ON FEEDING BEES. 79. 



The float is made of very thin wood, covered with small 

 holes made with a red-hot wire (an awl or gimlet would 

 split the wood), through which the bees suck their food 

 v/ithout injury. In many feeders hundreds of bees are 

 actually drowned ; this cannot occur with the Lancashire 

 feeder. Another feeder on the same principle is adver- 

 tised by Pettitt, of Dover. It is made of wood, and will 

 hold four pounds of liquid food. 



A cheap way of feeding is this : directly the hole is cut 

 in the crown of the hive, lay on it a piece of perforated 

 zinc, 4 inches square, to cover the opening and prevent 

 any bees from coming through, because when bees are 

 excited with feeding they are apt to overlook the kindness, 

 and to sting even their master if he interferes too much. 

 A pickle-bottle, or a bottle of any kind with a wide 

 mouth, may form your bee-feeder. Fill it with liquid 

 food, and tie over its mouth a bit of black net, leno, or 

 coarse musHn. Invert the bottle upon the perforated zinc, 

 and steady it with a bit of wood on each side, to prevent 

 it falling, and the bees will suck up the food through the 

 small holes in the zinc. This is a very handy plan, and is 

 nearly always employed by apiarians who use the Wood- 

 bury-hi\es. It has many advantages, especially in cold 

 weather. The bees are not chilled in procuring the food, 

 for they are kept within the hives. 



Several substitutes for honey have been recommended 

 as food for bees. Many apiarians who can ailbrd it, how- 

 ever, stiU prefer honey when feeding up weak colonies in 

 the autumn, because, say they, it prevents " dysentery," 

 of which disease many bees die in early spring. Dysentery 

 is caused often from eating sour food. If liquid food turns 

 sour in the cells, it may prove injurious, but this seldom 

 happens. 



Amongst the substitutes may be mentioned sugar, 

 lump and raw, sugar-candy, and barley-sugar. The 



