SKPTK.MnKK, I'.fjd 



(.i I. K A N J N G S IN B E E C U 1. T I" U E 



time onoiifjh to ripiMi it before eoUl weather 

 the stores Avili be too thin for good winter- 

 ing. Besides those who liave not been fore- 

 sigiitcd enough to save lioney stores for win- 

 tering, there is also another class of begin- 

 ners who will find it a good plan to feed 

 syrup. We refer to those who live where 

 there is a fall flow of honey of inferior 

 quality. Honeydew or honey gathered so 

 late that it is not suflSciently ripened, often 

 causes dysentery and death of colonies be- 

 fore spring. The reason for this is because 

 the consumption of such stores results in 

 more waste matter accumulating in the in 

 testines of the bees; and since they are un- 

 able to expel this waste matter except dur- 

 ing flight, such stores usually cause dysen- 

 tery during winter months when the bees are 

 unable to have frequent cleansing flights. 

 Whenever such stores have been gathered 

 by the bees, therefore, it is a wise plan to 

 feed as much as 10 pounds of sugar syrup. 

 This will be stored right on top of the un- 

 desirable stores; and since the bees during 

 the coldest weather will not consume more 

 than 10 pounds, they will not begin using 

 the poor stores until spring, when they will 

 be able to have frequent flights. At this 

 time of the year such stores will do no liarni. 

 Examination of Colonies. 



When looking thru the hives to determine 

 the amount of stores, and perhaps to con- 

 tract the brood-chamber, care should be taken 

 not to allow the bees to begin robbing. No 

 hive should be open for any length of time; 

 and if the colonies should begin robbing, the 

 entrances should be contracted as described 

 in the July "Talks to Beginners." 



If any weak or queenless colonies are 

 found they should be united; or if the 

 (|ueenless one is strong, a queen should be 

 introduced. Any combs that are found filled 

 with pollen, or combs that are crooked, or 

 that contain a large amount of drone comb, 

 should be removed. If such comb happens 

 to have brood in at the time of examination, 

 it may be placed at one side of the hive so 

 that' it may be removed later before pack- 

 ing for winter. 



How to Feed Syrup. 



About the best way to feed syrup is to 

 give it in five or ten pound friction-top pails 

 with pierced lids. The lids are pierced with 

 about 1.30 nail holes made by a three-penny 

 nail, or they may be purchased already 

 pierced. This is really a cheap feeder; for 

 after feeding the pail may be used as a con- 

 tainer, ftnly, of course, it will be necessary 

 to have an extra co\er that is not pierced 

 to sell with the pail of honey. In this way 

 one may have good new feeders each year 

 and at no expense. When ready to feed, 

 an empty deep super is placed over the 

 brood-chamber, the pail filled with warm 

 syrup made of two parts of sugar to one of 

 water, and inverted directly on top of the 

 brood-combs: the pail and the tops of the 

 frames cov<'re<l warm with builajt or other 

 covering to retain the warmth of the clus- 



ter; and then the inner and the outer cover 

 are replaced over the added super. 



In about 24 hours the bees will probably 

 have removed the syrup and stored it for 

 winter use. If the bees are slow about re- 

 moving the syrup, they will probably take 

 the remainder better if it is again warmed. 



Lacking a friction-top pail one may place 

 an open dish of syrup over the frames of 

 the brood-chamber; but in this case it will 

 be necessary to place grass or other material 

 in the syrup so that the bees may get it 



Tlie foed pail and top of frames covered with an old 

 sack to con-serve the heat of the hive. 



without danger of drowning. When feeding 

 in an open dish in this way the bees will 

 begin work on the syrup more readily if a 

 little grass is dipped into the syrup and then 

 placed so as to extend from the edge of the 

 dish to the tops of the frames. The bees 

 will immediately climb this sticky lad<ler 

 and begin work on the syrup in the dish. 

 When covering the tops of the frames and 

 the dish to conserve the warmth of the clus- 

 ter, enough room should be left between the 

 cloth and the dish so that the bees can easily 

 pass between the dish and the combs. 

 Wintering in Single-walled Hives. 



So far in this ''Talk'' we ha\(> taken it 

 for granted that the beginner has double- 

 walled hives as we previously advised. How- 

 ever, for the sake of those who have their 

 colonies in single-walled hives we shall sug- 

 gest how they also may be safely wintered. 



Those beekeepers who have good stores and 

 dry well-ventilated cellars that may be kept 

 darkened at an even temperature of about 

 4.') or 50 degrees, and who live in a locality 

 where the average winter temperature falls 

 as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit, may easily 

 winter in the cellar those colonies that a re- 

 in single-walled hives. Also weak colonies 

 covering less than six frames may be win 

 tered in the cellar to advantage. When win 

 tered in the cellar less stores will be re- 

 quired. Probably 20 to 25 pounds will be 

 sufficient. 



The subject of p-acking and the actual 

 preparation of the singlewalled and double- 

 walled hives for winter will be discussed 

 next month. 



