178 THE PRACriCAL BEE GUIDE. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



FEEDING BEES: RECIPES. 



311. Objects of Feeding Bees. — It is a common notion, and 

 a very mistalven one, that bees, being so well able to forage 

 for themselves, require no artificial feeding. During 

 several months of the year there is little or no nectar to be 

 gathered in the fields : sometimes when natural food might be 

 had in abundance, stress of weather confines the bees to their 

 hives, so that they cannot visit the flowers : in winter and 

 early spring, foraging is impossible: and, frequently, when 

 the bee-keeper has taken his harvest from the hives, the bees 

 are left without sufficient food to carry them through the 

 cold months. In such circumstances, neglect to supply food 

 artificially is often accountable for the death of many stocks. 

 And, by feeding bees, there are other objects to be gained 

 beyond that of staving off starvation. The general desire to 

 obtain a large harvest of honey can be satisfied only by having 

 the stocks as strong as possible before the honey flow 

 opens (255) ; for, only the bees that have been born at 

 least fourteen days, from eggs laid at least thirty-six days 

 before the honey flow opens, can take full advantage of it. 

 (190). But, it is found that neither will the queen put forth 

 her best laying powers, nor the bees consent to rear brood in 

 quantities, until food begins to come in abundantly (192). 

 Similarly, towards the close of autumn, it is necessary to have 

 a large quantity of bees reared to survive the winter, and to 

 carry on the work of the colony in the spring. But, with the 

 cessation of the honey flow, breeding will naturally decrease, 

 unless food be supplied ; and, even the eggs and larvae will be 

 destroyed when food becomes scarce, with the result that the 

 stock may come out in the spring too weak to be of any prac- 

 tical use in the season following. Therefore, if good results 

 are to be secured, nature's supply must be anticipated, and 

 supplemented, by artificial feeding : wise and timely atten- 

 tion to this detail may make all the difference between a good 

 and a bad, or indifferent honey harvest (202). It goes without 

 saying that sugar is not as good feeding for bees as is honey. 

 Experienced bee-keepers are careful not to deprive their stocks 

 of more honey than the bees can afford to give, having regard 

 to the needs of the colonies. 



