45 



can be swept up and their decaying bodies will not pollute the 

 air. It is possible to carry bees safely through the winter in 

 an ordinary cellar without special provisions being made, but 

 it is far better to provide as nearly ideal conditions as one's 

 ciroumstances will permit. They need not be expensive. 



When bees are carefully put away for winter they should 

 not be disturbed until they are taken out in the spring, if pos- 

 sible to avoid it. For this reason it is best that all colonies 

 should be provided with an abundance of stores to carry them 

 safely throuh the winter and until the weather is warm and 

 settled in sipring. 



If natural stores and honey is not present, in the hives in 

 sufficient quantities, the bees should be fed pure granulated 

 sugar dissolved in water until each colony has not less than 

 twenty^ve pounds of stores and even forty would be better. 

 There are different styles of feeders on the market which can 

 be obtained through the bee supply dealers, or if one is inge- 

 nious a home arrangement can be provided. 



As a substitute for honey, a syrup made from granulated 

 sugar is best. For spring feeding, a thin syrup even as dilute 

 as two parts of water (volume) to one of honey may be used. 

 Ordinarily equal parts are used. For supplying winter stores, 

 a thick syrup is better, — ^two to two and one-half parts of sugar 

 to one of water. To prevent granulation a teaspoonful of 

 tartatic acid should be added to each twenty pounds of sugar 

 while the syrup is being heated. This dissolves the sugar 

 crystals. In making the syrup, the greatest care must be used 

 to prevent scorching. It should be as clear as if made with 

 cold water. In this State, the feeding should be done not later 

 than the latter part of August. It would be better to feed in 

 Sefptember than for bees to go into winter quarters short of 

 stores. If feeding is done early while the weather is warm, 

 the honey is properly ripened and sealed over. The presence 

 of much unsealed" honey or syrup in the combs is often fatal to 

 the be*s in a long winter confinement. 



With good stores of food and right conditions, bees do not 

 void the feces while in confinement, but on flying out of the 

 hive. Some dark honeys or honey-dew leave much waste in 

 the process of digestion. Bees cannot stand a long confinement 



