BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
Sometimes in the early spring, a colony or two will be found to have come out of winter quarters in a much-depleted condition, and
in order to encourage it to rear a lot of brood, which it generally will not do until the natural flow comes on, we feed it about a half pint of syrup each day with remarkable results.
Some of the most successful beekeepers even advocate feeding all colonies in the spring for brood-rearing, but this is not at all necessary--the better plan is to see that each colony goes into winter quarters with abundant stores, more or less of which will be present in the hive with the coming of spring, as such stores are the best for early brood-rearing without resorting to stimulative methods.
Whether the feeding is to be done for early brood-rearing, or for raising queens, or even given in large quantities in the fall for winter stores, the syrup should be the same, and is made by thoroughly mixing equal parts of pure granulated sugar and boiling water. If a large quantity is to be made, it can be mixed up in the extractor, first putting the boiling water in, and pouring the sugar in while the baskets are being whirled about.
**FEDING**
**It is possible to make the stimulating syrup with a smaller proportion of sugar, but this is no advantage, as the surplus water has to be thrown off by evaporation, and by using equal parts of sugar and water, we save the bees that much extra work. Moreover, experiments have proved to me that they seem to prefer the thicker syrup at all times. In every case the syrup should be given them while it is hot, as they take it up more quickly. Under no conditions should the mixture be boiled on a stove, as there is danger of scorching it, and this will work serious damage to the bees in promoting dysentery and other intestinal diseases, particularly where such syrup is fed for winter stores.**
**There is no class of men given to invention as much as are beekeepers.** In regard to feeders, especially, the number that has appeared from time to time is enormous, and it is the purpose of this chapter to call attention only to a few that have stood the test of time.**
**A good feeder for stimulative feeding inHow to keep bees for profit
the spring is the Simplicity feeder. This is nothing more than a long block of wood, preferably basswood, that has been grooved out to hold the feed; it is placed in an empty super on the quilt or cloth that covers the frames, and is of easy access to the bees providing one corner of the cushion or cloth is turned up for the purpose. The principal things in favor of this feeder are that it is cheap and puts the feed where the bees are most likely to go for it -- overhead; but it has the objection that it necessitates the lifting of the cover from the tops of the frames, with more or less loss of warmth from the brood nest, and this at the time of the year that it is most needed. It might be said, however, that a large number of beekeepers have used and continue to use it.
Another good feeder is the Alexander feeder. This is built somewhat on the plan of the Simplicity, but has the decided advantage of being placed directly under the rear end of the live with a block covering the end that projects beyond the hive, which is lifted for filling, and, when put back, the little block shuts off all entrance for robber bees. Another thing in favor of the Alexander feeder is that it does not require the opening of the hive for filling, or the lifting up of the cushion or cloth for the bees to get at the syrup, and does away with loss of heat from the brood nest.
The most serious objections to the Alexander feeder are, first, that to use it requires that the hive body shall be pushed back from its entrance, and in stormy weather rain is sure to run down the sides of the hive and dilute the syrup, causing the feeder to overflow on the ground and start up a first-class case of robbing at the most unfavorable season of the year.
Still another feeder is the Boardman, which is nothing more than an ordinary quart jar, filled with syrup, to which has been fitted a perforated metal cap, fitting down securely in a hollowed block of wood. This is shovedin at one side of the live entrance, and gives the bees of the hive access to the feed, at the same time excluding bees from other colonies that show an inclination to rob. One thing in favor of this feeder is that, the jar being of glass and being in position outside of the hive, the beekeeper can tell at a glance just how rapidly the colony is taking the feed, and will thus know how much to give daily to each individual colony.
Experience has proved again and again that an ideal feeder is one which places the feed right over the cluster where it is naturally found by a colony, and which does not permit the escape of heat. There is no feeder on the market that meets this requirement except the Lyon feeder, invented by the author. The following directions show how it should be made.
Take two boards, \(
rac{7}{8}\) inch thick, and cut them so that the two will just cover the brood body of the hive. To secure the two boards, tack some cleats, \(
rac{7}{8}\) inch thick and as long as required, to the top ends of the boards and along its top sides, so that when all is nailed you have a wooden cover that fits flush with the outside sides of the hive.
Fill with syrup a one-quart or a two-quart Hazel Atlas, or ordinary preserving-jar, and cover it with a perforated metal cap with rubber ring, procured from the bee supply house, and it is ready to be placed in the boarded cover. Place the metal cap in the centre of the board top, and mark around it with a lead pencil; then with a compass saw, saw a round piece of wood out of the wooden cover. Nail a square piece of wood, not over \(
rac{7}{8}\) inch thick, to the round piece that was cut out, having the square block projecting an inch beyond the round block to prevent its dropping through the hole upon the frames when the jar is not being used.
