754 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Dec. 1 



them should get into the babies' pap? But 

 I confess my answer does not seem entirely 

 convincing, and I don't blame you if you 

 want to be shown a little more before 

 accepting it. 



Well, anyhow there are those two cases 

 cured by six days of queenlessness. If you 

 have any European foul brood to fool with 

 next summer, try the plan of killing the 

 queen and introducing a vigorous young 

 queen in time to have her begin laying six 

 days later. 



In some respects it would be much better 

 if I had waited two or three years to give 

 thorough trial; but it will be much better to 

 have others help. If we can save all our 

 combs, at no greater cost than the loss of 

 six days of egg-laying, don't you think the 

 thing well worth trying? 



Marengo, 111. 



[We should be pleased to hear from oth- 

 ers who have had experience with European 

 foul brood. In the first place, is Dr. Miller 

 correct in saying that the scales and sealed 

 cells containing dead larvae do not transmit 

 the disease, and that infection cames from 

 larvsp not more than four days old? These 

 are interesting facts if true. 



Again, is Dr. Miller correct in surmising 

 that six days of queenlessness will efTect a 

 cure? While our correspondent doesn't pre- 

 tend to say as yet that he has a new cure, 

 he simply desires to know whether he is on 

 the right lead. Tell us, friends, what you 

 know. Surely there must be many in New 

 York who do know. — Ed.] 



PAINTING HIVES IN CALIFORNIA, 



Zinc Needed to Make the Mixture Durable. 



BY E. M. GIBSON. 



Before coming to this coast, I, too, could 

 have endorsed Dr. A. F. Bonny's article in 

 reference to paint, as you did in your edi- 

 torial, page 576, Sept. 15; but if you should 

 tell an old-time painter who is acquainted 

 with conditions here that white lead alone 

 is best for this climate he would "jest laff." 

 If in this locality you should paint a hive 

 and let it stand out eighteen months, and 

 had occasion to handle it at the expiration 

 of that time, your hands and clothing would 

 look as though your hive had been white- 

 washed. 



I was fortunate to get acquainted with a 

 good painter soon after coming to Califor- 

 nia, and before I commenced to paint my 

 hives. He cited instances where new com- 

 ers would have nothing but white lead (not- 

 withstanding his advice to the contrary), 

 and he mentioned others who used the lead- 

 zinc mixture. The buildings having been 

 painted with white lead had to be painted 

 again the second year, while those i)ainted 

 with lead and zinc looked well at the end of 

 six years. I was surprised, for I had been 

 led to believe that there was nothing better 

 for all climates than white lead. We use a 



mixture of 60 per cent zinc, 40 of lead, and 

 the best linseed oil. If this mixture is ap- 

 plied as it should be it will not crack or 3L 

 scale, and can be painted over and give as H 

 good results as if only lead were used. If a " 

 thick coat ife required it should be applied 

 at different times, and be well rubbed down. 



Let me tell you how well paint should be 

 rubbed dowTi. Apply the paint so sparing- 

 ly, and rub so thoroughly, that, when any 

 portion of the hive is finished, your brush is 

 so dry that you can rub it over your clothes 

 and it will not soil them. But I would not 

 advise any one to try this test on his best 

 suit. The one we usually paint in will do 

 to experiment on. Do not take this too 

 seriously; but I want to say something to 

 impress on the minds of the readers of this 

 the importance of thoroughly rubbing the 

 paint into the ivood. 



I have painted hives within the last week 

 that have been in use for fourteen years, 

 and have had several coats of the same 

 mixture I have described, and no one could 

 tell by looking at the outside that they 

 were more than a week old, and I do not 

 sandpaper them, for they do not need it. I 

 use a small brush to apply the paint to nail- 

 holes, dents, and rough places. If the large 

 brush is used, one is likely to get on too 

 much paint; and if too much is applied and 

 not rubbed off it will look worse in two or 

 three months than it would if it had not 

 been painted at all. 



TOO LARGE AN ENTRANCE IN SOME LOCAL- 

 ITIES CHILLS BROOD. 



Dr. ]Miller, that New Mexico chap's head 

 does not need fixing. His " noter " is all 

 right — Stray Straws, p. 404. The subject of 

 ventilation is one wherein the word "loca- 

 tion" will consistently apply. Several 

 years ago I put wedge-shaped pieces between 

 the hive and bottom-board, making the en- 

 trance one inch wide. The brood of the 

 small colonies chilled. Those that were 

 large enough to protect their brood did so; 

 but the queen did not lay eggs within sev- 

 eral inches of that wide entrance. I was 

 not long in getting those wedges out after 

 making an examination. Not satisfied 

 with this experience I moved the super X 

 inch over the lower hive to give ventilation 

 and save the bees time by not having to 

 crawl up from the lower entrance; but I do 

 not remember ever seeing a bee enter there, 

 but saw a few fly out. The bees did not 

 store a particle of honey within several 

 inches of this opening, while the combs at 

 the back part of the hives (where there was 

 no ventilation) were filled and capped. I 

 tried many other methods of ventilation, 

 such as auger-holes, blocks at the corners 

 to raise them from the bottom-boards, etc., 

 but it will not do in this climate. I kept 

 bees in Illinois as a recreation from office 

 work; and not only did I have the hives 

 ventilated, but I had a shed built over 

 them, and I could not make up my mind 

 that they did not need it here until I got 

 several knocks. 



