January, 1915. 



American lUie Jonrnal j 



appearance of the disease, this apiary 

 was composed of vigorous colonies, 

 mostly hybrids, located 10 miles from 

 the home apiary, liuropean foulbrood, 

 thus far entirely unknown in that part 

 of the State, sprung up suddenly there. 

 In spite of its showing among more 

 than half of the colonies of that apiary 

 by June 10, it was practically eradi- 

 cated during the dry season. A com- 

 plete record was kept of the treat- 

 ments, and this material will be given 

 in the columns of the American Bee 

 Journal for 1915. 



The experience showed beyond 

 doubt that the Italian bees are great 

 fighters ot the disease, all strong Ital- 

 ian colonies being afifected very little, 

 even with bad cases in the apiary and 

 when no crop was on. Those present 

 who had experience with the disease, 

 stated that it may reappear in weak 

 colonies or those not of pure Italian 

 stock. The old advice, "Keep your 

 colonies strong," cannot be too much 

 emphasized. 



Dr. E. F. Phillips addressed the con- 

 vention on " Temperatureand Moisture 

 of the Hive in Winter." The bee-keep- 

 ers hardly realize what extensive in- 

 vestigations have been undertaken by 

 the Department of Apiculture at Wash- 

 ington, on bees in winter quarters. A 

 report of more than three months, 

 during the middle of winter, was kept, 

 with readings made every 15 minutes 

 day and night, of the temperature of 

 the cluster as well as of other parts of 

 the hive and the outside air. Such ex- 

 tensive experiments are of course im- 

 possible to the average beekeeper, and 

 the Department will bring to light 

 many important points as the experi- 

 ments are continued. Bulletin No. 9.3, 

 which has been mentioned in the 

 American Bee Journal for May, page 

 188. gives more details upon this sub- 

 ject than may be given here. 



Report of the busy State Inspector 

 of Apiaries, A. L. Kildow, showed 

 much progress in the campaign for the 

 education of the beekeepers on dis- 

 eases, by field meets during the year. 

 With the State fund available, a large 

 territory was covered this year, as will 

 be shown in his report to be published 

 in early spring. Due notice of this will 

 be given in time. Forty counties out 

 of 48 visited were found with disease. 

 His work and that of his deputies was 

 made difficult by the drouth which 

 affected much of Illinois this year. Mr. 

 Kildow deserves praise for his efforts 

 to help uplift bee-culture in Illinois. 



The presence of Dr. Burton N. Gates, 

 president of the National Association, 

 was much enjoyed, and his lantern 

 slide lecture at the evening session 

 was very instructive. There were 

 many beginners present to whom this 

 number of tlie program proved of great 

 value. Mr. Gates spoke of the bee's 

 importance in the fertilization of flow- 

 ers. Bees have proven absolutely 

 necessary in large green-houses to 

 fertilize the cucumbers now grown in 

 great numbers, during the winter, under 

 glass. One establishment of some 40 

 acres uses from 80 to 100 colonies for 

 this purpose every year. 



In response to the call for prize 

 essays, three were read, two of them 

 being by ladies. A vote taken awarded 

 the prizes as follows: 1st Mrs. A. L. 



Kildow ; 2d, Mrs. H. L. King ; 3d, Louis 

 Werner. The first of these, by the wife 

 of the foulbrood inspector, will be 

 printed in the American Bee Journal. 

 The following were elected officers 



for the ensuing year : President, E. J 

 Baxter; Secretary, Jas. A. Stone, Rt. 4 

 Springfield, III.; Treasurer, Chas. 

 Becker; 1st Vice-President, W. B. 

 Moore. 



Dr. Miller's ^ Answers* 



Send Questions either to the office of the American Bee Journal or direct to 



UR. C. C. Miller, Marengo. III. 



He does not answer bee-keepine questions by mail. 



Danzenbaker Hive for Nuclei — The Miller Cage 



1. Would a Danzenbaker hive answer as 

 well as a Langstroth for a nucleus hive? I 

 use the Danzenbaker altotiether. I thought 

 1 would use three frames in each compart- 

 ment and cut a hole Hx2 inches in the bot- 

 tom part of the hive for the middle, as the 

 frames are closed-end frames, and I cannot 

 put the entrance anywhere else. The outer 

 compartments will be thesameas described 

 in " Fifty Years Among the Bees." 



2. Would not a block I'A inches square 

 with a '»-inch hole bored in the center an- 

 swer as well as if I used two pieces %xli. a 

 piece of tin and a piece of section each %- 

 inch square ? This is for a Miller cage. 



3. " Fifty Years Among the Bees" is the 

 best book that I have read, having read other 

 well recognized books on bee-culture. It 

 tells the beginner as well as the veteran 

 how. when and where in plain language. A 

 man keeping bees could hardly invest a dol- 

 lar to better advantage than to buy one of 

 these books. 



