BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
As a substitute for honey, a syrup made from granulated sugar is best. For spring feeding, a thin syrup even as dilute as two parts of water (volume) to one of honey may be used. Ordinarily equal parts are used. For supplying winter stores, a thick syrup is better,--two to two and one-half parts of sugar to one of water. To prevent granulation a teaspoonful of tartatic acid should be added to each twenty pounds of sugar while the syrup is being heated. This dissolves the sugar crystals. In making the syrup, the greatest care must be used to prevent scorching. It should be as clear as if made with cold water. In this State, the feeding should be done not later than the latter part of August. It would be better to feed in September than for bees to go into winter quarters short of stores. If feeding is done early while the weather is warm, the honey is properly ripened and sealed over. The presence of much unsealed honey or syrup in the combs is often fatal to the bees in a long winter confinement.
With good stores of food and right conditions, bees do not void the feces while in confinement, but on flying out of the hive. Some dark honeys or honey-dew leave much waste in the process of digestion. Bees cannot stand a long confinement on it without dysentery results and, consequently, bad wintering and spring dwindling if the colony is not lost outright.
There are many ways in which one might keep the bees through a long Maine winter, but we have only space to consider the two real methods applicable to our conditions, namely : Outdoor or indoor wintering.
If bees are to be wintered outdoors and above ground, the bee-keeper should so decide as early in his career as possible. Hives may be purchased which are fairly safe in which to winter bees on their summer stands, but for our Maine climate, I feel that the single walled lives provided with proper outer case and proper packing, are safer.
There are several methods of packing. One is to place four colonies together in a group, two facing east and two west. Then pack in a large case as one colony leaving space for eight inches of dry leaves or planer shavings on all sides with foot on top. Chaff is sometimes used but it is not quite as satisfactory since it holds moisture and is apt to contain grain which notices mice. Bees and mice do not winter well together.
**Fig. 27**
An entrance should be provided through the packing to open air three-eighths of an inch in depth to six or eight inches in width. A strong colony would be better off with a large opening while a weaker one might be safe with less than six inches. In extreme cold weather the entrance could be nearly closed and opened when weather moderates unless snow covers the hives. Some bottom protection should be given. This could consist of some four inches of the same material as used for sides and top, or it may be several thicknesses of good paper between floor and bottom board. Packing material is better. The whole must be roofed over so to keep out all rain and snow. The group should also be protected from heavy winds by a board fence, evergreen boughs, trees or some other convenient way.
Colonies should be packed in much the same manner in a row all facing south or each individual colony may be packed on its summer stand, which is possibly a little more expensive for material and labor.
I consider the individual system or packing in rows better for Maine conditions. If bees are moved and placed together as in the group system and later get a day suitable for flight, there is almost sure to be a confusion and loss of bees. Packing should be done early in season and left until the weather is settled and warm in spring and the packing is no further protection against cold days and nights. If the group system, known as the quadruple case is to be adopted, a platform should be built of some lumber or other material which will stand the weather, eight inches or a foot off the ground, and the four colonies located there permanently. When time to pack, they need be moved only a short distance, just snuggled up together with no confusing results, as the entrances are changed only a short distance. The four hives should be wrapped wtih paper as one to prevent air currents. When unpacked, the packing material should be dried and carefully saved for future use.
When to put bees in the cellar
There is no definite date as to the right time to put bees in the cellar. The day after they have had the last flight of the season, they should be put in. There are not many days in November in this State in which bees can fly freely, but there are usually a few in which they may have a good flight. When they have had that flight they should be put in unless it is the very first of the month and the prospects are that they may have several days of good weather ahead. The first real cool day following a warm one in which the bees have been flying freely, put them in the cellar.
