THE COTTAGE AND FARM BEE KEEPER. 



97 



will continue to take food more or less actively, when the tempera- 

 ture is as low as 40°.* This fact is of great importance to be attend- 

 ed to, as the external temperature in general averages much lower 

 than 50° in the autumn quarter of the year, while it seldom rises for 

 more than a few days together to the higher figure, and then only for 

 a few hours during the day. Where top- 

 feeding is judiciously managed, bees may con- 

 tinue to be fed to a late period in the year, 

 and, of course, proportionably early in the 

 spring. I must, however, here caution the 

 reader again to be very careful at this season, 

 to open the top hole as seldom as possible, and 

 then only in the warmest weather, except in 

 cases of urgent necessity, (or where a current 

 of air is carefully prevented,) as any escape of 

 heat at this critical time is extremely injurious, 

 when the development of brood should by all 

 means be encouraged ; and be it remembered, 

 an internal heat of 70° has been considered 

 necessary by the highest authorities to the 

 hatching of eggs and the perfection' of brood. 

 I make use of two sorts of feeders, both of 

 them constructed of zinc,t which, for many 



reasons, is greatly to be preferred to wood, except perhaps the very 

 hardest kinds. The one pan is adapted to use, (for copious feeding,) 

 in warm weather, when the bees will empty it sometimes twice a-day 

 (according to the quality of the food) ; its shape and dimensions are 

 as follows : — It is a circular trough or pan, from six to seven inches 



* Nay, at the moment I write, February 27th, with the external temperature at 32°, the 

 bees are very greedily at work in one of my bee-glass feeders, (covered by a thick woollen 

 sock doubled,) while not one has yet ventured forth, and there is not even a sign of activity 

 in any other part of the hive. The internal temperature of this hive, however, is undoubt- 

 edly much higher in the centre, than it would otherwise have been. 



t The objection to zinc, on the ground that in very cold weather it endangers the KveB 

 of the few bees who chance to be tempted up into it, is, I think, unworthy of attention. 

 The insects are generally careful enough not to venture their lives in this manner ; and if 

 they should, the bee master has but to close the communication with the hive, at once to 

 remedy the evil. 



