An attentive observer will now readily distinguish the strong, healthy stocks; but now and then a family may be seen sluggish in its work, though, perhaps, not deficient in numbers. The cause may generally be traced to an unfruitful Queen, to be got rid of as soon as the season is a little more advanced, and a successor can be reared in the way described under the head Queen Bee. Or, it might happen if the Queen dies before the bees have the means of establishing another, when an abandonment of the hive often ensues, though honey may still be plentiful in store. Prudence will at this time point out the expediency of surveying the state of the apiary as to repairs, painting, &c., to be done before the bees have fully entered into a state of activity.
Spring-feeding.—It is well now to examine the remaining stock of food, for much will shortly be required for the increasing numbers. If needed, some must be given, though in less quantity than in autumn; and it ought to be placed within the hive, either at the top or bottom; but the time is arrived when every precaution should be used to prevent the effects of chill to the brood, by the creation of cold currents. It usually suffices to supply food about three times a week, but the feeding trough must be closely covered, to keep up the temperature, or the bees will not at first enter into it. When this is the case, some proprietors do not hesitate to invert a hive, and pour a cup of honey amongst the combs: the bees will soon lick one another clean. Or, in lieu of a trough, I have used a tin vessel, holding nearly half a pint, open at each end, made somewhat taper downwards, the lower end fitting into a hole on the top of the hive, of about two inches. This part is somewhat loosely tied over with linen cloth, through which the bees suck the food. It may be made cylindrical, if preferred, with a flanch to rest upon. At this season it is well to give the food slightly warmed. Many persons recommend feeding even the strong hives, for it is certain the bees are stimulated by the increased temperature to which it gives rise; and there can be no doubt of the importance of bringing the stocks forward as early as possible. But no feeding, unless from absolute necessity, should be resorted to till a certain degree of animation is visible in the dwelling, otherwise the bees are prematurely put in motion, and numbers perish, unable to reach home. Nor is it of less importance to observe that feeding is not discontinued too soon; for even after warm days there will be a return of ungenial weather, and a stock might perish where a very little additional food would have saved it. But some limit should be put to the quantity as the weather becomes fine and warm; for I have known evil arise where the cells have been filled by the bees with sugared mixtures, at the time when the Queen requires them to deposit eggs. We have already alluded to the advantages of a supply of water withinside, in the very early year, before the bees can go abroad.
Where honey is abundant, it is of course preferable; and it is no worse for being slightly made liquid with water. In other cases various kinds of substitutes have been resorted to. I have used good sound ale, sweetened with sugar and honey, and boiled for a minute or two: the usual proportion is a pint to a pound of refined sugar, adding a fourth part of pure honey, which imparts a flavour the most agreeable to the bees. A tablespoonful of rum still further improves the compound. Mr. Golding recommends a very similar mixture; to which, however, he adds a teaspoonful of salt and a glass of wine. Payne prescribes lump sugar, in the proportion of three pounds to a pint of water, boiled for two or three minutes, and mixed with a pound of honey.
The kind of food we have been describing is that which is most commonly used for bees at this season. I have, however, turned my attention, occasionally, to the saving of trouble that arises where food can be given them in a concrete form, to supersede some of the evils attending the common methods of administering liquids at this season. In one of my feeding troughs I have sometimes put some large lumps of refined sugar, dipped previously in water till pretty well saturated, which the bees will appropriate. Of the various concrete saccharine preparations, however, I have found none entirely combining the needful requisites except that in which the crystallizing properties of the sugar had been altogether destroyed. It is well known that this change can be effected by certain methods of boiling. I believe I am correct in stating that the heat required to convert crystallizable into uncrystallizable sugar is from 320° to 360° of Fahrenheit. If, therefore, to two pounds of loaf sugar half a pint of water is added in a saucepan, it must be boiled up to a temperature not exceeding 360° of heat. This may be pretty well known when the syrup becomes brittle; ascertainable by suddenly cooling a little on a cold substance, or plate, when it begins to assume a pale yellow colour. The longer it is exposed to heat, up to this point, the more perfect is the change produced; but about twenty minutes' boiling is usually sufficient. If, instead of water alone, a fifth to a fourth part of vinegar is mixed with it, the process is expedited; and when thus made, the bees appear to give it a preference. The whole must be poured out gradually upon a cold dish, or a slab of stone, marble, or slate, previously rubbed with a very little fine oil, or other unctuous matter, to prevent adhesion. In a few minutes it is sufficiently stiffened to allow of being cut, with a pair of scissors, into such conveniently-formed pieces as are best adapted for insertion into the hive at its mouth. To those who do not object to the trouble of preparing this kind of bee-food