Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-22
Water for Bees.

r. d. Buchanan is giving in the Lire
Stock Journal new theory in regard to
winteriug bees, which is that great many
are lost for want of water. We make some
extracts from Mr.. Buchanan's last article:
VIII any one please explain why bees
leave the hive, on being set out on the sum-
mer stands 10 the months of February and
March, in a northern climate? they do not
go out after food, for they have plenty, or
after flowers, as there are none; is it not
more reasonable to suppose that they are
after water
At this point we wish to give few ex-
tracts from the proceedings Of the Michigan
bee keepers association, as published in the
Buffalo Lire Stock Journal for August. 1t
is fair specimen Of very much that is now
written upon the subject of bee keeping /;
and this is our apology for its introduction
in this place.
After elciting several points Of general
interest, on the part OF several Of the men,
bers, DIR. Southard asks:
Has any one experienced difficulty in re-
gard TO queens dying the present spring?
L. +. Brisham-l have lost Il great many,
and had it not been for reserve queens which
| wlntered, should not have had swarm lett
to-day. Have lost l60 stocks rs it is. Two
years ago, when ! lost heavily, the queens
died from overwork but the pi esent spring
there has been but very little brood found
even IN the strongest colonies.
Here we would differ with Mr.. Bingham,
as he is probably mistaken in this matter
for queens neper die of oUer.Dork and even
il they did, two years ago, what was the
cause Of the great mortality among his queens
this year, when, as he says, there was but
little brood to be found No, Mr. Bingham
your queens died for the want of water, aud
the whole l60 stocks went the same way
Here must have been loss of at least $1,000
by one man for the reason we have given
aud there are hundreds in the states and
and Canadas who have suffered similar
losses
President Balch-Will Mr.. Bingham tell
us the cause of his loss in wintoring.
Mr.. Bingham-Special interpostiOn OF
Divine Providence through the hand of man
This is certainly indefinite, to say the
least and yet Mr. Bingham can, and has
given as good a reason for his losses in bees
as has ever been given by anybody and tn,
question at issue seemed to be so involved il
inscrutable mystery, that all the bee keepers
present quiteIy accepted Mr.. Bingham's con
cluslon as final and the wisest that could b,
arrived at.
Mr.. Bingham says; - experience little
or no difficulty in wintering bees; but how
to spring them that's the question"
Exactly SO. l will explain and tell you
how to do it.
You have no doubt done the very best tina
you could do, and have been quite successful
in keeping your bees alive till spring, bu
when your bees were let out, they immedi
ately went abroad in search Of water, an,
being in weak and exhausted condition
some fell by the way before they found wa
ter, aud nearly all that ventured to try tn
experiment persisted either in the act of get
ting water from the swamps or on the wa
in. This is my explanation Of the loss
and my remedy would bo to give the bees
uniform supply of fresh, cold water from tn
spring or well.
President Balch-My bees have becom
very much reduced in numbers, by the bee
getting lost while ''out II foraging,n on chill
spring days.
Your bees, it may be said, were " forag
ing for i0ater, but not for food.
James Heddon--I can only account for ia
loss of bees by desertlon on the ground thf
they become dissatisfied and seek to bette
their fortunes, the same as people do by e
ing West.
Not at all, Mr.. Heddon. The bees al
well enough satisfied with their present hon
and food, but they have, for weeks, bee
suffering everything but death, for the war
of water, and when the first opportunity o.
iers, they Immediately desert the hive
quest Of water, and are "lost, "thiuned out,
''never come back" "died off," &c.
We give one brief extract from Mr.. Avi'
Of Oberlin, Ohio, who writes to the Amer
can Bee Journal the history Of his Osess i
wintering 1873 stocks Of bees, aud be tells tn
same old story, that " the bees did well tn
first part Of the winter, and on February 5l