June, 1910. 



j^American Hee Joarnall 



enough to stand the test. We did not 

 lose a single colony, and the middle of 

 May found all strong enough for supers. 

 But continued cold days with but little 

 chance for flight, caused some let-up 

 in brood-rearing. 



The first white clover blossom was 

 seen May 18th — earlier than ever be- 

 fore. That means bees will begin 

 storing from the abundant lay-out of 

 clover May 28 — if there is any nectar 

 in the clover. Will dandelions con- 

 tinue until that time ? 



Apple and Honey Drink 



Praktischer Wegweisergives a recipe 

 for a preparation that is said to be an 

 excellent remedy for a cough or cold. 

 One would judge that it has at least 

 the recommendation that it is not hard 

 to take. It is as follows: 



Cut up 6 ripe apples without parins. and 

 pour over them a quart of boilini; water. 

 Cover, and let stand for a day. Pour off the 

 liquid, add the juice of i to 3 lemons, and 

 sweeten to taste with honey. 



Poor Season in 1909-Stealing Honey 



Although the year 191)9 did not prove 

 a success financially, I made enough 

 from the sale of the poor honey the 

 bees worked so hard to find, to pay for 

 5 colonies of bees, and keep John in 

 honey, which he dearly loves to spread 

 thickly on his pancakes mornings. It 

 was a bad season for people as well as 

 bees. I hope that 1910 will be a success. 

 We bid good-bye to the failure of 1909. 



I enjoyed a laughable experience last 

 season. One hot day in July, as we 

 were eating dinner, I heard screams 

 from the direction of the apiary. Run- 

 ning out, I saw a man who was cutting 

 brush across the road, striking at a 

 small boy with a brush, and the boy 

 was yelling, "They have stung me 

 again !" I put on my bee-dress, grabbed 

 the ammonia bottle, and ran to the 

 road. I said, "You were after my 

 honey." He replied, " George said to 

 lift up the lid and get some honey." 

 George was getting badly stung, too. I 

 told him to run out through the field of 

 growing corn and the bees would leave 

 him, which he did. 



The little boy was badly stung, and 

 will never try to steal any more honey. 

 His father said he was afraid of a black 

 fly now. Ima. 



Ohio. __ 



Bees Killing Each Other— Sulphur Treat- 

 ment for Bee-Paralysis 



I have 2 old colonies of bees. In igo8 I 

 bought one colony of pure Italians with a 

 tested queen. Last year I took 72 pounds of 

 fine comb honey and liot one tine swarm, 

 both of which are very stronc. but they have 

 been Itillini; each other all winter, and still 

 keep it up; one colony has lost 2 good 

 swarms, the other one. The new ones are 

 killine each other just the same. Others iti 

 in the neighborhood are complaining of the 

 same trouble. What causes it ? 



Mks. K. I^. Stephens. 



Mart, Tex., .'\pril 2g. 



It sounds a little like robbing, but 

 robbing would hardly be so long con- 

 tinued, and so general. It may be bee- 

 paralysis, the bees dragging out the 

 diseased members. If it is paralysis 

 the affected bees will shake their wings 

 in a trembling manner, and have a 

 black, shiny appearance. 



Many cures have been reported only 

 to fail when tried again. Perhaps the 

 most hopeful treatment is that used by 

 Mr. O. O. Poppleton, who has had 

 much experience with the disease. It 

 is given in the "ABC and X Y Z of 

 Bee Culture." One plan that he uses is 

 as follows : 



He sprinkles sulphur over the affected 

 bees and combs, but not until all the 

 brood in the diseased colony has been 

 removed and put into a strong, healthy 

 one; for Mr. Poppleton says the sul- 

 phur kills all the unsealed brood and 

 eggs ; that no harm results in putting 

 the brood among healthy bees, as he 

 finds the source of the malady is not in 

 the brood or combs, for he has put 

 combs from paralytic colonies repeat- 

 edly into healthy ones, and never (but 

 once) did the disease develop in any 

 such colony, and that was a year after- 

 ward. 



