APIARY NOTES FOR AUGUST

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 226, 24 August 1932, Page 5

APIARY NOTES FOR AUGUST

(By I). S. Robinson, Apiary Instructor Department of Agriculture, Palmerston North.) In tho warmer districts on lino days there should now be noticed a slight activity at the hives, as there ( will bo a little nectar and pollen to j bo gathered from the early blooming . plants, shrubs and trees. If the j bees were left with plenty of stores . when closed down for the winter it is . unnecessary to disturb them yet, as . tiro winds at this time of the year are j often keen, and it is an easy matter to chill any brood that may appear in ■ the combs. Should the bees be short of stores, feed them with sugar syrup . made in tho proportions of one part . of IA sugar to two parts of water. To . facilitate melting the sugar, make . the water hot, pour it on to the sugar and stir well. Feeding is best done at sundown to eliminate the chances ( of robbing by bees from neighbouring , colonics, and the entrances of all . hives should bo closed down to tho , smallest aperture at the time of . feeding. There are a number of kinds of j feeders on the market. The cost of j these is reasonable and they are simple s to use and highly efficient, but as beekeepers are often situated in a , district where beekeeping supplies J are only obtainable from a distance, ; home-made feeding devices have ■ sometimes to be resorted to. The j following is a simple form of home- , made-feeder to use: Any tin with a ‘ press-on lid can be made to answer j very well by punching holes in tho j lid. To use this form of feeder, fill j the tin quite full with syrup, put tho ( lid on, take it with an empty super and some sacking to the hive to be j fed, remove the cover and mat quiet- | ly, place the empty super on, turn ( tlie tin feeder up-side down on top of ( the frames, wrap the sacking round ( it, covering the tops of tho frames, and replace the cover. Extra feed , can be given each alternate night ' until they have sufficient; that is to j say, there should be at least 201 b. to 251 b. of stores available, as from now j on brood rearing will be starting and the consumption of stores will in- ( crease correspondingly. s Clear the grass and rubbish away 'j from round the hives so that they can ( have plenty of air, as dampness in " the hive is not conducive to good beekeeping and attracts slugs, woodlice f and other insects. • If orders have not already been placed for beekeeping supplies for the coming season, what will l>e required , should be ordered without delay. Much honey is lost by beekeepers waiting until they actually need the appliances before ordering their sup- - plies, and often by the time they get them the honey flow is over and the outlay for the season is to no purpose. As a rule bees swarm once unless prevented, .so that it is advisable to ) have everything in readiness for them. Give all spare hives a coat of paint, as it will lengthen the life of them considerably. In making up any material for hfves, etc., keep f everything to a standard size so that ( all parts are interchangeable. There j is nothing so annoying as to find a ( cover that will not fit or a super which t is a different size from the one it is c to bo placed on, etc. i The Department of Agriculture has | recently published an interesting bid- f letin entitled “The Apiaries Act and 5 Its Provisions.” In it will bo found j the main clauses of the Apiaries Act,

Lilt? main U 1 ; which will bring them more promin- ■ ently under tho notice of all persons ' keeping bees. While the majority of beekeepers are, no doubt, aware of 1 the provisions of the Act, it is probably safe to say that there are many who have never read them. THIS MONTH’S RECIPES.. Honey Gems.—One breakfast cup flour. 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, loz. melted butter, half teacup of milk. Slowly melt together the honey, and butter; have flour sifted; have"egg well beaten with milk added. Stir into flour with honey and butter; bent for two minutes, adding lastly baking powder. Bake in hot greased gem irons, in hot oven.