Sept. 4, 1902 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



567 



as some did not think the amounts as given by Mr. NcwcU 

 would be siiHicieiit after several weeks, on account of the 

 increased number of bees that would then be hatching. Tlie 

 answer was that at about that time the amount would huvc 

 to be increased, but in the case of the exi)eriment at the 

 College apiary a light honey-tlow came on at this time, 

 which increased the food-supply sufticiently to make furth.r 

 stimulative feeding unnecessary. 



mUI.UING I'l' NUCI.KI IIV STIMt;i,.\TI\K KKKDINC.. 



Relative to the building up of nuclei by stimulative feed- 

 ing, and having combs built out, the ([uestion was asked : 



" Where is the proper place in the hive to put the full 

 sheets of foundation to have them built out ? " 



The replies developed that this requires some good judg- 

 ment and care. When adding a frame filled with founda- 

 tion, this should be placed next to the last frame containing 

 brood, or, in other words, on the outside of the brood-nest, 

 to have it well-built out. It should not be placed in the 

 middle of the brood-nest as many are prone to do, as such 

 does very disastrous work at times. When honey comes in 

 very sparingly, and this is not drawn out, the queen is very 

 likely to use only the set of combs on one side of this sheet 

 of foundation, neglecting entirely the combs on the other 

 side. Then, again, when honey is coming in plentifully, 

 these combs are generally drawn out fast enough, but filled 

 with honey before the queen has a chance to deposit any 

 eggs in them. Then the same condition prevails as before : 

 One side of the hive is neglected, the combs on that side are 

 filled with honey, and the colony is in a cramped condition. 

 The queen is restricted to but half of the combs, and as a 

 result there is a decreased amount of brood, and finally a 

 weak colony. 



When putting in foundation be careful. Put it outside 

 the brood-nest, nest to the brood, with the combs of honey 

 (if there are any) on the outside of this, and then, when the 

 foundation is drawn out sufficiently, place in the middle of 

 the brood-nest, between combs of hatching brood, for the use 

 of the queen when she makes her next round. 



Next a discussion on adding frames of foundation 

 to full colonies, and in the spring, was also had. There is 

 great danger when cutting the brood-nest, at this time, into 

 two parts, as the bees are likely to neglect the queenless 

 half or side on cool nights and during cool weather. This 

 often results in a great loss of brood. It is better to give 

 frames on the outside of the brood-nest, and then one need 

 not lie awake on cool nights, during a cold, backward 

 spring, and wonder if any brood is suffering, to entail a 

 heavy loss for him later on. 



Weak colonies and nuclei should have the brood placed 

 next to one side of the hive, the west or sunny side being 

 best, and then the other frames added towards the middle 

 or other side of hive. 



(Continued next week.) 



\ Contributed Articles. 



No. 8 .— Bee-Keeping for Women. 



Dangers of Starvation — What and How to Feed. 



BV EMMA M. WILSON. 



One of the dangers that a beginner needs to guard 

 against is the danger of starvation. She may think her 

 bees bountifully supplied with stores in the early spring, 

 and indeed they may have been, but she is not aware of the 

 large quantity of honey needed to keep up the amount of 

 brood-rearing that is necessary for the welfare of her col- 

 onies. 



Perhaps the first intimation she has that anything is 

 wrong, she notices the remains of larvae dragged out of the 

 hive, the juices all sucked out of them — nothing but the 

 white skins left. She is very much alarmed, and wonders 

 what disease has appeared among her bees, when the sim- 

 ple truth is, her bees are starving. If you should tell her 

 so, she would be very sure you did not know what you were 

 talking about. Starving, indeed 1 didn't she know that her 

 bees had plenty of stores when she examined them only 



two or three weeks before ? She has very little idea of the 

 amount of stores needed for brood-rearing. She ha8 not 

 taken into account the number of wet or chilly days when 

 the bees were not able to gather any. Brood-rearing must 

 go on just the same, and an extra amount of stores is con- 

 sumed at such times in order to keep up the heat. 