When you are ready to feed, remove the lid from the hive and place the feeding-board over the brood nest. In the hole place the inverted feeding-jar with metal cap screwed
tightly on, and on top of the feeding-board place an empty hive body, and on top of this place the lid of the hive.
When the jar needs refilling, it can be lifted out of its hole and taken to the house, the round wooden piece of wood being put back in the hole, to prevent the bees from coming up while the jar is being refilled, and when filled the jar can be set in place again. A little time can be saved by filling another jar and placing it immediately in the hole at the time the empty oze is taken out, and when the feeding is all over, whether for stimulating brood or for giving winter stores, the wooden block can be placed in the hole, and the feeder board left where it is as a permanent cover to the brood frames, the extra body removed, and the lid of the hive placed upon the feeder board.
These feeder boards have the advantage of being used as a permanent cover underneath the hive lid the year round, and whenever the colony needs feeding it can be changed to afeeding-board in a second by simply removing the round block from its hole, and inserting the jar in its place. This does away with many extra fixtures, and permits feeding in small or large amounts without escape of heat from the colony, or opening of the brood nest either above or below.
**I** prefer a half-gallon Hazel Atlas jar, as a little feed can be given in them for early broodaring, and when it comes to heavy feeding for winter, a large quantity can be given each time with the use of but one jar. I have used these feeders for years. They never fail to serve the purpose. They are better than any feeders that I have seen, and are readily made out of old boards, boxes, or other material at hand.
The Doolittle Division board feeder is made the size of a brood frame and is placed in the centre or at one side of the brood nest, but as the use of this feeder necessitates the opening of the hive every time it is filled, and when filled many bees are likely to be drowned,How to keep be s for profit
I, personally, have never found it so satisfactory as some others.
Whatever feeder is used, the colony fed for early brood-rearing should be given toward evening about half a pint of hot syrup, and if the amount given is more than the bees will take up during the night, the quantity should be accordingly reduced. The feeding should be discontinued as soon as a regular flow begins to come in from natural sources, and the feeders stored away, though in the case of the Lyon feeder only the glass jars are taken away, as the feeding-board remains as a cover for the frames beneath the hive lid.
In feeding for winter stores the standard feeder for years was the Miller feeder, a large water-tight box with two compartments so arranged that the bees have access to the feed through a wire screen and are thus in no serious danger of being drowned. This feeder will hold as much as twenty-five pounds of syrup, and is placed in an empty comb honey super on top of the brood frames.
## Feeding
**Honesty compels me to say the Lyon feeder is equally as effective, though it may require the refilling of the half-gallon jars a couple of times, to give the required amount for winter stores; and, unlike others, there is no pouring and splashing of feed outdoors, and no bees can possibly crowd up around the feeder and get drowned in the syrup as hundreds of bees often do in other feeders in spite of careful packing of cloths around them.**
**It is generally conceded that September is the best time to feed for winter stores, as the bees will take the feed much quicker than later on; but if there is a prolonged flow from the late fall bloom, we often sacrifice a lot of syrup in feeding, as many a light colony will secure from late flowers, even after September, sufficient honey for successful wintering. Bees will seldom take down feed in bitter cold weather when other feeders are used, and in this respect the Lyon feeder excels them all.**How to keep bees for profit
Even in freezing weather it is possible to place a Lyon feeder in place and fill the super brood body around it with planer shavings. The feed will keep warm a surprisingly long time, and even through the winter can, from time to time, be replenished, as the packing will keep it from getting too cold. Being right over the brood nest, the bees can get it without leaving the cluster, and will go through the winter depending on it entirely, whereas with other feeders they will starve with chilled feed near them.
Every colony to be wintered in the cellar should have at least fifteen pounds of stores, and if honey to this amount is not present, it should be supplemented to that quantity by syrup.
Where bees are to be wintered outdoors there should be about twenty-five pounds of stores present. One can, by lifting the back end of the hive tell by the weight of it, if it is well supplied with winter stores; and even though a colony is short, there will be more or less honey present, and only a little additional syrup will be necessary.
Feeding is only necessary where we have used the extractor too freely or where the colony has not gathered enough, and there are many seasons when the bees do so well that feeding will not be required. Be careful in feeding not to splash any feed about, or robbers may defeat the very end you have in view in feeding; so, for this reason, it is best to defer feeding until late in the day, and to contract the entrances of the hives being fed. I would not advocate the open outdoor method as tried by some, which consists in pouring a large quantity of feed in an open trough, as it is open to the objections that robbing is likely to be encouraged; hives that do not need feeding will get a goodly share of it; you may be feeding bees from hives not your own; and, to say the least, it is an expensive and uncertain method.
