MONTHLY MANAGEMENT. Jg3 



show signs of uneasiness, they should be taken quickly to their summer 

 stands on a warm day for a fly, and returned quickly in the afternoon, 

 when they have ceased to fly. 



In northern climates rye and oat meal may be fed, during February 

 and March, in a sunny corner, protected from the cold winds: but in 

 the South, natural pollen will be brought in during this month. After 

 its appearance bees cannot be induced to use meal. Su«h feeding is 

 useless, except in cold climates where the flowers are late in making their 

 appearance. In the far South bees begin their spring work this month — 

 gathering honey, and rearing brood, for the honey harvest and the 

 swarming season is close at hand. Farther North, light stocks will need 

 feeding, but where once commenced it should be continued regularly. 

 When winter holds on well through February, no liquid food should be 

 given, but candy or loaf sugar, as recommended for January. If bees 

 are not permitted to fly during the winter, they are liable to dysentery. 

 This disease is present whenever bees discharge their feces in a liquid 

 state in the hive, on the bottom board, or on the combs. This disease 

 seems to rise chiefly from feeding upon bad honey ; increased, perhaps, 

 by improper ventilation, or too great exposure to extremes of weather. 



Bees have been retained in dry cellars for seven months, from Novem- 

 ber till May, without bad effects There is always danger from Ihis 

 disease when bees are confined to the hive for a long time without void- 

 ing their feces, and their food is inferior. Sometimes fall honey is 

 inferior in quality, or bees being near apple mills, store in a great deal 

 of unwholesome sweet, or else have a supply of inferior food gathered 

 from the honey dew. The best way to prevent dysentery in winter is, 

 to extract inferior or unripe fall honey and feed sugar syrup, as describ- 

 ed in "September Management," or else substituting sealed summer 

 honey in its place. But if at any time dysentery appears among bees 



