ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 93 



Probably he did not know what was irritating them. I find that is a 

 common mistake among tenderfeet or greenhorns that are working 

 with bees, they have not the knowledge to work with them in a proper 

 way and the consequence is, they get them riled up pretty much all 

 the time; even some of our old bee-keepers have their bees riled up and 

 have to put on goggles when they go out to work among them. I 

 know of one case in Poplar Grove, in the northern part of the State, 

 the bee-keeper was an elderly man and he ought to have been educated 

 to know how to handle bees, but I went over and he commenced to 

 put on his armor and he had it on all right. I was standing looking 

 on, had my hat and coat off. He fixed up inside, he did not go out- 

 side to fix up. I said, "Well, are you ready?" He said, "Yes, but 

 are not you going to put on anything?" "No." "But," he said, 

 "they will sting you to death," and he waited to see if I was going 

 ahead. I went out in the yard with him and I saw a string of bees 

 that passed me by and went at him all right. They did not have time 

 to see me, but they were after that man and they found a hole in his 

 armor too. When he got into the house I asked him what he did and 

 he told me that that was the way he always went out. That is the 

 case you find all over the country, they do not know the instinct of the 

 bee, and get into trouble. 



Mr. Pitner. — Do bees use more honey when the weather is 

 staying like this and they are getting nearly daily flights, does it take 

 more honey to last them through the winter than if they are dormant, 

 would not they be more likely to have food for next spring? 



The President. — ^Who cares to answer that question? How 

 about it, Mr. Pettit? 



Mr. Pettit. — The whole question of the consumption of stores 

 depends upon conditions within the hive. At a temperature of about 

 57 bees remain quiet, consuming very little. When it goes a little 

 lower than that, they cluster to a certain extent. I would not expect 

 at the temperature that we are having day after day, and all the flying 

 the bees do now, that that would increase their consumption to any 

 extent. If it got warm enough that they started gathering water and 

 started rearing brood, of course it would make more consumption, but 

 as it gets colder, the colder temperature in the hive would tend to 

 make them consume more. 



The President. — Along last Sunday they began to gather water. 



Mr. Pettit. — When they start to gather water, I think that they 

 are beginning to rear brood. 



The President. — I found them gathering water on Sunday out 

 in the country where my apiary is located. 



Mr. Kildow. — ^When bees are active it is natural that they 

 would consume a little more, but in this case it is so little that it is 

 not noticeable. 



The President. — If you have them properly prepared for winter, 

 have sufficient stores, I do not think you have any reason to worry. 

 Any other questions? Mr. Pettit, have you anything more you would 

 like to say to u!s before we close this meeting? Last night I talked to 

 you a little while and you thought you might have something to say. 



Mr. Pettit. — I might say that I did prepare a subject. 



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