330 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May S, 1904. 



foundation was first introduced, but graduallj- it was given up to the 

 special Doanufacturers. Possibly it might pay better now than during 

 the past few years, as there is now a greater margin than theretofore 

 between the price of beeswax and foundation. 



n. That depends somewhat upon circumstances. It may pay some, 

 and not others. 



6. If there was much of it, it was likely starvation. Later in the 

 seawa drone-brood will be thrown out at a time when bees kill off 

 drones. A very few specimens of such brood thrown out at any time 

 may have no special significance. 



7. I don't know which you would like l)est; I prefer the staple- 

 spaced, and still more the nail-spaced. The Hoffmans trouble much 

 more about propolizing. 



8. A frame-work upon which a super rests, allowing the bees to 

 be shaken out of the super by jouncing the ends of the jouncer up and 

 down alternately. 



9. I don't know, but I think so. 



10. No difference in size to be easily recognized. 



Hive-Tool— Combs of Honey from a Dead Colony. 



1. Where can I buy a Muench hive-tool, mentioned in " Forty 

 Years Among the Bees?" I do not see it catalogued by any of the 

 supply-dealers. 



•- I lost one colony of bees this winter (wintered outdoors). It con- 

 sumed only about 5 pounds of honey, and was in exactly the same con- 

 dition, apparently, as all the others that were wintered outdoors, and 

 all of which came through in first-class condition. 

 It^ 3. What killed it* 



3. What can I do with the combs^ The honey in them has granu- 

 lated for about 3 inches deep along the top of each frame, and as they 

 are first-class worker-combs I want to save them, if possible. 



Ontario. 



Answers. — 1. It is not on the market. Mr. Muench died several 

 years ago, and his widow has done nothing with the tool, so far as 

 known. 



2. Very likely it starved. Yes, I know there was plenty of honey 

 in the hive, but the severe cold was long continued, and when all the 

 honey in the cluster was consumed it was too cold for the bees to 

 leave the cluster and reach fresh stores. 



'A, Keep the combs for swarms. Sprinkle the candied honey with 

 water and let the bees clean it up, wetting it again as often as the bees 

 lick it dry. 



Thinning Honey -Cleaning Wax-Shaken Swarms- 

 Sticks Instead of Wire for Frames. 



1. How do you thin down honey to feed bees? If I mix it with 

 water It sours. 



2. How do you clean wax? I have some that is dirty and I can- 

 not get it clean. 



3. When you shake s swarm and give the swarm the old stand, 

 and give them the bees from the old hive in 31 days, how do you keep 

 the bees from fighting when uniting? 



4. When using sticks instead of wire, why do you make the sticks 

 shorter than the depth of the frame? and which bar do you let the 

 sticks touch, the top or bottom bar? 



5. Why not drive the queen and bees into the new hive, and put 

 the old one on top, with a queen-excluder between ! Will it do as well 

 as shaking a swarm, by putting the hives side by side? 



Virginia. 



Answers. — 1. Merely stir the honey and water together — all the 

 better if the water is hot. It will not sour if fed within a day or so, 

 and it ought not to be allowed to stand longer. 



3. It will help very much if you keep the wax hot a long time, so 

 as to give time for impurities to go either to the bottom or top. A 

 large quantity of hot water will help. Or, a small quantity may be 

 put in the stove oven at night, as soon as the fire is low enough to 

 avoid danger, and remain until morning. Manufacturers cleanse 

 further by the use of sulphuric acid, but the acid will make bad work 

 in most vessels you are likely to have. If you have any arrangement 

 by which you can throw a jet of steam into the wax, you can make it 

 work in a wooden vessel, or you might use a stone vessel on the stove 

 — I mean without the steam. Use one part of acid to 50 of water for 

 the worst cases, and one of acid to 300 of water where the least cleans- 

 ing is needed, stirring in the acid while wax and water are hot. Be 

 careful in stirring in the acid, for it may boil up violently. 



3. The condition of the bees and the time being likely to be dur- 

 ing a honey-flow makes it probable that the bees will unite kindly 

 without any precaution. 



4. It the sticks are exactly as long as the inside depth of the 

 frame, they cannot so quickly be put in place as when a little play is 

 allowed. The sticks may be put with one end close against the top- 

 bar, or against the bottom-bar, or anywhere between. 



5. That will work all right if you want the bees to store honey in 

 the old combs. Of course it wouldn't work very well in producing 

 comb honey. 



c 



FROM MANY FIELDS 



3 



Expects a Good Season. 



Last fall I had 130 colonies of bees, mostly 

 in good condition, but I have lost 11 colonies 

 to date, that I know of. Most of the colonies 

 that died did so with plenty of stores, but on 

 account of the continued cold weather, they 

 could not change positions to get to the honey. 

