MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

90 DR- miller'sthe lion's share, but you can make that all right by taking filledframes from the strong and giving to the weak.Feeding in Winter.—Q. What shall I feed this winter? Cansyrup be fed, or should I feed sugar candy?A. I would rather feed syrup in winter than to let bees starve,but it is probably about twice as safe to feed candy as to feedsyrup.Q. I have a colony of fine Italian bees which have not storesenough to last them a month. I had to take it away last summerand have not as yet got it home. How can I feed it at this lateday? It is in a chaff hive with extra super filled with cushions.A. The best way is to give combs of sealed honey. Carefullytake out the empty frames and put the combs of sealed honeyclose up to the bees, for if there is a space between the bees andthe honey, and it should be quite cold for a time, the bees mightstarve without ever touching the honey. What's that you say?"Haven't any combs of sealed honey?" Well, that's about whatI expected. But make up your mind that you'll always have themhereafter.Well, if you haven't combs of sealed honey, maybe you havesome honey in sections. You can fit some sections in a wideframe, or even a common brood-frame, by cutting away enoughof the sections to make them fit in the frame. Rather an expensiveway to feed; still, I've fed a good many sections in my time.If you haven't the sections, either, you can do quite well withcandy. Take best granulated sugar and stir it into a very littlehot water in a dish on the stove; but whatever you do, don't letit burn, for burnt syrup is death to bees in winter. Better notset it down in the stove-hole so the fire can touch the dish, butset the dish on top of the stove. Keep trying it, and when youfind a little stirred in a saucer will grain, take it off quickly andpour into dishes making cakes three-quarters of an inch to oneand a quarter inches thick. Put over the frames a cake of thiscandy that will pretty well cover the frames; or, if cakes aresmall, you can use more than one. Cover this with some kind ofcloth covering, and shut up snug. Toward spring you may needto repeat the dose, but if you make the cakes thick enough andlarge enough no more will be needed for a good while. Yourextra super on top will give you a chance to put on the candyand pack it up warm.Fences.—Q. Do you use slats or fences between sections?