296 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



May, 1918 



HEADS OF^RAIN T PFQ^KTDI FFEREN T FIELDS 



Two Young Queens 

 Winter Together. 



Eecently I ran across 

 something that I think 

 is new. I found two 

 queens that had wintered over in the same 

 hive. The circumstances are as folh>ws: 

 Last fall I was re-queening a certain yard by 

 removing the old queens and introducing 

 tells. I had more cells than there were colo- 

 nies to be re-queened, and put a plurality 

 of cells in certain colonies. In this case it 

 appears that two cells hatched and both 

 queens were accepted; that they mated and 

 layed side by side last fall and finally win- 

 tered over together. Is it something new, 

 or is it or ordinary occurence? 



The only similar occurence that ever came 

 under my own observation happened in the 

 summer time. I had two young queens hatch 

 in the same hive, and they layed side by 

 side for a month or more. As soon as I 

 discovered that there were two queens, T 

 lemoved one Of them. Of course, I have no 

 means of knowing whether they would have 

 shared the hive peaceably all winter or not. 

 But, in this last case, I am sure that both 

 queens occupied the same hive all winter. 

 Now, please don 't let anybody call me a liar. 

 I have a witness to the fact that they were 

 discovered on the same comb. 



Eoxton, Texas. H. D. Murry. 



[In commenting on Mr. Murry 's observa- 

 tion, our queen -rearer, Mr. Pritchard, says: 



''A year ago last fall I had what I think 

 were two young queens in a hive when I 

 packed it away for winter, but one was gone 

 when spring came. I have had two young 

 queens living peaceably together in the nu- 

 cleus-boxes several times. But all kinds of 

 stranse things happen in these little swarms. 

 I think Mr. Murry 's report is rather un- 

 usual.'"] 



O t — t a ^ SB =:3ff 



Paraffine for Fasten- Referring to the item 

 ing Foundation. on page 238, April 



Gleanings, ' ' Can I use 

 paraffine for fastening foundation in 

 frames ? " I would say yes. I cannot afford 

 to put foundation into the wooden groove as 

 generally done; besides, it narrows the foun- 

 dation in the frame. I use a glass txibe 

 with a rubber bulb; have a board — or, rather, 

 six boards — on a layer upon which the sheet 

 of foundation is laid, an-d the frame slipped 

 over. I used 100 pounds of paraffine mixed 

 with rosin, melted. Very little is required. 

 The rosin added does the trick. Not a sheet 

 was melted down. E. F. Holtermann. 



Bi-antford, Out., Canada. 



[This seems to be a valuable suggestion. 

 The rosin would, of course, raise the melting- 

 point. We know many beekeepers who use 

 wax, mixing it with about one-third part 

 rosin to cut down the cost, and also to at- 

 tach the foundation more securely. — Editor.] 



THE BACK LOT BUZZER. 

 Ma says Miss Anode Apidejlintj wants to do all she can in these days of coiuei'ratiun but she just can't 

 find out what to use for a bee-bread substitute. 