I think I would like the No. 2 Miller cage 

 better than the No. j las it is stronger for 

 cells or introduction. Indiana. 



Answers.— I. Yes. if you are using the 

 Danzenbaker hive, use it for nuclei also. 



2. It would answer justas well, except that 

 it would take up too much room to be put 

 between two combs. 



3. I'm glad you like " Fifty Years." 



The special advantage of the No. 3 cage is 

 that it can be left for any time desired with 

 the bees without allowing them to get into 

 it. and then in an instant be changed so the 

 bees can get at the candy. 



or two combs, you can cut out a cell and 

 fasten it on another comb by pinnning over 

 it a hive-staple. When you take the extra 

 frame of brood and bees from some other 

 colony, shake into your nucleus the bees 

 from one or two more of the frames, since a 

 good many willTeturn to theirold h'ome. Or, 

 to prevent returning, you may fasten the 

 bees in the nucleus for two or three days. 



2. Yes. if the cell is not protected and is 

 given before the bees have discovered their 

 queenlessness. it will be torn down. But in 

 24 hours they are likely to discover their 

 queenlessness. 



3. Yes. if it is not too late in June, and you 

 give a pretty good force of bees. 



4 Like enough the few bees deserted the 

 brood and went below, leaving the brood 

 above to starve. 



5. Dead brood looks like— like— like brood 

 which has died. I hardly know how to say 

 it is different from diseased dead brood, un- 

 less it be that it looks more dried up. 



Breeding from a Prolific Queen 



This year we had only one colony out of 

 nine that stored any surplus honey; they 

 were Italians in an Sframe hive. Ne.Nt year 

 we would like to make some increase from 

 tfiis colony, as we have plenty of extra 

 combs and hives. 



1. About swarming time if I remove the 

 queen from this colony, in a few days there 

 will likely be a good many queen-cells 

 started. Now. if there happens to be cells 

 on each frame could I make eight nuclei 

 from it by taking one frame of bees and then 

 take a frame of hatciiing brood and bees 

 from some other hive, and perhaps a frame 

 of honey, and fill up the hive with drawn 

 combs ? 



2. If I remove the queen from one of my 

 black colonies and put in one of those 

 frames with queen-cell on it. would the 

 queen-cell need to be protected from the 

 bees for a few days ? 



3. If I make these nuclei, say in June, 

 would they be likely to build up into full 

 colonies in an ordinary year ? 



4. This fall we doubled up a few colonies 

 by putting the weaker colony on top and a 

 sheet of newspaper between: when I took 

 the frames out of this top hive to hang them 

 in the basement for the winter. I found dead 

 brood in them. 1 thought perhaps this 

 brood was not properly taken care of by the 

 bees. There was no smell, the brood was 

 not ropy, and the unsealed brood was coffee 

 colored, while the sealed was white and 

 thin 



5. How should dead brood look when not 

 diseased ? Illinois. 



Answers.— I. Yes. your scheme will work. 

 If the cells should happen to be all on one 



Swarm Control— GeHing a Strain Which Does Not 

 Rob 



1. In the American Bee Journal for No- 

 vember, page 385. the plan given by J. E. 

 Hand on swarm control and the increase 

 problem looks possible, and I would like to 

 have your opinion of it. I note he uses 16- 

 frame hives. Do you think the plan will 

 work with the lo-frame hive. He says take 

 six frames from each colony at the close of 

 the basswood harvest and give them to 

 the nuclei. But that will not be necessary 

 as I can build a 2-frame nucleus into a full 

 colony by winter. 



2. Is it necessary to wait until each colony 

 has made preparations to swarm or can it 

 be done just before the swarming season ? 



3 This last summer after the honey flow 

 was over I noticed a lot of robber bees 

 prowling around, and every now and then 

 one would manage to slip in past the guards 

 and steal a load of honey. Finally they over- 

 powered one and came very near robbing it 

 out before I got them stopped, and I got 

 them perfectly quiet at one time and con- 

 tracted the entrances to all the colonies. In 

 a few days there came a litle rain and after 

 it cleared up they started to prowling 

 around again and kept it up until cold 

 weather, but they were worse after a rain 

 or damp spell than at any other time. Is that 

 their natural way of doing or should they 

 keep quiet during a dearth of honey, and 

 would it have resulted in a general case of 

 robbing if I hadn't contracted the entrance ? 



4. I have read in the bee journals about 

 people getting hold of bees that seemed de- 

 termined to rob. and if any of them are that 

 way probably I have gotten some of that 

 stock I would be glad if you can tell me 

 where I can get a stock that is not inclined 

 to rob ? Virginia. 



Answers.— 1. As a rule it is not well to 

 attempt any changes on any plan given, but 

 to follow out exactly instructions. A plan 

 that succeeds with 16 frames might bean 

 utter failure with a less number. 



2. When colonies in general are making 

 preparations for swarming, it will usually 

 be all right to operate at that time upon 



