FEEDING. 115 



In hives that are not full of comhs, a common soup- 

 plate or a flower-pot saucer, answers well for feeding bees. 

 Some chips of wood or short straws are placed in these 

 saucers. After being filled with the bee-food, they are 

 placed on the boards inside the hives. In times of comb- 

 building, the hives should be lifted off their boards with 

 the greatest care, and without turning them in any way ; 

 otherwise their combs might be jarred down. We fre- 

 quently use flower-pot saucers for feeding swarms. Lift- 

 ing the hive off the board, and gently placing it on the 

 ground for a moment or two, we put the saucer on the board, 

 fill it with the liquid, and then lift the hive on the board. 



In feeding bees we have always tried to do the work 

 simply and rapidly. When we have one or two dozen of 

 stock-hives needing food, we do not call to our aid feed- 

 ing-troughs of any kind. We simply pour the sugar-and- 

 water amongst the combs and bees, and can easily give 

 20 lb. of sugar to fifteen hives in half an hour. In doing 

 this we dose a hive well with the smoke of corduroy, 

 turn it up, and hold it with the combs in a slanting posi- 

 tion to the left. From a pitcher or jug with a spout 

 the syrup is now to be poured first along one comb and 

 then another, tUl aU are gone over ; then turn the hive 

 with the combs slanting to the right, and pour the liquid 

 on the reverse side of the combs in the same manner. 

 Owing to the slanting position of the combs, the syrup 

 runs into the open ceUs before it reaches the crown of 

 the hive. Thus one hive after another is fed ; and if 

 necessary or convenient to give more, each hive can get 

 three or four such doses every day. The liquid thus 

 poured amongst the bees does no harm whatever, as they 

 lick it off one another quite clean in a few minutes. The 

 syrup, as we mix it, is not thick and sticky like treacle 

 or honey, and when administered as above, does not in- 

 jure a hair on the body of a bee. 



