64 



THE PRACTICAL BEB GUIDE. 



CHAPTER XI. 



APPLIANCES FOR FEEDING BEES. 



119. Feeding. — Bees require to be fed when their stores run 

 short ; and at other times, also, it is found to be profitable to 

 supply artificial food (311). For this purpose, it is necessary 

 to have feeders which will supply the food in the proper quan- 

 tities, and in the proper position, so that the bees may use 

 it for the purpose intended, and may have convenient access 

 to it, without the danger of setting- up robbing (307) by attract- 

 ing stranger bees to the sweets supplied. 



120. The "Economic" Feeder 



(Fig. 46) is an ordinary syrup tin, 

 with a lever-top lid in which holes 

 are punched. It is inverted upon 

 the frames direct, or upon a 

 single stage of J" wood through 

 which a hole has been cut to give 

 access to the bees. When the 

 feeder is being removed, a corner 

 of the carbolic cloth (127). or a 

 separator (102), may be slipped 

 under it to keep the bees down. 



121. The Bottle and Stage 

 Feeder (Fig. 47) can be put to- 

 gether at a trifling expense. It 

 consists of a wide-mouthed bottle, 

 or jar, with a piece of coarse 

 calico tied over the mouth, and 

 two squares of J" wood. In one 

 square a round opening is cut large 

 enough to admit the mouth of the 

 bottle, and in the other square 

 an opening f", or i", smaller in 

 diameter. The squares are then 

 nailed evenly one upon the other. 

 This stage is placed upon the tops 

 of the frames. When the bottle is 

 being removed, a piece of zinc, or 

 cardboard, may be slipped be- 



Fig 4S. 

 KCONOMIC FEEDER, 



Fig. 47. 



BOTTLE AND STAGE FEEDER. 



t ween It and the opening in the stage, to 'prevent the bees from 

 escapmg upwards. " r ' ..w^u 



