MANIPULATING. 59 



104. Summer Feeding. — Feeding in the summer months 

 is very seldom resorted to, except with swarms. These ought 

 always to have an abundance provided directly they are placed 

 in the hive, the feeding to be continued for about a fortnight. 

 The syrup used should be of the same consistency as that 

 advised for spring feeding. There are times in the summer 

 months when, perhaps, feeding will be found advantageous ; 

 but it should never be resorted to unless the bees are unable 

 to do without it. Of course, when so feeding them, the sections 

 (if on the hive) must be removed, or they will become the 

 receptacles of the syrup. Under these circumstances we strongly 

 deprecate the feeding of stocks in summer. 



105. Anttimii Feeding. — This is the most important time 

 of feeding, and it should receive the bee-keeper's best attention. 

 It is almost entirely owing to the care bestowed upon this 

 whether the stocks live or die during the rigour of winter. 

 Autumn feeding should on no account be continued later than 

 the 1st of October ; prior to this date all feeding should have 

 been done and finished. Every stock before then must have 

 received its quota of stores. This is of great importance, the 

 success of our harvest the next season depending, in a great 

 measure, upon it. If a colony is fed upon syrup after the above 

 date, the bees will be unable to evaporate and seal it over in the 

 combs, on account of the lowness of temperature. Bees cannot 

 manipulate their wax in a temperature lower than 85" Fahr. 

 The temperature in a cluster when comb-building will be found 

 to be not less than 90° Fahr. As such is the case, the wax 

 at a lower degree is not sufficiently plastic for them to form 

 cappings to their cells ; the syrup is thus exposed to the air, and as 

 a consequence it will ferment and turn sour, producing dysentery 

 in the bees that feed on it. Where the honey-flow ceases at the 

 end of July, or beginning of August, autumn feeding should be 

 commenced soon after, but only in those colonies that are 

 very short of stores, and even with these by very slow degrees, 

 or the queen will be " crowded out " ; but as soon as the advent 

 of September the feeding must be as fast as possible. The syrup 

 to be used is that recommended under the heading "Autumn 

 Syrup" (par. 71). When a colony in a bar-frame hive has 3olb. of 

 stores feeding can be stopped, as this amount is sufficient to last 

 them until the following spring. A very good calculation can 

 be made as to the weight of food in a hive by taking, as a 

 basis, the weight of one frame when filled, and of the average 

 thickness. An Association Standard frame, if fairly new — say not 

 more than three years old — will contain about 51b. of stores. 

 If the total amount is reckoned upon this assumption, a very 

 correct estimate can be made, which will always be on the right 

 side, as a comb three parts filled will represent a trifle over 