## Chapter Preparation for winter
Whether wintered in cellar or outdoors, the bees should be put in condition for this trying ordeal earlier in the season. One of the most important things in successful wintering is to have plenty of young bees in the colony. If no nectar is coming in, the queen stops laying early in the season and the best results are not obtained. To remedy this, we may feed thin honey or sugar syrup in small quantities each day, or every few days, until the latter part of. September. This will insure a good force of young bees for winter. We should also see that all failing queens are replaced with young queens of stock which have made satisfactory records in the sections. This is the final test of a good queen, one whose bees give results in the supers. Where single walled hives are used, it helps greatly to cover the brood frames with several thicknesses of paper with the coming of the first cold days of fall. This helps to conserve the warmth of the colony and to keep up brood rearing and tends to decrease the consumption of honey.
### Time to take bees from the cellar
The time when cellar wintered bees should be placed in the open varies with the seasons. As a rule, if the bees are quiet and have wintered well, they should not be taken out until near the time when they can find natural pollen. If the spring is warm and sunny, they had better go to summer location as soon as the snow is gone and weather seems settled. Select for this work a day that bids fair to be warm and.unny. A cloudy day, if warm, is all right but not as dependable.
The temperature ought to be nearly sixty degrees F., and seventy is even better. Begin in the morning as soon as warm enough for bees to fly, usually about nine or ten o'clock. If one could be certain of the day they could be taken out sooner. Where a large number of colonies are to be taken out, one must start quite early as it is best to have all go out the same day if possible. If a windy day, or a breeze is blowing, bees are apt to drift to quite an extent. In some cases colonies to windward may have their numbers depleted to a point where they are very weak, while colonies on the opposite side of the yard maybe very strong. There is always the tendency of bees of a weak colony to enter the hives of a strong colony during the first spring flight. If location of hives has some distinguishing marks and the distance apart is five feet or more, no serious results will follow.
One of the things that the bee-keeper should carefully guard against is robbing. A strong colony will rob a weak one in the same yard, or they may go a distance of some miles and do the same thing. When once a yard becomes thoroughly started at robbing it is a serious matter. Aside from the bad effects on colonies robbed, the bees usually become very cross and are apt to sting any living thing in sight at some little distance from the disturbance. They do not settle down as a rule, until another good flow of nectar and are apt to make trouble throughout the season.
If only one colony is robbed, unless a valuable one, and the affair is well under way, they should be allowed to complete the job, taking care that all colonies in the yard have their entrance closed enough so they can easily defend themselves against robbers particularly those near the robbed ones. If robbing has not progressed far, it may be stopped by closing the hive entirely for twenty-four hours, providing ventilation, and when opened, having entrance very small for a time.
Robbing usually starts through someone's carelessness in leaving a hive open or combs outside the hive. Supers may have been carelessly tiered up when taken off so as to allow bees to enter. The same thing might happen in adjusting the escape board, or by dropping bits of comb containing honey about the yard. Prevention is the best remedy.
When nectar is coming in freely, there is not so much danger but in times of dearth it takes but little to start robbing. Hives should not be opened any more than is absolutely necessary when no nectar is coming in and then should not be kept open longer than can be helped. If robbers start to make trouble, close the hive quickly and narrow the entrance so that only a few can pass at a time.
There is another sort of robbing that one has to meet in other ways. A double barrel shotgun is a fairly good remedy for this.
## Bee Diseases and Enemies.
Among the diseases with which the bee-keeper has to contend, the most serious is foul brood. There are two classifications of this known as European and American foul brood.
It is an infectious disease which destroys the brood and eventually the colony. It is transmitted to healthy colonies by bees robbing or by feeding honey from unknown sources, viz. : from diseased colonies, by living new swarms in hives which have contained foul brood and in other ways. The remedy is eternal vigilance to prevent infection and if it gets into the yard, prompt treatment.
Many states have foul brood laws and inspection and it is hoped that Maine soon will have.
Every bee-keeper should have Farmers' Bulletin **442**, "Treatment of Bee Diseases," which will be sent free on application to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.
Italian bees are said to be more resistant to Foul Brood than our common black bees and also to defend themselves better from the bee moths.
