MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

THOUSAND ANSWERS 85it isn't likely you have them. The next best is a syrup of granulatedsugar, probably just what you did feed them, only therewas probably something wrong about the way you fed thatstarted robbing. Of course, I cannot tell what it was that waswrong; possibly you may have spilled some of the feed, or donesomething else that was a bit careless. Be careful not to leaveany cracks open that will let bees in from the outside. If thereis danger of robbing, it is well to give feed in the evening afterbees have stopped flying, and to give no more at a time than theywill clean up by morning. For fall feeding nothing is better thana Miller feeder. If you feed early, equal parts of sugar and waterwill be all right; but if you do not feed until after the middle ofOctober, then you can have S parts of sugar (either by weight ormeasure), 2 parts water.Evidently you have no bee-book of instructions, and it will bebig money in your pocket if you get a good one, say such a oneas Dadant's Langstroth.Q. When is the best time to feed the bees?A. The best thing is never to feed them, but let them gathertheir own stores. But if the season is a failure, as it is someyears in most places, then you must feed. The best time for thatis just as soon as you know they will need feeding for winter;say in August or September. October does very well, however,and even if you haven't fed until December, better feed then thanto let the bees starve.Q. Two years ago I bought two colonies of bees, and the firstyear they increased to five colonies. I lost one colony the springof 1905, and last fall I had six put away in good condition withplenty of honey for winter. I just now lost one colony. I examinedthe hive and found the honey somewhat watery, running alittle out of the hive. What is the cause of this? Can I feed thehoney if other bees clean out the comb?A. If you had examined closely you might have found that itwas mostly water that was running out of the hive. Water maybe found running out of a hive containing a colony in good condition,the vapor from the bees settling on the cold walls of thehive as water, and running out of the entrance. It may also settleon the unsealed honey in the combs, making the honey thin,sometimes so thin as to run out. There is nothing unusual in allthis, and you need not fear to feed this honey to the bees whenthe weather gets warm.This thin honey will not do for winter feed.