1879 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



40.-, 



MORE ABOUT DRONES IN WORKER CELLS. 



I notice in Gleanings, Sept. No., p. 358, a commu- 

 nication from friend C, asking' the question, "Can 

 a fertilized queen lay drone eggs in worker cells?" 

 Now this question grew out of an argument between 

 friend C. and myself, as to whether the queens in 

 question could lay drone eggs in worker cells. I do 

 not believe that a fertile queen ever lays drone 

 eggs in worker cells; if so, away goes the theory 

 generally adopted by apiarists, that the cells de- 

 termine whether the future bee shall be a drone or 

 worker. Again, if the queen can deposit drone eggs 

 in worker cells, I do not see why she can not, with 

 the same ease,Jdeposit worker eggs in drone cells. 

 Friend C. claims a victory because you admit that 

 fertile queens do occasionally deposit drone eggs in 

 worker cells, but you •'opine' she makes a mistake." 

 May not the mistake be in the observer and not in 

 the queen? J. W. Shull. 



Pleasant Dale, W. Va., Sept. 6, 1879. 



I think the Wagner theory to which you 

 allude, friend 8., has been thrown aside for 

 some time. The queen does deposit worker 

 eggs in drone cells oftener than you imag- 

 ine ; and I think I can rind them in almost 

 every apiary of a dozen hives. When the 

 brood is capped over, you would not think 

 of its being drone comb, unless it was shown 

 you ; for the bees, in capping, have a way of 

 drawing in the mouth of the cells, that 

 makes it look exactly like worker comb, on- 

 ly that the cells are a' little farther apart. If 

 I am correct, almost any queen will raise 

 workers in drone cells, if you give her noth- 

 ing but drone comb. You will find, in al- 

 most every hive, in the summer season, oc- 

 casionally, a cell containing drone brood. 

 You will know it by its overtopping the 

 brood surrounding it. It is these occasional 

 drones that enable us to get queens fertil- 

 ized during the present month. Read what 

 friend Carhn says on page 400. 



NO QUEEN IN THE CAGE. 



Every little while, some brother declares 

 there was no queen in the cage we sent him. 

 As this is a world full of careless, well mean- 

 ing people, it is nothing very strange, especi- 

 ally, in so large a business as the queen trade 

 is getting to be. We had the same complaint 

 last year, to a certain extent, and so we put, 

 in large letters, on the directions for intro- 

 ducing, "Look in the cage, before opening 

 it, and, if you can find no queen, return the 

 cage at once to us. ,? You see I was deter- 

 mined to make our boys and girls careful. 

 Well, in spite of this, we have had three or 

 four notices that there was no queen in the 

 cage. In fact, one very good friend of ours 

 declares a $5.00 imported queen was non est. 

 lie will take oath she was not there, while 

 two of our clerks will take oath that they 

 saw the queen in the cage just before she 

 was shipped. Where then was the trouble t 

 I really can think of nothing, unless the 

 package was opened on the way ; but, as it 

 was securely tacked, I think such a thing 

 very improbable. Is it not more likely that 

 somebody was mistaken ? I decided to stand 

 the loss of the $5.00, but I tell you, after 

 that, we looked at every queen, just before 

 she went to the express office, you may be 

 sure. A few days ago, a card came from 

 another man who had some dollar queens, as 

 follows : 



One of the cages had no queen in it. As I opened 

 it, I saw 3 dead bees; I allowed the bees to come out 

 on the frames, but could not discover any queen. 



The 3 dead bees dropped into the hive in getting out 

 the other bees, so I could not examine them, and 

 did not think, at the time, that one of them might 

 be the queen. If you will send me a queen for that 

 one that did not come or was dead I will take it as a 

 great favor. R. Corscaden. 



P. S.- Lest there might be a mistake, I have looked 

 in the hive 3 times; no queen. K. C. 



Providence, R. I., Sept. 9, 1879. 



And to-day, comes another : 



That queen that ''did not come" or was "one of the 

 dead bees" must have come to life again, or was too 

 smart for me. I paid most particular attention 

 while the bees were coming out of the cage on to the 

 frames, and wonder that she could have escaped my 

 notice. After looking three separate times, lest by 

 any possible means she might have escaped my 

 notice, and seeing noihing to indicate that the queen 

 was in the hive, I gave the bees a comb with brood, 

 to keep them strong till I should get a queen. I did 

 not look at them again till the 13th, when your pos- 

 tal of the 11th came to hand; when, on looking them 

 over, I found new laid eggs. I looked again today, 

 and saw the queen. She is darker than any I have 

 had of you, and rather small, but may turn out to be 

 one of the best; so lean report all queens of you 

 are doing good work. K. Corscaden. 



Providence, B. I., Sept. 15, 1879. 



Now will you not be careful, my friends, 

 before blaming our boys and girls too much V 



FURTI1ER CAUTIONS AROUT ROBBING WHILE TRANS- 

 FERRING, MITCHELL, ETC. 



As I have known many cases of robbing that were 

 started by transferring, allow me to criticize your 

 advice on the subject to beginners. I was not satis- 

 fied with your reply to D. S. Bethune, p. 298, Aug. 

 No. We must not expect that beginners will keep 

 the honey wiped up clean, and prevent robbers from 

 getting home loaded, when it is difficult for them to 

 tell a robber bee from any other. Then you say, 

 transfer by moonlight; my experience teaches me 

 to handle bees by no other light than sunlight. I 

 have transferred a great many bees, and, when there 

 were other bees near, I have always taken them 

 into a room to perform the operation. They can be 

 handled there without the annoyance of* robbers, 

 and allowed to clean up all remaining honey before 

 being taken out; then they are ready to defend 

 themselves. I think their inclination' to rob each 

 other is the worst thing we have to contend with in 

 managing them. It seems that when they once get 

 honey dishonestly they never forget it." I have 82 

 swarms and never had a swarm robbed, having taken 

 great pains to prevent their getting started. 



I would like a queen bee breast pin, if you will get 

 them up. If you will not, I think I can furnish 

 them, made of -gold, for about $2.50. 



Mitchell was around not long ago, and sold to one 



i of my neighbors two rights to use his hive, at 15.00 



each, and promised to send two hives and two queens. 



All he sent was one hive. He said he had not time 



to visit me, so I lost one good talking to. 



Euclid, O., Sept. 19, 1879. F. C. W t hite. 



Thanks for correcting me, friend W. It 

 was only through forgetfulness that I omit- 

 ted to mention carrying the stocks to be 

 transferred in doors. We use the wire cloth 

 house shown on p. M0, Aug. No. By using 

 plenty of smoke, you can get along very well 

 by moonlight. I think you would better get 

 up the pins. I cannot help feeling that the 

 sii.oO would be better invested in something 

 else ; not in buying rights of Mitchell though. 



A FEW WORDS IN BEHALF OK THE ABUSED BLACK 

 BEES. 



lam a beginner and have had no experience with 

 Italians, but am well pleased with my success. I 

 started in last fall with 5 colonies. 1 lost one last 

 spring, while some of my neighbors lost half, and 

 others all of theirs. I now have 17 colonies in fair 

 condition for winter, and have taken 225tb. of most 

 beautiful box honey. The latter part of the season 

 has been unfavorable on account of a long drouth. 

 Mrs. S. L. Kepler. 



Mill Creek, Biehland Co., Wis., Sept. 16, 1879. 