Another plan is this : He forms as 

 many nuclei from strong, healthy colo- 

 nies as there are sick colonies to be 

 treated. As soon as the nuclei have 

 young laying queens, he gives to each, 

 as fast as they can take care of them, 

 one or two frames of the oldest capped 

 brood from each of the paralytic colo- 

 nies, and thereafter till all the brood of 

 such colonies is used up. The diseased 

 bees and queen he next destroys with 

 sulphur fumes, fumigating the hives at 

 the same time. 



Journal. I consider " Dr. Miller's Ques- 

 tion-Box " alone is worth all it costs. 

 Keokuk Co., Iowa. M. D. Johnson. 



A Little Bee-Sister— Honey Crop Almost 

 a Failure in 1909 



Honey here was almost a failure 

 last year. My average per colony in 

 comb for 1908 was 130 pounds ; for 1909 

 40 pounds. I am sending you a picture 



Miss Li'ciiK Johnson. 



of my little girl, Lucile Johnson, 10 

 years old, handling the Caucasians. 

 She has helped me in the work for two 

 seasons, and has never had a veil on. 

 I can't do without the American Bee 



Why Did Bees Die ?— Using Hives Where 

 Bees Died in Winter 



I had 4 colonies of bees last fall: I have 

 only 2 now. The ones which died seemed 

 weak. I could not find any queen-cells in one 

 ilast year's swarm/, and no queen in the 

 other one 2 years old). The hives were very 

 full of honey, and they seemed to be very 

 clean. What was the trouble? 



The 2 colonies are very busy, all young and 

 healthy. What time ought I to uncover the 

 bees for the summer work? 



The fruit-trees have been full of bloom, 

 but the heavy frost destroyed them. Will 

 there be plenty of white clover this year ? 



Can we use the frames of the hive we have 

 from the colony that died, or will it be bet- 

 ter to start with a fresh, new bo.\-hive ? 



Can we get a colony of bees to stay in a 

 hive where other bees have been, if we wasli 

 it thoroughly with salt and water ? 



Mrs. E. p. Day. 



Bloomington. III., April 27. 



It is impossible to say why the 2 col- 

 onies died. Queenlessness may have 

 been the trouble; they may have died 

 because so weak; or there may have 

 been some other trouble. 



When bees are wintered outdoors, if 

 there is no danger of their running 

 short of stores, it is just as well to 

 leave the covering on until nearly time 

 to put on sections, or until white clover 

 begins to bloom. 



The prospect for a white clover crop 

 this year is very good. 



By all means use the old frames and 

 hives. They are very valuable. Of 

 course, if the bees died of foul brood 

 or any infectious disease, then they 

 should not be used again ; but prob- 

 ably there is no such trouble with your 

 bees. 



If hive and combs are clean, a swarm 

 will prefer them to anything new. 

 There is no need to use salt water or 

 anything else if they are clean. If dirty, 

 wash with Clearwater. When a swarm 

 is hived, either in new or old hives, if 

 a frame of brood is given it will make 

 the bees more sure to stay. 



End-Spaced Frames— Top-Bar Thickness 



Miss Mathilde Candler says in the 

 Bee-Keepers' Review: 



Some time ago I sent for some Langstroth 

 brood-frames. They shipped me the short 

 top-bar variety. I do not like these, as I do 

 not want spacers in the frames, and without 

 spacers they slip down in wlienever I tip the 

 hive. I tried lengthening the top-bar. by 

 driving a staple in the end; but gradually 

 the staple will work down into the wood. 



Nor do I think it necessary that the top- 

 bar should be so heavy. I have a few frames 

 with top-bar only 'ns's. and they seem to be 

 every bit as good as those with a heavy top- 

 bar. Yet I do think 'sinch a bit light, and 

 would prefer to be on the safe side and have 

 them a /;///<• thicker. (7-16 suits me.— Editor.] 



It would be interesting to know just 

 why so practical a sister as Miss Cand- 

 ler objects to spacers at the ends of 

 frames. Of course a short top-bar 

 without them is utterly out of the ques- 

 tion, for that would allow the frames 

 to be constantly dropping down. Even 

 with the spacers some have complained 

 of the frames dropping down, but that 

 must be because there is some fault in 

 the construction of the hives, for in 

 this locality there is never any trouble, 

 although such frames entirely have 