The principle enemies of the bees are, the bee moths, the larger wax moths and the lesser wax moths. The moth gains an entrance to weak colonies and deposits her eggs, where they hatch and the larva does the damage. They burrow through the combs constructing tunnels of silk as they go and the combs are worthless if much progress is made. If discovered in time the combs may be rid of larva and silk by removing the greater part of both with some sharp pointed instrument or stick, and the combs given to a strong colony. To guard against the moth, have strong colonies if possible. Weak ones should have entrance narrow to correspond to the strength of colony. Get rid of old hives which are decayed and have new ones which are tight. All empty hives should be carefully closed so that no moths can enter. If combs, which are of little or no value become infected, melt them at once and save wax. Good combs are often kept in a tight airy room and hung in racks about an inch apart.
If combs are clean and free from pollen and granulated honey, they are rarely attacked. All empty hives and combs should be looked over often through warm weather and, if moths and larva are found, they may be fumigated. Tier up several hives and on the top bar of the upper one place a shallow dish or saucer into which pour bisulphide of carbon. The gas caused by the evaporation of the liquid is heavier than air and settles down through the combs.
Extreme care must be taken that the fumes do not reach a flame as the gas is highly inflammable. As the eggs are not killed by the fumes, the process should be repeated every two or three weeks in warm weather. Sulphur fumes may be used in much the same way, except that one would need to have a tight room or box in which combs or hives could be piled. An iron kettle holding live coals may be used on which sulphur is thrown. In either method, care must be used that the fumes are not inhaled, or a fire started.
Rats and mice do damage in winter by entering hives and destroying combs and causing the loss of colonies.
The King bird is accused of feeding on bees and doubtless does to some extent but I am inclined to believe the number of bees taken is not serious, unless birds are present in large numbers. I am of the opinion that drones are more often picked up than workers. Of course, if a queen is taken, it is quite a loss. I do not like to kill birds until quite sure they are doing more harm than good. " Be sure you are right then go ahead," is a safe rule in this case. The Purple Martin has also been accused of the same crime, but I think unjustly so.
Toads are said to feed on bees but I think the harm done by them is small, especially where hives are well off the ground.
Skunks are often seen about bee hives, but as mice like to harbor under and about the stands, and also numerous grubs and bugs on which they feed, I have never considered that they do much harm.
## Rendering \(\mathrm{Wax}\)
Where one has only a few old combs or a little waste to render into wax and does not feel that they can afford a wax extractor (see Fig. 28) they may save the greater part of the was in them by crumbling them quite fine during cold weather and putting to soak in cold water twenty hours or more before rendering.
All clean combs should be sorted and melted separately. An old wash boiler or kettle may be used in which the combs may be melted and boiled a short time, being careful that the mass does not boil over. Prepare a strong burlap sack by sewing in a stick about two feet longer than the sack is wide with another at the top leaving the sack open. Fill a tub one-third full of warm water over which hold the sack and into it dip the melted combs, being careful not to spill any outside. A helper will be needed. When the bag is two-thirds full, each taking a stick, by twisting in opposite directions, can force out most of the wax. When through rendering, the tub should be set in a warm place to cool slowly. The wax can then be removed and the sediment scraped from the bottom, remelted in hot water and dipped off into molds to cool. Any dealer in bee-keepers supplies will quote prices and there is always a market for it.
## Conclusion
The little things often neglected with the bees mean quite a decided loss in time. In removing the supers and in other ways, bits of wax may be saved with little trouble and at the close of the season or when convenient, can be rendered into salable condition. Many supers will have quite a bit of wax on the bottom called burr combs. A box should be kept handy for this purpose into which the bits of wax may be scraped. These may be set on the stove and hot water poured on them, just enough to melt and not burn. As there is often quite a bit of honey in these, the water is bound to be very sweet, and, if too much is not used may be given as a stimulative feed after it has cooled so that the wax may be removed. All old combs which has been removed from hives, drone comb and bits of comb should be saved until sufficient quantity accumulates to be rendered.
Every little help that we may give the bees, pays in honey which means dollars.
Keeping down grass in the yard, destroying ant hills, adjusting the entrance to the size of the colony, providing ventilation at the right time, protecting colonies by wrapping with some material during the cold days and nights of spring, are some of the things that count when the returns for the season are all in.
