600 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 15. 



ferred them from my hive to any new-fangled 

 one. 



In working my bees I find from 5 to 10 per 

 cent of the colonies that fill up their supers far in 

 advance of the average of my apiary. In cases 

 of this kind I use these strong colonies to draw 

 a few frames of foundation, or give them an 

 extra super, never allowing any loafing except 

 In the evening, after sunset. In the morning, if 

 found clustered outside the hive, I give them 

 ventilation or an extra super, and force them to 

 go to work. 



During the season of 1879 I had some limited 

 experience with about 20 hives made to hold 16 

 frames, one story only. The bees did fully as 

 well in these hives, the difference being only 

 in tho wide distribution of the brood, making 

 it difficult to withdraw any great number of 

 combs at a time for extracting, as the brood 

 occupied only the central portion of the combs, 

 and generally used up 11 to 13 combs. We were 

 at that time very cautious about extracting 

 combs containing brood, even if it was all 

 sealed. 



The great amount of fine quality of wide 

 lumber required to make the tops and bottoms 

 of these wide hives over the ordinary hive, 

 together with the impossibility of being han- 

 dled when full by one person, led to their aban- 

 donment at the end of that season. They were 

 afterward partitioned off into four compart- 

 ments, and used to rise queens in. This hive 

 was called the Erie, after the celebrated New 

 York & Erie R. R. 



Not claiming to be one of the new lights. I 

 can not expect to influence Mr. Poppleton to 

 reduce the width of his hive, nor Mr. Dadant 

 to reduce the size of his, and I have no desire 

 to do so: neither do I expect to dissuade Dr. 

 Miller from monkeying with V-shaped self- 

 spacers; but I will say to Miss Emma Wilson, 

 that I agree with her about heavy hives, and 

 for that reason recommend my style of hive to 

 any one who wishes to occupy a middle ground 

 between the eight and ten frame advocates. 

 We select our lumber with great care, rejecting 

 all heavy hard boards, taking the best clear 

 stuff always; have it planed on bojth sides, and 

 sawed accurately at a planing-mill. The ma- 

 terial for a hive, super, and frames, costs us 

 less than 11.00, estimating lumber at $3.'i. 00 per 

 1000 feet. We nail them ourselves, and paint 

 them with at least two coats, color pure white. 



Santa Paula, Cal., March 6. 



HOW TO AVOID BEING STUNG SO MUCH. 



THE CONSEQUENCE OF TOO MANY STINGS; WEAR- 

 ING VEILS. 



By P. D. Wine. 



Mr. Root:— Why do bees sting some people 

 more than others? Some tell me they can hive 



a swarm of bees, take away honey, transfer, or 

 do any other thing necessary, and never use a 

 veil or gloves, and never get stung. Now, I get 

 stung every time I work with them, even with 

 good veil and gloves on. This morning I looked 

 into a hive having a new swarm in it, and I re- 

 ceived six stings before I could quietly replace 

 the cover. Is there any way to avoid stings'? I 

 am not afraid of the bees, and like to work with 

 them; but I should prefer not to get stung eve- 

 ry time I go near them. 

 Aurelia, la., July 25. 



[I know there is a sort of current impression, 

 to the effect that bees will sting some people 

 more than others. While this is true, it is not 

 because they are able to recognize any pecul- 

 iar physical condition or difference, nor is it 

 because one person smells to the bees different- 

 ly from another. It is because they notice a 

 difference in behavior in different persons. For 

 instance, Mr. A has made a close study of the 

 habits of bees, and particularly of the causes 

 that induce them to sting. He recognizes 

 that quick motions, under some circumstances, 

 are quite liable to arouse the bees and make 

 them sting very badly. There are certain 

 things he can do with impunity, and others he 

 can not ; or, perhaps, wo had better put it this 

 way: He can do any thing with bees he desires; 

 but if he works in a certain peculiar way he 

 will get stung badly; but if his motions are reg- 

 ulated to their whims, he will get along with 

 few or perhaps no stings. Another man, Mr. 

 B, is not afraid of bees, and does not care much 

 whether he is stung or not. Perhaps he thinks 

 a veil useless, and does not wear one; or may be 

 he rips the cover off with a yank. He is clum- 

 sy in his motions. One bee stings him. He 

 draws his hand back quickly, and receives half 

 a dozen more. He does not know the impor- 

 tance of doing all things decently and in order. 

 Smokpr? Oii,yes! he has one; but he uses it at 

 the wrong lime, and does not keep it on hand 

 ready to quell any disturbance that is likely to 

 arise. Mr. A, on the contrary, observes that 

 bees are cro>ser on some days than on some 

 others ; but if he must handle tLem on an "off 

 day'"* he will first make sure thai his smoker is 

 in good order, and ready to give off' a good vol- 

 ume of smoke. He will blow a little of it in at 

 the entrance, and then pry the cover up a little 

 very gently. As he does so he will send a 

 stream of smoke into the crack made by the 

 putty-knife or screw-driver. This drives down 

 the guards, and then the crack is made a little 

 wider, and more smoke is then driven in, when 

 the cover is removed. If the bees show a quick 

 nervous movement, standing up high on their 

 legs, bobbing their bodies quickly one way and 

 tnen the other, he gives them a few more light 

 whiff's of smoke until they are subdued. With 

 a screw-driver he loosens the frames, holding 

 the smoker in his hand. Just as soon as the 

 bees Slick their heads up, ready to show fight, 

 he drives them back again, and then very cau- 

 tiously and deliberately removes the first frame. 

 His movements from now on are very deliber- 

 ate; and occasionally when the bees are a little 

 obstreperous he gives them another whiff of 

 smoke. Only a very little is required— just suf- 

 ficient to let them know that he is master, and 

 that they must let him entirely alone. 



This summer I worked with the bees nearly a 

 week before I received a single sting, and yet 



*A cool day af t#r a rain ; a day when the bees have 

 been robbing, or a day following a sudden stoppage 

 of the honey-tlow. 



