(i L K A N I N (i S 1 N li K ]•: C U L T L' K K 



SKI'TA.MUKK. 191H 



(lone heretofore witli (jueeus aiul a dozen or 

 so of attendants. 



We submitted two forms of shipping 

 package to the Department; but the one 

 that eliminates the use of wire cloth en- 

 tirely, using saw-cuts thru the sides of the 

 box, ai^pealed to the Department officials as 

 feasible, practicable, and safe. We ex- 

 plained that this cage had no patent on it, 

 and that any one could make it; and from 

 preliminary trials that had been given it, 

 excellent results had been obtained. This 

 cage was first submitted to us as a suitable 

 mailing-cage by E. J. Atchley of California; 

 and it would be no more than proper to call 

 it the Atchley mailing-cage. 



While cages using saw-cuts without wire 

 cloth were used quite extensively for send- 

 ing queen bees and a dozen or so of attend- 

 ants, some 25 or more years ago, no one 

 ever thought of the same principle for send- 

 ing bees in larger quantities by mail until 

 Mr. Atchley submitted his cage. 



The subjoined illustrations show cages 

 made of basswood, the panels of which are 

 % inch thick, w'ith saw-cuts % iiK^h wide* 

 and % inch apart. This box, with its 

 ventilated sides, ends, top, and bottom, is 

 further reinforced by cleats that not only 

 strengthen the cage but prevent it from 

 coming in close contact with some other 

 parcels, thus shutting off ventilation. The 

 projecting lock corner teeth are for the 

 same purpose. 



The inside of the cage is provided with 

 one or more miniature frames that contain 

 strips of foundation. This last idea was the 

 suggestion of Mel Pritchard. Why the foun- 

 dation? Mr. Pritchard reasoned in this 

 w'ay: When bees are sent in boxes or cages 

 without combs the environment is unnat- 

 ural. The bees become discontented, worry, 

 and when they get to worrying they soon 

 die. His idea was that if bees were given 

 a chance, they would draw out the founda- 

 tion and build the comb. Such comb wovild 

 be perfectly free, of course, from any pos- 

 sible taint of disease; for it is a well-known 

 fact that a colony having American foul 

 brood will be cured if put in a clean hive 

 on clean frames of foundation. The same 

 treatment has been very effective for curing 

 European foul brood as well. 



To test out this principle of bees building 

 comb en route, we had some cages made 

 early in the season — in fact, they were 

 nothing more nor less than nucleus boxes 

 with full-sized Langstroth frames contain- 

 ing half-sheets of foundation, a box of 

 water, a box of candy, and a box of syrup. 

 These cages were sent to different points, 

 even as far as California. Pounds of bees 

 were put in them, and sent back to Medina. 

 As Mr. Pritchard fully expected, the foun- 

 dation was drawn out into comb en route, 

 and in some cases lary« and eggs were 

 found; but, more remarkable, the bees came 



* The saw-cuts should never be wider as bees 

 would go thru. Threei thirty-seeonds-inch width is 

 about riglit. 



thru in every case these long distances with- 

 out any greater loss than two or three dead 

 bees to the box. 



If Mr. Pritchard 's idea is correct (and 

 we now think it is), it solves the problem 

 of sending bees by mail or express. That 

 idea, joined to the Atchley cage, ought to 

 make bees by express or mail in package 

 form an assured success. 



But, as we have pointed out before, it is 

 absolutely necessary that the Department 

 ruling as to the style of cage be adhered to 

 exactly. It will not do for any one to try 

 any experiments. The old cage used for 

 express shipments will not do. If a wire- 

 cloth cage is adopted, there must be two 

 thicknesses of 'screen sejjarated by slats % 

 inch in thickness. Obviously it would be 

 better and cheaper to use the saw-cut prin- 

 ciple and eliminate the wire cloth entirely. 



It should be noted, however, that Uncle 

 Sam assumes no responsibility for bees go- 

 ing thru in bad condition. If bees arrive 

 dead, either the shipper or the consignee 

 must stand the loss. That will be a matter 

 that will have to be adjusted between the 

 two parties — and should be definitely 

 agi'eed upon in advance. 



As a matter of fact, the present extra- 

 ordinary conditions do not make express 

 shipments of bees any better; and, more- 

 over, the express companies charge a rate 

 and a half, while bees in parcel post will 

 go thru at the regular zone rate, which wV\ 

 be on a par with a single rate of exj>ress, 

 and in many cases less. 



From the fifth zone up and over 15 pounds, 

 express is cheaper. In zones one, two, three, 

 and four and up to 25 pounds, parcel post is 

 cheaper. 



In order to try out the cages, we decided 

 to ship jjackages to some distance (both 

 one- and two-pound sizes). We accordingly 

 sent some of these packages from Medina to 

 Washington, D. C. Upon arrival at Wash- 

 ington they were given no attention what- 

 ever but were immediately reshipped to us. 

 These packages were five days en route, and 

 yet were returned to Medina in fine condi- 

 tion, with no more than a dozen or so dead 

 bees in the bottoms of any of the cages. 

 This trial proved conclusively that bees 

 may be sent much safer and cheaper by 

 parcels post than in any other way. It also 

 convinced us of the value of Pritchard 's 

 idea of sending the bees on small frames 

 of foundation, accompanied only by bee can- 

 dy; for not only was the foundation all drawn 

 out into comb, but also good worker brood 

 had been reared en route, so that on arrival 

 all that was necessary was to lift out the 

 three small frames, place them side by side 

 in a standard frame and insert in the nu- 

 cleus hive. By making use of foundation 

 there is no danger of spreading disease 

 with such a package; and since there is 

 brood on their arrival, there is no danger 

 of the bees being discontented with their 

 new hive. The package is a decided suc- 

 cess. 



