44 



and it wm ueiuse ii the food supply falls too low. Dead brood 

 lying at the hive entrance is an almost certain indication that 

 the stock is starving ; siometimes, but rarely, it is the result of 

 robbing. 



It is generally considered by beekeepers that stocks may be 

 safely left to take care of themselves as to food supply duning 

 the summer, but they frequently suffer severely from want of 

 food during that period. Honey is often very scarce during the 

 period after the early tree blossoms have gone and before white 

 clover is in full bloom, and again when the white clover bloom 

 is over and before ling heather is in bloom ; stocks may dwindle 

 Bo much during these intervals as to be unable to recover 

 Btrength in time to .make use of the succeeding honey flow. 

 The necessity for feeding at such periods is therefore obvious. 

 At such times supers, if on, should be removed, and the stock 

 should be fed with summer syrup (178) by the feeder, giviag 

 it such a number of holes as may be necessary. If the hive is 

 on the verge of starvation when noticed, the feeder should be 

 left on with all holes open. If, however, it is only necessary 

 to keep a strong stock in good breeding condition, so that it 

 will be capable of taking full advantage of the return of the 

 honey flow, about two to four holes should suffice; two holes 

 would be sufficient for a weak stock. The honey in uncom- 

 pleted sections may advantageously be fed to bees. If there 

 are only a few such sections they should be placed behind the 

 dummy, in the lower edge of which a passage yy in. to f in. 

 deep should be cut for the workers to pass through. A good 

 mefiiod of providing for such a passage, is to cut a piece 2 in. 

 wide by f in. deep out of the base of the dummy, and to fix 

 it in its place again by a fine screw or nail driven througE its 

 centre up into the dummy ; its ends may be slightly bevelled : 

 this piece of wood may be turned as desired to open or close 

 the passage from the brood chamber to the rear of the dummy ; 

 if there are many sections they may be left dn a crate on the 

 hive, a sheet of American cloth or other suitable ma-terial im- 

 pervious to bees being interposed between the hive and crate : 

 in this cut three holes, each the size of a shilling, so placed that 

 a hole shall be under each row of sections when the crate is in 

 position. The interposition of the cloth between the hive and 

 store will cause the bees to rob the latter. Prames and sections 

 may be hung up at a distance of not less than fifty yards from 

 hives for the bees to empty, but this practice is not recom- 

 mended, as the honey thus offered can he collected by the bees 

 of other hives and by wasps, and the combs would be liable to 

 injury from exposure. The unripe honey .taken from the 

 ripener (124) may advantageously be used for summer feeding, 

 either by itself, or mixed with summer syrup. If a stock is 

 found to be without food, a good method of affording immediate 

 relief is to take out a back frame containing a large number of 

 empty cells , lay it down flat on one side and pour summer syrup 

 slowly over the face of the comb so that it shall flow into the 

 empty cells on the upper side of the comb ; then return the 

 frame, placing it at the back of the brood nest. 