 I get most of my surplus honey from bass- 

 wood and wild cotton, or milkweed. I exam- 

 ined a few colonies a few days ago, and found 

 some brood hatching and in good condition. 

 Snow to-day is about two inches deep, and 

 the temperature 24 degrees, but I hope for 

 better weather in April. I expect a good sea- 

 son. E. C. Mersing. 



Randolph Co., W. Va., March 16. 



Cellar Too Cold and Damp. 



I put 60 colonies of bees into the cellar last 

 fall, but my winter loss will be heavy, as the 

 cellar has been too cold and damp, with no 

 facilities for raising the temperature or dry- 

 ing. Those who want the damp cellar may 

 have it. I can't have mine too dry. The 

 winter has been very cold in our northern 

 country, but warm weather is not far away. 

 O. B. Gritfin. 



Aroostook Co., Maine, March 10. 



Wintered Unusually Well. 



Our bees all wintered on the summer stands 

 without protection from cold. We were 

 thinking, two days ago, of bees swarming, as 

 they average from 3 to 6 frames of brood with 

 some drones Hying, but to-day it is all off, as 

 we have about two inches of snow on the 

 ground, which is something out of the ordi- 

 nary this late in the spring. Fruit-trees 

 have all bloomed, except apples, which are 

 ust opening Bees here wintered unusually 



Please mention Bee Journal 'wlien wrltliuc 



Queen - Rearii 

 have 1000 Que 



; ready for 



the mail by April 20. Tested, *1.(X); Untested, 

 7Sc; S for $3.25; 10 for $0.00. Prices on larger 

 quantities and Nuclei given on application. 

 " Prompt service; fair treatment " is our motto. 

 Address, 



John W. Pharr, Prop., Berclair, Tex. 



13Atf Please meution the Bee Journal. 



LICE SAP LIFE 



Thiit'B how they live and thrive. 

 Y<.n rant have healthy, iirofitaljle 

 fowls <_.r stock and have lice too. Let 



Lambert's Death to Lice 



"I"ocketBook Poineers"'rree. 

 D J. Lambart. Boi 707. Appanaue. R. I. 

 Please mention Bee Journal •when ■writing. 



International Convention, Y.M.C. A. 



At Buffalo, N. Y., May llth-lSth. 

 Tickets on sale via Nickel Plate Road, 

 May 10th, 11th, and 12th, at cue fare, 

 plus 25 cents, for the round trip. Good 

 returning May 23rd. Full particulars, 

 call on your nearest Agent, or address 

 John Y. Calahan, General Agent, 113 

 Adams St., Room 298, Chicago 111. 



4— 16A3t 



Please raeutlou Bee Journal 

 when writing advertisers. 



well. I did not lose one colony out of 25, but 

 there are many colonies that are living from 

 hand to mouth now, as they are breeding very 

 heavily. They will perish soon if the weather 

 continues cold for a few days, as it now 

 threathens. My bees are theS-banded. They 

 are very gentle and seem to be hardy. They 

 stored from 50 to 100 pounds of honey per 

 colony last year. 



Long live the Editor of the American Bee 

 Journal, who writes to us every Thursday, 

 and never fails to interest us. I have read 

 many articles in the "Old Reliable" which 

 were worth dollars to me in the production of 

 honey. W. P. Browning. 



Barry Co., Mo., April 9. 



What Caused Their Death ? 



I am but 14 years of age, and have handled 

 bees since I was 10. I started in the winter 

 with 14 colonies, all of which were strong ex- 

 cepting two, which were late swarms. They 

 died for want of food. Eight of the other 

 colonies have died, being scattered all through 

 their hives in the midst of plenty of honey. I 

 would like to know the cause of their death. 

 They were left upon the summer stands with- 

 out any protection. We have had a very pro- 

 longed winter, sledding from Thanksgiving 

 up to the last of February without any break, 

 and the mercury ranging from 10 above to 4 

 below zero. Earl P. O'Neal. 



Preston Co., W. Va., March 16. 



Bees Dwindle Away. 



Bees continue to dwindle away. I think 

 the loss in this county will reach perhaps 80 

 percent. I have 3il colonies yet out of 105, 

 and have bought U more colonies, so 1 now 

 have .50, which I shall try hard to save. Many 

 are weak, however. B. W. Peck. 



Ashtabula Co., Ohio., April 11. 



Wintered Well— Windy Weather, 



My bees have wintered well so far. Even 

 September swarms pulled through in fine con- 

 dition. The}' started gathering i>ollen April 

 1, but have not done much since that time, as 



