74 



Bee-kee plnij in J'ictoria. 



cheaper than and just as good as honey of the same density, while 

 all risk of infection is avoided. 



Feeding for winter stores should be done rapidly, and while the 

 weather is still fairly warm. The syrup (or thin honey) should be 

 given blood-warm, and of the density given above (2 lbs. of best sugar 

 to 1 lb. boiling water). All feeding should be done inside the hive, 

 with the twofold object of keeping the food warm as long as possible 

 and of preventing the access of bees from other hives. 



As feeding for winter stores is so seldom required, there are perhaps 

 few apiaries in which the necessary feeders are on hand. To make 



Fig. 1. — Simplicity Feeder. 



sufficient feeders for a fair-sized apiary would take some time and con- 

 siderable material, and on this account the bees are sometimes left to 

 take their chance at times when prompt feeding at the right time- 

 would insure their safe wintering, and a vastly greater honey crop in 

 the following season. 



The Simplicity feeder, as sold by supply dealers (Fig. 1), while 

 quite suitable for stimulative feeding, is altogether too small for feeding 

 winter stores. The frame-feeder (Fig. 2), while still somewhat on 

 the small side, is more suitable, but rather expensive. The writer, 



Fig. 2. — Frame Feeder. 



when suddenly confronted with the problem of feeding a large number 

 of colonies heavily in a short space of time, used 7-lb. honey tins for 

 this purpose. All that is necessary is to have for each tin a piece of 

 thin board 6 inches by 6 inches, to which is nailed a rim § inch 

 thick and h inch deep, with hot wax run all over joints to make them 

 watertight. The lever tops are removed from the tins ; if the tins have 

 wire handles, these are pulled out, and the clips holding them bent 

 down so that the tin will stand level when upside down. A few holes 

 are punched into the side of the tin with a 1-inch nail, as near the top 

 edge as possible. The tin is then filled with syrup, the rimmed board 



