spring management of bees. 3 



Spring Feeding. 



If some of the colonies have come through the wiin;cr light 

 in stores, they should be fed before being unpacked. It is im- 

 portant that the winter protection be left on the hives through- 

 out the raw, changeable weather of April and early May. 



Good honey which has been gathered and stored by the 

 bees, is always the best food for them. This is especially true 

 of the spring brood rearing period. It seems that the best 

 granulated sugar syrup does not supply all the elements need- 

 ed by the developing brood. However, honey which is not the 

 best may be used for feeding at this time. That made from 

 trees, such as the Basswood, and honey containing honeydew 

 may be used in the spring, whereas it would not be the best 

 for winter. If the beekeeper has not laid aside some combs for 

 such an emergency, he can use syrup made by mixing equal 

 volumes of granulated sugar and hot water, stirring the liquid 

 until all the sugar has dissolved. Feed this hot in one of the 

 many feeders procurable on the market.* 



In order for colonies to develop in the shortest time, they 

 must have an abundance of stores and large amounts of pol- 

 len. It takes a cell of honey to produce a cell of brood. It is 

 a fact that queens will not lay their maximum number of eggs 

 unless there is in the hives sufficient food to feed that amount 

 of brood. It is best then in feeding colonies to give all they 

 will need in one or two feedings and in the shortest time in 

 which the bees will take it. On this account it is desirable to 

 use more than one feeder for each colony. 



Unpacking the Bees. 



The time to remove the packing materials is when fairly 

 settled weather has arrived in the spring. This will be usually 

 just before the fruit trees bloom in May. We get our first im- 

 portant honey flow from red maples. The bees will get a good 

 start from this stimulus so that when fruit bloom comes, they 

 should build up rapidly. It is necessary that we have free 

 access to the hives at this time so that we can manipulate the 

 colonies as needed. 



*See Bulletin No. 21, Fall Feeding of Bees. 



