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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



July, 1918 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



TO MARK THE HIVES 



A Simple, Effective, and Inexpensive Plan is Here 

 Offered 



Many have been the ideas suggested and 

 used for outside markings to hives and 

 queen-rearing nuclei that would indicate the 

 internal conditions of such when last ex- 

 amined. Half -bricks, sticks, stones, and even 

 dirt have been used as markers, but all were 

 faulty. 



One of the best markers, and one which 

 most nearly approaches perfection, was an 

 index card put out and used for many years 

 by A. I. Root. These cards were about the 

 size of an ordinary postal card; were printed 

 on heavy manilla paper, and were intended 

 to be tacked to the front of the hive or nu- 

 cleus when in use. Two dials were repre- 

 sented with a bent pin in each as markers — 



LAYfNG 



one to indicate the date; the other, internal 

 conditions. Objections to these cards were 

 that they would become weather-beaten and 

 fade out with a season's use; the pin point- 

 ers would become loose and not stay where 

 wanted, and these cards could not be read 

 at long range. The half-bricks were about 

 the next best thing, as they were less liable 

 to be blown or knocked off, and by certain 

 positions could be made to tell about all we 

 would want to remember. These, however, 

 were bothersome. 



After using the foregoing for a number of 

 years there occurred to me a method of 

 marking that could be read from a distance 

 ■ — one that would stay put, always be in 

 place, and yet not be cumbersome or in the 

 way of manipulations while working in the 

 hives. Accordingly I attached to each hive 

 a small index hand that might be turned in 

 a circle, and from any place in the apiary 

 one could read the condition of any nucleus 



when last examined. For ten years now I 

 have used this indicator, and 1, together 

 with several other queen breeders, have 

 found that it just about fills the bill; and 

 for simplicity and ease of operation it has 

 no equal. 



A small piece of board four or five inches 

 long, about an eighth of an inch thick, and 

 pointed at one end like an arrow is used as an 

 index hand, a common nail being placed thru 

 the center and driven into the front of the hive 

 and bradded on the inside. No circle or 

 figures of any kind are made on the hive; but 

 of course, when the indicator is turned it 

 describes a circle, and this circle we imagine 

 divided off into degrees like the points of a 

 compass or face of a map. For convenience 

 we call the top of this imaginary circle 

 north; so when our index hand points toward 

 the top of the map or hive we are to under- 

 stand that our hive is in a normal condition, 

 with tested queen, etc. If turned one-eighth 

 of a turn to the right we have ' ' queenless, ' ' 

 and the indicator stands on northeast. The 

 next step in the operation will be to give a 

 ripe cell; and when so given we again give 

 the indicator an eighth turn, and then it 

 stands on east, and means "cell." Should 

 the index be on a full colony which is a cell- 

 builder, we would give the indicator another 

 eighth turn to the southeast, and that would 

 mean "cell-building." Again returning to 

 the nucleus, if upon examination after hav- 

 ing given ' ' cell ' ' we find a virgin on the 

 combs we turn the marker to south (straight 

 down), which means "virgin." If upon the 

 next examination we do not find her laying, 

 and feel an uncertainty as to her presence, 

 we turn to southwest, which is termed 

 "doubtful"; but in all probability we have 

 overlooked her ladyship, and the next time 

 we open the hive we shall find her laying. 

 Then the indicator is given another eighth 

 turn when it will point straight west, indi- 

 cating "laying queen." We have now 

 reached the seventh point on this imaginary 

 circle, and there is but one more, which we 

 seldom use, and that is northwest. So when 

 the hive is not in use, or our nucleus ab- 

 sconds, gets robbed out, or needs rebuilding, 

 we place the indicator on this point. 

 Beeville, Tex. W. H. Laws. 



For my own use I prefer a self-spacing 

 frame, with the top and the bottom bars, 

 as well as the end pieces, all one inch in 

 thickness — a frame somewhat similar to Dr. 

 Miller's. I use little %-inch dogwood twigs. 

 Lengthwise thru the pith, I drive thin nails 

 into the upper ends of the frames, thus fur- 

 nishing horizontal projections which space 

 the frames nicely. By this arrangement 

 there are no grooves, no trouble about spac- 

 ing, and no metal against which to bump the 

 honey knife during extracting time. 



Fishers Ferry, Pa. Freeman E. Eeeder. 



