THE APIARY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 53, Issue 3, 21 September 1936, Page 183

THE APIARY.

Artificial Feeding.

As advised previously, a strict watch should be kept on the food-supply. As the spring advances this matter becomes of paramount importance. On no account is it advisable to allow the stores to dwindle. The queen’s laying-powers are to a large extent automatic she is fed so she lays and when food is abundant brood-rearing is in proportion. Artificial feeding is invariably stimulating, and once undertaken must be carried out regularly and systematically. It is poor policy to fill a hive with brood, and then leave it to starve'. Spring losses are usually due to lack of stores, and are therefore preventable on the part of the beekeeper. It is advisable to feed sugar syrup only, in the proportion of two parts of water to one of sugar, and to place it in the feeder while slightly warm. Providing Water. In the absence of a natural supply, water should be provided. Bees require a good deal of water for brood-rearing throughout the whole season, and it often happens that numbers of bees are lost if water is not close at hand. Moreover, bees often become a nuisance at cattle-troughs and round domestic supplies. Where a large number of colonies are kept it is imperative that the beekeepers see that the bees are well supplied. Many contrivances are used for the purpose of supplying water. “.Simplicity” feeders make excellent vessels ■ for containing water, but they require to be filled frequently and occasionally cleansed. A good contrivance is a kerosene or petrol tin used as follows : Having thoroughly cleansed the tin, punch in the bottom a hole about the size of a sixpence ;

through this hole pass a piece of clean rag so that the water falls a drop at a time. Under the tin a container may be placed to catch the water, and this, if filled with sand, affords an excellent watering-place for the bees. The supply can be regulated according to the requirements of the apiary. Bees prefer to take water from damp situations, and they may often be noticed in numbers sucking water from the ground where there has been any overflow. Containers should be placed in a sheltered spot in the apiary. Foul-brood. At all times when examining the combs a strict watch should be kept for symptoms of disease. Beekeepers should never lose an opportunity of acquainting themselves with foul-brood in all its stages. At this season, if isolated capped cells are discovered in frames which contain no other brood, these should be treated as suspicious, and subjected to the test for foul-brood. If on opening the cell, when a sharp-pointed piece of stick is inserted, the dead imago can be lifted out complete in form, the beekeeper may conclude that if dry it is a case of starvation and if moist of chilled brood. If, however,- the contents of the cell adhere to the point of the stick in a ropy ill-smelling mass, it may be concluded that the hive is diseased. There is perhaps no surer indication of the presence of foul-brood .in the hive than the objectionable smell of the decayed larvae. Beekeepers who once recognize-this odour will have no difficulty in detecting the disease in that stage. The last and most difficult form of foul-brood is the dry stage, and in this form it has baffled beekeepers of long standing. Only a careful examination can reveal its presence. The diseased larva, having dried to a scale, adheres to the lower side of the cell, and can be removed by scraping with a sharp-pointed instrument. If the aforesaid isolated capped cells on being opened appear at the first glance to be empty, • they almost invariably yield a scale if examined, and the hive should be marked for treatment. There is a deeply rooted notion among beekeepers that foul-brood can be detected outside by the odour,'and inexperienced beekeepers are often misled by this statement. However, where the gluedike smell is noticeable from the outside of the hive at a distance of a few feet it may be concluded that the colony is diseased beyond redemption. Fortunately such cases are rare. Apiary Locations. Perhaps there is no more important question for the beekeeper than location. Upon his ability to select a suitable district in which to start beekeeping depends his future success. There are few districts in the Dominion where bees cannot be kept in small numbers, but successful establishment of a commercial apiary largely depends upon the beekeeper’s knowledge of the nectar-secreting plants. It is generally recognized that the main nectar-flow in New Zealand is produced from white clover and catsear, but it is a distinct advantage if the apiary is established in a district near patches of native bush or where the golden willow is abundant. Most of the indigenous trees and willows flower early, and the nectar from these sources is very valuable to the beekeeper, as it provides ample stores in the spring. In districts where the beekeeper has to depend entirely upon white clover a careful watch must be kept on the stores, and very often artificial feeding has to be carried on until the appearance of the clover-bloom. This is often expensive, and usually can be avoided by selecting a site where at least a moderate spring flow may be anticipated. The rich dairy pastures of both the North and South Islands, and localities where cattle-raising is carried on extensively, provide suitable sites for commercial apiaries, while country which is used for sheep-grazing is generally not profitable, as the clover pasture is usually eaten bare. Instances have come under notice where abnormal crops have been secured in purely sheep-country, but they

are too infrequent to be taken into consideration, and consequently this class of country should be avoided. Essentially the main requirements are feed and shelter, and if the apiarist is fortunate enough to locate his bees in a position where there is an abundant supply of nectar-secreting plants good shelter can be provided easily.

—E. A. Earp, Senior Apiary

Instructor, Wellington.