themselves, the cost may be estimated at that of the sugar, as there does not appear to arise any loss in weight. It will be seen that this preparation differs but little from the common confection, familiarly known as barley-sugar. The bees, as lambent insects, have no difficulty, from the deliquescent properties of this concrete, in appropriating it speedily; and in the use of a large quantity I have always found it to be unaccompanied by the usual degree of disturbance, observable when honey is administered. It may be given at any time of the day; and an impoverished family might frequently be saved by inserting a few sticks of barley-sugar within a hive, when any other mode of feeding was impracticable. In fact it would appear that no other artificial food is so acceptable to the bees; and much of it doubtless returns to the proprietor, intermixed with natural honey. By the process we have described, common sugar has now been converted into a substance much resembling in its properties the saccharine matter of certain fruits, as grapes, &c., known as uncrystallizable sugar; probably nearly identical with the honey collected by the bees from the nectaries of flowering plants. After exposure to the action of a moist atmosphere, the concrete soon assumes a dissolved form; and so, thenceforth, remains, as I have proved by keeping it, in any way unaltered, for several years; in short, it becomes a substance very much resembling honey.[Z]
[Z] I am not amongst the number of those who (to my apprehension) go out of their way to maintain that this vegetable secretion undergoes some kind of chemical change by passing into the stomach of the bees (in reality a mere receiving bag), from whence it is often regurgitated into the cells of the combs in a few minutes, or even seconds, of time. Honey doubtless derives both its colour and flavour immediately from the plants supplying it; the bees not possessing the power of altering either. It even sometimes contains an original poisonous matter. Its subsequent thickened consistency naturally results from the effect of a lowered temperature; acting in a greater or less degree, according to circumstances, season, &c. That the bees have not the ability to change chemically the contents received into their honey-bags, is shown by an examination of the saccharine mixtures given to them as artificial food; in which I never could detect any alteration after being stored in the combs.
Enemies and robbers.—The enemies of bees, already pointed out at [p. 116], should now have the attention of the proprietor; and more especially robber-bees, for these are sometimes troublesome at this season, particularly where the hives are placed not sufficiently apart. On this subject we would refer to what has been said at [p. 131]. Let a vigilant look-out be given for Queen-wasps, now becoming common, and destroy them in any way possible; remembering that each of these is the parent of a future family. When the wasps are seen to alight, the use of a garden syringe and water is often effectual in disabling them from flying, when they are easily killed.
Super-hives.—As the season continues to open, young bees will become numerous, timidly peeping out of the hive, and distinguishable by the lightness of their colour. With genial weather, wealth also rapidly accumulates; and the strong odour of the hive, and increased activity of its inmates, attest the growing prosperity of the family. Attention now is requisite to these symptoms of a rising temperature, and, consequently, to the crowding of the hive. If the glass windows become sensibly warm, attended with clustering at the mouth, increased building room should at once be given, as detailed at pp. [23] and [119], or under the head of [Nadiring stocks]; for a fertile Queen will require a large proportion of the stock-hive for the purpose of depositing eggs. Should a few cold nights ensue, the supers must be kept covered; and more especially glasses, which the bees will desert unless a warm temperature is fully preserved in them.
I much doubt the probability of preventing the swarming of bees, where the extra storing room is delayed till royal cells have become tenanted, or, perhaps, only formed. Mischief has also frequently arisen where the bees have all at once had a large additional space given them of too cold a temperature; and often rendered more unacceptable by undue or ill-timed ventilation, as in using Nutt’s hives was often the case. The same cause has sometimes operated to prevent progress of any kind; and in a collateral hive, thus managed, I witnessed the fact that, during five or six successive seasons, there was no more breeding or storing than barely sufficed to keep the unhappy family in existence, the proprietor deriving no benefit whatever.
Temperature and weather.—With the advance of the season, and a more abundant efflorescence, the buzz of the hive becomes louder and more general, and particularly when the family are all assembled at night. And now the exertions of the bees are called into action for the purpose of promoting ventilation, and expelling the vitiated air. This they accomplish by means of a rapid and continuous fanning, or vibration of their wings, giving rise collectively to the sound usually termed humming; and which is readily distinguishable from the sharp, angry note emitted by a bee under the excitement of irritation. Sometimes the heat of the hives impels the inhabitants to seek a cooler temperature by clustering on the outside. At such times it is often well to aid in moderating the warmth by slightly raising up the bottom edge of the supers with a few strips of wood or lead. At [p. 115], we have given some general recommendations relative to the shading of exposed hives, now to be attended to; as also on the subject of water.