The Honey Flora of Maine
By John H. Lovell, Waldoboro, Maine
There are in Maine, including herbs, trees and shrubs, not far from i500 flowering plants. Only a small part of these are valuable to the bee-keeper. Many are rare, others yield little or no nectar, and still others are adapted to bumblebees, butterflies and moths. The northern part of the State, especially in Aroostook county, is much better adapted to bee-keeping than along the coast; white and alsike clover are abundant northward and apiaries of large size occur, but in the southern section the hills are covered with glacial debris, the ground is often bare in winter, sudden extremes of temperature follow each other quickly, with the result that the flora is poor and meager and it is seldom that more than a dozen hives are found together. Unfortunately it is not profitable to cultivate any plant for honey alone. The easiest way to improve the honey flora of a locality is to sow alsike clover, which secretes nectar fully as freely as white clover. Three or four acres of clover or buckwheat are required for each hive of bees. Our climate is rather too cold for sweet clover. The plants important to the bee-keeper may be divided into groups; pollen plants, and nectar or honey plants.
## Pollen Plants
Many plants are devoid of nectar and furnish only pollen, as the elms, hickories, roses and poppies. Not a few of these have been listed as honey plants as the result of careless observation, or because honey-dew has been gathered from their foliage by bees. None of the plants in the following list ever secrete floral nectar.
Alder (_Alhus incana_). This is the earliest shrub to bloom in this State. It is wind-pollinated. On a warm day honeybees resort to the flowers for pollen.
Anemone (_Anemone quinquefolia_). Bees visit the large white flowers for pollen.
Beech (_Fagus_). The small, greenish flowers are wind-pollinated. Honey-dew is sometimes found on the leaves.
Bloodroot (_Sanguinaria canadensis_). The handsome white pollen flowers open in April and May. Bees visit the flowers in large numbers and remove all the pollen.
Corn (_Zea Mays_). Bees in great numbers gather pollen from the " spindles," or staminate flower-clusters of corn. Corn is wind-pollinated and secretes no nectar. Although a bee-keeper occasionally declares that his bees gather honey from corn, there is no such thing as corn honey. In view of the great number of acres of corn, this is an important source of pollen.
Cone-trees (_Coniferae_). Fir, spruce, juniper and pine produce immense quantities of pollen. It is so resinous that I have never seen bees collect it.
Elm (_Ulmus americana_). This familiar tree produces a profusion of purple flowers in early spring. A great multitude of bees have been reported at times to gather the pollen.
Grasses (_Gramineae_). All of the grasses are wind-pollinated except a few self-pollinated species. They produce a large amount of pollen.
Hazelnut (_Corylus americana_). Valuable for pollen in early spring.
Hickory (_Carya_). Wind-pollinated flowers, which produce much pollen. Honey-dew is sometimes abundant on the leaves. Oak (_Quercus_). Small greenish or reddish flowers, which have been incorrectly reported to yield nectar. Honey-dew is found on the foliage of many species.
Poppy (_Papayer_). Very large showy pollen flowers, from which bees gather all the pollen. Poppy honey and its narcotic effect is a myth.
Poplar (_Populus_). Aspens. Trees bloom very early and bees are said to gather the pollen. Honey-dew is sometimes found on the foliage. Wind-pollinated. These trees should be distinguished from white poplar or tulip-tree (_Liriodendron Tulipifera_).
Ragweed (_Ambroisa_).Valuable in the fall for their abundant supply of pollen.Two common species are Roman wormwood and great ragweed. The pollen is regarded as a cause of hay fever.
Roses (_Rosa_). The roses are common to both continents and rose honey would be an ideal honey, but not a single ounce of it has ever been produced. The roses yield much pollen but no nectar; bees gather the pollen. Bee-keepers often believe that bees find nectar, but careful study of the flowers shows that they secrete none.
