112 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 



OI R OWyi APIARV. 



A 



UGU8T Ttli. — You can readily iinauine 

 i£^ that after our last, we very soon again 

 made tlic trial of handling bees by lamp light, 

 and have been most agreeably surprised to tiucl 

 that hives can be overhauled. Queens hunted, 

 com.bs inspected tor eggs, etc., etc., and in fact 

 it really seiems as if those whose occupations 

 demand all their time during the day, might 

 give their pets all needful attentions, almo.si, 

 after dark. Tiie lesson we had in robbing 

 ought to last us some time, and we must re- 

 1-eat what we have befoi'e said, that it seems to 

 us that nothing in the world has so much to 

 do with the danger of getting stting, as letting 

 ()ce,s get a taste of stolen sweets from other 

 hives. There is one feature in subduing bees 

 tiiat we do, not remember to have seen men- 

 tioned. To illustrate : yesterday we found on 

 going into the Apiary that our Quinby smoker 

 had been left up street, but as it was desirable 

 to see if some Queens had commenced laying, 

 we concluded to try to get along without it, 

 even though the bees were very cross indeed 

 Avlien last handled. The tirst colony opened 

 seemed so perfectlj- gentle that we were most 

 agreeably disappointed, and proceeded to opeu 

 (juite a number with the same result, until we 

 came to one that had only a few daj'S previous 

 resisted the combined ett'orts of both Mrs. N. 

 and ourself. Imagine our surprise at finding 

 them so gentle that we actually took the frame 

 containing the Queen and carried it into the 

 liouse, Mrs. N. hardly crediting our assertion 

 tliat this was the selfsame colony that wotild 

 not be quieted, even with the Quinby smoker. 

 Now this is nothing especially new, for we 

 Jiave several times observed the same thing in 

 t!ie fall of tlR' year, that bees can at times be 

 handled much better without smoke than with 

 it. Of course we must work slov.dy and be 

 gentle with tjiem, and should anything occur 

 to rouse their combativeness, it nuiy be neces- 

 sary to use smoke to drive them l)ack, but the 

 idea is that if you can get along without a 

 '■regular tussle" to see who is master, it is 

 much the better way. There are times when 

 it seems that smoke only arouses their vindic- 

 tiveness, and keeps them down among the 

 combs only so long as we keep a regular stream 

 of smoke playing on thein, and woe betide you 

 if you happen to stop until they should gain 

 tlie ascendency. Perhaps the better way will 

 l>e to light your smoker, and liave it all in nice 

 trim, near ])y, then handle them without smoke 

 if you can. 



Avg. Wi — Wi; cannot remember that we ever 

 before had more bees than we knew what to 

 do with, they now hang in great clusters on 

 the fronts of the hives, sometimes even a peck 

 or more, and we have had (luite a time in get- 

 ting these "loafer.s" to go to work. Taking 

 away a part of their l)rood does not seem to 

 answer always, and in fact takingwfZ/ the brood 

 does not always start them into the hive where 

 they belong, but moving the hive entirely 

 away, and giving them only empty combs with 

 some brood, without their Queen seems to have 

 the desired effect at once. Of course we have 

 no lioney coming in now, at least none of any 

 accounr, and here comes in something a little 

 strange. We have one colony that has for 'S 



years i)ast invariably gathered honey when 

 others were doing almost nothing; so well 

 have we become accustomed to tliis, that we 

 have learned to expect it, and a few days ago 

 took all their combs away, giving nothing but 

 dry combs, and tliese only partiallj- built tlown 

 at that, but to-da\- they have actually, besides 

 building some comb, tilled four combs with 

 sealed brood. To be sure they have scarcely 

 a spoonful of honey in the hive, but yet they 

 must have gathered consideralile from some 

 source. Now as the suspended hive, as well 

 as nearly all the rest, are not gaining an ounce, 

 are we not correct in thinking these bees extra 

 laborers? They are hybrids, and although as 

 nice to handle as need be during a yield of 

 honey, they are now perfect little "heathens" 

 to sting, probably thinking they have had all 

 the indignities at our hands, since taking their 

 combs away, that they are going to endure. 

 By careful watching we have discovered how 

 they get honey when others do not ; very early 

 in the morning when no other bees are stirring 

 these arc found quite busy ; at present they are 

 working on the pumpkin, cucumber, and mel- 

 on vines, etc., and perhaps they get some bj' 

 robbing, which may account for some of their 

 crossness. We have reared three Queens from 

 this colony, and if their progeny show the 

 same peculiarity, we shall think them an ac- 

 quisition. 



The house Apiary is doing very well so far, 

 but it were no more than fair to state that 

 three of the young Queens hatched in the lam]) 

 nursery, were found with bad wings ; whetlier 

 this wa^ caused by their mode of hatching, we 

 are unable to say, no such ditllcnlty was no- 

 ticed last season. Five more of the o(5 were 

 lost in fertilization, but as the weather has 

 been (xtrciaely bad, perhaps this is not to be 

 wondered at. 



Aug. lOili — We observe that the colonies in 

 the house Ai)iary are much the busiest carry- 

 ing in pollen, while those outside seem most 

 eager for honey. The reason is pi'obably that 

 owing to ou method of making colonies those 

 in doors have plenty of honey and ikj pollen, 

 while out doors it is just the reverse, and the 

 very heavy colonies outside that have an abun- 

 dance of both honey and pollen are very much 

 inclined to do nothing at all. Colonies left 

 alone on the old fashioned plan, really spend 

 months in doing nothing, while new swarms 

 started on the plan we have given work with 

 the most cominerdable tliligence in bringing 

 honey and pollen to build themselves up. Now 

 we believe that successful wintering depends 

 much upon keeping all hands actively employ- 

 ed during the entire summer and fall ; bj'' far 

 our best stocks this spring were those kept so 

 employed last season. Ou this account an in- 

 crease of colonies after the main honey season 

 is over, is more desirable than otherwise, but 

 the matter must have careful attention, and if 

 they cannot gathe.i enough honey to build up, 

 they of course must be fed. Pollen they' usu- 

 ally find, we believe, when they want it ; but 

 if they do not they will use the rye meal even 

 in the fall, as our experiments of last fall 

 showed ; but do not for a moment lose sight of 

 the great fundamental rule, to make all strong 

 at whatever cost. Ik't as many bees in each 

 as can crowd into a 10 frame hive. 



