THOUSAND ANSWERS 225 



Sugar Syrup. — Q. How thin a sugar syrup may be fed to bees 

 without danger of spoiling after taking into the hive? 



A. Early in the season, when the bees are flying daily, it will 

 do no harm to feed them syrup just as thin as they will take it, 

 say one part sugar to ten of water. And the same is true until 

 fairly late in the season. As the weather begins to be cool toward 

 fall, the syrup must be given thicker and thicker, lest the bees do 

 not have time to evaporate it sufficiently, and as late as November 

 it will not be well to feed a thinner syrup than two parts sugar 

 to one of water, and two and one-half of sugar to one of water is 

 still better. 



Q. In making syrup two to one in boiling water, after it is 

 thoroughly mixed, is it necessary to put it on the stove to let it 

 come to a boil? 



A. All that's needed is to dissolve the sugar, even if in cold 

 water. 



Q. How would you prepare sugar syrup to feed in cellar, 

 when it is absolutely necessary to feed in mid-winter to preserve 

 from starvation? 



A. Just a plain syrup, two pints or pounds of water to five 

 pints or pounds of sugar. Stir the sugar slowly into the hot water, 

 and be very careful not to scorch it. But you might do better to 

 make a plain candy and lay over the frames. 



Q. I have half a barrel of common syrup that is of no use to 

 me. Would you let the bees have it in the spring? If so, how, 

 and what time? 



A. Yes, there is generally a time in the spring when bees can 

 fly every day but get little or no nectar. At such a time it will be 

 well to feed such syrup. Either feed in the hive with a Miller or 

 other feeder, or if you are situated where neighbor bees will not 

 get the lion's share, you can feed in the open air in shallow dishes 

 with cork chips on top, or some other arrangement to keep the 

 bees from drowning. Open-air feeding may be a little the best for 

 the bees — more like working in the field. 



Q. Will you please inforiri me what kind of acid is used in 

 syrup to keep it from granulating? And how much of the acid is 

 used to a gallon of syrup? 



A. An even teaspoonful of tartaric acid for every 20 pounds 

 of sugar is stirred into the syrup about the time the sugar is dis- 

 solved. The acid is first dissolved in a little water. 



Sumac. — Q. Does sumac yield honey? I removed some honey 

 this season that had a greenish tinge. The comb fairly melted 



