z 



— ~ 





Figure 4.— End construction of the 

 portable shade. 



Figure 5.— Corner construction of the 

 portable shade. 



forcing rod, 18 inches long, with a 

 3-inch piece welded on the end that 

 hooks over the bottom conduit. 



WATER SUPPLY 



On a hot day a colony may use as 

 much as a gallon of water. Some 

 water is obtained from nectar, but 

 a colony unable to collect water will 

 die within a day or so. 



Beekeepers usually locate their 

 colonies as near a source of fresh 

 water as possible. If this is not 

 done, the bees must carry water 

 when they should be collecting 

 nectar. If a colony is more than a 

 mile from water, it should be moved 

 closer, or water should be provided. 

 Full efficiency is possible only if 

 cool, fresh water is within a few rods 

 of the colony. 



Bees kept in a residential area 

 may become a nuisance if they seek 

 water near the homes of the bee- 

 keeper's neighbors. The beekeeper 

 can reduce the nuisance by making 

 water available near the colony. 



If large numbers of bees need 

 water for a considerable period of 

 time, it should be furnished in bar- 

 rels, in a tank, or directly from a 

 pressure water system into a water- 

 ing device (figs. 7 and 8). 



A trough filled with coarse gravel 

 makes a good watering device (fig. 8). 

 Uniform water distribution can be 

 obtained with a perforated tube in 

 the bottom of the trough. 



A cellulose sponge 1 to 2 inches 

 thick can be floated in water in a 

 pan or trough. The pan or trough 

 should be about 2 inches deeper than 

 the thickness of the sponge. A float 

 on the end of a water supply line 

 (similar to the line shown in fig. 8) 

 will maintain the desired water level 

 in the pan or trough. 



Watering units should be thor- 

 oughly cleaned every 2 weeks to 

 reduce the spreading of bee diseases. 

 A cover, such as a low shade, over 

 the watering unit will help to keep 

 it clean. 



