1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



353 



the bees generally keep right on with that size 

 of cells till the bottom of the hive is reached. 



There is occasionally a swarna that seems 

 determined to rear drones, and in this case 

 they will build some drone comb, no matter if 

 they have all the room for storage necessary, in 

 the sections. Where, from appearances, I think 

 drones are desired, I insert an old drone comb 

 at one side of the hive, besides the five frames 

 that are started with worker comb, and this 

 satisfies their desire for drones, and I succeed 

 in what I am after— the five frames of worker 

 comb. This drone comb is taken away at the 

 end of ten days, or left, as suits me best. As 

 soon as these five frames are filled with 

 worker comb, I now fill out the hive with 

 extra worker combs or frames filled with 

 foundation, as I may elect, when I have that 

 hive filled with worker comb for the next 20 

 years to come, unless something happens to 

 destroy a part or all of it, or I take it away to 

 use elsewhere. * 



The third condition under which worker 

 comb will be built is just after the young queen 

 gets to laying in any colony having cast a 

 swarm. If, after she has been laying a day or 

 two, we take away two or three combs and put 

 frames with starters in their places, we shall 

 find that said frames will be mainly filled with 

 worker comb; but we are not quite as certain 

 of it in this case as we are in either of the other 

 two, for it sometimes happens that the bees 

 will prefer to leave off storing in the sections, 

 and build store comb in the frames, thus de- 

 feating what we are striving to attain. The 

 bees are also more likely to build worker comb 

 on a fall yield of honey than they are in the 

 spring; but I have never had any thing really 

 satisfactory along this line, save under the 

 three conditions which I have given, and have 

 spoken of them in the order of their worth, as 

 I consider it. 



DADANT HIVES. 



Question.— Can you give me the measure- 

 ments of the Dadant hive so I can make them 

 with hand-tools? 



Ansiver.—l do not think I am familiar enough 

 with the Dadant hive to do this, and would 

 advise our questioner to send to the publishers 

 of Gleanings for "Langstroth on the Honey- 

 bee, Revised by Dadant," in which he can find, 

 on page 163, cuts, etc., which will enable him 

 to make the Dadant hive, I think, but which 

 would be asking too much of this department 

 to insert here. I should have answered this 

 privately had the questioner given his name. 



ONLY ONE COLONY LOST IN SIXTY. 



I have lost only one stand in 60. It was a so-called 

 Perfection hive that an agent left with me on trial. 

 As he paid me $3. .50 for the bees to try it with, it's 

 his funeral. J L. McKbnzie. 



Howesville, W. Va., Apr. 4. 



T. L., Iowa. — Bees show a strong liking for 

 salt water. We sometimes salt the water for 

 them. They evidently require it or else they 

 would not seek it. 



H. D. K.. Ohio.— The custom on the part of 

 bee-keepers who requeen often is to do it not 

 oftener than once in two years. Once every 

 year, as you suggest, would be an unnecessary 

 expense. 



W. G., P(i.— It is not safe to try to commence 

 queen-rearing before about June first. As to 

 the best method of getting cells started, it va- 

 ries with different ones. For our plan we would 

 refer you to the A B C of Bee Culture. 



./. C. S., Wis. — Sorghum molasses will do very 

 nicely for spring feeding. We would not rec- 

 ommend it, however, for a winter food, al- 

 though it has been used in a good many cases, 

 and has given good results. If you have to buy 

 the food to give the bees for spring stimulating, 

 we would advise you to buy granulated sugar. 

 It costs a little more per pound, but it goes fur- 

 ther; and in the end, we think, it is a good deal 

 cheaper. 



/. J. D., Cal. — An acoustic telephone is some- 

 times used to indicate when a swarm has come 

 forth. Wires are strung on poles clear around 

 the apiary, and then connected with the house. 

 The striking of the bees in rapid succession 

 against the wire when a swarm comes forth 

 will promptly give you the alarm. Sometimes, 

 when they are working heavily in the fields, the 

 frequent tapping of the wire will lead one to 

 suspect a swarm ; but when a swarm comes 

 forth there is a perfect onslaught of taps. An 

 electric telephone, of course, would not answer 

 the purpose at all. 



O. A. F., Minn.— In keeping bees on shares it 

 is usual for one of the parties to furnish the 

 bees and the other the labor. Any hives or oth- 

 er material that has to be bought for the apia- 

 ry is usually shared by both the parties equally. 

 At the end of the season the honey is divided if 

 they get any. We usually advise against keep- 

 ing bees on shares, as a good many disagree- 

 ments have arisen. A far better way is to buy 

 the bees outright yourself, if you can, and then 

 pocket all the proceeds and all the losses too; 

 and if things do not go right you have only 

 yourself to blame. 



R. E. H., Ky.—ln the matter of queens just 

 hatched, it is usual to let them have their own 

 way. The young queens will remain in the hive 

 if they do not attempt to swarm out, and in 

 proper time one will become fertilized and the 

 rest disposed of. Generally they do not be- 

 come hatched until the parent colony has 

 swarmed out, including the old queen. Then, 



