458 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



June 



diet results in undeveloped femalep, or workers, 

 and a very stinted larder produces small worijers. 



As the season advances — June — the males and 

 queens again appear, and fly forth to mate, after 

 which the aueens commence new colonics. 



To answer Mr. Allen's question, I think there is 

 only one queen in the colonies of these ants, 

 though I may be wrong, as many species of ants 

 have several queens in a single colony. 



Ants are very muscular. It has been estimated 

 that a man, to equal an ant in performance, would 

 have to walk over 150 miles a day with more than a 

 ton weight on his liead. Like bees, ants are very 

 neat, and spend much time in scrubbing and comb- 

 ing. Unlike bees, the ants scratch and comb each 

 other, and there is every indication that the recipi- 

 ent of such favors receives them with great satis- 

 faction. The ants are also seen to sleep so sound- 

 ly that they are waked with difficulty. From this 

 we m.iy very safely conclude that bees also take 

 naps. As the agricultural ants are always all in 

 their nests from noon to one o'clock, it would seem 

 probable that this is the usual napping time. 



Any who are specially interested in these ants 

 will do well to read the very interesting book by 

 Rev. Mr. McCook, of Philadelphia, on this insect. 

 This is a book that should be in every public libra- 

 ry. 



Mr. Allen asks for a remedy, or means to exter- 

 minate these pests. I have no doubt but that bi- 

 sulphide of carbon, poured into the tunnels be- 

 tween twelve and one, will quickly destroy these 

 ants. It is used successfully to destroy the prairie- 

 squirrels in the West, and I have used it here with 

 entire success in killing the ants that are often so 

 annoying on our lawns. 1 have just explained the 

 use of this substance, and the other insecticides 

 which I have found useful in killing insects, in a 

 bulletin entitled lusccticidrs, which any one can get 

 free by addressing a card, requesting it, to Secreta- 

 ry H. G. Reynolds, Agricultural College, Michigan. 



Mr. McCook explains a trap which he says will 

 very soon exterminate all the agricultural ants of 

 any nest. This consists of a tin box set over the 

 hole,, so made that any ant passing either in or out 

 must pass over an inclined piece of bright smooth 

 tin, whose roof-like edge stands or projects over 

 the box. Thus the ants are precipitated into the 

 box; and as they can not get out, they are easily 

 killed. I should suppose that, if the box were quite 

 large, and contained kerosene, it would need no at- 

 tention after placing it, else it would need empty- 

 ing each day. A. J. Cook. 



Agricultural College, Mich., Apr. 26. 



I am sure, dear friend, we are all very 

 much interested in what you have just told 

 us. I have heard of those ants sowing rice 

 and tending to the crop. Now, although 

 my faith is very great along this line, I 

 must confess that 1 am strongly inclined to 

 think, with the others you mention, that 

 this must be a mistake. Even though the 

 ants are seen depositing seeds, I do not be- 

 lieve they do it with any expectation of 

 waiting for a crop. Some one has said that 

 the lowest types of mankind can be dis- 

 tinguished from the highest types of ani- 

 mal instinct, by a very simple matter ; 

 namely, no animal ever yet had sense 

 enough to build a fire to warm him when 

 cold. In the same way, I should say that 



no animal or insect ever had or ever could 

 have sense enough to sow seeds and wait 

 the production of a crop. — Are you not put- 

 ting it a little exact to say that the ants are 

 all in their nests from noon till one o'clock ? 

 Did you not mean to say for a period of 

 about an hour, usually, during the hottest 

 part of the day ? Without clocks and 

 watches they would have to go out and take 

 a look at the sun to see when it was about 

 napping time. I do know that domestic ani- 

 mals get into the habit of judging time very 

 accurately. Our Clydesdale team has learn- 

 ed to make a fuss if they can not get into 

 the stable and be fed when the whistle 

 blows. .V few days ago our teamster told 

 them to go on ; that they could not stop that 

 particular night, even if the whistle did 

 blow, and one of them gave a loud whinny 

 of disapproval. 



THE HEAVY LOSSES OF BEES IN 

 YOKK STATE. 



ITALIANS WINTERED BEST ; BLACKS AND CARNIO- 

 LANS ALL DIED ; HONEY-DEW THE CAUSE. 



I SEE the report of .Tames Markle, in last issue, 

 from New Salem, N. Y., that he lost most of his 

 bees. I live about 12 miles from him. The loss of 

 bees through this part of the State is fearful. It 

 has cleaned out whole apiaries, and covers a large 

 territory. The whole cause is bad stores, or, in 

 other words, the large amount of honey-dew that 

 the bees gathered last September. I put into the 

 cellar about 125 colonies. All perished except 60 

 colonies of Italians, the rest being blacks. The 

 Italians had their hives stored with plenty of good 

 early white honey, and bad no occasion for storing 

 honey-dew, as their hives were full of good honey. 

 When the honey dew came, every colony of pure 

 blacks perished. Does this not prove the superiori- 

 ty of the Italians over the blacks? Last season the 

 blacks did nothing, and hardly pulled through the 

 summer, while the Italians in the same yard gath- 

 ered enough to live on, and stored their hives full, 

 and gave some surplus. The blacks have no honey 

 stored; and when the honey-dew made its appear- 

 ance they had room for all they could gather, and 

 in a few days their hives were full. As it became 

 salvy as soon as gathered, it was impossible to ex- 

 tract. I see you doubt, in your foot-notes to Mr. 

 Markle's report, that the food was the whole source 

 of the loss. It certainly was, and nothing else. If 

 it was not, why did those having honey dew all per- 

 ish, and those having good pure stores all live, be- 

 ing all wintered in the same cellar. If the bees had 

 all been left out of doors, the loss would not have 

 been 6 per cent, as those that were left out had a 

 cleansing flight every few days all winter. 



I am done now with black bees. They are cer- 

 tainly not worth bothering with in this section of 

 the country. I have kept about an equal number 

 of blacks and Italians for the last 16 years, but now 

 I will not bother with the blacks any longer. All 

 they are good for is to work on buckwheat when 

 we have a good August, and honey dew when it 

 comes. Although my loss has been heavy for me, 

 never losing any in winter before, I am not dis- 

 couraged. I have 60 good strong colonies of Ital- 

 ians left. I shall try all the harder to get back to 



