A profitable instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees/First Treatise/Chapter 18
How Bees lacking honnie may be fedde in that preſent neede. Cap. xviij.
BYcauſe the boyſterouſneſſe of the ayre doth ſometimes conſtraine the Bees to abyde in their hiues, and that they may not only feede of Honny, but at the ryſing of the conſtellation (named Vergiliæ) {{bl|they maye be fed and cheriſhed, and the ſame done in this manner without greate coſt. As firſte, if you take the number of ten figges, ſeething them in ſixe pintes of fayre conduite or ſpring water, vnto a pynte waſted, whych after ſet the one ſide of the hiue within, laying many ſmal ſtickes a croſſe ouer ye Lycour, that thoſe may ſerue in ſtead of bridgs, the apter for them to drinke of the Licour, without drowning in the ſame. Others wyll to ſeeth Honny and water togither, & the ſame to be poured into diſhes ſet at the one ſide of the Hiue, in the whiche they will to put fine carded wooll, that the Bees maye the better drincke now and then, and be not cloyed with too much drinking of the licour, by lighting into it. Others take figs & raiſōs beating thē togither, and after boyling them in the ſweete lycour named Cuyte, they poure into diſhes, couering ye ſame with Oaten ſtrawes a croſſe. Others alſo will to take a little Hony, putting into the ſame a fewe Oate cornes, that the Bees lighting on them, may ſo kepe their wings from wetting in the licour. Now all theſe meanes may well ſuffiſe to cheriſh and feed the bees in the Winter time, lacking then foode, beyng ſet neare to the mouthes of the Hiues. So that if a longer hūger oppreſſeth them, then with the hiues faſt by the entring in, ſet little gutters made of halfe canes, or greate elder ſtickes cleft, into which poure of the ſweete licours aboue taught, for by that meanes may they be wel recouered and ſtrengthned in the deepe of Winter, when their foode fayleth them. Some wil to put freſh birdes cleane drawne, or the fleſhe of a Henne finely ſhred into hiues, for the Bees to feede and ſucke vpon in the deepe of Winter, & the fine feathers alſo they will to put into ye Hiue, that they may giue them a warmth to the Bees lying in them. And others alſo will to put the meate of roſted Chickens into their Hiues, to feede and ſucke vppon, and not the boanes withall, leaſt annoy the bees by lying ſtill in the hiues, in that they ſo greatly abhorre all ſowre and ſtinking ſauors. Alſo theſe kinds of fleſh ordered (as aboue ſayde) may well ſerue the Bees in another drie Sommer, when as the moſt floures are then or quite gone away. Here note, that in the Spring and Sōmer time, the bee-hiues ought to be loked vnto thrice in the moneth, gently ſmoking the Bees, to clenſe the Hiues of al maner filth, and to ſweepe forth the wormes. Also}} Menecrates willeth the keeper of Bees, to kill the king blacke of colour, whiche by hys malice diſquieteth the other king, and corrupteth the Hiue, in that he flieth out alone, or with a company of ye bees folowing. So by that meanes (as Virgil writeth) ſhall the battel of Bees be ſtayed. Palladius writeth, that the ſwarmes be increaſed in the moneth of May, and that in the outmoſt ſides of the combes be the drone Bees bred, which ought to be killed, in that thoſe do muche diſquiet the reſt of the ſwarme. The Butterflies alſo do abounde, which he willeth diligently to kill, for their greate annoyaunce to the honny Bees.
About the beginning of Nouember ought the Hyues then to be cleared of their filth, ſo that al the Winter following they may neyther be remoued nor opened. And this may not be done but in a warme ſunny daye, the combes maye not be touched with hands, but with the feathers of ſtiffe gooſe wing, or ſuch bigge foule. After that to ſtope the chinkes round about wyth Oxe dung and clay finely laboured togither, and to lay ſtrawe thicke ouer the toppes of the Hiues, the better to defende the Bees from the cold and the tempeſtes.