WINTERING BEES 43 



them to consume too largely of their stores; and, as they 

 can not take a cleansing flight, dysentery is likely to follow. 

 Moreover, the feeding of a single colony in a cellar is apt 

 to stir up, by its roar, the other colonies near it. 



When an outdoor colony is running short it should be 

 given a comb of sealed stores. To avoid disturbing the winter 

 nest this should be given directly on top of the brood-frames 

 laid upon a couple of sticks. On top of the comb should 

 b© placed two other strips and then the packing-material. 

 A comb may be given in the same way in the cellar, but it 

 would be more practicable to take out an empty frame and 

 put the one containing the stores in its place. 



If one does not have any combs of honey he may give 

 rock candy, provided it has not been scorched or burned, or 

 any kind of bee candy.* If the candy is the same as that 

 used in queen-cages, or what is called Good candy, it should 

 be put in shallow trays like paper or wooden pie-plates, so 

 that, in case it becomes soft, it will not run down over the 

 combs, thus daubing the bees, and ultimately destroying the 

 colony. There is always danger that a soft candy may do 

 this, and hence we advise a hard candy. We have discovered 

 that the use of a little honey makes a better candy. But do 

 not use too much. On© pound or a pound and a ha,lf of 

 honey to 20 lbs. of sugar will be about the right proportion. 

 It is very important that the mixture be not heated to a 

 higher temperature than 280 ; and for this purpose a candy- 

 thermometer should be used. 



It is a nice art to make hard candy, and perhaps some 

 would not care to undertake it. One or two reports seem 

 to show that loaf sugar may be laid on top of the frames. 

 In winter there would be enough dampness to keep the sugar 

 moist. For summer feeding it would have to be dampened 

 perhaps. 



* I have 1>ecome eatisfied that a candy is safer than a syrup for winter 

 feeding^ especially by the novice. In fact, I am so sure of that and of 

 its neater economy in material, in bee life, and manual labor, that I 

 doubt if I ever again use much syrup. Soft sugar for stimulating and 

 candy for cold weather. Even though soft sugar be safe for winter it 

 takes too much labor to adjust feeders and bees. An inverted feeder of 

 candy on fop is instantaneous and economical. — A. 0. M. 



