Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 269, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1914 — Syrup for Bees. [ARTICLE]

Syrup for Bees.

The best food at-all times If It could be given 4s certainly honey, but In its place this only substitute admissible Is pure sugar In the form of syrup. Syrup is best used when a supply must be given quickly as In the case of a colony on the verge of starvation, or at the end of the season when making up the necessary Quantity of food for wintering. There must, however, be a difference in the consistency in the spring and autumn syrups—in fact, the latter should be about twice that of the former. The reason for this Is that in the spring the bees leave the hive for water with which, to thin the food they, in their capacity of nurse bees, prepare for the queen and grubs; and when syrup is given with a good-proportion of water, these Journeys to the pump or drains are rendered unnecessary, while in the autumn, unless syrup about the consistency of honey is supplied the bees will have considerable trouble in getting rid of the superfluous moisture in order to seal it over; and if they could not do this the syrup remaining exposed might, and probably would, ferment and cause dysentery.—F. G. Herman.