Better give to each colony individual treatment, and then you will have the satisfacHow to keep bees for profit
tion of knowing that it is getting just the amount it requires, and there will be no danger of feeding all the bees in the neighborhood.
## Chapter XX
How to winter bees successfully
ENERALLY speaking, there are two ways in which bees are wintered, outdoors, and in cellars or special repositories, and the methods of treating the colonies vary according to the plan followed.
For many years there have been discussions among beekeepers as to which plan is the better, and there is a great deal to be said in favor of both, but it is conceded by eminent authorities that the outdoor plan is preferable if the conditions of successful outdoor wintering are followed, and the bees provided with the proper packing and shelter. Personally I believe that outdoor wintering is best even in cold climates; but outdoor wintering in such sections demands great care in the matter of extra packing, in order to bring the beesthrough their long winter's sleep in good condition, with the coming of spring.
In favor of indoor wintering in cellars and special repositories, it is said that it requires less stores to winter bees indoors, which is a distinct saving in honey and offsets the extra work of moving them in and out, and the bekeeper has no worry from the possibility of their freezing if left outdoors, if the weather goes down below zero and remains there for weeks at a time. I shall show, however, that if properly packed for extreme coldness the fear of loss from freezing is groundless. Of course it costs a great deal more for winter cases for outdoor wintering, but the first cost is the principal one, and the added benefits derived more than offset the matter of expense, and the added strength in spring of colonies wintered outdoors as compared with those wintered indoors means a larger surplus from the early flow.
Bees wintered indoors cannot take advantage of occasional warm days during winter How to Winter Bees
for cleansing flights, and if the winter is prolonged, are subject to dysenter, whereas the outdoor bees have had several opportunities in which to relieve themselves, and seldom suffer from it. Again, bees wintered indoors require constant care in the matter of receiving proper ventilation and regulation in the matter of temperature, and when set outdoors in the spring suffer from spring dwindling, in case a cold spell should come on after they are set out. They are even destroyed, while bees that were wintered outdoors do not feel the change, as they are in their winter packing and are used to the cold.
To offset spring dwindling, many a beekeeper places some extra protection around his bees when he sets them out in spring, and while this is a help, the bees nevertheless suffer from the contrast when placed outdoors, and spring dwindling is the rule rather than the exception.
If the truth were known, the real reason why so many beekeepers keep a large number of
colonies wintered indoors is because they hesitate about going to the extra expense and trouble of providing winter cases for each hive, and having to pack them. The trouble of packing is no greater than that of having to move the bees in and out each year.
As outdoor wintering is the simpler and easier method, especially for the beginner, we will describe it first.
Whether bees are to be wintered outdoors or in the cellar, every colony should be gone over carefully in September and care exercised to see that each colony is strong in bees and stores. If there are a number of weak colonies, it is best to unite several of them and make strong ones, as these weak colonies are almost sure to perish, and it is a waste of time to try to winter them separately. Supposing that every colony is in good condition, we will in following the outdoor plan leave every colony on its summer stand, and as cold weather becomes settled, about the middle of November, we will now get ready to pack them.
**Some beekeepers use nothing but chaff hives, and where these hives are used, it is a very simple matter to get them ready. All that we have to do is to put the chaff tray filled with planer shavings on the hive, over the board that covers the frames, and when it is in place slip the large telescoping cover over all and the hive is prepared. In sections of the country where the winters are moderately mild with an occasional zero day, these hives fulfil every requirement, but in the extreme north, where zero weather prevails for weeks at a time, a thicker packing than that of the ordinary chaff hive will be necessary. The extra cost of the chaff hives has stood in the way of their general adoption by the majority of beekeepers who winter out of doors, and this has led to other methods for providing winter protection which, to say the least, are far from what they should be. Better put the bees in the cellar a thousand times than to leave them outdoors once without proper casings. Beekeepers of this class usually place
How to keep bees for profit
over every hive an empty section super, in which is stuffed a bag containing old leaves, cut hay, wheat chaff, or even rags, and with the lid over this, the hives are left for the winter. We would not say that such packing is of no benefit, but it does fall far short in giving the extra warmth that goes to make up successful outdoor wintering.
Still another class of beekeepers resort to old newspapers, and where about an inch of these is placed on top of the board covering the brood nest, the lid being previously removed, and about a dozen thicknesses of paper tied around the four sides of the hive, and a deep wooden telescope case pressed down over the same, leaving of course the entrance of the hive open, this will, in the majority of cases where moderate winters prevail, winter the bees in fairly good shape.
Other beekeepers make large tenement boxes in which they place several hives side by side and pack the large case with some absorbent packing, covering the case with a
## How to Winter Bees
good waterproof paper, and in many cases the bees winter remarkably well, but if you want to be absolutely certain of wintering your bees successfully, even in Canada, adopt the following plan used by the author, who tried and discarded long ago as unsatisfactory most of the methods referred to above.
