58 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mat. 



For ;i remedy, keep none but honest bees, i, e, 

 those that have never learned what it is to get 

 sweets from any other source than the flowers. 

 We know of an Apiary (all Italians) where 

 robbing Is almost unknown, for the reason 

 that cur friend lias always been careful to keep 

 every drop of honey out of their way, and his 

 bees have never got iuto a way of thieving. 

 The very best preventive in the spring, is to 

 keep all hands busy on the meal, whenever 

 they can fly. We have known its asrency 

 alone, to restore quiet when weak colonies 

 were sorely in danger of demoralization. The 

 most productive source of mischief, in our 

 Apiary, is combs containing a small quantity 

 of honey, or those from which honey lias been 

 extracted. AH goes well until the supply 

 gives out, and then every hive in the vicinity 

 is attacked, and wo to the visitor who confi- 

 dingly approaches at such a time. In all that 

 Quinby and Clark have had to say about 

 stings, we believe they have omitted to men- 

 tion the danger of approaching an apiary when 

 a lot of thievish hybrids, have just been de- 

 prived of some remuants of comb and honey 

 that they have been quarrelling over. It 

 set -ins to us that stings come at such a time, 

 all the more aggravating, because they come 

 without warning, and without provocation of 



of any kind. They just sting out of pure 



well, meanness. 



There is a queer phenomena that we cannot 

 quite understand, sometimes observed ; and 

 that is where a good colony permits them- 

 selves to be robbed without the least resis- 

 tance; see page 44 Vol. 1. Many may be 

 inclined to deride such an idea, with Italians, 

 but they may some time see it to their sorrow. 

 We have always succeeded finally, in getting 

 them to show the desired "spunk" toward in- 

 truders, but whether it was the "different 

 perfumes" we gave them, or the rousing them 

 up that helped the matter, we cannot say now. 

 With very weak stocks, of course contracting 

 the entrance is a great help, and whenever 

 they are really overpowered, the hive should 

 be shut up entirely, but we would never do 

 this when there seemed any prospect of their 

 getting the better of the robbers. Nothing 

 but real practice can enable one to determine 

 at once which arc robbers and which are not. 

 After the hive is securely closed, we cannot see 

 any use of carrying them into the cellar. We 

 simply open it just late enough in the evening 

 to allow the thieves to go home, and then we 

 are sure to be the "first one up" next morning. 

 If they commence again, we close the hive 

 once more, and keep it closed about three days ; 

 robbers will usually in that time decide to re- 

 main there, and will labor for the very hive 

 they hare before been plundering, only that 

 they still retain their thievish propensities, 

 and are sure to be foremost whenever anything 

 of this kind turns up in future. We at one 

 time were in the habit of closing the hive with 

 wire cloth, but after finding the wily Italians 

 who were inside would pass the honey through 

 to their comrades on the outside, we discon- 

 tinued it. We at first were slow to believe 

 this, but our friend Shaw says he has had it 

 happen often, and in fact now closes his Nu- 

 cleus hives with a double wire cloth with a 

 half inch space between the two. li'v 



with your bees during the working season, 

 there is almost no need of having anj' trouble 

 from robbing. 



Now, after the above remarks, some may 

 think our dr} - sugar feeding, an inconsistency, 

 but it is not. A dozen boys might quarrel 

 over a half dozen apples, but they assuredly 

 would not over a wagon full ; and thus it is 

 with the bees. Several reports seem to show 

 that even combs of honey, can be fed in the 

 open air in the Apiary, providing you have an 

 unlimited supply, and spread them out so as 

 to give all a chance ; but beware of letting 

 them get out before the flowers furnish a sup- 

 ply. Our next friend has had experience in 

 open air feeding for many years; we will lis- 

 ten to him. 



FEEDIXG IN THE OPEN AIR, ETC. 



Commenced wintering: with 31 stocks, lest 4 and one 

 died leaving plenty of honey. One was robbed, Queen 

 left in hive, and one lost their Queen, so 1 supplied it 

 with a Queen from robbed hive. One swarmed out 

 and bees went into another hive. The 27 left are 

 strong in bees and generally light in honey. 



Commenced feeding meal about the 1st of March, 

 also diluted honey and brown sugar at same time in 

 old feed troughs made in 1854, and used more or less 

 every spring and fall since. They are made of inch 

 pine' boards with thin floats perforated with small 

 j holes. The troughs and boxes with syrup and meal 

 are set on south side of building in the sun, protected 

 from fowls, wind, and rain. The troughs are kept 

 sweet with boiling water and salt. As a general 

 thing, out-door feeding gives best results with me. 

 It won't hurt the strong and certainly strengthens 

 the weak, keeping all smart, and active; and as 

 Langstroth says in his book, they will flock to the 

 feed if warm enough, like pigs to a trough. 



Honey causes the greatest commotion, while sugar 

 leaving less scent in mouths of hives, gives less chan< e 

 for robbing. They have carried away up to this time, 

 the tine part of wheat, oat, and rye meal, 2 bushels, 

 and 20 gallons of syrup. I find no trouble in laziness, 

 as natural stores accumulate. 



Those 3 swarms spoken of some time ago (see page 

 22) supplied with ob> honey wintered well. The one 

 robbed was one of the 3; I believe it was caused by 

 the candied honey rolling out at the front of the hive, 

 and attracting robbers ; as I was away it became 

 overpowered bv its near neighbor, they appropriating 

 both honey and bees— no great loss. 



My son had 8, five old and three young, the latter 

 are "gone up." Trying times yet for weak colonies, 

 but close care, and long and judicious feeding will 

 bring them all safely through. 



Ghent, O. March 31, 1874. T. Pieuson. 



It seems pretty certain now, that if bad hon- 

 ey causes dysentery one winter, the same honey 

 fed another winter does not always produce it. 



Is it necessary to give bees water in Feb. and March 

 for brood-rearing; if not what is the reason my bees 

 ceased brood-rearing in March? 



Orrvllle, Ohio. C. J. Yodek. 



We have never been able to discover that 

 water was necessary while bees were indoors ; 

 after they were out, if cold, the condensation 

 affords a supply ; if warm they can go out and 

 get it. Was it not on account of lack of pollen? 



Mis. ROOT, Dear Sik:— I have a Queen In one of 

 my colonies, introduced last fall, that lays none but 

 drone egg*. Is it likely, or possible, that she will do 

 better, in the future ? Mr. Alley assures me that she 

 was fertilized, she Is a very line looking Queen, is 

 quite large. 



On loosing into the hive to-day, I found a great 

 many drones, (finely marked Italians) several promi- 

 nent drone cells, and one Queen cell but no bees 

 clustering around it. in the second frame from the 

 outside ; 1 am very doubtful as to the contents of this 

 cell, not knowing where the egg should come from. 



Will you please advise me what to do in the matter, 

 the colony is tolerably strong yet, and is carrying in 

 pollen, not much however. This Queen cell appears 

 perfect. Wm. M. Cake, 



West I ldepi 6 mce, O. April 13, 1874. 



We would the colony precisely as a 



Queenless one j & young Queen sometimes pro- 



