148 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



many of tliem do not live so long. If a hatch of brood, be 

 not obtained in March to fill up the ranks thinned by 

 death, many hives become so vfeak in bees that these 

 have a hard struggle to live. In a cold spring and late 

 locahty, I think it is desirable to stimulate bees by artifi- 

 cial feeding, and thus cause them to breed earlier than 

 they otherwise would do ; but great care is necessary in 

 this work. Better be a little late in beginning it than 

 too early ; and when once begun, continue feeding 

 tin the bees can work out of doors. It should be borne 

 in mind that spring feeding is merely to stimulate and 

 keep alive. Half a pound of sugar and half a pint of 

 water, boiled, wiU. make four or six doses for a good hive 

 during this month. As a rule, March is soon enough to 

 begin feeding bees. 



This month all the boards of hives should be well 

 scraped or cleaned. If the bee-master wishes to change 

 the position of his hives, he may venture to do it this 

 month, for bees come out but seldom now ; and when they 

 do come out, it is for a winter dance and purposes of 

 cleanliness, and they never then go far from home. In 

 times of honey-gathering, bees leave their hives and go 

 straight to field or orchards, and may not discover that the 

 position of their hives has been altered (if altered it has 

 been) till they return to the old stand. In summer, hives 

 should be removed from one part of a garden to another 

 by short stages — say one or two yards every day. This 

 month they may be removed from one side of a garden to 

 another without much risk. When this is done, aU the 

 hives should go at once ; for naturally some bees would 

 return to the old place, and if they found a hive near it, 

 they would seek a home there instead of going to their 

 new position. 



March. — By examining hives at the commencement of 



