282 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



April 14, 1904. 



and things would get rather mixed, but I have never failed 

 when I got the job properly done. 



I might say that I have not tried the plan with early 

 swarms, as I generally want them to make up for winter 

 losses, etc. 



Let us suppose that a swarm comes off June IS ; return 

 the swarm and remove the queen. That settles the question 

 of swarming for about 10 days. When the swarm issues 

 again and is returned, there is no larv;e in the hive to rear 

 a queen, and as there is a virgin queen in the hive it will be 

 10 days before she begins to lay. That brings it to about 

 July 5. If they build queen-cells after that date they are 

 likely to be torn down by the bees, as the harvest is about 

 over by the time they are ready to swarm. Ontario. 



Answer. — Sometimes a plan that seems to work all right 

 for two years or more will be found wanting later on ; but 

 in this easel think you need feel no anxiety as to its con- 

 tinued working, for the plan was thoroughly tried before 

 you was born, and for many it is a good plan to follow to- 

 day. The original plan was merely to return the swarm as 

 often as it issues, without opening the hive at all, without 

 any queen-clipping or cell-cutting. It involves a great deal 

 of work, for the swarm was likely to issue more than once 

 with the old queen, and also with one or more young queens, 

 but after killing off the old queen and all but one virgin 

 queen there was no more trouble with swarming for the sea- 

 son. With clipped queens and cells destroyed, as you and 

 others have practiced it, the swarms issuing are reduced to 

 two. While not suitable for all, the plan will work for one 

 who is on hand at all times to watch for swarms, especially 

 where the number of colonies is not large. With a large 

 number there is more or less trouble with swarms uniting 

 or entering wrong hives. You may, however, cut a number 

 of swarms in two by this method ; keep track of the swarms 

 that issue with the old queen, and when it is time for the 

 first virgin queen to emerge (a week or more after the prime 

 swarm), go to the hive in the evening and listen, and when 

 you hear the young queen piping, cut out all remaining 

 queen-cells the next morning. You will find it works with 

 early as well as late swarms, although there is a bare possi- 

 bility of a late swarm in case of very early swarming. In- 

 stead of cells being started late in summer, and then torn 

 down by the bees, you will probably find it a rare thing for 

 cells to be started in a colony with a young queen reared 

 that season in that hive. 



Hives Where Bees Died-Metailic Spacers. 



1. What is the best thing to do with hives in which bees 

 have died during the winter ? There is quite a lot of honey 

 in them. 



2. Can I keep the moths out by covering the top and 

 bottom of the brood-chamber with stifif paper ? 



3. In last week's American Bee Journal one bee-keeper 

 advised using 9-frames and 2 dummies with 10-frame hive. 

 Does he mean division-boards? and will the bees fill the 

 outside frames as well ? Would you recommend it ? 



4. Why, oh why, can we not. have some good metallic 

 spacers for our brood-frames ? How would a pin with a 

 shoulder (like that used in the Danz. frames and section- 

 holders) work ? I have just taken some Hoffman frames 

 out that have been in use but two seasons. It would have 

 relieved my feelings to have said a few bad words. 



Massachusbtts. 



Answers. — 1. They're the nicest sort of things in which 

 to hive your swarms. 



2. No ; the eggs of the moth are there already, and will 

 hatch out as soon as the weather is warm enough. If kept 

 in a cool cellar they will not hatch out for some time, and 

 will not make rapid progress when they do hatch. The best 

 place, however, for them is in the care of the bees. Put a 

 story of such frames under a strong colony of bees, so the 

 bees will have to traverse them in going out or in, and they 

 will be kept in good order. A few days after giving one, 

 a second may be placed under, and as it gets warmer a third 

 can be put on top. 



3. No, he means dummies. Properly speaking, a divi- 

 sion-board fits so tight as to prevent the passage of a bee. 

 A dummy is about the same thing, only made so much 

 smaller as to allow bees to pass freely. I would rather have 

 the two dummies than to have the frames so they can't be 

 got out. No, bees will not work sections so well over a 

 dummy at the outside. But I've tried to a limited extent 

 having a dummy in the middle of the brood-nest, and it 

 seems to work all right in hot weather. 



4. One reason we can't have them is because manufac- 

 tures don't feel the need of them as much as you and I do. 

 I'd pay several prices for a few pounds of nails with heads 

 X inch deep and 3-16 across. Failing to find that, I use 

 common nails and drive them in all but V inch. If I were 

 working for extracted honey, very likely I would object to 

 metal spacers. 



Thanks for invitation to ride in your engine. I'd like 

 it — ;if you didn't go too fast. 



Wintering Bees Outdoors— Temperature for Handling 

 Brood. 



1. Which is the best way to fix bees for wintering out- 

 doors, with a tight-fitting cover on the hive or with chaff 

 cushions, or some other porous material over a Hill's device, 

 or empty super ? 



2. Is there any way to keep the moisture from the bees, 

 and from condensing in the hives ? If so, how ? 



3. What degree should thermometer register when it is 

 warm enough to take brood-combs out of the hive to find 

 queens, or to examine them for other purposes without 

 chilling the brood ? Indiana. 



Answers — land 2. If a plain board cover be directly 

 over the bees the moisture will condense on it and fall on 

 the cluster ; but the moisture will not condense readily on 

 woolen , chafi' or something of that kind ; so that it is prefer- 

 able to the close-fitting board cover. 



3. You can't go by the thermometer. A raw, chilly 

 wind on a cloudy day is a good deal harder on the bees than 

 a still day with a bright sun, although the thermometer 

 may be exactly the same on the two days. The bees will 

 tell you better than the thermometer. When it is warm 

 enough for the bees to fly freely you can open hives. 



Transferring Bees. 



1. I have 1 colony of bees in a hive which measures 16x 

 18, and 12 inches deep. I want to transfer them to a 10- 

 frame hive. You say, on page 216, " Cut the combs out of 

 the frames." What I want to know is, what will I do with 

 the bees when I am cutting the combs out of the old frames 

 and fitting it into the new ones 7 



2. I thought of making a brushed swarm on full sheets 

 of foundation. " Bees and Honey " advises lifting the comb 

 on which you find the queen from the old hive and placing 

 in the center of the new one. I cannot do this as the frames 

 are different sizes. Will the bees stay on the full sheets of 

 foundation without a frame of brood ? New York. 



Answers. — You can shake and brush all the bees off the 

 comb, leaving them to stay in the old hive without any 

 comb till the new habitation is fixed up for them, then set 

 the new hive on the old stand and shake down the bees in 

 front of it. Or you can fit out one frame, put it in the new 

 hive, remove the old hive from its stand, setting the new 

 one in its place, and putting the combs in the new hive as 

 fast as you transfer them, brushing the bees from each 

 comb (when you take it from the old hive) into the new 

 hive. 



2. Yes, they will generally stay on the foundation, and 

 you can make it more sure by placing a queen-guard or ex- 

 cluder in front. 



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