WINTERING 165 



though the colony is provided with plenty 

 of honey it is a good plan to feed them a 

 few pounds of this sugar sirup just be- 

 fore they are packed. This food is stored 

 in the space nearest the cluster, it will be 

 the first used and will assist in keeping 

 the bees in good condition through the 

 winter. 



Sugar sirup is the best possible winter 

 food for bees for the reason that it is al- 

 most completely consumed within the 

 body of the bee. There are often weeks 

 and months at a time when the bees are 

 unable to fly and as a result they must re- 

 tain within their intestines the waste mat- 

 ter contained in the food they eat. If 

 wintered in a warm climate they might 

 be fed almost anything that was sweet, 

 but in the North where the winters pre- 

 sent a problem, they should be given food 

 which will be as free from waste as it may 

 be. Sugar is the ideal food, good white 

 honey is next in value and dark honey 

 and honey dew are the poorest possible. 



