May. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



71 



lound. The owner said Ihcj' liad honey after they 

 (lleil but the conihs were empty when"! (-iiw them ; 

 there were other hives on tlie Vanie s^tand. What 1 

 would like to know, is whether the eomhn will be lit 

 to use aj-'ain willi sal'etv ? 



W'm. 1). /i;m.. Lancaster, Pa. April l.'ith, ',.). 



Tlu' boos inai/ have died from want of upward 

 ventilation, but it is more probable that it was 

 the prevailing; malady. When the cluster licets 

 small thej^ often become demoralized apparent- 

 ly, and their last move is to wander aimlessly 

 1o diflereut parts of the hive, in a miserably 

 damp wet state. After warm we-.ither, if not 

 removed, they exhibit the yellow mould men- 

 tioned. Other bees, carried off the honey 

 without doubt. 



We would use the combs and honey too 

 without hesitation but should endeavor to 

 itave tlie latter all used up durin*; brood rear- 

 injr. We useil a large quantity last summer, 

 and some of it when given to the lx;es, looked 

 bad enough, but they soon made it all sweet 

 and clean. 



Our bees are dying of old age faster than we ever 

 knew them, we suppose owing to their not raising any 

 J onng bees last lall to any amount after the flrst of 

 8eptember ; and here we will say that we could never 

 raise brood to any amount alter the lirst frost, either 

 Ijy feeding or any other means. We have succeeded 

 in getting the (Jueeus to lay but the bees would not 

 hatch the eggs. We close the entrance to all hives on 

 ■every cool night and lieep them closed unless the 

 inercTiry rises above 45° as described by us in A. B. J., 

 and wlien opening them in the morning we And at 

 many of the hives from one table-spoonlul to half a 

 (ea-cui'f\d of dead bees at the entrance that die during 

 the night. Although we have liad very nice spring 

 weather so lar, we find many of our colonies reduced 

 \ o mere handluls of bees ami we are afraid if the mor- 

 tality keeps on we shall have a slim show when apple 

 blossoms open. We have a few swaims taken in cel- 

 3ar for exi)eriment but the result is the same. 



G. M. DooLiTTLi;, Borodino, N. Y. Apr. 15th, '75. 



We can hardly think it advisable to rear 

 much brood in lall, after frost, and in fact we 

 would have them stored away in winter quar- 

 ters, before heavy frosts. Closing the entrances 

 during cool nights in the spring may be a good 

 idea, and we would not for an instant encour- 

 age any one in thinking he might omit neces- 

 sary duties ; yet if hives could be made that 

 would equally equally well without this fuss- 

 ing with, during cold and disagreeable weather, 

 we should prefer them. With a few hives, it 

 is but a small task, but to go around to 50 or 

 (■;0 night and morning when the ground is wet 

 and slippery we find somewhat disagreeable. 

 Our bees too, are showing a greater number 

 <lead in front of the hive, than we like to see, 

 Ixit we really cannot discover that our efforts 

 to mend matters, have much effect either way. 

 It may be, that it is only the old bees dying a 

 natural death. So many reports of experiments, 

 or perhaps, to call things by their right names, 

 ^'tinkeriiirf bees in cold weather, have resulted 

 in nothing but loss, perhaps we may be excu- 

 sed for strongly insisting, that they be care- 

 fully attended to when it is warm, and then 

 let alone during cold si)ells. Closing the en- 

 trances the evening before a heavy frost threat- 

 ens, may do very well, but even then we have 

 serious doubts of its efficacy. Strong colonies 

 take care of themselves in almost all 

 <-'mcrgencies. We have tried hot-beds, glass 

 houses, stoves, and a host of appliances to en- 

 able us to nurse up weak colonies in the spring, 

 colonies that should in the fall have been uni- 

 \i:<[J\te into one instead of being scattered in 

 live hives. Have we ever yet recovered from 



that folly of follies, of calling a quart of bees, a 

 colony fit to winter? We, are conscious that 

 it hangs about "Our oion Apiary," and we be- 

 gin to feel it is the disease of all others thtit is 

 dillicult to eradicate. 



