CHAPTER X.
Food proper for weak Hives.
I amdecidedly of opinion that Bees fed in the Autumn should have honey, in preference to any other kind of food. Mr. Huish recommends "eight pounds of honey, six pounds of water, a bottle of white wine, and a pound of sugar, boiled and skimmed, to be bottled for use," he adds, "the most advisable method is not to make more than is immediately wanted, because there is some danger of its fermenting." Now if the Bees are allowed to store a quantity of this, or any othersimilar kind of food in their hives, will it not in all probability fermenttherealso? this is my reason for recommending honey only—indeed I have never seen Bees so healthy as those fed on the simple mixture of honey and water. In Spring, other kinds of food may answer very well, as a small portion only is given at a time, and very little of it deposited in the combs. A very good Spring food may be made with honey and sweet wort, or with raw sugar and sweet wort, boiled and skimmed.
The proportions would be, one pound of sugar, or half a pound of honey, to two pints of strong wort.
For feeding weak stocks many things have been prescribed, but nothing is so proper and natural as honey, I dislike feeding altogether, except a little in the beginning of the year, through the lateness of the Spring some hives (otherwise sufficiently supplied) may require it. Early swarms may also require a little honey when the weather proves unfavourable for their collecting it the fouror five first days succeeding their being hived, but in both these cases a very small quantity will be found sufficient. Autumn feeding very rarely answers the purpose of the proprietor. Uniting the weak stocks at that season, as directed inChapter VIII. will be found much more advantageous.