104 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



under the bottom-bars, a thing very easily done with bot- 

 tom-boards two inches deep, but such sections are ruined 

 for use as baits, and all you can do with the empty comb 

 in them is to melt it into wax. 



FEEDING TO FILL COMBS. 



If neither combs of sealed honey nor suitable sections 

 are to be had, then feeding with Miller feeders is in order. 

 But colonies that need feeding in spring are not always 

 very strong, and a weak colony makes rather poor work 

 on a feeder at that time. Instead of distributing feeders 

 to all the colonies that need feeding, they are limited to a 

 small number of the very strongest, whether these need 

 feeding or not. Then filled combs are taken from these 

 strong colonies and given to the needy colonies whether 

 at home or in the out-apiaries, for the feeders are gener- 

 ally used only at home. 



It may be that these strong colonies are already well 

 supplied with honey. Whatever honey they have is taken 

 from them, unless it be in combs containing brood, and 

 empty combs given in place. The feeder is put directly 

 on the brood-chamber. After the bees get a fair start 

 on the feeder an upper story with empty combs may be 

 given, but just at first they will make a better start with- 

 out this second story, ^^'hen the feeder is put on, 5 or 10 

 pounds of sugar is poured in, and an equal quantity of 

 water poured on the sugar. It is much better to have 

 the water hot. It would be well to fill the feeder full, 

 but in that case a good portion of it would be left to get 

 cold, and faster work will be done if no more is given 

 each day than will be taken that day. A^ery often when 

 I go around to the feeders next morning I find most of 

 them with sugar still in the feeder, but the liquid all 

 taken. That doesn't matter ; more water can be added. 

 Indeed 12 or 15 pounds of sugar may be put in the feeder. 



