280 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 



a rain, out at the entrances drinking up the rain? 

 Did anybody ever see them doing this?" Well, not 

 during the rain, but immediately after, I have often 

 seen a row of bees out at the entrances taking up 

 water, and carrying it into the hive. I have also 

 many times seen them takmg the dew off the grass 

 that was near the entrance of the hives. At all 

 times, when bees are rearing brood extensively, 

 they desire water, and apparently suffer if they can 

 not get it; but when little or no brood is being 

 reared, I never could get them to touch it. 



TO GET A SWARM TO CLUSTER WHERE YOU WISH. 



On page 193, M. Simons wants to know how far 

 from the old colony she can take her corn-popper, 

 containing the clipped queen, and have the return- 

 ing swarm find her. As I hive many of my swarms 

 on a new stand, and as I clip all queens' wings, of 

 course I must have some way to prevent the bees 

 going back to the old hive. I have four plans 

 which I use, either of which works well. The first is 

 the same that friend Root tells of in reply to the 

 question. The second is, when the bees begin to 

 cluster on a branch of a tree, which I care nothing 

 for, I attach a small wire to the cage, and hang it 

 with the clustering bees; then when I get ready to 

 care for them I cut the branch from the tree, and 

 carry them to the hive. No danger of their going 

 to the woods, if you let them hang there all day. I 

 was amused one day by seeing a swarm uncluster 

 and start for the woods as I was about to take them 

 to the hive. Away they went, clear out of sight, so 

 I sat down to watch operations. In about ten min- 

 utes, back they came, and I was anxious to see 

 whether they would go to the tree where the queen 

 was, or to the old stand. 1 was soon satisfied, how- 

 ever, for they soon clustered back on the queen. If 

 any of the readers wish a swarm to go to work in the 

 open air, this gives you a clew to how it can be done. 

 My third plan is to place the new hive immediately 

 in front of the old one, and throw a sheet over it 

 (the old hive), till the bees return and enter the new 

 hive, the queen being let go with them, of course. 

 As soon as all are in, carry the hive to the stand you 

 Wish it to occupy; uncover the old hive, and the 

 work is done. The fourth plan is to hang the " pop- 

 per," or cage, on a post or tree, or any thing of the 

 kind near the old stand, and throw a sheet over the 

 hive from whence the swarm issued. As soon as a 

 few bees miss the queen they will commence to 

 search for her along the route the swarm took in 

 leaving the old hive. These bees soon find the 

 queen, and commence fanning their wings, and the 

 Whole swarm will cluster where they find their 

 queen, when they can be hived where you wish. 

 With the last two planS) care must be taken if more 

 hives are close by, or some of the bees will try to 

 enter them and be killed. By having a sheet or two 

 handy to throw over these hives, if they should 

 bother, this difficulty is overcome. 



Borodino, N. Y., May, 1882. G. M. Doolittle. 



Since friend D. lias called my attention to 

 It, i think he is right in regard to the sources 

 of pollen ; but I never before thought of the 

 point he makes, that pollen is usually the 

 color of the flower from which it comes. Oi 

 course, this is not the case with clover, but 

 he gives a reason for this apparent excep- 

 tion to the rule. — The suggestions in regard 

 to hiving swarms are both seasonable and 

 reaeonabie. Sheets placed handy, during 



the swarming time, will be often needed, es- 

 pecially where a large number of hives are 

 worked for box honey. 



HOW MRS. HARRISON MAKES BEES. 



/p|iUR bees are fully up to the times —booming. 

 ||SI) We have had some very fine days for honey, 

 but they were like angels' visits, few and far 

 between. Wo had not as many bees as we wanted, 

 but concluded not to buy, but raise them, as we had 

 the "seed." The sugar-barrel will do to tie to every 

 time, when bees are to be made. It has yielded nec- 

 tar in our apiary all the season, whenever the flow- 

 ers failed to " give it down." These " sugar-made " 

 bees are now ready for business (May 16th), but as 

 we had a sharp frost last night, we may expect little 

 nectar for them to work upon. 



We have used all sorts of contrivances to feed in 

 -^ little pans with muslin tied over the top, old fruit- 

 cans, Mason jars with perforated covers, and about 

 a dozen Langstroth feeders. In bad weather our 

 partner fed the bees, and invariably remarked, as 

 he came in, " Langstroth's head is level every time; 

 his feeder is the boss." We could use the pint Ma- 

 son jar without leakage, by putting them on almost 

 any way, but failed with the larger size, as the per- 

 forated covers must be exactly level, and our hives 

 have an inclination to the front, as they should, to 

 accelerate moisture running out, the carrying-out of 

 debris, etc. The perforated covers for pints are a 

 gem, ready for an emergency at any time. I have 

 never noticed that " perspiration hardens buckskin 

 gloves." Propolis does; but when it gets too thick I 

 pick and scrape it off; and when they are warm, they 

 are sufficiently soft. 



wiRE-CLOTri veils; effect on the eyes. 



I think you made a "mistaken," as our little girl 

 says, when you speak of the " injurious effects on 

 the eyes," by using green wire cloth as protectors. 

 The Maker of the eye dresses all nature in green. 



Peoria, 111., May 16, 1882. MRS. L. Harrison. 



I presume the feeder referred to is the 

 wooden box with float, for that is the prin- 

 cipal one I remember to have seen recom- 

 mended by friend Langstroth. I entirely 

 agree with you, my friend, in regard to the 

 propriety of making bees by means of the 

 sugar-barrel, in place of buying them.— I 

 know green is a good color for the ej;es, but 

 I should prefer it in the shape of green 

 fields, rather than on wire cloth an inch or 

 two from one's face ; but as I never use a 

 veil, I presume I am not a competent judge. 



KILLING OFF THEIR DRONES, AND THEN SWARMING 

 THE SAME DAY. 



It is the first time my husband or myself ever 

 hived any bees. We had splendid luck ; not one sting 

 have I received yet. I always expect to keep bees 



