290 



G Ij E A N I N G S IN R V. E C U E T IT R E 



May, 1918 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH ffl 



have been established within a very short 

 distance of small yards on the home grounds 

 of owners. 



We have had cold weather and high winds 

 for over a week, the latter being especially 

 disliked by apiarists. However, our bees 

 are coming along in good shape, and condi- 

 tions up to this time have not been particu- 

 larly adverse. 



A few honey producers in this vicinity are 

 inclined to ignore our State law governing 

 the inspection of bees before moving. One 

 or two have barely escaped arrest for moving 

 out-yards without a permit from local in- 

 spectors, and our State Horticultural In- 

 spector, who is also ex-officio State Bee In- 

 spector, feels that beekeepers should co- 

 operate more fully with him. An effort will 

 be made during the next session of our State 

 Legislature to provide heavier penalties for 

 violation of our bee laws. 



Demand for both comb and extracted hon- 

 ey for fall delivery is increasing. Buyers 

 both east and west are trying to place or- 

 ders subject to approval of price later in the 

 season, but up to this time no record is had 

 of contracts being made. The usual influx 

 of Coast buyers looking for cheap honey is 

 anticipated later. P. S. Farrell. 



Caldwell, Ida., 



Tn Iowa '^^^^ beemen are quite enthusi- 



astic over the prospects for a 

 good honey crop this season. The beautiful 

 sunshine of the past few weeks would pro- 

 duce a smile of anticipation on the counte- 

 nance of the sourest Iowa beekeeper. This 

 State has been blessed with one of the 

 mildest and most agreeable of March months. 

 While it was warm enough almost every day 

 for bees to fly, the nights wei-e quite cold. 

 Vegetjation did not advance fast enough to 

 be in danger of being harmed by a freeze 

 at any time. April, so far, has started off 

 lather cold, the temperature already ranging 

 as low as 20° F. We are short on moisture, 

 so far, this spring. With no fall rains and 

 the ground very dry, it may yet prove to be 

 a menace. There have been two light rain- 

 falls the past two weeks. This section needs 

 copious rains. 



Many bees are still in the cellars. There 

 has been nothing of consequence in Iowa 

 tliat bees could use; and, unless the bees are 

 sufl'ering for the need of a flight, they are 

 iiiuch better off in the cellar. 



With few exceptions, section honey sold 

 in Iowa at present, is imported from the 

 more favored states. In Marshall county, 

 the home of the writer, honey production 

 was a failure last year. Section honey re- 

 tails in Marshalltown at 25e to 30c per sec- 

 tion — ^when it is to be had; and then some 

 of it presents a very unmarketable appear- 

 ance. -Hnmlin B. Miller. 



In Ontario— ?"^*^.t ^<?"f^"^g "^ ^.'^po^'* *'«^' 



April Gleanings, many have 

 written me regarding winter losses. Sum- 

 ming up these reports, it would seem that 

 the winter loss has been much heavier than 

 it was thought to be a month ago. The 

 heaviest losses seem to have occurred in lo- 

 calities where they generally have a fall 

 flow. Owing to the cool weather here in 

 Ontario during the last half of August and 

 early September, this expected flow failed 

 to materialize. The result was that bees were 

 not as heavy as usual, and, with an excep- 

 tionally severe winter, the bees perished 

 largely thru starvation. Many colonies died 

 leaving honey on the side of the hive op- 

 posite from where the cluster was formed. 

 The bees consumed all the honey on the 

 combs on which they were clustered and 

 then were unable to move over to combs of 



iiey on account of severe weather. In 

 other words, luey Had too much ' ' winter 

 nest." A number have reported a loss of 

 all their bees — these reports coming from 

 amateurs, as a rule. But some older bee- 

 keepers have had a terrible loss as well. 

 One friend, who had 150 colonies within 10 

 miles of one of my apiaries, stated that his 

 bees were heavy enough for winter and 

 needed no sugar feeding — crop was a failure 

 there last year and honey would not have 

 been available even if wanted. As my large 

 apiary, located in the same kind of locality 

 as my friends, most assuredly did need feed- 

 ing, I was puzzled as to why there should be 

 such a difference. I have just returned from 

 a firsti visit to this apiary -in question, and 

 found perfect wintering, as out of 190 colo- 

 nies put in cases in the fall, 175 are in fine 

 shape and most of the balance were' queen- 

 less last fall. On the other hand, I am 

 told that my friend's apiary of 150 colonies 

 has not 50 eolonieti left alive. 



While on this question of winter stores, 

 it would not be fair for me to stop without 

 making a confession as to failure on my own 

 jiart. As I have already stated more than 

 once, owing to having a lot of buckwheat in 

 sealed combs last fall, I used these full 

 combs in place of feeding sugar syrup as I 

 usually do other falls and as I should have 

 done last fall. Now I felt sure thafall had 

 enough as I had combs of honey left over 

 after giving all tjhat I thought necessary. 

 But for some reason my judgnuent was either 

 wrong or else the consumption of stores was 

 heavier than usual, for at oiie yard there 

 were half a dozen colonies starved before 

 their condition was noted, and tat another 

 apiary half a dozen or more .would have 

 starved in a few days if I had not found 

 out their needs early in April. Such a con- 

 dition is deplorable, for if there is anything 

 we dislike in connection with the bee busi- 

 ness, it is to be forced to feed in tlie spiring 



