GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Heads ef Graim frdDim Different Fields 



The Backlot Buzzer 



WpU, here we are. Got 'em all nailed toyether hvt 

 the last frame, and two pieces missiiig. 



White Clover, but No White-clover Honey 



Bees in this vicinity wintered well. Of 43 colo- 

 nies cellared the last week of Novemher, 42 came 

 forth alive, and all in good condition when taken 

 from the cellar, one half March 15, and the rest the 

 fii'st week of April. 



The dead colony had no less than 20 pounds of 

 honey, and the cause of death was paralysis with 

 which they were attacked before putting into the 

 cellar. 



That surely is a fine picture of clover in Wiscon- 

 sin, p. 360, May 1; but it does not look like white 

 clover; and even if it is, it would be no guarantee 

 that we should get any honey from it. As a matter 

 of fact, we have had oceans of white clover in this 

 section for the last two years ; but it had no more 

 nectar than pansy bloom. 



Basswood, too, was nearly devoid of nectar in 

 these parts last season. 



White clover has wintered well, and we shall still 

 look for honey from this source, even after our 

 former disappointments. 



Fruit-bloom is on, and the bees are improving 

 their time gathering from the heaviest fruit-bloom 

 we have seen for years. We have had no frosts to 

 date to damage fruit-bloom. Dandelion bloom, too, 

 fs on, and is attracting the bees. 



CARRYING BEK.S IN AND OUT OF THE CELLAR. 



I read what Elias Fox says, page 382, May ], 

 on carrying bees out of the cellar by night, and 

 wish to support his statement as being the best plan. 

 I have followed this way for several years to my 

 entire satisfaction. But for putting them into the 

 cellar I reverse the time of dav. Instead of the 



late evening hour I use the early morning hours, 

 after a cool or cold night. 



My working plan to put bees in or out of the 

 cellar is this: I fill a large gunny sack with hay 

 or straw, put it on my Daisy wheelbarrow, and very 

 carefully put each hive on this cushion and wheel 

 it to or from my beeyard over a carefully prepared 

 way with so little disturbance of the bees that I 

 hardly ever find it necessary to close the entrance. 



Manawa, Wis., May 19. E. E. Colien. 



Avoid Too Thick a Fence Separator 



In using fences for plain sections is there any 

 advantage, aside from better-filled sections, in using 

 a % -inch-thick fence instead of the ^/4 -inch-thick 

 fence? In using beeway sections as you do, the bees, 

 in ray estimation, get a little better than a Vi-inch 

 entrance into the super, and I thought perhaps bees 

 would more readily enter and work in the super 

 with the %-inch fence than when using the i/4-inch. 

 What's the truth and general experience in this 

 particular 1 



[Dr. Miller replies:] 



It is not entirely clear just what you mean as to 

 thickness. The fences I have are about % thick 

 at the posts, with the rails of the fence, the separa- 

 tor part, about 1-16. Fences may be made of differ- 

 ent thicknesses, and I don't know whether the V4, 

 you mention refers to the posts or the rails. How- 

 ever, the general principle is all the same, and the 

 question is as to the effect of increasing the thick- 

 ness. 



In the first place, I don't believe you will find 

 that enlarging the passageway will make any very 

 great difference as to the bees passing through or 

 working above. Anything more than a sixth of an 

 inch (the slots in a queen-excluder are about 1-6) 

 will give as free passage as an inch, and the bees 

 will work just as well over it. If you increase the 

 thickness of the posts without increasing the thick- 

 ness of the rails, that will make the comb thicker, 

 increasing the danger of marring it. If you in- 

 crease alike the thickness of posts and rails, that 

 will leave the comb the same thickness, but will 

 increase the tendency to ridginess in the section. 



On the whole, if you make any increase in thick- 

 ness, better try it first on a small scale. 



Marengo, 111. 



The Critical Period in Queen Incubation 



You have doubtless had experience in rearing 

 queens in incubators with artificial heat. Can you 

 tell me why it is that queens so reared out of con- 

 tact with bees are so prone to die at the age of from 

 two to four days ? I have had a great deal of dif- 

 ficulty in rearing virgins past the fourth day; wher- 

 as if T get them five or six days old they seem to be 

 able to live on almost indefinitely, or at least for a 

 week or so. I understand my experience is com- 

 mon. I am pretty sure it is a matter neither of 

 confinement, temperature, nor moisture, and have 

 about decided it is improper food, but have not 

 goflen any that will supply the need. 



Seattle, Wash. Geo. H. Bishop. 



[Your trouble is doubtless due to having the 

 temperature too high or too low. The internal tem- 

 perature of a hive — that is, the proper one for raising 

 cells — is a little lower than the temperature necessary 

 for hatching eggs for chickens. We have referred this 

 matter to our man who has charge of our queen- 

 rearing, and he says that with plenty of ventilation, 

 aiul tomperature at about 97, he secures strong 



