THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 11

THE APIARY.

PROVISION OF WINTER STORES. The losses attendant upon starvation are no less serious a menace to the beekeeper than disease, says E. A. Earp, senior apiary instructor, Wellington, in the May issue of the Journal of Agriculture. While disease is met with from time to time, each autumn brings the problem of wintering the bees, and, while the professional apiarist will prepare his colonies so as to guard against serious losses, the average beekeeper is apt to overlook the essentials that make, for success. There are factors, such as shelter, watertight hives, vigorous young queens, etc., which all lay a part in the wintering problem; but, above all, a supply of food sufficient to meet the colonies’ want must not be overlooked. The safe wintering of bees is a test of a beekeeper’s capabilities, as lie is called upon to gauge the amount of stores required to tide his bees over the period between the autumn flow and the appearance of the early nectar-secreting plants. Locality plays an important part, more especially where autumn flows are unknown and fine autumn weather prevails. In these districts the consumption of stores is greater, and a constant watch must be kept on the hives so as to determine the amount of food required to guard against loss, as breeding will be carried on until-a later period in the season.

Various estimates have been given as to the amount of food required to winter the cluster—varying from 301 b to 401 b —and experience has proved that, providing a colony is left with this amount, it will not only winter well but will build up rapidly in the spring. In anv case, it is by far the safest policy to leave an excess of food rather than'run the risk of leaving the colony short and with barely enough to tide *it over the dormant period. Where the amount of stores is less than 301 b the shortage can be made up quickly by the insertion of a few. combs of honey. Calculating on the basis that a full comb contains 61b of honey, it is easy to estimate the weight of honey in the hive.

FEEDING THE FEEDERS.

If combs are not available, feeding should be undertaken. This latter operation should not be delayed till the cold weather, but commenced early in autumn. For supplementing the stores sugar syrup, fed in the proportion of two of sugar and one of water, is the best substitute for honey. Avoid using inferior qualities of sugar. None hut the best white sugar should be fed. In feeding to augment the winter foodsupply it is often necessary to give large quantities of syrup, and consequently large feeders must be adopted. The Miller and the division-board feeders are excellent for this purpose. The former enables about 101 b to 251 b of stores to be fed at one time. It is designed to be placed inside'the super or upper storey on top of the broodframes, and has two compartments for syrup, the passage-way for the bees being in the centre through the bottom, direct!? over the cluster. The division-board feeder is popular, and enables about five pints of syrup to lie felt Hanging between the frames, all that is necessary is to turn hack the mat so that the opening in the top is exposed. The main advantage of this feeder is that the opening in the top is exposed. The main advantage of this feeder is that food can lie supplied without exposing the cluster and without the aid of smokt

“IMPERIAL BEE” HONEY.

In August of last year (writes our London correspondent) the price of Imperial bee honey was advanced. The result has been an increase in the sales. This, no doubt, would seem peculiar, but it is easily explained. Prices for other commodities were falling, and buyers naturally thought that, the price for New Zealand honey must fall in sympathy. While it remained stable, buyers held off the market, although doubtless they were desirous of obtaining further stocks. They said to themselves: We won’t buy to-day. The price will be lower to-morrow. It needed something to show them definitely that their waiting was in vain. The raising of the price was enough. They learned their lesson, and they came back for their regular supplies, confident that their opponents in the trade would not steal a march upon them. The sales for the first three months of this year are 15.43 per cent, above those for the corresponding three months of last year, in spite of the higher price. This seems to be a testimonial for the goodwill obtained for a prebranded article. Mr H. W. Castle (the London representative for the Honey Producers’ Board) maintains that if the honey were sold in bulk the price realised would be less than half what is now realised.

Russian honey, for instance, is now being sold for 22s per cwt; Californian for 32s per cwt. New Zealand honey, paeketed and branded, is sold at 14s 6d per dozen lbs. Mr Castle maintains that the same honey in bulk would not make more than 40s per cwt. This week the agents (Messrs C. and E. Morton) are taking 12 pages in the Grocer for advertising their home trade. Next week they will take 12 pages in the Grocers’ Gazette. The “ Imperial Bee ” will share in this advertising campaign. Hitherto, the firm has confined most of its attention to the export trade, and it is represented in 42 countries of the world. As tariffs are increased in dif-

ferent parts of the world it is found more economical to establish factories abroad. Such factories have been started in Java, in India, and in Natal. As a part of this change of policy, the firm is turning its attention to the home market.