THE APIARY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4549, 11 April 1923, Page 3

THE APIARY.

Pi-EPARATIONS FOR WINTER. As the honey-flow is now definitely over for the season and the extracting finished, the next work is the preparation of the bees for the winter. It is assumed that in most cases sufficient stores have been left in the hives. From 301 b. to 401 b. will be required to tide the bees over winter and early spring. If sealed combs of honey from clean colonies are not available colonies that are short of steres should be fed as soon as possible with syrup composed of equal parts of sugar and water. It is better to feed heavily now where necessary than to wait until the bees have used up their meagre stores. The bees cannot leave their cluster during the cold months of winter and early spring to take down any syrup that may be offered them, or generate sufficient heat to evaporate any surplus moisture it may contain. It is not recommended to feed sugar syrup, but necessary in the absence of sealed honey stores, as there is a risk of introducing disease with the feeding of honey unless it is definitely known that the apiary from which it was obtained is quite free from foul brood and has been sc lor some years. It is generally admitted that honey-fed bees have a better constitution than those fed with sugar, and will build up better in the spring. There is also reason to believe that some sorts of honey are better than others, but we have no definite proof. There is a marked difference in specific gravity of our honeys. The entrances of all colonies should now be reduced. The average colony will require an entrance 3 in. to 4 in. wide. If the entrance is more than 5-16 in. high, this, too, should be reduced in order to prevent mice getting into the hive. When stacking away the supers of combs for the winter place a sheet of newspaper between each super, and a roef or its equivalent on-top to keep out mice and wax-moths. Pack away any foundation that may be left over in a light and air-prjof box. It will become yery brittle if left exposed to the atmosphere. Keep a sharp lookout for foul-brood, and,if discovered, deal with it at once by one of the methods recommended last month, or destroy the colony. It does not pay to risk its spreading by robbing during the winter. If robbing sets in, place a strip of wood in which ‘an escape has been fitted across the entrance of the colony that is being robbed, and leave it until after sunset. Theti.reduce the entrance to not more than 1 in. in width.

WEAK AND QUEENLESS COLONIES.

Queenless colonies should be disposed of by uniting them with strong queen-tight colonies. This is most readily, accomplished in the evening when all field-bees have returned. After taking the roof and mat from the queen-right colony, place a sheet of newspaper immediately over the top of the frames and carefullyolace the queenless colony on top. No smoke will be required if the hive is handled gently. Weak colonies should be similarly united if the queen is of little value. If the queen is young, brood-rearing will probably be kept up for some time, and such colonies, though weak, will probably be worth saving. This is best accr mplished by shifting them into a small hive, called a nucleus box, large enough to take only four frames. —H. W .Gilling, Apiary Instructor.