520 



GLEANINGtJ IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



hands. In thus proceeding, the motion is no 

 less pronounced than is the shock to the hive 

 and inmates. It would be a little better to 

 raise one corner first, and, as we pry up with 

 one hand, push down with the other; but even 

 then a stiff cover must make some report. 



The most satisfactory cover I have found is 

 made by cleating together three or four pieces 

 about one-fourth inch in thickness, using three 

 cleats. The cleats hold the light lumber 

 straight, as it has not strength to warp like 

 thicker boards. It allows moisture to pass 

 through them easily, and is quick to become 

 dry again. Of course, this thin light wood 

 could stand very little rain and sun. so I put on 

 another cover, of tin. The difSculty with tin 

 lying flat on the ordinary board covers is, that 

 moisture and sweat from the bees collects on 

 the inside and rusts the tin and rots the wood 

 badly. In this thin cover, the cleats are on 

 the upper side — one on each end and one across 

 the center; and when the tin is put on it leaves 

 an air-space of the depth of the thickness of 

 the cleats. Then the tin is tacked to the sides 

 but not at the ends, so that the air and mois- 

 ture can escape. This cover can be removed 

 with the least jar by prying up the corner; and 

 its bending disposition extends gradually across 

 the hive. 



To skillfully hunt out queens, instead of 

 looking for a bee that is a little longer than 

 any other of the multitude, we take in the 

 comb at a glance, and locate the queen by a 

 little circular cluster of bees regularly formed 

 around a central vacant spot, upon which is 

 one bee alone. A jar or snap in removing the 

 cover or lifting the frames dispels this regulari- 

 ty, some bees going on the war-path while the 

 rest rush into clustrrs. with the queen hiding 

 promiscuously among them with about as much 

 disorder as it would make for a man to enter a 

 ballroom nnd exclaim at tiie top of his voice 

 that the building wa> on fire. 



If the colony has iuood in live oi- six combs, 

 and it is earlier than eleven o'clock in the day, 

 we may expect the queen to be on one of the 

 two middle combs. If there are six or seven 

 combs of brood, then it should include the 

 three middle combs. After noon, if the sun 

 shines warmly, she is usually nearly outside 

 the brood-circle and may step over on to an 

 unoccupied comb; so a' this time of the day I 

 would not examine the center combs first. By 

 these observances the queen may be found on 

 the first comb examined, one-third of the time, 

 and the sectmd comb would include one-half 

 of the times. 



If the hive was opened and the frames han- 

 dled accordingly, we shall find the queen busily 

 engaged at inspecting cells and laying eggs. 

 At first the light does not disturb her; but in a 

 moment or two she will become disturbed and 

 start off on a rambling tour, so what we do 

 should be done quickly. 



Use the small scissors from the counter store, 

 holding them about half open; follow the point 

 along three-fourths of an inch, directly over the 

 queen wherever she moves. Soon she will put 

 her head into a cell and keep it there about two 

 seconds. At the same time her wings rise up 

 at about 25 degrees, when one outside wing 

 maybe caught, and clipped as soon as caught. 

 This is the easiest, quicktst. and best way. One- 

 half of the time is usually spent in catching. 

 Now. you may try this and fail: but the cause 

 of failure is generally becausi- the scissors are 

 held three inches above the queen; then when 

 she stops you move the scissors to make the 

 clip. She starts for another cell just in time to 

 save a wing. Your sudden movement attracts 

 the attention of an attendant bee. which flies 

 up and alights on the points of the scissors. 



Becoming somewhat vexed at this you open 

 and shut the scissors three or four times to cut 

 her legs ofT, and finally thrust the bee to the 

 ground, with a full-arm movement. This im- 

 parts a tremulous motion to the comb, which is 

 held in the left hand; the queen is disturbed; 

 and when the scissors return to business you 

 will probably try the difficult, uncertain, and 

 dangerous plan of catching a wing as the 

 queen runs, and finally conclude that the plan 

 works better in theory than in practice. 



It is not only best to open hives quietly and 

 handle frames carefully in finding queens, but 

 it is a good practice for all the time; and with 

 the really expert apiarist it becomes natural 

 and customary. In the busiest part of the day 

 there are only a few bees that remain as guards; 

 and molestation of the hive is so little expected 

 that they hardly recognize an intruder when he 

 comes, so there !•< no use to smoke the sentinels 

 at the entrance; and the smell of smoke to a 

 bee or two here and there as the cover is raised 

 is an abundance. Even if the tops of the 

 frames and hive are covered with bees, there 

 may not be a shadow of reason to use smoke on 

 them; but if there is a necessity for smoke, 

 only a bee or two may need it, and those may 

 be distinguished by the manner in which they 

 hold their wings or move along. Such bees 

 should not be smoked, because other bees near 

 them will be easily scared, and go down 

 between the combs, and set every thing in a 

 panic; so I hold the smoker-nozzle close enough 

 to the dangerous ones to let them know I can 

 stand a battle with them if necessary, and this 

 changes their threatening manners. 



Always go prepared with smoker at full blast, 

 scissors in the right vest pocket, and veil on. 

 Kneel on the left knee at the side of the hive 

 on which the sun shines; holding the smoker 

 in the right hand, remove the cover with the 

 left, very slowly at first, and use no smoke 

 unless many bees dart out from under it, and 

 then the smoke should not be driven under the 

 cover, but it should be directed against the 

 hive below the cover so that only those bees 

 which fly out will smell it. Sunlight is nearly 

 as good as smoke. When the cover is high 

 enough, set the smoker down and lean forward, 

 and quickly decide on which comb the queen is 

 most likely to be; and while the left hand car- 

 ries the cover to the left, and places it upside 

 down on the ground, loosen the particular 

 frame with the right. If one end of the frame 

 is moved backward and forward and upward 

 when the left hand returns to the other end, it 

 will be ready to be immediately raised out of 

 the hive. While it is coming up, search the 

 side toward you. When the bottom-bar has 

 cleared the other frames and hive, you should 

 be ready for the other side by moving the right 

 hand inward toward you, and the left hand far 

 out, causing the comb to move as if the frame 

 were on a pivot in the center of the bottom-bar. 

 This gives a slanting view of that side, which 

 is always the best view; do not stop the comb 

 to look it over, but glance at it while it is given 

 to the right or left hand, and is being set on 

 end in front of the entrance, or against the 

 farther side of the hive. 



While one hand disposes of this frame, the 

 other goes to loosen another. In clipping I 

 hold the frame by one projecting arm in the 

 left hand, and rest the opposite corner on some 

 part of the hive or on my knee to keep it steady. 

 One-half of the queens I clip never know any 

 thing has happened, and I take off the most of 

 the gauze of one outside wing. When I work 

 facing the sun 1 lean forward and examine the 

 farther side of the comb first, which will be 

 toward the sun. as it is lifted out. 



In a description the operation appears as if 



