126 



FOOD OP BEES. 



Watek. 



271. Water is necessary to bees to dissolve the honey, 

 which sometimes granulates in the cells, to digest the pollen 

 and to prepare the food with which they feed the larvae. 

 They can raise a certain amount of brood without water, 

 but they always seem to suffer more or less in consequence 

 (662). In the Winter, they breed but little, and the 

 moisture which condenses on the walls of the hive is gener- 

 ally sufficient. Yet we have noticed that as soon as bees 

 are brought out of the cellar (653), if the temperature 

 is sufficiently warm, a great many will be seen sucking 

 water. This fact shows that Berlepsch was right when he 

 advised bee-keepers to give water to bees during Winter, 

 to avoid what he called disease of the thirst. Besides, 

 every, one may notice that bees take advantage of any warm 

 Winter day to bring it to their hives ; and, in early Spring, 

 may be seen busily drinking around pumps, drains, and 

 other moist places. Later in the season, they sip the dew 

 from the grass and leaves. 



272. Every careful bee-keeper will see that his bees are 

 well supplied with water. If 



he has not some sunny spot, 

 close at hand, where they can 

 safely obtain it, he will fur- 

 nish them with shallow wood- 

 en troughs, or vessels filled 

 with floats or straw, from 

 which — sheltered from cold 

 winds, and warmed by tlie 

 genial rays of the sun — they 

 can drink without risk of 

 drowning. 



A barrel half filled with ^'«'"- 



, ^, ^,,1 -i, WATER SUPPLY BOTTLE. 



earth and then filled with 



, . , . (FromSartori & Banscheofels, ol 



water, in which some water- Milan, Italy.) 



