196 



XHE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 





Read at Belleville, Ont., Convention. 



Spring Management of the Apiary. 



ALLEN PRENGLE. 



Hitlierto wintering has been con- 

 sidered the RieHtest obstacle in bee- 

 keeping. But the difficulties of suc- 

 cessful wintering are being gradually 

 overcome : so that the experienced 

 and intelligent bee-keeper,with proper 

 facilities, can count, with a fair de- 

 gree of certainty, upon being able to 

 bring at least a large proportion of his 

 colonies safely through the winter. 

 But, owing to certain changes which 

 the seasons are undergoing, a com- 

 paratively new difficulty has lately 

 arisen, to supplement, as it were, the 

 wintering problem. 



This difficulty is, after the bees 

 have been successfully wintered, to 

 get them safely through the spring to 

 the honey season, and have them 

 ready for the honey flow when it ar- 

 rives. From some causes, planetary 

 or otherwise, the character of the 

 seasons is undoubtedly changing ; 

 and as we cannot alter the face of 

 Nature, we must, as far as possible, 

 adapt ourselves and our bees to Na- 

 ture's moods and variations. 



Last spring, especially, was a very 

 exceptional one ; indeed, the whole 

 season through seemed to be quite 

 out of joint. The spring and forepart 

 of summer were so cold and wet that 

 the poor little bees suffered much ; 

 and many of those not specially cared 

 tor and protected had to succumb. So 

 far as I could learn, there was greater 

 mortality among the bees in Canada, 

 last spring, after they were taken out 

 of winter quarters than there was 

 during the winter. For my own part 

 I lost none at all in wintering ; but 

 lost 3 or 4 colonies in the spring, in 

 spite of the most assiduous attention 

 to them. Only 2 of these, however, 

 succumbed to "■spring dwindling" — 

 the other 2 having lost their queens. 

 But so very unpropitious was the 

 spring, and also up to the middle of 

 June, in this district, that had I not 

 given my bees extra attention and 

 proper treatment, I am satisfied I 

 would have lost the most of them. 

 Doubtless some of you had a similar 

 experience. 



I have, therefore, thought that this 

 question of spring management is 

 the most important one for our con- 

 sideration at this meeting. Our bees 

 are now fixed up in various ways for 

 the winter. Whether the manner of 

 their disposal m winter quarters has 

 been wise or otherwise, it is past ; and 

 our next proceedings with our ■■ little 

 pets '■ will be in connection with the 

 spring management. 



The question is, " 'What ought the 

 spring management to be V"' In an- 

 swer to the question, I propose to give 

 my own views in the matter, subject, 

 of course, to the criticism of others of 

 you who may have had larger experi- 



ence than myself. My own experience 

 with bees has covered, altogether, 

 about 20 years; yet I have much, no 

 doubt, to learn. "We all, perhaps, can 

 still learn, no matter how much ex- 

 perience we have had, or how many 

 books we have read. We have, it is 

 true, our standard works. We have 

 Langstroth. and Quinby, and Cook, 

 and Newman, and Dzierzon, and 

 others ; but I liave noticed one thing 

 here, which is this : In a progressive 

 system like bee-culture, the best and 

 latest books on the subject get kft be- 

 hind, especially in practical details. 

 They may not be left behind in prin- 

 ciples, so' far as they contain princi- 

 ples, for tirst principles never change. 

 But it sometime happens in bee litera- 

 ture, as in other departments, that 

 theories are adopted as principles be- 

 fore they are fully verified by facts 

 and experience. In such cases often- 

 times mere hypotheses have ulti- 

 mately to yield to the stubborn facts of 

 practical experience. 



In the spring management of an 

 apiary, tliere are some 2 or .3 para- 

 mount objects the bee-keeper ought 

 steadily to keep in view, and endeavor 

 to accomplish. The first is to preserve 

 his bees from what is called " spring 

 dwindling." The second is to get 

 them in good strong condition by the 

 time the first honey flow comes, so 

 that they can duly take advantage of 

 it. And the third is to make such 

 provision for early queens and good 

 drones as he may deem requisite. 



As to the spring dwindling, it seems 

 to be a fact that the bees wintered in 

 cellars and bee houses are more liable 

 to it than those wintered outside, 

 properly protected. And here a mis- 

 take is, I think, often made in setting 

 out the bees wintered inside too early. 

