The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-25
Fail Work Among the Bees.

Mr.. Z. Mead is a successful bee-keeper,
and he writes from experience. Recently
he said:
This is the month to prepare bees for
winter. / have made it rule to have
my bees in proper shape for wintering
by not later than the middle of October,
especially in regard to equalizing their
stores and feeding. They must have
warm weather to properly ripen and seal
their stores if fed. L consider this of
much Importance. The wintering prob
lem is one of the most important prob
lens in successful Bookkeeping.
Proper food as the first requisite.
have given the subject good deal of
study, and have noted the results from
both early and late feeding; also wintering
partly with candy, etc. / have had the
best success by feeding about the middle
of September There is not very much
brood in the hive at this time of year,
and the food will be stored in the
brood-nest. like to have it evenly dis
tributed through the hive, then when
ever the bees cluster they will have
honey close to them.
This one point could be better accom-
plished IL fed later, when there Is little
II any brood in the hive. but Il Is not
wise to wait so long. L have. fed them
very late when II was difficult to get
them TO take their food on account of
the cold. A large part of IL would not
would be dark and damp, and the cap
pings of the cells fiat and saturated
with honey. 1t is very necessary to have
their honey sealed. II not, II Is liable
10 get thin and watery. i have noticed
when they are fed in warm weather their
food will be nearly all sealed and the caps
will be round instead Of fiat, and will not
get saturated with water, because the
honey is thoroughly ripened. / like to
peep down between the combs in winter
and find them perfectly dry, with oval
caps as tight as pulp. This gives the
bees a good, dry, comfortable place to
cluster, and / feel pretty sure such colo
MES will pull through In good shape.
It is thought that pollen Is not good
for bees I'm winter Some writer's think
IL one cause OF dysentery. l dislike to
have very much OF it I'm the hive for sew
eral reasons. But Il is difficult 20 get Il
away from them, and / think If they
have an abundance OF good honey they
will be all right so far as the food Is con-
cerned.
II Is OF much Importance that they
have an abundance OF honey, not less
than twenty-five pounds. II is somewhat
difficult TO ascertain the amount OF honey
I'm hive. Perhaps the surest way Is TO
shake the bees off each comb and weigh
the combs, then weigh the same number
OF empty combs and find the difference.
note being made or the age OF combs
and the amount of pollen they contain
old combs weigh double more than new
ones, After one hive II carefully weighed
In this manner one can very nearly ca
innate correctly the amount OF honey
other colonies have. Another rule I keep
In mind when estimating The amount OF
honey a colony has, In this: block OF
honey 4hxfh x1h inches, II thoroughly
scaled and ripened Will weigh one pound,
by using both OF these rules one can
soon learn 20 guess pretty closely the
amount In each comb.
Try 20 get your bees fed In this month,
and Il does not make so much difference
about getting them packed so soon. but
tho sooner the better. Then they won't
have 10 be disturbed after they are
settled down into that quiescent state
} 30 conducive 20 good wintering.