The following is in regard to a house for 

 meal feeding, so arranged as 1o keep olf all 

 wind and rain and yet admit the sun freely, 

 and also the bees. When the bees are educa- 

 ted to seek such a spot, we may llnd it of ser- 

 vice at other seasons than spring. 



EDITOR Gleaninos:— Having been re<iue!-l<d to 

 describe my method of meal I'eeding lor liees ] ilo so 

 with pleasure. I use a box five feet by six with an 

 incline often inches. The height may be regulated to 

 suit the taste of individuals. For covering for a box 

 of above dimensions I place four tiers of glass, size 

 lOxl'2, the longest way, alternating with gtrijis of 

 board. This renders the interior of the framework 

 very light and the rays of the sun passing througli tlic 

 glass also add to the warmth of the interior. On the 

 Iront where entrance Is made for the bees, 1 use half 

 inch boards which are put in by fitting into a groove 

 above and below. The object of this is to widen or 

 narrow the spaces of entrance to suit the condition of 

 the weather. On tlie top where the glass reaches the 

 lowest place of inclination J leave a space of about % 

 of an inch, under the glass, as the proper place of exit 

 lor the bees when they wish to leave the feeder. On 

 each side of the glass I put strips of board filling out 

 the widtli of the frame. This however can be dispen- 

 sed with and more glass iiseil suiting the taste of the 

 individual. The corners are lastened together by 

 wire hooks and can be taken down or put u)> in a very 

 short space of time, and when packed retiuire vei\v 

 little room. When 1 wish them to feed upon the meal 

 1 place the meal inside the frame scattering it over 

 the bottom, and sjjrinkle over it a lew drops of Anise. 

 To this the bees are attracted and in a short time 

 are busily at work. G. W. Dean. 



Kiver Styx, Medina Co., O. April 17th, 1875. 



No bar of wood or any thing, should be pla- 

 ced under the glass at its lower edge, but 

 they should be allowed to slide out, where they 

 strike the glass, without obstruction. 



Fully two-thirds of the bees left on their summer 

 stan(i8 are dead. A neighbor having 150 swarms, 

 loses about ICO, the rest are left very weak. He was 

 careful to tread tlie snow down around the hives after 

 every storm. Another neighbor, having 8 swarms left 

 the snow over his hives and they came through alive; 

 still another having 4, two of which were completely 

 covered by a drift— and two exposed, saved the two 

 in the drill, while the two exposed died. 



I wintered my bees in the cellar, never had better 

 success. Set them out on the 7th of April and up to 

 present date they have had only 3 days in which to 

 tly. Some of them are weak but every swarm is alive 

 and has a laying Queen. If I can only bring them all 

 to flowers without that S'w arming out process, how I 

 will sail my best hat in spite of the remonstrances of 

 my better half, who, by the way is terribly afraid ot 

 bees and isn't very loud of honey, though mind you 

 when we were "sparking" there was nothing like 

 "honey." 



1 had two swarms that showed signs of dysentery, 

 though they were not exposed to a lower temperature 

 than 35° above zero. I gave them a fly under a small 

 sash of glass, put them in the cellar again, and they 

 remained quiet until set out; they are not strong. 

 Nearly all of my 10 frame hives come out with very 

 few dead bees on the bottom board, while some of my 

 long 24 frame hives have a quart or more, temperature 

 of the cellar all winter averaged about 40°. 



I am in a <iuandary, don't know whether to run my 

 Apiary for box or exti acted honey. If I could con- 

 tract my extracted for not less than 16 cts. per lb., not 

 less than '2000 lbs., 1 would go for that. 



There is one more thing I wish to mention. I re- 

 ceived a Quinby Smoker just before setting my bees 

 out and have given it a trial, and I must say it's a 

 cai)ital device. 1 now have no fear of setting quilts or 

 mats or combs on fire, it's an indispensable tool in 

 our Apiary. 



Tell Mrs. N. that getting stung now and then is a 

 sure cure forbad ellecfs of bee })oison, the eflcct of a 

 sting is nothing comijared to what it formerly was 

 on my jierson, there is now no swelling and scarcely 

 anv pain, where mv eyes used to swell shut. 



J. II. MAiniN, iiratlcrd, X. Y. April IClh, 1575. 



