open at both ends, 

 about eight inches deep and of the same size as the hives. 

 These boxes are placed upon the hive stands at the close 

 of the day, and boxes of honey or sirup placed in them, 

 and the hives raised and set upon them, closing the pass- 

 age ways to keep out the bees of other hives in the day 

 time. The bees in hives thus fed should not be allowed 

 to come out till they have carried up the honey in the 

 boxes, as other bees are sure to enter and carry off this 

 honey, if allowed an opening. 



It is a good plan to attach some covering over these 

 boxes, raised about an inch from their tops, to catch the 

 droppings of the bees while engaged in storing the honey. 

 Bees are very neat in their habits, and if the fed honey 

 becomes covered with particles of comb and other foul 

 matter, they will not store it up as freely as they do under 

 other circumstances. t. b. mines. 



Clinton, N. Y. 



