Page:How to Keep Bees.djvu/182

142 FEEDING RYE FLOUR

This is given as a substitute for pollen, and is often of great use in the spring when the flowers are late in blossoming, or when severe rains wash the pollen from the fruit bloom. Pollen or its equivalent is absolutely necessary for rearing the brood. The unbolted rye flour, or even oatmeal, or whole-wheat flour may be used by the bees as a substitute with perfect success. The meal may be mixed with the candy if it is desirable; but the usual way is to place it in a trough or box that is shallow, press it down hard so that it will be not more than an inch or two thick, to prevent the bees from getting suffocated while working in it. We must remember that the bee has two rows of holes along each side of the body through which it breathes, and thus could be suffocated as easily in soft flour as in water. The box containing the meal is usually placed a few rods distant from the apiary, and often some old combs with honey in them are placed on top so as to attract the bees to the box, and let them know that it contains food for them. Most bee-keepers say that the box needs to be placed in the sun or the bees ignore it.

FEEDING FOR HONEY

Some bee-keepers practise feeding all the colonies early in the season so that the brood has plenty of sugar-syrup stored near it when the honey season opens; and since the brood-comb is full the bees begin at once to store in the supers. Mr. Boardman