The Progress., 1896-11-21
preoa>snp for Winter,


tember will end the secretion of nectar
IN the flowers for this season at teast.
And as successful wintering depends
largely On properly preparing the bees,
shall recommend that preparation at
once, writes Geo. E. Hilton in Mlcnl-
gan Farmer.
Perhaps some Of them need no al
tention at all, some will be found WIFI
stores, others Will nave
more than they really need, but IN Or
der to learn their condition we must |
go through our apiaries and examine
each colony and make a note or thelr
condition, then if there is su1llclenI
honey in the yard to winter all or
TO give each colony not less than 20
or 80 pounds, we must equallze by TAX
ing from the heavier and exchanging
combs with the lighter, thus equallz-
ing them: but should there not CT
honey enough in the yard then we
must feed. The above estimate l tllhk
will hold good for either outdoor or cell
lar wintering; it is claimed that bees
consume less stores Wintered IN cellar
than those wintered on summer STANDS.
This may in a measure be true Whlle
they are in the cellar, but it is just as
true that they consume more stores
during the spring moIShs and change
able weather than those protected IN
the double-walled hives, making one
just about offset the other. In case
find myself compelled to feed, and l
| usually prepare for this emergency,
| prefer to feed by removing combs that
have little or no honey in them and
replace with combs we'll filed and
capped over in the earlier part Of the
season. In the absence of these my
next choice is extracted honey. In
the absence of both we must resort to
sugar syrup, and while bees winter we'll
on syrup made from pure graduated
or confectioner's sugar, l prefer the
honey, but in feeding either we must
resort to some kind of feeder, espe-
cially if the bottoms of our hives are
not perfectly tight. For winter feeding
or rather feeding for winter I know
of no feeder like as we'll as the Mil
Ter Feeder" this is about the size OF
your comb honey super and is set upon
the hive in the same manner. The
bees go directly from the center OF the
brood nest into it and it is so arranged
that the bees cannot get above it or
daub themselves with the feed. After
determining the amount the colony
needs one of these can be set on and
the required amount poured In at one
feeding, as it will hold thirty pounds
of honey or syrup. AS my hives all
have tight bottoms, l frequently raise
the front of the hive two or three
? inches and just before dark pour ii
at the back end of the brood nest three
or four pounds at time. AS Thu
) will all be stored in the combs ant
; everything cleaned up before morning
there is no danger of robbing Should
the honey thus fed be very thick
should thin it with little hot wa
ter, as the bees can handle it mucl
. better and faster if it is thin and
little warm. In preparing sugar syru
:, make it just as it is made for tabl
. use, being very careful not to burn
!, or it will surely kill the bees. Don
put off this feeding until too late, as
is very essential that the bees shout
have time to thoroughly ripen and ca
it over After your feeding is don
remove everything of non-poror
Il character and place next to the bee
e something that will allow the moistul
d to pass off. A piece of wooden bal
d ket, piece of old but clean carpet {
'e even a piece of burlap will answ.
le nicely. Then put on cushion or pi
"a low filled with clean wheat chaff
10 cut straw and leave them thorough
n alone until next spring and you net
N have no more fears of their winterir
'e we'll than of a flock of sheep that a
rs given proper attention. If you whit
~ in the cellar treat them in the san
a, manner and leave the hive cover 0
~ Put them in the cellar between No
ie list and 18th and all will be we'll.
no