418 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



June 



describe how to catch a swarm of bees in the drone- 

 and-queen trap. 



Those who use the trap have noticed that, when a 

 swarm issues, and after the bees return to the par- 

 ent hive, as many pile into the trap as can, and will 

 be found there. The idea struck me that the trap 

 might be made large enough to hold the entire 

 swarm, and so we show the reader a cut of such a 

 trap, and will describe how it is arranged, and its 

 workings in catching a swarm of bees when they 

 issue. 



Fig. 1 shows the trap attached to a Bay State hive. 

 You will see that it projects considerably beyond 

 the front of the hive. The bees, to gain access to 

 their hive, must pass under the trap and enter 

 through the metiil, A. 



Fig. 2 shows the inte- 

 rior of the catcher. It is 

 the same as the drone- 

 trap. In fact, it is noth- 

 ing but the drone-and- 

 queen trap on a larger 

 scale. Instead of being 

 made .just large enough 

 to hold a pint of bees 

 the trap will hold the 

 largest swarm likely to 

 issue from any hive. 



The trap has a porta- 

 ble cover (c), so that, 

 when a swarm has been 

 hived, the bets can be 

 quickly removed, or 

 placed in a new hive. fig. 2. our new self- 

 This device may be at- hiver. 



tached to the hive in a dozen different ways, to suit 

 the fancy of the apiarist. It will be seen that there 

 is a stake (D) driven into the ground under the 

 front end of the trap, for the box to rest on. 



B, as shown in Fig. 2, is a box, open on one side, 

 80 the bees can enter, while the opposite side is cov- 

 ered with perforated metal. This represents the 

 bottom chamber of the drone-aud-queen trap. 

 Two cone-tubes are used for the bees to pass into 

 the trap. 



We stake our reputation as a bee-keeper, on the 

 statement that this trap will catch and hive ninety- 

 nine out of every one hundred swarms that issue. 

 The queen will enter the trap, and, when the bees 

 return in search of her, they \< ill readily find her 

 ladyship in the box, ready to receive them. 



You will notice in the trap (Fig. 2). and just ahead 

 of the cone-tubes, a strip of perforated metal. This 

 is so arranged that it comes exactly over the en- 

 trance to the hive, and above the metal A. When 

 the bees return after having missed their queen, 

 they will pass into the trap through this metal, and 

 join their queen. Here the bees will be found on 

 the return home of the apiarist, when they can be 

 disposed of to suit his pleasure. If no hive is ready, 

 the box can be placed on the stand the bees are to 

 occupy, and hived when most convenient. If the 

 bees are to be returned to the hive they issued 

 from, this can be done after the combs have been 

 examined and the queen-cells removed or destroyed. 



We shall send Bro. Root one of these traps, and 

 arrange with him to make some at once, so those 

 who desire can test them the present season. 



Wenham, Mass. Henry Alley. 



Friend A., I think I understand your ar- 

 rangement as given in Fig. 1 ; but if I am 



correct it is a little confusing in Fig. 2, be- 

 cause the engraver has not quite done his 

 duty. The hiving-box, and B and C, are 

 simply three separate articles, and rest upon 

 each other in the manner shown, only for 

 convenience. I really hope the device will 

 hive 99 out of 100 swarms that issue. But 

 without taking more space I think we had 

 better wait for reports from those who are 

 now using it to hive swarms. With the 

 present crowd of business now upon us, we 

 could not undertake to make any new thing 

 just now, and as we have so little swarm- 

 ing, especially in connection with our selling 

 bees by the pound, we fear we shall not be 

 able to make a test of the machine that will 

 be very satisfactory. 



FRAME - SPACERS. 



THICK TOP-BARS AND PERFORATED ZIKC. 



Ever since Dr. Miller and you were talking 

 about that queen-excluding strip to goon the top 

 of the heavy top-bars, I have been thinking; and 

 this is what I have evolved: Instead of having a 

 saw-kerf to slip the zinc into, which is almost sure 

 to be glued up with propolis, bend the zinc into an 

 L shape, and let the L part with the slots in slip 

 down over two broad-headed nails driven into the 

 side of the top-bar; then when a frame is to be 

 removed, the zinc can be lifted out, and have the 

 "lateral" movement, so desirable to the frame. 

 They could all be taken off if necessary. Have I 

 made my meaning clear? But I do not think any 

 such arrangement will ever become practical, as 

 it would be so much in the way in handling the 

 frames. 



If we are to dispense with honey-boards by using 

 ht^iavy top-bars, it seems we have got to have the 

 frames spaced just exactly right; in fact, too exact 

 for the average bee-man's eye to do the work; so, 

 to help out, here I have invented what I call an au- 

 tomatic spacer, made thus, the points to be made 



i of heavy tin, and to 



\ / / \ f~n\ /~/~\ /~7 ^^ J^s* * bee-space at 

 V_/ \LJ V..J V~/ the base, and, say, 

 one inch from base to point, and the distance be- 

 tween them to be just the width of the top-bara. 

 Not to be left on the frames, but to crowd down 

 from the top, so as to force the frames to the right 

 place, two would be necessary; for if only one were 

 used, the frames might move out of place at one 

 end, while the other was being adjusted. They 

 might be nailed to a block with a handle, something 

 like your tool for fastening foundation in wired 

 frames. If to be used to remain permanently on 

 the frames, of course a % block would have to be 

 used. I think this might give the advantage of 

 fixed ledges on the hive, with none of the disadvan- 

 tages. What do you think? C. A. Hatch. 



Ithaca, Wis., Feb. 19. 



Friend H., your slips of zinc would be 

 stifEer and safer to handle by having a fold 

 made lengthwise, as you suggest; but I 

 agree with you that they would be too much 

 machinery. I do believe that some sort of 

 frame-spacer would be an excellent thing, 

 if we propose to do away with burr-combs 

 by reducing the space between the top-bars. 

 Ernest suggests that a spacer could be made 

 by driving wire staples into the strip of 



