46 BEEKEEPING IN THE SOUTH 



the wasps. So far as is known to the writer, these conditions 

 do not apply miich to southwest Texas, except that in certain 

 localities, the problem of combating the ants often necessitates 

 tracing them to their nests and the use of the spade, fire and 

 carbon disulphide to eradicate them. Even w-ith these agencies, 

 this remains a hard problem. 



The problem of winter stores is pertinent at many times, both 

 in Florida and west Texas, perhaps more so in the latter region, 

 because of the frequent drouths, when no material natural sources 

 of nectar may be available for months. In south Florida there is 

 usually some source of nectar at every season, and fresh nectar 

 may often be found in the brood combs in varying quantities at 

 every month of the year. In Texas the problem becomes one of 

 storing or feeding back honey, if early sources of nectar such as 

 huajilla, catclaw, cactus and similar flowers fail. The food supply 

 problem is not so hard to solve, however, unless the beekeeper 

 goes through a period of drouth extending over many months, 

 tuch as was the case of Texas in 1916-17. 



The Alluvial Regions. 



Extending north of this tropical belt well up into the foothills 

 of the mountains in north Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkan- 

 sas and Oklahoma, is a region of early activity on the part of 

 the bees, frequently accompanied by only light flows of nectar, 

 until several months after brood rearing may begin. Some 

 beekeepers in this region are fortunate enough to have early 

 surplus flows, as is usually the case in northern Louisiana, for 

 instance. Otherwise the colonies often reach swarming strength 

 several weeks before a source of surplus nectar may be available. 

 Holding the numerical strength of the colony intact where no in- 

 crease is desired, is then a problem indeed. Similarly the ex- 

 cessive use of stores to rear this brood when nectar is scarce often 

 makes the food supply an equally important problem. Most 

 beekeepers in this region are against any sort of winter protection 

 as it is understood by northern beekeepers. With no means of 

 using the bees, which would be raised here out of season in in- 



