The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1884-03-12
Written for the News.
BEES AND BEE CULTURE.
BY c. o. COLLINS.
NO. IA,
spkING MANAGEMENT. sc.

81 ANAtNN MAN NfAF EN- As4N AAAu
The cold and dreary winter from
which we are just emerging has been
one Of deep anxiety to me, as it.
doubtless has been to all bee-keepers
who take an interest in the welfare
of their bees, and it was a great re-
lief to me when on the goth day of
January the warm south wind and
the genial sunshine invited my little
pets to take a fly for the first time
since the first Of December, and
saw them pouring out from every
hive and heard the music Of their
hum, and knew that at least so far
they were safe. The winter of 1883
and "a has certainly been a trying
one upon bees that were poorly pro-
tected and scantily supplied with
stores of wholesome honey.
Although 1 have made but little
inquiry, l have heard of many colo
nies that have perished, but in the
great majority of cases their loss
has been due to ignorance, careless
ness and neglect. If bees are prop
erly cared for, and supplied with
plenty Of food, they will as a rule,
come out all right, but some men
say, ooh, it is too much trouble for
me to fix up my bees as you do
yours" Well, if you can't take the
time and endure the trouble, you
have no business to keep bees. You
might just as we'll say that it is too
much trouble to take care of your
horses, cattle and hogs, and so just
let them shift for themselves, and if
they come out all right in the spring,
well and good, and if they don't,
then you swear that you have no
luck with horses, cattle and hogs,
and that you are going to quit the
business. Every man who keeps
bees, keeps them for the sake of
their products, and if he negIects
them and let's them take care of
themselves, he need no more expect
profitable returns from them, than he
would to reap a bountiful harvest by
leaving his crops uncultivated and
neglected.
The winter will soon have passed
away and spring will soon be here,
and the bee-keeper will soon be
called upon to resume his apistical
labors, and among the first things to
be done will be to clean Off the bot
tom boards Of his hives. The best
way to do this is to have an extra
bottom board, and on some warm
day in March, set hive No. I on the
extra board, and after having cleared
the board upon which the hive sat,
of dead bees, the uncappings OF
honey and other debris, that may
have collected during the winter,
hive No. 2 can be placed upon it,
and so on until all have been cleaned.
| This saves the bees a great deal OF
labor, and deprives the moth Of con.
venient places for depositing their
| eggs After the bottom boards have
all been cleaned off, the next thing
to be done is TO see that each colony
/ has honey enough to last then
| through March and April, and if any
are found to be short of stores, they
should be supplied from colonie,
that have to spare. If any colonies
are found to be very weak, the siz,
of the hive should be contracted By
taking out frames and putting il
division boards for the purpose o
econOmizing heat 1t is also wei
enough to feed a little during Marcl
and April to stimulate breeding. l
matters not whether bees have plent,
of honey or not, little feed vii
greatly encourage the queen to la,
2 eggs and the colony will therefor
the more rapidly increase in mum
Der and be the better prepared Il
, store surplus honey when the hone
. season arrives, Bees should neve
f be ted outside the hive, as that al
. tracts strange bees and induces rob
=, bing, but the feed should be place
d in the caps where the bees will hav
S access to it without being disturbe
;, by other bees. If the bee-keepe
4 has no feeders, the syrup may b
placed in a saucer, shallow sdish C
T.. pan, with sticks laid across to kee
l. the bees from getting drowned in tn
IS syrup. The feed should be mad
n from a good quality of coffee suga
i. in the proportion of two parts suga
. and one part soft water, boiled abol
e five minutes.
i As the season progresses, breedir
De may be further stimulated by sprea
e ing the brood, This is done /
-. setting two combs apart, that al
80 pretty well filled with brood, ar
q placing between them an emp
in Sheet of worker comb, which Il
at queen will Immediately fill with egg
ID and this should be repeated eve
, week or ten days.
" The packing in the caps should
II left in until it is time to put on t
m sections, as the bees require a gre
as deal Of heat while breeding in eal
spring
- The hives i'm which division boar
a., have been placed may be enlarg
- 7 from time To time, as the COLONY