64 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June. 



We have "tidied" up our Apiary, got the 

 hives around facing the east again, swept the 

 ground up clean, and things are back in the 

 old shape once more. 



Whether our "manure experiment" was det- 

 rimental or otherwise, we are at least, at pres- 

 ent not inclined to recommend it to others. 

 We have to-day located one of the long Stand- 

 ard hives in front of one of the grape vine 

 trellises, and find the position fronting the 

 East, with the lid to open back against the 

 trellis, much the most convenient position. 

 Bees among the farmers about here have win- 

 tered unusually well, and of course they laugh 

 at our "scientific" Bee Culture. One says, it is 

 the Extractor that killed our bees, another, 

 that sugar-syrup isn't natural like honey, a 

 third that the Italians are to blame etc. 



If we were perfectly satisfied just where the 

 whole trouble was, we might try to tell. As it 

 is, "guess we won't," at present. 



May 9th — Last evening, we discovered our 

 poorest colony so much reduced that no at- 

 tempt seemed to be made to use the eggs 

 which the Queen was patiently depositing, and 

 the brood having been killed by the recent 

 freezes, we concluded to unite them with our 

 one Queenless — not colony but "little cluster. ' 

 As our attempts last season at uniting such 

 weak colonies by caging the Queen, had re- 

 sulted in their death almost invariably, we 

 decided this time to risk a speedier method, 

 and therefore simply lifted the bees combs and 

 all, from their own hive into the other. Al- 

 though both colonies had been during the day, 

 active in repelling robbers, they seemed to 

 take a very favorable view of our kind inten- 

 tion, and crossed antennae with the new occu- 

 pants in a manner so amicable that we closed 

 the hive thinking our former skill with bees 

 was at length, after having played us truant 

 so long, returning. An examination half an 

 hour later, and another this morning, showed 

 the Queen all right. 



May 10th— Our nice Queen being found dead 

 in front of the hive, we shall have to conclude 

 our former skill has not returned after all. 

 We wonder how many of our readers know 

 just the sensation experienced in finding a fine 

 Queen has been killed by her bees ; we first 

 feel sorrow, then regret and chagrin, especially 

 if 'tis through any of our own carelessness. 

 The concluding sentiment with us is a strong 

 tendency to "git mad" only restrained by the 

 thought that as nothing can be done to reani- 

 mate that little form, all we can do is to re- 

 solve to be very careful in future, and then 

 endeavor to stifle the pang by trying to forget 

 all about it in busying ourselves with the rest 

 that are alive — perhaps, meanwhile whistling 

 a refrain on a similar key to the mourning note 

 of the now Queenless colony, as it comes to us 

 faintly as we pass near them. 



The weather is now beautifully warm and 

 pleasant ; this morning we found one blossom 

 on the early cherry tree for "Blue Eyes" who 

 opened them still wider, and almost exhausted 

 her infantile vocabulary in her delight at it. 

 Before sun down the tree was almost in full 

 bloom and the bees that had been robbing in 

 the forenoon, in the afternoon were gathering 

 honey at a very fair rate and "Blue Eyes" was 

 still more delighted to be able to see where the 



bees really got the brilliant colored pollen 

 that she and "papa" had watched and admired 

 so much ; their "bread and butter" for little 

 bees as it had been explained to her. 



May 11th — A thorough examination to-day 

 showed that a few colonies were making as- 

 tonishing progress ; more, were just getting 

 under way, and two, were dwindled down un- 

 til there were too few bees to even hatch an 

 egg. After holding an Editorial consultation 

 we decided to make no more attempts at intro- 

 ducing these Queens to Queenless colonies, but 

 proceeded to cut pieces of hatching brood 

 from the good colonies, small enough so that 

 the bees could care for them, and these were 

 inserted right next the small cluster, being 

 careful not to demoralize the remaining frail 

 organization which kept the dozen or two beef* 

 near their Queen. 



Dinner time — In one case the bees have com- 

 menced feeding the brood, but in the other no 

 attention is paid to it. 



Evening — Both are now caring for the brood, 

 and an accession of downy infant bees just 

 hatched, seems to infuse courage once more 

 into their disheartened hives. 



We have now just seventeen laying Queens. 

 Our Quinby hive lost their Queen and reared 

 a young one in April ; she is not yet laying, 

 and we fear may be too old. Drones have 

 made their appearance in one hive but We con- 

 sider it more because their Queen is an old one, 

 than as an evidence of prosperity, for their 

 brood does not compass more than four combs. 



May 12th ; 5 o'clock in the morning — The cher- 

 ry trees are literally odoriferous humming 

 snow drifts of bloom, and we find ourselves 

 left all alone to enjoy the prospect, for no one 

 else is stirring visibly. 



We find on the ground in the Apiary a 

 greater number of bees crawling about or just 

 moving, than we think can possibly be consis- 

 tent, with a natural state of things. 



They are not old bees for their wings are 

 perfect and many of them are evidently from 

 their downy appearance, young Italians. We 

 find them on the walks and fences, and if 

 warm weather is not a remedy for this state of 

 affairs, we have truly something serious to 

 contend with. 



The same thing was noticed last fall, and 

 others have spoken of it, but again, Apiaries 

 but a few miles off seem to know nothing of it, 

 and their bees have passed through the pres- 

 ent spring months full as well as usual. 



May 15th — We really can't think of anything 

 else to express our feelings, except swinging 

 our hat again, just because one young Queen 

 has commenced laying ; and now we have 

 eighteen again, instead of seventeen. If our for- 

 tunes have really passed the lowest ebb and 

 commenced ascending, we shall draw a long 

 breath of relief. The weather now is all that 

 can be desired, and we are interposing combs 

 as fast as our half dozen strongest will bear it ; 

 and 'tis pleasant to note their daily growth 

 and prosperity. Our best colony is really 

 getting its hive full of honey from the fruit 

 blossoms, but we shall remove combs and give 

 them empty ones as fast as they will bear it, 

 using the removed ones for peopling our emp- 

 ty hives. 