For each hive, I have a large winter case or nearly square box made of \(
rac{1}{3}\) inch board, which is by inside measurement five inches wider all around than the hive body, and six inches deeper. This is a perfectly plain box without bottom or lid, but at its bottom edges I have some \(
rac{1}{2}\) inch thick strips that run in at all sides at right angles from the sides and which permit of the case being slid down over the body of the hive with about \(
rac{1}{4}\) inch space all around. The lid of the hive must be removed to permit of this case going down around the hive. On each side of the bottom board of the hive I have a cleat running its entire length from front to back, to act as a rest for the winterHow to keep bees for profit case, which rests on both sides on the strips that run in at right angles, and prevent the winter case from slipping down over the entrance of the hive. These cleats, which are one inch thick, are left as a permanent part of the bottom board and are nailed on just a trifle below the edge of where the bottom board comes in contact with the bottom edge of the hive body, so that the winter case when packed will cover the crack completely and keep out wind and water. The winter case projecting beyond the hive body all around prevents completely the clogging of the hive entrance with snow, and keeps out the rain. When the winter case is in place and the feeder or cover board is over the frames, a barrel of planer shavings is dumped into it and packed tightly around the sides and ends, and about eight inches of loose planer shavings are put over the top of the hive body. Over this winter case is slipped a telescope lid that is five inches deep and has a tin roof, and by this means perfect conditions prevail, as
## How to winter bees
the colony has for protection, first its hive body \(
rac{7}{8}\) inch thick on all sides, then five inches of planer shavings all around with eight inches on top, and a waterproof telescope case over this. The lid to this winter case can be covered with a good heavy paper such as Rubberoid, and will not cost as much to make as the one with the sheet iron covering. In these perfect cases, the bees are comfortable, and even in the extreme north will winter in fine shape.
The metal-covered cap is used all through the summer season as a lid for the hive over the board cover over the brood nest; and as it projects some ten inches all around, it acts as a perfect sun shade; when the time comes for winter packing it is made to fulfil a two-fold purpose by covering the winter case. Any one can make these cases, and, as they are the result of many years' experiment, they are the best in the world.
When wintering bees in a cell, the preparation of the colonies is about the same asHow to keep bees for profit
far as strength is concerned, with the possible exception that not quite so much honey needs to be present in the hive, and the proper time to place the bees in the cellar is after cold weather has come, -- generally speaking this is about the 20th of November. The best time is after two or three warm days following a cold spell, so that the bees may have a final cleansing flight, and when the cold days come on again the colonies are ready for moving into their winter quarters. Any good dry cellar will do for this purpose, but all the windows should be darkened, for the bees are to winter in absolute darkness, and if the entire cellar cannot be devoted to them, a part of it should be partitioned off with shingling-laths and building-paper so that it can be kept absolutely dark.
One by one, toward the close of day, the hives on their bottom boards with lids in place should be carried in and placed in rows against the wall, and when the entire floor space is occupied, leaving an aisle down the middle,How to winter beess other hives may be piled on top of those on the floor and on up to the ceiling, leaving every hive with a full opening at its entrance. When once the bees are placed in their winter quarters, the only things to be looked after are ventilation, and the maintenance of the proper temperature, which may vary between forty and sixty degrees, though the nearer forty-five it can be kept the better. If the temperature should rise on mild days, and the bees show signs of restlessness, it will be necessary to open the door of the cellar or a window after dark and leave them open all night, but be sure to close them before daybreak lest the bees be lured out by the light. Even though the winter may be severe outside and the bees are not restless, it is an excellent thing to ventilate the cellar occasionally. The ideal plan is first to open a part of the cellar most distant from the bees and allow fresh air to enter it, and then close the outer door, and allow the fresh air to be
come tempered as it were, and then open the door that leads into the part of the cellar where the bees are stored, and let the tempered air into them. By following this method, the bees are not disturbed as they would be if the cold air were turned in on them directly from outdoors.
Do not be alarmed if during the winter some dead bees should accumulate on the cellar floor, for this does not indicate any injury, but they are merely old bees that have died off from natural causes and that have crawled out of the hive to keep from dying within their homes. If the bottoms of the hives are fitted with reasonably deep bottom boards, it will not be advisable to try to scrape out the dead bees with a piece of wire, as some beekeepers advocate, as all such poking has a tendency to annoy the bees and disturb their slumbers. The less we trouble them, the better it will be for all concerned. Where house apiaries are used, the packing can be done inside the house around the hives, butHow to Winter Bees
house apiaries have long since been discarded by progressive beekeepers, as the bees are always getting on the floor during the working season, to say nothing of other annoyances, that led to their rejection years ago.