April, 1918 



G L E A N T N G S IN BEE C U I. T U R E 



237 



to look them over every seven or eight days. 

 The let-alone plan is interesting simply as a 

 freak plan that may have sueeoeded in a tew 

 rare instances. But under present condi- 

 tions, when the health of eai-h colony of bees 

 is so important and the production of every 

 possible pound of honey so imperative, we 

 believe the practice is not only unwise but 

 decidedly pernicious. See Allen Latham 's 

 own statement in this issue of Gleanings. 



Question. — What is your opinion of E. W. Alex- 

 ander's plan of taking the hees out after ni^ht? 



Indiana. H. W. Suhre. 



Answers. — If the bees are quiet and in 

 good condition, then they may be removed ac- 

 cording" to E. W. Alexander 's p^an, that is, 

 taken out at night, at a time when they will 

 be unable to have a flight for several days. 

 However, if the bees show any signs of dys- 

 entery or seem uneasy, it would be better to 

 remove them on a warm, sunshiny day such 

 that the.y may fly immediately. The colonies 

 should all be removed at the same time, and, 

 the entrances left contracted. 



Question. — At what date do tees begin brood- 

 rearing in cellars or outside winter cases ? 



Wisconsin. Elias Fox. 



Answer. — If bees are given candy or for 

 any other reason become disturbed and there- 

 fore unusually active, they may begin brood- 

 rearing any time of the year, but normally 

 not before March or April, in the Northern 

 States. If brood-rearing starts before this, 

 it is apt to cause dysentery, the occurence of 

 which at so early a date usually results in 

 the loss of the colony. Some expert bee- 

 keepers by unusually early brooil-rearing have 

 been able to start the spring with quite large 

 colonies, but for the ordinary beekeeper the 

 practice is attended with a good deal of risk. 



Question. — If combs that are left over winter have 

 some candied honey in them, will the 1 ees clean this 

 candy out or will they leave it as it is ? 



Oregon. J. A. Pryor. 



Answer. — If there is no other honey pres- 

 ent, the bees will use the candied honey, but 

 during the process will tear the combs and 

 waste much of the honey. When feeding such 

 combs of honey it will be found a great help 

 to heat them. They should be uncapped, dip- 

 ped in hot water, and placed in the hives 

 while wet. If they are badly candied, then 

 after dipping, the surface should be combed 

 over with a stiff metal brush. But even with 

 this provision there will be quite a little 

 waste. 



Question. — (1) IIow is a beginner to know when 

 the bees have eaten what they have in the hive and 

 are starving to death? (2) I want to introduce a 

 new Italian queen this spring. In killing the old 

 queen should I do so a wecik or so before I introduce 

 the new queen? (3) And how shall I order ahead 

 to get the queen here at the right time ? 



Michigan. H. E. Huey. 



Answer. — (1) Usually we tell if a colony 

 is running short by the weight of the hives. 

 Of course, the beginner might not know 

 whether a colony was short or not by merely 

 lifting it. He can tell, however, by looking 

 down between the combs and lifting olit some 

 of them. If the combs are drv and without 



any stores in them except in a few scattered 

 places where the bees are, it may reasonably 

 l)e assumed that the bees are on the verge 

 of starvation and should be fed, either by 

 giving them candy or combs from some 

 other colony that has perhaps died during the 

 winter. Toward the last of this month, sugar 

 syrup could be fed with safety. (2) If queens 

 are introduced according to the directions 

 sent with them, they may be introduced at 

 the same time the old queen is removed. (3) 

 There is no jiarticular advantage in having 

 the old queen removed several days ahead of 

 time. In fact, it is a great disadvantage, es- 

 pecially so if the queen ordered should not 

 arrive until a week or ten days after the 

 colony had been dequeened. 



Question. — Upon examining my colony recently 1 

 found all eight frames full to the brim and all cap- 

 ped, not a single empty cell. Could it be possible 

 that they have a queen and the honey has crowded 

 out the brood so she cannot lay ; and, if I spaced 

 in a few new frames of foundation, she would lay 

 when they are drawn out? H. P. Dixon. 



California. 



Answer. — The condition you describe is 

 quite unusual, whether the cells are filled 

 with honey, or with honey and brood. In 

 either case, it is very seldom that all of the 

 cells are capped. Since you are a beginner, 

 we are wondering if you may not have con- 

 fused the capped cells of honey with the cap- 

 ped cells of brood. The eappings over the 

 honey are white, bluish white or yellowisji 

 white, rather irregular, and flattened some- 

 what. Cappings over the brood are composed 

 of wax and fibrous substances, are light or 

 dark brown, depending upon the age of the 

 comb, and are rather smooth and convex. Of 

 course if you find both of these kinds of cap- 

 pings, then you will know that there must 

 be a queen present. 



Question.^ — I have about 50 .empty hives that I 

 want to fill with bees in the spring. How could I 

 till by dividing my 10 colonies. My idea is not to 

 raise any surplus, but to increase my number of 

 colonies as much as possible. C. F. Hill. 



California. 



Answer. — In a good season, by continued 

 feeding and careful attention, ten colonies 

 maybe increased to 50 but ordinarily no great- 

 er increase than to 30 would be advisable, 

 for in order to withstand the winter, all 

 should be good, strong colonies in the fall. 

 During the present shortage of sweets, too 

 much increase should not b? attempted, at the 

 sacrifice of the honey crop. 



Questions. — (1) What do you consider the most 

 successful treatment for European foul brood? (2) 

 Please give the best method for introducing queens ■. 



California. Fred .Vrmstrong. 



Answers. — (1) In the treatment of Euro- 

 pean foul brood some of our best authorities, 

 including Pr. C. C. Miller and S. D. House, 

 believe that dequeening for a period of 

 only 10 days, and introducing a vigorous 

 strain of Italian bees will cure in the great 

 majority of cases. In the case of black bees 

 or dark hybrids we would recommend a 

 queenless jieriod of 20 days. Before dequeen- 

 ing it is very important to make the colonies 



