20 ARKANSAS EXPERIMENT STATION 



30 pounds from the total weight of the hive including all but 



tllG COVGr 



Another simple method of estimating stores is to count the 

 number of frames fairly filled up with honey, figuring five pounds 

 of honey in one frame. Seven frames well filled are sutticient 

 to maintain a small colony thruout the winter. If the colony 

 is a strong one it must have more. 



If the bees are well protected against cold weather they may 

 in case of an emergency, be fed on mild days during the winter; 

 but it is much better to feed them before cold weather sets m. 

 If the bees have sufficient stores to last them thru the winter 

 but not till the spring honey flow; feeding may be delayed until 

 warm weather of spring sets in. 



White honey from sweet clover or from holly, or from cotton 

 is probably the best material for feeding provided the beekeeper 

 is certain that the colonies that provide the supply are free from 

 foul brood. A syrup made of 2 parts of granulated cane sugar 

 to one part of water will serve very well for feeding. This 

 syrup is prepared as follows: The mixture of sugar and water 

 is heated to boiling in order to dissolve the sugar, then one 

 ounce of tartaric acid to every 40-50 pounds of sugar is added. 

 The acid inverts the sugar and retards granulation in the combs. 

 When feeding is done in the summer in only a limited way a 

 one-to-one mixture without the tartaric acid will do very well. 



Various devices for feeding are offered among beekeepers' 

 supplies. Among these the Doolittle division board feeder is 

 perhaps the most commonly used. A tin can with a friction 

 top into which a number of holes have been punched, when 

 placed upside down on top of the frames inside of an empty super 

 or hive body, answers the purpose. Another method of feeding- 

 is to put the syrup in a shallow dish or pan and place it on the 

 frames inside of an empty super. To prevent any bees from 

 drowning a number of small shavings are put in the syrup, or a 

 cotton cloth is spread over the pan large enuf to drop over the 

 edges of the pan. The cloth should be large enuf so it can 

 drop to the bottom of the pan as the syrup is removed. 



Robbing. During warm weather, especially when no honey 

 is being brot in, bees are sometimes inclined to rob. Robbing 

 is often caused by careless manipulations of the beekeeper. 

 Leaving honey or combs exposed in the apiary may incite the 

 bees to robbing. The same may take place during such tedious 

 tasks as transferring bees from box hives. 



Robbers are recognized by the fact that they enter the hive 

 with the abdomen contracted, and leave with the abdomen dis- 

 tended flying stnaight home. 



Robbing should be stopped at once by throwing a bunch of 

 wet grass or weeds over the entrance of the attacked colony. 



