E874. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



91 



< O M It HI IIIHX. ; HOW TO GET ALL 

 U OK K D K COitlBS ETC., ETC. 



J^OVIt'K :— Can you toll me why my bees build but 

 M very little comb, and why that little is % drone 

 — ^ comb. I have put them into double Simplicity 

 hives and given them what empty combs 1 had and 

 they have increased in numbers beyond my expecta- 

 tions, but when I put in empty frames they leave them 

 several days before commencing work on them, and 

 then start very reluctantly and nearly every time be- 

 gin with drone comb. As I am anxious to get worker 

 comb, 1 have tried cutting out the drone comb but to 

 no purpose, they immediately commence drone comb 

 again. 



We have never failed in getting bees to build 

 comb rapidly, when we could secure warmth, 

 plenty of food, and plenty of bees. It does not 

 seem to be suJHcient, that they have an abun- 

 dance of stores in the hive, but they must be 

 adding to their stores daily ; in fact we have 

 thought they only built comb when there seem- 

 ed a probability that it would be needed to 

 hold their provisions. 



One other fact must be remembered, and that 

 is, bees almost cease comb building when they 

 get the swarming fever ; in the case mentioned 

 above, we infer that our friend neglected to use 

 his extractor, until the bees had decided to 

 swarm and then they would not give it up. 

 When honey is coming in briskly, we would 

 empty every comb, and commence soon enough 

 too, to discourage all attempts at swarming. 



About the worker comb : We too have had 

 nearly all the combs built this season mostly 

 drone comb, and after hearing that friend Dean 

 of River Styx, knew how to induce his bees to 

 build such comb as he desired, we paid him a 

 visit with this particular idea uppermost. 

 •Sure enough his bees were building the whitest 

 straitest, and most beautiful comb we ever saw 

 in all our experience. We were told to exam- 

 ine any of his hives we chose — there were 40 or 

 50 — and we found entire worker comb in al- 

 most all. One colony it seems had disobeyed 

 orders and had made a beautiful oval disc of 

 drone comb; when he took it up quickly we 

 were surprised to see him turn it over horizon- 

 tally (in a way that we might expect a novice 

 to handle new combs, but not an old bee-keep- 

 er), and coolly break it oil" for them to com- 

 mence over again. 



"But friend D. they will only build more 

 just like it." 



"No they will not ; I will take away some 

 more of their combs." 



"But they have only three besides the empty 

 frame now." 



"Then they shall have only two." 



"And if that don't do." 



"Then they shall have but one ; but 'tis sel- 

 dom necessary to cut them down so close as 

 that." 



"But friend D., you would lose much honey 

 if you deprived your heavy colonies of all but 

 one or two combs?" 



"That is just the point ; I make my nuclei 

 and weak colonies do all the comb building, 

 and they will make quite a number each, du- 

 ring the season, besides storing a goodly crop 

 of honey." 



Our readers should remember that division 

 boards were used — Gallup hive — and each of 

 the comb building nuclei was crammed full 

 of bees, but a happier and more peaceful Apia- 

 ry 'twas never before our lot to see. 



Two or three swarms also persist in making Queen 

 cells and wanting to swarm, and I keep cutting them 

 out. In two instances where I overlooked Queen cells 

 they sealed them up and cast very heavy swarms ; but 

 I leturned them again, cutting out the Queen cells, 

 hoping to force them to make comb. The combs are 

 now literally crowded with bees. The honey product 

 has been very light but all the swarms have had some 

 capped honey all the time. Would it have been better 

 to let them swarm? Have not extracted any honey 

 yet. 



The trouble is again that you didn't use your 

 extractor ; take their honey all away, and they 

 can't swarm. Yes, 'twould have been better to 

 have let them swarm after they had got the 

 fever so badly ; you could have given them 

 their old hives combs and all, in a new loca- 

 tion, and they would have proved immensely 

 industrious after they had gone through with 

 the "programme." 



Why is it that all at once most of my bees are so cross ? 

 Thus far during the season I have been able to handle 

 them whenever I chose without any protection for 

 face or hands. But for the last three days a little 

 smoke seems to irritate them instead of quieting them. 

 I have been just as careful in handling as ever, but 

 all to no purpose. They come at me in a perfect 

 swarm and will not leave till I go into a dark room. 



Perhaps half our readers are in the same 

 predicament; after the Basswood failed sud- 

 denly, they suddenly became as cross as if they 

 had been stopped in some wholesale robbing 

 raid, as in fact they have, and all we have to 

 do is to keep cool and not tempt them by un- 

 guarded bits of comb and drops of honey, until 

 they get over it. Drive them back with a good 

 lot of smoke and make them fill themselves 

 with honey if you can. Stings will be more 

 liable from bees from other hives that are try- 

 ing to rob them. We have to-day — 25th, — only 

 been able to see to our Queens etc., early in the 

 morning, and were then obliged to desist after 

 working about an hour on account of other 

 bees rushing into a hive as soon as opened. 

 We shall resume our work again about sunset 

 or a little before. 



What shall I do with drone comb when a part of a 

 frame is filled with it? If I cut it out the bees persist 

 in rebuilding with drone comb or leave the space 

 empty. 



Cut it out and insert a piece of worker comb, 

 or have it tilled out in a weak colony on the 

 plan given. 



We cannot answer the following question 

 positively but think the Queen's fertility would 

 not be impaired. At any rate we give it as 



PROBLEM 24. 

 Will it render a Queen less prolific to keep her for a 

 length of time in a small nucleus hive where she can 

 lay but a few eggs each day than she would have been 

 if she had been given to a large swarm as soon as she 

 began to lay ? 



How do you fasten a division board in a hive to keep 

 it in place ? 



Hang it (the board) as you do the frames. 



Can I winter bees in double width Simplicity hives ? 



"Answer next May. Don't know uothin' 

 'bout winterin'." 



The above was Novice's reply before we had 

 time. We think the double hives will winter 

 equally well. Should there be a great quanti- 

 ty of bees we would leave them on their sum- 

 mer stands, and house them only when they 

 seemed to need it, if they did at all. Perhaps 

 Novice is right after all. 



Will it do to take nearly all the honey from a hive 

 when it is coining in fast? 



Every drop we should say. Our bees always 

 get more in fifteen minutes or less. 



