236 What to Peed. 



HOW MUCH TO FEED. 



If we only wish to stimulate, the amount fed need not 

 be great. A half pound a day, or even less, will be all 

 that is necessary to encourage the bees to active preparation 

 for the good time coming. For information in regard to 

 supplying stores for winter, see Chapter XVIII. 



WHAT TO FEED. 



For this purpose I would feed granulated sugar, reduced 

 to the consistency of honey, or else extracted honey kept 

 over from the previous year. The price of the latter will 

 decide which is the more profitable. Dark, inferior honey 

 often serves well for stimulative feeding, and as it is not 

 salable may well be used in this way. To make the syrup, 

 I use one quart of water to two of sugar, and heat till the 

 sugar is dissolved. My friend, R. L. Taylor, first boils 

 the water, then stirs in the sugar till all boils, when he 

 says it will not granulate even with no acid added. A 

 little tartaric acid — an even teaspoonful to fifteen pounds 

 of syrup — or even a little extracted honey will also pre- 

 vent crjrstallization. If fed warm in early spring it is all 

 the better. 



Many advise feeding the poorer grades of sugar in 

 spring. My own experience makes me question the policy 

 of ever using such feed for bees. The feeding of glucose 

 or grape sugar is even worse policy. It is bad food for 

 the bees, and its use is dangerous to the bee-keeper's repu- 

 tation, and injurious to our brother bee-keepers. Glucose 

 is so coupled with fraud and adulteration that he who 

 would "avoid the appearance of evil" must let it severely 

 alone. 



In all feeding, unless extracted honey is what we are 

 using, we cannot exercise too great care that such feed is 

 not carried to the surplus boxes. Only let our customers 

 once taste sugar in their comb-honey, and not only is our 

 own reputation gone, but the whole fraternity is injured. 

 In case we wish to ha\'e our combs in the sections filled or 

 cajjped, we must feed extracted honc\-, which may often 

 be done with great a lvanta.;e. I ha\e often fed extracted 



