This page has been validated.
FEEDING BEES
139

sists simply of a division board made to hold the syrup, which is placed in the hive instead of a frame Plate XII. There is a hole at the top so that it may be refilled by simply pushing back the cover, and pouring in the syrup from a pitcher. The only objection to this feeder is its size, as it does not hold more than two pounds of syrup, and if used for fall feeding would need to be filled many times. This feeder is especially useful for stimulating the bees in the spring, and is also most practical in developing nuclei. In a small apiary it is quite practical for all purposes.

Of the larger inside feeders the Smith, the Heddon and the Miller are generally used. These are alike in one respect; they are flat boxes placed directly above the frames and beneath the quilts. The Heddon and the Miller each take a certain specified number of pounds of syrup, so that when we use them we can tell just how much we are feeding. The Miller is especially convenient in this respect, and has one advantage over the others in that the entrance for the bees is directly above the centre of the brood-chamber, so that the bees may enter it easily without loss of heat. This fact renders it an excellent feeder for cold weather. Some still use the pepper-box feeder, which consists of a tin can with perforated cover, inverted above the frame, but this lifts the quilts and lets in the cold, and is awkward to use; and as it does not hold very much it is quite inconvenient to manage.

Some altruistic people take the frames of comb