A good bee-keeper tries in every way to encourage 

 brood-rearing in the spring, in order that the colonies may 

 be as strong as possible and reaily for the harvest when it 

 comes. There can be no brood-rearing without the con- 

 sumption of stores. Not only must the bees have enough 

 stores for immediate needs, but they seem to look ahead 

 and do better work if they have quite a surplus on haud. 

 If the bees are allowed to come to actual starvation the 

 danger is much greater, for not only is brood-rearing 

 stopped, but much of the brood already started is destroyed. 

 In this condition of affairs it pays to feed. 



How shall we feed ? By giving the bees combs of 

 sealed honey, if you have them to give. There is no better 

 way of feeding than this, but, unfortunately, we so seldom 

 have enough of these combs. The next best thing is the 

 feeder and the best granulated sugar. 



I know of no better feeder than the Miller. With this 

 feeder it is a very quick and easy job to feed. You can put 

 the feeder on the hive, put in the dry sugar, making a little 

 depression in the center, and then add a very little water 

 (either cold or hot can be used, much depends upon the 

 weather which is best ; if it is cool, better use hot) ; let it 

 soak through slowly, so that the first that goes through will 

 be sweet enough for the bees to take readily ; after that 

 add the water as you please. You need not be very particu- 

 lar about the quantity of water used. If only a small 

 quantity of sugar is used, use about the same quantity of 

 water. If a large quantity of sugar is used, add as much 

 water as you can conveniently, and more water can be 

 added from time to time as the sugar gets dry. 



Another way is to dissolve the sugar with hot or cold 

 water, and pour the syrup into the feeder. 



But you may have no feeder, and may not be able to 

 wait to get one. Then the crock-andplate feeder will do. 

 Put into the crock equal parts of sugar and water, stirring 

 until dissolved. Put over the crock one thickness of woolen 

 cloth, or five thicknesses of cheesecloth. Put the plate 

 upon the crock, bottom side up. With one hand under the 

 crock and one hand over the plate, quickly turn the whole 

 thing upside down. Place it on the top of the brood-frames 

 and put an empty hive-body over it. Cover it up bee-tight, 

 so that no bees can get to it only as they come up through 

 the brood-frames. 



If there are no neighbors' bees near you that you are 

 afraid of feeding, you can feed out-ot-doors just as well, 

 setting the feeder a few rods away from the hives. 



Do not imagine that the only time that your bees are in 

 danger of starving is in the spring. It sometimes happens 

 that in the very height of the season, even when bloom is 

 very abundant, because of a prolonged cold, wet spell, or 

 some other condition of the weather, there is nc nectar com- 

 ing in, and unless you are on the alert the first thing you 

 know your bees are dragging out their brood. 



This year we had to feed our bees all through the 

 month of June, and that with abundance of white clover in 

 bloom all the time. Not a very encouraging prospect. 

 Still, the bees must be fed. I must say I never realized be- 

 fore how much honey it took for their own consumption. It 

 was a big relief, I can tell you. that the weather changed 

 the first of July, and we had about ten days of very good 

 weather, just at the time, too, that the bees had full benefit 

 of the little basswood we have. They filled up their brood- 

 chambers so that we have not had to feed up to the last of 

 July, but I don't know how soon wemay have to, if this wet 

 weather continues. 



Whatever you do, don't let your bees starve. See to it 

 that they have at least two or three weeks' rations in ad- 

 vance. You may be sure if they have more than they need 

 thev will not waste it. McHenry Co., 111. 



Necessity of Legislation Against Bee-Diseases 



BY N. E. FR.iNck, 

 Slate Iiispevlor of Ajiinries for ^Vixrunsill. 



Friend York :— I thank you for the editorial on page 

 531, on "Legislation Against Foul Brood." I find that 

 bee-keepers are like other people — selfish — and seem to care 

 little for others in general. Unless they are in some way 

 in danger of their bees getting disease they seem to care 