 A colony well wintered and strong is 

 not apt to dwindle in the spring if it 

 gets anything like fair treatment. Do 

 not not set them out too early ; keep 

 them thoroughly warm after they are 

 set out; and feed judiciously of "both 

 pollen and honey, and you will reduce 

 the spring dwindling to a minimum. 

 The best time to set them out must, 

 of course, much depends on circum- 

 stances, and the bee-keeper must use 

 his own judgment. 



I do not think it prudent to put 

 them out for good much before the 

 first natural pollen appears, especially 

 if the spring is cold and backward. 

 If, however, they get restless in their 

 quarters, and dysentery should ap- 

 pear, they ought to be put out for a 

 flight the first day that is sufficiently 

 warm and fine. " They can then be 

 carried back again. But as pollen is 

 required for the rearing of brood, in 

 some cases where there is little or no 

 old pollen in the hive, the colony might 

 do better out if well protected and 

 managed ; for in such cases the arti- 

 ficial pollen for breeding can be more 

 easily supplied them outside than in. 

 I would, therefore, other things being 

 equal, put the colonies with least old 

 pollen out first, and keep those with 

 7nost pollen in the longest. But how- 

 can I know how much pollen they 

 may have in the spring before I put 

 them out, you ask '? Note the fact in 

 the fall. 



If bees are kept warm enough dur- 

 ing the winter, and have plenty of 

 honey, they will not use pollen until 

 they begin to breed. If they are cold, 

 and have to move about and exercise 

 their wings to keep warm (for thev do 

 this), they will need nitrogenous food, 

 and will then eat pollen. But even in 

 view of this contingency, colonies 

 with no old pollen may, if "desired, be 

 left in the cellar after breeding has 

 commenced. The nitrogenous food, 

 to supply the albumen for the eggs 

 and the pollen for the brood, can be 

 fed inside the hives in the shape of 

 meal cakes soaked in honey ; but it is 

 better. I think, to feed the raw meal 

 outside in the open air when the 

 weather is fine. No definite or in- 

 variable rule can be given as to when 

 to set out colonies, or what colonies to 

 set out. The thinking and observant 

 apiarist must consider all the circum- 

 stances and judge for himself. A good 

 plan is, to have a strong colony out 

 pretty early, and when it begins to 

 carry in natural pollen the rest may 

 pretty safely be put out. 



If, however, we cannot give the in- 

 experienced bee-keeper very definite 

 instructions as to the exact tiope to 

 put his bees out in the spring, we can 

 give pretty explicit directions how to 

 manage them after they are out. 

 And the bee-keeper's season's crop of 

 honey will depend largely upon his 

 spring management of his bees. If 

 this part of his work is wisely and 

 skilfully conducted, his cliances for an 

 abundant return, other things being 

 equal, will be good; if poorly man- 

 aged his chances are slim ; for the 

 bee-keeper who does not know or care 

 to manage his bees right in the spring 

 will not know or care to manage them 

 properly duringthe honey season. To 

 be successful as a bee-keeper, his en- 

 thusiasm and care must reach beyond 

 the inspiring honey season, and ex- 

 tend through the wliole year. 



Now, the very first thing to be done 

 with the bees after they are set out in 

 the spring, is to make them warm by 

 closing all ventilating and other holes 

 except a very small entrance ; putting 

 warm quilts on top ; and taking such 

 other measures as may be necessary 

 to prevent the undue "escape of heat 

 from the hive, always bearing in 

 mind that our protection does not 

 creo(f heat at all. but simply confines 

 the animal heat which is generated by 

 the bees. In the warm days when the 

 sun is strong, there is, of course, ex- 

 ternal heat ; but in cold windy days, 

 and especially when the atmosphere 

 is humid, the escape of the animal 

 heat from the hive, unless it be well 

 protected, is very rapid and very in- 

 jurious to the bees. Every avenue 

 and crevice ought, therefore, to be 

 tightly closed except a very small en- 

 trance. In the spring, remember we 

 want no " upward ventilation," as 

 that matter will, in the open air, take 

 care of itself — we want /teat, or rather 

 the bees and brood need it. 



Having thus duly attended to this 

 first spring requisite, the next thing 

 to do, the first sufficiently warm day, 

 is to overhaul every colony and clean 

 out dead bees, etc. Also take away 

 all superfluous combs, and crowd the 



