THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3743, 8 December 1925, Page 11

THE APIARY.

By

J. A.

WEATHER .CONDITIONS. These have not been too good as far a 3 permitting the bees to work is concerned; but, on the other hand, the rain was required. I have just been noting the difference between November of 1924 and November of 1925. In 1924 barely lin of rain was registered, but ip 1925 it has amounted to nearly sin. Comparing the pasture of the two seasons, in 1924 it was thin and wiry and running early to seed; in 1925 it is plentiful, thick, and a lovely green. Let us count our blessings. Bee work is always associated with sunshine, but we must not forget that rain is needed also. In Southland they keep a weather prophet of their own. I notice his latest venture is fine weather about the middle of this week (December 1) to continue for probably some weeks. The Wellington man ir. to-day’s paper is on the other tack. With him it is sou’-westers and cold, with rain generally. They are not much alike, but you can pay your money and take your choice FEEDING. This is very necessary just now, and with sugar at 15s 6d per bag it is the best investment the beekeeper can make. If the beekeeper lias no feeders for inside feeding :t can be done outside. Any shallow water-proof vessel will do. At present I am using two roofs, which are flat with a rim about 2in wide round them, and covered with malthoid. These are water-proof, and will hold about two gallons each. A little dry grass is put on the feed for a footing for the bees. My bees clean up the four gallons in less than 20 minutes, so I am not afraid that any other bees will get much chance of robbing, lhe feed is mixed in a petrol tin —about one third sugar filled up with warm water, and stirred till it is all melted. Then the two roof feeders are filled and sprinkled with grass. In a minute or two the bees all over the apiary know it is there, and every hive is pouring out its workers to get a share. The principal fault in this system is that the strong hives, which probably need the feed the least, can get the most. It is, however, doing no harm, but a great deal of good to stir them all up and make them take a good fly. I hope that feeding will not be neglected while the cold and rainy weather continues. MORE PESTS. In mv notes of November 17 I discussed Maori bugs, slugs, and slaters, and thought I had painted a sufficiently ugly picture, but a beekeeping friend in Otak : considers that I am lucky to have only the three pests named, and not have earwigs. He says he has not found these in the hives with the bees, but he cannot prepare stands or leave empty supers and frames stored about without them becoming crowded with earwigs. In the Tasman district of Nelson earwigs are unknown yet, but I hear that they are spreading very fast in other districts, and unless the natural enemy can be found and got to work, they will soon be all over the Dominion. In Nelson I have a lot of time for Dr Tillyard, of the Cawthron Institute. His success with Aphetinus mali in eradicating woolly aphis has already saved orchardists thousands of pounds. In fact, the benefit cannot bo estimated. I hear that he is after the earwigs, too, and I hope that he will be successful. There is room for a great deal more of this kind of work, and the question is being asked with increasing insistence, why, if there are natural enemies to these introduced pests, are we not going harder after them? I know, of course, that a good deal is being done, but think that still greater effort is required.

THE WEEK. My scale hive stood at 1171 b after a super had been added to it a week airo. to-day (December 1) it is down to 1131 b. this means that, notwithstanding feeding, there !s a steady reduction going on in weight all over the apiary. My work in the apiary has been along the line of preparation, making up hives and frames, and taking every opportunity to look over colonies. So far I have no disease. There is not at present any gain to be got from opening up hives. The inclination to rob is very strong, and makes it inadvisable to disturb the bees more than is actually necessary. When our Southland weather prophet gets this fine spell of good weather going, I shall see some movement. Clover at the moment is just putting out its first blooms, and already tne bees have been working on them; but the blooms are so few that they do not do more than give promise of what is to come. The most important, work at the moment is to keep up a prosperous feeling in the hives in order to keep breeding going, and this can be done only by feeding.