94 



THE BEE-KEEP&RS' HE VIEW 



Occasionally a colony will become queen- 

 less daring the winter or early spring; such 

 can usually be detected without opening 

 the hives. The carrying of water is evidence 

 of a laying queen; however, the eggs may 

 produce drones only, in which event it will 

 be useless to open the hive or disturb the 

 colony previous to a honey yield, when a 

 union can be made with the nearest ( pref- 

 erably strong ) colony. 



Thus far ( Apr. 14 ) no work has been 

 done in my apiary aside from cleaning the 

 filth chambers of a few dead bees and comb 

 clippings, with the exception of an occa- 

 sional visit among the hives as a matter of 

 pleasure, at which time I gave particular 

 attention to note that all colonies were 

 carrying water. The water carriers can be 

 detected by their distended abdomens as 

 they enter the hives. Possibly a novice 

 would fail to detect them at first, but with a 

 little practice may become an expert, and so 

 minimize work by abridged methods. The 

 reader will bear in mind that this method of 

 detecting a queenless colony applies only to 

 springtime and previous to a flow of honey. 

 At this season it is most important to ascer- 

 tain the condition of each colony without 

 the necessity of opening hives which has a 

 tendency to lower the temperature and 

 otherwise disturb the bees. 



Upon the approach of warm days the 

 tendency to rob will manifest itself. Strong 

 colonies are likely to overcome the weaker 

 ones unless precaution is taken. Timely 

 prevention is the best remedy here. No col- 

 ony should be allowed more than two inch- 

 es width of entrance previous to apple bloom, 

 and weaker ones as little as half an inch. 



As our colonies become populous, comb 

 extension during sugar maple and apple 

 bloom is possible, and at this period drawn 

 combs can be produced with but little troub- 

 le and expense. The greatest difficulty in 

 producing them at this season, is to avoid 

 pollen deposits. However, I have discover- 

 ed that with an entrance contracted towards 

 one side ( the right for example which in my 

 hives is farthest from the movable side ) 

 will almost entirely overcome the tendency. 

 With an entrance located in the middle 

 front, the pollen will be deposited mostly 

 in two combs, one on each side of the brood 

 nest. But, with an entrance close to one 

 side most of the pollen will be deposited in 

 a single comb on the same side, leaving the 

 opposite side for the storage of honey. In 



combs adjacent to the movable side or fol- 

 lower of my hive, I liave produced beauti- 

 ful drawn combs both in full sized frames 

 and in sections; the latter I invariably util- 

 ize by placing a few sections in the supers 

 of different colonies at the opening of the 

 clover season. The plan I have adopted of 

 late is to use the full frames as reserve combs 

 for feeding in the event of a failure of hon- 

 ey between fruit bloom and clover. If not 

 required then they may be used as other 

 circumstances demand. 



I have found the period of fruit bloom to 

 be an admirable time for the work of equal- 

 izing colonies. It is best to restrain all 

 swarming at this season by removing a 

 comb of sealed brood, exchanging it for 

 one containing but little, taken from a weak 

 colony. Care should be taken to keep the 

 weaker one thoroughly protected from the 

 cold. Sach an exchange works admirably 

 in strengthening the weaker colony and re- 

 straining the stronger ones. We should, 

 however, bear in mind that very weak col- 

 onies cannot be built up in this way pre- 

 vious to warm weather. In speaking of 

 weaker colonies I refer to those a little be- 

 low the average strength or those in con- 

 trast with very strong ones. 



Previous to the period of clover bloom 

 all precaution possible should be taken to 

 prevent the swarming impulse. Extra 

 combs may be added although too much 

 room is not favorable to the production of 

 comb honey. Ventilation and shade should 

 also be iurnished at the proper season. In 

 my apiary dummy combs will be alternated 

 with the natural in all colonies as a safe- 

 guard against swarming. 



.Jackson. Mich. April 14, 1897. 



Notes From Foreign Bee Journals. 



F. L. THOMPSON. 



TEIPZIGER BIENENZEITUNG— Pastor 

 ft Fleischmann reports that Prof. Beck- 

 raann, of Erlangen, at a convention of 

 Bavarian chemists, gave a method of de- 

 tecting 10 percent of glucose in honey, by 

 successive tests with three simple chemicals. 

 If this turns out to be all that is claimed 

 for it. it will be a valuable aid to honey- 

 producers, for hitherto it has been supposed 

 that only the test with the polariscope, re- 

 quiring costly apparatus and special know- 



