FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 281 



SELECTING COLONIES TO FEED. 



I have spoken as if a feeder was put over each colony 

 lacking stores. That is by no means always the case — indeed, 

 not often the case. There are reasons why it is better to have 

 a comparatively small number of colonies do the storing, tak- 

 ing sealed combs from these to give to the weaker ones. It is 

 a good deal less trouble, when the feeding is begun in good 

 season, to have one colony store enough for five or ten others 

 besides itself than it is to have feeders on all the five or ten 

 colonies. Some colonies will store better than others, and the 

 best can be chosai. 



FEEDING IN PALL FOR SPRING. 



For some reason, bees seem to store from a feeder much 

 better late in the season than they do before the harvest time. 

 The greater strength of the colonies and the warmer weather 

 would make one expect a difference, but it has always seemed 

 to me that there was more difference than could be accounted 

 for without some other reason. So it is desirable at this time 

 to have not only enough combs filled to bridge over the winter, 

 but to supply any possible deficiency up to the harvest time. 



An upper story of empty combs is put on, possibly two. 

 As fast as combs are completely filled and sealed they can be 

 removed and replaced by empty ones. If it is desired to have 

 combs filled out upon foundation, beautiful work will be done 

 upon them in these upper stories. It will easily be seen that it 

 is less trouble to add sugar from time to time as needed, also 

 to add water as needed, than it is to apportion the smaller 

 amounts to a number of colonies. No great matter if too 

 much or too little of one or the other is present ; the thing will 

 regulate itself. For with cold water there is no danger of the 

 feed being too thick, and all the harm of too large a propor- 

 tion of sugar is that the bees will have to wait for mote water 

 when it is too dry to give down. On the other hand, they will 

 continue taking it down when it is much thinner than half- 

 and-half, and perhaps it is all the better manipulated when 

 very thin. 



Perhaps it would do as well to feed as described under 

 wholesale feeding in spring, but in that case I should want the 



