132 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1 



ago there is quite a variety of Hoffman 

 frames. There are some made by E. Kretch- 

 mer, years ago, in which the top-bar is full 

 width to the end; others of Root's, Lewis', 

 and other makes which I can not identify. 

 There are a few very nicely made Hoffman 

 frames with end-bars | inch thick, and both 

 edges square. If these latter Hoffman 

 frames had a top-bar full width to the end 

 they would be ideal for my use. 



After trying 2u00 shallow unspaced frames, 

 hanging on nails, many thousand of various 

 other unspaced types, including the Cogg- 

 shall pattern (best of all unspaced frames), 

 I am not yet prepared to say that the Hoff- 

 man is not a good frame. 



Meridian, Idaho, Dec. 26. 



FEEDING BEES IN SPRING. 



A knock at the door. Mrs. D. opens. 

 Then I hear, "Is Mr. Doolittle in?" 



"Yes, come in," Mrs. D. replies, and a 

 tall good-looking man is ushered into my 

 sanctum. 



"My name is Mitchell, and I came to have 

 a little chat with you about feeding bees in 

 the spring." 



' ' Do you think it will be necessary for 

 you to feed much, Mr. Mitchell ? " 



' ' I fear so, as my bees went into winter 

 quarters last fall light in stores." 



"I think it would have been the part of 

 wisdom to feed them last September." 



"Undoubtedly it would; but business and 

 sickness prevented, so it is too late to dis- 

 cuss that part now. How would it do to 

 feed outdoors, allowing the bees to go a 

 few rods for the feed ? ' ' 



" Outside feeding has been recommended 

 in the past by some good apiarists; and 

 where there are no bees, either in the woods 

 near by or at some of the neighboring farms 

 or houses within two miles of the one who 

 desires to feed, the plan will do. But as a 

 rule the person undertaking feeding in such 

 a way finds out sooner or later that he is 

 feeding many other bees as well as his own, 

 and it is not a really pleasant fact to know 

 that you are feeding other bees, going to 

 dollars of expense often in this way, from 

 which you can not expect to reap any pe- 

 cuniary benefit." 



' ' But, would not this be the best way if 

 you were sure of feeding no other bees than 

 your own ?" 



"There are other items which enter in 

 here that it is well to look after. Such 

 feeding is very liable to engender robbing, 

 especially if the feed given contains honey 



to any amount; and if given in the scanty 

 supply that is often recommended in stim- 

 ulative feeding, when the feed gives out, 

 along in the hottest part of the day, the 

 scent of the just-stored feed from the hives 

 places a great temptation before such bees 

 as have just before been carrying feed to 

 their fullest capacity, on now finding them- 

 selves suddenly deprived of any more work 

 to do ; so they set about trying, in an almost 

 maddened way. to get the savory sweet 

 from the hives from which the savor comes; 

 and woe betide the weaker colonies that do 

 not have sufficierjt numbers to repel the at- 

 tack of a numerous throng of excited ma- 

 rauders which have been appetite- whetted 

 only just before, with nothing now, in a le- 

 gitimate sense, to supply that appetite. 

 Bees placed in such a condition are made 

 fools and robbers beyond almost any thing 

 else you can think of." 



' ■ I had not thought of this robbing part. 

 I had a big time of robbing last spring; and 

 if outside feeding would have a tendency to 

 make matters worse, it certainly is some- 

 thing worth considering." 



"You are certainly right, there. But 

 about the worst feature of outside feeding 

 we have not touched on yet." 

 ' ' Possible ! What is that ? ' ' 

 " By such outside feeding, bees can not be- 

 fed in proportion to their needs, one colony 

 as compared with another." 

 " How is that? " 



' ' Some of the colonies in the yard may 

 have all the honey in their hives that is for 

 their best good, while other colonies may be 

 nearly or entirely destitute, and in a whole- 

 sale outside feeding there is nothing to hin- 

 der those colonies having more honey than 

 they need from securing as much or more 

 of the feed than those on the verge of starv- 

 ation; and thus it comes about that, while 

 the needy ones are helped, those having an 

 abundance are hindered." 



" How can they be hindered by feed at. 

 this (spring) time of the year?" 



"Easily. By the amount coming into^ 

 the hive taking up the already scanty sup- 

 ply of cells left vacant for the queen to de- 

 posit her eggs in. Thus we have a crowd- 

 ing-out of the queen just at the time she 

 should have all the room needed in which to- 

 deposit eggs which are to develop into work- 

 ers for the honey harvest only a little way- 

 ahead." 



"You are raising objections I had not 

 thought possible. Have you any more ? " 



"Yes, and this last one often proves near- 

 ly as formidable as the others. Should the- 

 day in which you commence to feed prove- 

 to be one of those fitful ones which we very 

 often have in the spring, after an entirely 

 clear and pleasant morning, a day when the 

 wind rises up, and floating clouds pass over 

 the sun, causing a few minutes of bright 

 sunshine and a much longer number of chilly 

 minutes, many bees will be lost by trying- 

 to carry the feed at a time when they 

 will become chilled in loading up and in try- 

 ing to fly home, and the loss of a single bee- 



