SPRING MANAGEMENT OF BEES 
9 
addition to this they have to supply a vast number of 
young bees with very rich chyle food which they 
elaborate in their stomachs for the purpose. They serve 
the same food to the queen. Hence it is that successful 
spring management very largely depends on warmth 
and food. 
Just as soon as the hive is examined after the 
winter’s sleep, it is carefully covered up if the queen 
seems healthy and well, and there is a sufficiency of 
food on hand. If not, syrup may be given by means 
of two division-board feeders placed on cither side of 
the cluster of bees; and if the queen is absent one 
may be supplied by means of a cage which automat- 
ically releases her in a couple of days ; and for this 
purpose it is well to have a few young queens from 
the South on hand in early spring. 
It is bad policy to be opening the hives frequently 
in springtime, and as a rule one need not do it. One 
thorough examination as soon as the winter is over 
ought to be enough. After that is done, opening the 
hive merely to see how the bees are geting along does 
no good and may do considerable harm. 
One can infuse a good deal of life into a colony 
by feeding it a portion of good lukewarm syrup the 
first warm evening after winter is over. This seems 
to be the policy of Mr. Alexander, the justly famous 
bee-keeper of New York; and it is that of many 
others who are not so well known to apicultural 
readers. 
In feeding during the spring, great care ought to be 
exercised lest the bees commence the robbing habit; 
for artificial feeding seems to excite the stealing 
instinct, and therefore the entrances must be reduced 
to very small dimensions, and care taken to see that 
outside bees can not secure the slightest taste of feed. 
Any feed accidentally spilled ought to be wiped up at 
once, and no feeder should be left open by forgetful- 
jess, for, if so, the bees get the most debased habits 
nd soon learn to rob and kill one another. 
Only one disease need be here considered— that is 
to say, if one may term it a disease — namely, dysentery. 
