Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-26
to open the hives and take out each

to open the hives and take out each
frame
If after going over a hive and weigh
ing each comb, I find that there is
twenty-five pounds Of actual stores, L
call that hive or colony all right for
winter. If less. II must be fed the
deficiency If more, it can spare some
to help another colony which is lack
ing in''that amount. In this way the
whole apiary should be gone over.
Colonies left on the summer stand
require anywhere from twenty to thir-
ty pounds of good food for success
full wintering. A little in excess of
the contrary will stimulate the colony
In building up faster in the following
spring. If one has on hand some
sealed combs of honey, a few of them
can be distributed among the light
colonies, but in the absence of these 1t
will be necessary to feed liquid honey
or syrup made Of sugar and water.
Do not think Of using anything but
the best granulated sugar. When bees
an fly all the time, you can safely feed
them anything. But when they cannot
fly, there Is nothing better than sealed
honey. When you cannot have that.
use syrup Of granulated sugar.
If the feeding can be attended to
while the weather is still warm, the
syrup need not be quite SO thick, say
about two pounds of sugar to one pint
| Of water, which will make three
pounds of syrup. If the feeding is
deferred until cool weather has set in,
the syrup will, of necessity, have to be
of g. somewhat thicker consistency, for
the bees will not be able to evaporate
the superfuous water out Of it.
In making sugar syrup be careful
n It to burn it while boiling. In fact
| it need not be boiled at all; JUS. pour
the toiIing water over the sugar AMI
stir until thoroughly dissolved, when
cool 1t is ready to give to the bees.
1t is claimed by some beekepe-s
that If few tablespoonfuls of ex-
tracted honey are added to the sugar
syrup 1t will prevent it graduating
in the comb, but there Is little danger
of this anyway.
If there are weak lots Just unite two
or more together removing the least
valuable queen. To unite. shake both
| lots on cloth and let them run to-
gether into hive, where they had
better remain until evening. Then
shake them in front of hive that has
been properly prepared for wintering.
The bees Of two lots may be united
ipeaceably by sprinkling them thinly
with sugar syrup Favored with pepper
mint, and then placing the frames
with adhering bees alternately in a
fresh hive. The stronger the COLONY
and the bees the less is the honey
consumed. This appears strange, but
1t is quite true; small lot Of bees
In hive containing several combs are
restless, with the consequence that
they consume honey to raise the tenn
perature lowered by the cool air sur
rounding them.
The food supply may be ample ow-
ing to particularly favorable season
after the supers have been removed,
but even If feeding has to be resorted
to. very little will be needed to per-
form this part Of the work.
In order to obtain young bees for
wintering supply Of sugar, given at
the close of the honey flow, will prob
ably be all that is necessary to con-
tinue breeding UP to the middle Of
September, when whatever further
supply is needed to make the colony
safe for winter can be given in the
form of syrup.
In regard to feeding the bees. any
safe way can he followed. which does
not expose the feed to other bees and
incite robbing. AS every one has Jar
and plate. I will describe the follow
ing simple device: After the syrup has
been made pour 1t into an ordinary
fruit Jar. cover with a single thickness
o, cheesecloth and tie with a string
around the neck Of the Jar.
Now invert on top Of It breakfast
plate. turn the whole upside down on