March, 1913 



American Vee Journal 



in the hives in the same manner. Very 

 often a small, inferior queen will hatch 

 out and squeeze through the trap and 

 away goes the swarm. Another objec- 

 tion is that young queens cannot get 

 out to mate, and drone-layers and losses 

 are sure to be the result. 



If the old queens are killed as they 

 are trapped, and you take out all the 

 queen-cells except one, the bees will 

 start more cells and swarm unless the 

 combs are cleaned of brood. If the 

 combs containing eggs and young 

 larvs be removed it involves consider- 

 able work, and the colony will dwin- 

 dle down fast. Queen and drone traps 

 are designed to catch queens and 

 drones, or to confine drones to certain 

 hives. They may be placed over the 

 entrances of hives during the absence 

 of the bee-keeper at swarming time, so 

 as to save any swarm that may come 

 out. The traps should be removed on 

 his return. 



[We believe Mr. Wilder's view is the 

 correct one. Queen and drone traps 

 will do for confining the swarm tcm- 

 forarily, but the killing of the old 

 queen is often the result of keeping 

 the traps on too long, — Editor.] 



How to Hive Bees 



Dear Mr. Wilder: — I want to know 

 your method of hiving bees. I lose 

 many swarms each season because I 

 cannot hive them ; or after I hive them 

 they leave. I will appreciate the infor- 

 mation you can give me. 



Platteville, Ala. John C. Thomas. 



The loss our industry sustains each 

 season from the escape of swarms is 

 something to lament. This great loss 

 is mostly borne by those who are just 

 entering our ranks, and it is the direct 

 cause of much discouragement. No 

 one should try to handle bees without 

 a good bee-veil and smoker. If these 

 are properly used there is no danger 

 from bee-stings. A swarm-catcher is 

 the best thing to hive bees with if used 

 as directed, but a lot of beginners pre- 

 fer to climb trees after swarms, and 

 have all kinds of sad experience. To 

 such bee-keepers I would suggest that 

 the ready hive be placed on the ground 

 or directly under the swarm of bees if 

 possible. A little earth should be 

 placed in front of the alighting-board, 

 and leveled up to it so the bees can 

 easily march into the hive when they 

 are placed in front of it. — [A cloth or 

 coarse gunny sack will serve the same 

 purpose. — Editor.] 



A lard can or large tin-pail makes a 

 good vessel to catch a swarm in, a? the 

 bees cannot crawl out so easily. If the 

 swarm is low enough to be reached 

 from the ground, bench or table, the 

 can should be held up under the 

 bees as close as possible. Then the 

 swarm is quickly jarred off the limb 

 into the can and dumped in front of 

 the hive. If the bees settle high up on 

 the body or limb of a tree, use a pole 

 of sufficient length and attach the can 

 or pail to it. 



It is not necessary to beat pans, ring 

 bells, shoot guns, or make any great 

 noise to settle swarms of bees, nor is 

 it necessary to dampen them after they 

 have settled. To keep them hived after 



they have marched in is an easy matter. 

 Fasten an entrance guard or queen and 

 drone trap over the entrance of the 

 hive, then the queen cannot escape to 

 go with the swarm, and it will have to 

 return and be content. An entrance 

 guard costs but 15 or 2o cents, and one 

 may be worth from $15 to $20 to you 

 during the season. In two or three 

 days it should be removed, as the bees 

 will then be contenxed and settled 

 down to work. A swarm of bees should 

 be placed on their permanent stand 

 just as soon as they are hived. 



Do Bees Need Salt?--Overdoing It 



Friend Wilder: — -I washed some 

 salty meat some time ago and poured 

 the water on the ground near the api- 

 ary, and soon bees were taking it up. 

 I then gave them some salted water, 

 and they seemed to prefer it to fresh 

 water. Augustus Williams. 



Barwick, Ga. 



I do not know that bees require salt, 

 hut I don't suppose they would object 



to a very small amount of it in their 

 drinking water. I have tried to run 

 them away from pub'.ic watering places 

 a number of times by sprinkling them 

 heavily, but this had no effect. Very 

 often when meat is cured a solution 

 containing considerable sugar is used. 

 Such might have been the case with 

 you, and the bees were after the sugar 

 the water contained. 



I remember seeing the " saving 

 power of salt" tried on a swarm, and it 

 did not prove very effective. It was a 

 swarm a distant neighbor hived. As 

 soon as they were in, he raised the 

 cover of the hive and gave them a 

 good salting. He was very anxious 

 for a start in bees, and thought this the 

 way to keep them, but they were soon 

 out on a limb. He sent for me, and on 

 my arrival he expressed his surprise at 

 their deserting the hive. He knew they 

 had been salted enough. On examin- 

 ing the hive I found it nearly half full 

 of salt. He told me his neighbor gave 

 him the instructions to use it, and the 

 more the better. He had carried out 

 the instructions. 



Erected to the Memory of a Queen-Bee Which Was Accidentally Killed While 

 Investigating-This Monument Stands Near the Apiary of Mr. Yaw.\ta. 



