The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-04-26
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Spring ,ianagement OF Fees.

Spring Management OF Eees.
While there are a great many who
give their bees little or no attention,
only about the time they expect sur
plus honey, and depend altogether on
luck for success, there arc those WIZ
wish to handle their bees so as to Sc
cure the best results. To all such !
would say, examine each hive as soon
as the weather will permit, and note
its condition as to honey, brood and
bees those with little or no honey
should be fed at once. Where several
hives are kept, there will be generally
some with an abundance of honey and
few bees, and others plenty of bees
and food and but little honey. When
such is the case, both will be benefited
by exchanging combs; hives without
broods should be united to other colo
MES as being without queen, thev
viii soon become prey to the moth.
To promote early breeding. | give
rye -four sprinkled on shavings IN shall
low boxes-fed over twenty pounds
last Spring. Bees viii not work on it
after the natural supply of pollen can
be obtained from the flowers. Bv
carefully feeding some hives last
Spring, | found them as strong in bees
at the commencement of the honey
harvest as others not fed were two
weeks later, as on removing sides of
hives about the first of May, to give
them boxes, the sides were covered
with bees, and some of the outside
combs filed with sealed brood-some-
thing 7 had never before observed so
early in the season.
Feeding bees, to be successful, must
be thoroughly understood, otherwise,
1t had not better be attempted, at least
only on small scale, by the beginner
In calling the attention of a friend to
the bees working In boxes SO early.
while the boxes on other hives were
not vet occupied, he said it was no
wonder, as they had been fed To test
whether he knew how the bees were
benefited by feeding, [ asked: do
you suppose there was more honey IN
the hives, when the bees commenced
gathering from the flowers than there
would have been # they had not been
fed I" The emphatic reply was, "Of
course as your feeding has filled the
combs So that there was room for
honey ouly III the boxes" [ soon con
vlnced him that he was entirely mis-
taken; for ii such had been the case,
feeding would have been an injury,
as there would have been much brood
and few bees In the hive
About the first Of March Icommenc-
ed feeding regularly (there being
plenty of honey IN the hives), but
never more than three ounces IN "a
hours This stimulated the bees to
greater activity, and the queen to laying
greater number Of eggs, so that in a
short time the small amount fed would
fall far short of the extra amount need
ed to supply the bees; consequently,
there was less honey In hives when
bees commenced gathering from flow
ers, than If they had not been fed, but
from one-thIrd to double the amount
of bees and brood. Right here lies the
whole secret of feeding, which IS to
nave the hive full of bees, and cor rs
with brood, when the honey harvest
commences. | don't care how much
honey there is in the hive, as if there
are only few bees, there will be little
or no surplus honey.
Our neighbors keep bees on both
sides OF Us; they are also kept by others
IN the place. The seasons of II and
u were poor for honey here, but we
got fair return, and last season l
took 81 pounds, in boxes. from two
hives, and [ did not hear of any honey
being taken III any place outside of
our apiary. The reasons are; 1st, we
have the Italian bee ID. we aim to
have the stock strong early then we
get good share of the honey In boxes,
while the neighb0rs leave the bees to
shift for themselves the result is. If
the honey harvest is short, they don't
get any and if it is a good season,
don't get half rs much as they would
If their bees had proper care early In
the Spring.
In conclusion, | would repeat It, get
the stocks strong IN bees and brood by
the time the honey harvest common
ces then you will realize profit from
your bees.
| noticed the following inquiries
from a Kansas correspondent, some
time since Il. what Is the cause
of wingless bees in hive, as | find
good many r. ? DO bees die in
Winter as | notice good many in the
hive r.
In reply, would say wingless bees
are caused by the depredations OF the
larve of the moth (worms) through the
brood combs. ,. Worker bees are
short-lived, but the mortality is gener-
ally greatest during the working sea-
son.. Il. II IL Rural Ncw Yorker.