## 1011 Nectar or Honey Plants
Strictly speaking flowers yield nectar and plants producing it should be called nectar plants; but the term honey plants is so widely used that I shall continue to use it in this list, understanding by it plants which secrete nectar which the bees convert into honey. A large number of plants produce both pollen and nectar, but in Maine comparatively few yield a surplus of honey--the most important being white clover, alsike clover, fruit-bloom, raspberry, fire-weed and goldenrod.
Alfalfa (_Medicago sativa_).This forage plant so valuable in the west yields no nectar in Maine.
Aster (_Aster_).The asters are of some value in this State, and in late fall bees may be seen frequently on the flowers. _Aster paniculatus_ appears to be most important.In some localities in the mid:le states the ground is white with the blossoms of field asters. Pure honey white or perhaps sometimes light amber. It is gathered so late that often it may not be fully ripened.
Apple (_Pyrus Malus_).Yields a small surplus occasionally in this State.Honey of fine quality, light amber with aromatic flavor.
Basswood (_Tilia americana_).So rare in this State as to be of little importance.
Blackberry (_Rubus_).Yields little nectar in the northern states; but a surplus's reported in Georgia and California.
Boneset (_Eupatorium perfoliatuin_).Visited by insects in large numbers, but not common enough to yield a surplus.
Buckwheat (_Fagopyrum esculentum_). Not extensively grown in Maine, but fields of it are cultivated in many localities. A dark purplish honey.
Button-bush (_Cephalanthus occidentalis_). Common in swamps but not important.
Canada Thistle (_Cirsium arvense_). Not very abundant in this State but more common westward. Honey light and well-flavored.
Carrot (_Daucus Carota_). Naturalized from Europe, common in fields.
Clover, White (_Trifolium repens_). A fine white honey of delicious flavor. Alsike clover (_T. hybridum_) is an equally good honey plant, honey similar. Both are abundant in Maine, especially northward. In dry seasons bees are able to gather nectar from red clover, a bumblebee flower.
Cucumber (_Cucumis sativus_). A good honey plant in the neighborhood of pickle factories. Honey with flavor of the fruit, but improves with age.
Currant (_Ribes_). The various species of currants and goosberries, both wild and cultivated, are of some importance.
Dandelion (_Taraxicum officinal_). More valuable for pollen than nectar in this State. Honey golden yellow, thick, strong-flavored, crystallizing in a few weeks.
Goldenrod (_Solidago_). A most valuable honey plant in New England. In southern Maine never fails to give a large surplus the _main_ dependence of the bee-keeper for winter stores. Honey golden yellow, fine flavored, candying with a coarse grain in a few months. _Solidago graminifolia_ and _S. rugosa_ are the most important species in this State.
Heartsease (_Polygonum Persicaria_). This plant so valuable in Illinois and Nebraska is of no importance in Maine; a bee is rarely seen on the flowers.
Horsechestnut (_Aeschus Hippocamp_). Not common, bees gather both nectar and pollen. Bumblebee flowers.
Locust, Black (_Robinia Pseudo-Acacia_). Yields a surplus of white honey further south; but not abundant in Maine. Often cultivated.
Maple (_Acer saccharum_). The rock maple blooms in spring before the leaves appear and the flowers are visited by bees in great numbers. The red maple also yields nectar.
Milkweed (_Asclepias syriaca_). Where the milkweed is abundant it is a great help to the bee-keeper. In Michigan it is increasing, and perhaps also in Maine. The honey is excellent with a fruity flavor.
Mayweed (_Anthemis Cotula_). Common by the roadside, a bitter honey, apparently not important in this State.
Mustard (_Brassica_). Very abundant in grain fields, where the flowers often present an unbroken sheet of yellow. Probably never yields a surplus in Maine.
Pear (_Pyrus communis_). Not of much importance, but has been known to yield nectar very freely under suitable conditions.
Plums and Cherries (_Primus_). All the species secrete nectar. The choke-cherry, which is common in thickets, attracts many insects.
Raspberry (_Rubus idaeus_, variety _aculeatissimus_). One of the best honey plants, where the forest has been lumbered. A splendid honey of the finest flavor, suggestive of the berry.