mio 



ru.F,AXIX(iS TX liKK CULTl RE 



661 



HOW OUEEN-CELLS ARE KEPT WARM. 



BY M. T. PRITCHARD. 



well as during a light flow, and these under- 

 fed cells are slow- in hatching. 

 Medina, Ohio. 



On page -344, Sept. 1, Dr. Miller asks this 

 question: '" Wliat possible difference can it 

 jimke whether a tell is in a cage or out so 

 long as it is in the same temperature? 

 X"ow, doctor, are you sure tliat the tempera- 

 ture is the same? 1 am quite sure that it is 

 not, even when the cages are hung between 

 two frames of brood in a strong colony. I 

 am convinced that bees can and do creaie 

 warmth and transmit it to the brood by 

 bringing their bodies in direct contact with 

 the brood whenever it is necessary: but this 

 is done only when the welfare of the brood 

 requires it. 



In our experiment which we carried on in 

 the bee-cellar under the machine-shop a few 

 winters ago, we found that, when the bulb 

 of a thermometer was placed against brood 

 in a colony, it would show a temperature of 

 about 97 degrees: but when placed in a col- 

 ony which had no brood (even though this 

 colony was the stronger of the two), the 

 temperalure would be below 90. 



Try this experiment: Take a colony strong 

 enough to fill two hive- 

 bodies. Have brood 

 in the lower body, and 

 honey only in the up- 

 per. Examine them 

 during a cold spell, and 

 you will find the bees 

 in the lower body warm 

 and active while those 

 in the upper body will 

 be numb with cold. 

 At one time we tried 

 hatching our virgins in 

 an incubator which 

 was run at about 97 

 degrees. The cells 

 which were put in the 

 incubator soon after 

 they were sealed hatch- 

 ed promptly on time, 

 and produced large ac- 

 tive virgins. Why do 

 the bees build the 

 queen-cells so far out 

 beyond the brood if it 

 is not to enable them 

 to get on all sides of 

 the cell at once? 



TIME REQUIRED FOR 



THE DEVELOPMENT 



OF A QUEEN. 



As to the number of 

 days between the lay- 

 ing of the egg and the 

 emergence of the 

 queen, I think that 

 Cowan is right — that 

 is. if the conditions arc 

 the best. During a 

 very heavy honey-How 

 queen-cells are not 

 built as large or fed as 



PACKING HIVES IN LEAVES FOR WINTER. 



BY t'HAUNCEY A. GRAVES. 



For thirty years my hives have been i)ack- 

 ed in leaves, summer and winter, there be- 

 ing enough leaves to cover the supers six to 

 eight inches. I run for comb honey. The 

 colonies are in Langstroth hives with six 

 couibs to the hive, the remaining space be- 

 ing tilled with three wide frames, each one 

 holding 8 one-pound sections. The super 

 on top holds 4S one-pound sections. 



As soon as the colonies swarm J remove 

 all queen-cells except one, and seldom have 

 a second swarm. I never use a wooden cov- 

 er, but place sticks across the frames and 

 l)ut woo:en cloth or sacking over them. 

 When the supers are taken ofT, the leaves 

 are 16 to IS inches deep. I place boards on 

 top weighted down with stones. The colo- 

 nies lemain in this condition until the su- 

 pers are put on in May. I seldom lose more 



HOW MOTHS RUIxX fOJIBS THAT ARE NOT TAKEN CARE OF. 



