8 IS 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



still more surprised when looking in the nucleus I" 

 find no queen or eggs, but capped queen-cells. 



I am as sure :is one can be that the strong eolouy 

 was not superseding, and the queen tliey have is 

 marked liko the one formerly in the nu'leus. Did 

 the queen get discouraged with such small proceed- 

 ings in the nucleus ? or did some of the workers in 

 the stionir colonv come over and offer her a better 

 job ? 



If one confines the queen to an upper story, plac- 

 ing a comb super between it and the lower story in 

 order to have cells built below, then when cells are 

 removed can the super and excluder be removed 

 without danger of the old queen being killed? 



Odon, Ind. W. H. Bair. 



[Cases of this kind have been reported, but they 

 are rare. It is not uncommon to find the bees grad- 

 ually deserting a queenless hive, and going into 

 another near by where there is a queen ; but it is 

 very seldom indeed where we find a laying queen 

 swapping honies. The incident here reported may 

 be accounted for in two vvays: First, the nucleus 

 may have swarmed out, as nuclei often do when 

 short of stores ; returned, and, instead of going back 

 to the old hive, went into a stronger colony. Sec- 

 ond, the bees in the nucleus may have attempted to 

 ball the queen. Sometimes a queen under those 

 conditions will run if she can elude her captors, and 

 escape at the entrance, fly about for a time, and 

 then return to her old hive near by. 



A virgin queen will very often by mistake go into 

 tlie ^vTong hive. 



As to your last paragraph, we see no reason why 

 you could not remove the excluder without danger 

 to the queen. The colony odor in the lower and 

 upper part of the hive would be the same ; and un- 

 less tl'.ere were virgins above, the old queen would 

 be accepted below. — Ed.] 



Some Questions on Moving Bees 



1. In preparing full colonies for a 300-mile ship- 

 ment should there be a notched stick placed on the 

 bottom-board to keep the bottom-bars from swinging 

 sidewise? 



2. Would anything be gained if the queen were 

 caged ten days previous to shipment, and then liber- 

 ated after shipment? 



3. How much honey should be left in an eight- 

 frame hive ? 



4. How much air space should be given above the 

 frames ' 



5. Would an empty comb-honey super be all 

 right? 



6. Should I take water in the car and sprinkle 

 the bees whenever they get uneasy ? 



Clarkston, Mich. W. L. Lovejoy. 



[1. If you have loose-hanging frames such an 

 arrangement is not only desirable but necessary. 

 With self-spaced frames, either closed end or of the 

 Hoffman type, it would not be needed. 



2. We hardly think this would pay you, for under 

 ordinary circumstances your sealed brood would not 

 suffer on the journey, and in some cases the un- 

 sealed brood is all right also. Caging the queen 

 would simply put the colony back, and you would 

 have your labor of finding queens, caging them, re- 

 leasing them, etc., besides. 



3. It depends on the size of the colony and on the 

 age of the combs. There is not as much danger, 

 of course, of comb breakage if the combs are old and 

 tough, and in that event the danger in having them 

 too heavy with honey would not be as great. How- 

 ever, the rule is to send no more honey than the 

 bees will require on the journey, in order to reduce 

 weight and to reduce to the smallest possible amount 

 the danger of breakage. 



4. AVe advise tacking on a framework the size of 

 the hive made of one-inch material, which is covered 



witli a heavy screen. This should go above and 

 below. The two screens provide two inches addi- 

 tional space, and under ordinary circumstances this 

 is enough. 



5. There would be no great objections to the 

 empty super except that it would take more room 

 in the car, and we do not know that it would be 

 any better than the one-inch space afforded by the 

 screens mentioned above. 



6. Yes, in hot weather you will need a good deal 

 of water. — Ed.] 



More about Pollen in Sections 



In editorial comment, page 82, Jan. 15, I note 

 what is said about Mr. Sprout's trouble witli pollen 

 in sections. He has used queen-excluders, but they 

 are not pollen-excluders. The editor refers to a 

 comb or combs at the side of the brood-chamber as 

 a means of holding it down. It occurs in colonies 

 that do not swarm as well as in those that do, as 

 these colonies are normal and have certainly all the 

 combs in the brood-chamber. The pollen still goes 

 up. He also speaks of empty cells. Tell us how to 

 keep them empty. I suppose he advises going over 

 the yard every other day and giving empty combs. 

 This would be fun. 



He also speaks of bees being creatures of habit, 

 and says they miist not be allowed to get the habit 

 of placing pollen in sections. Do you suppose that 

 the bees that place pollen in the sections this year 

 will be there to place some there next year ? Your 

 contention might be all right for just one season, but 

 this is an every-year occurrence. 



Akron, N. Y., Feb. 15. Wit F. VOLiiMEB. 



[We give it up. AVho has had practical experi- 

 ence in preventing this very annoying trouble" — 

 Ed.] 



The Cover Question 



I have seen and used many kinds of covers for 

 hives, but have always found that many, if not all, 

 had their weak points. Some absorb water, and 

 leak: others need painting too often, which is an 

 expense as well as a labor; others rot out too quick, 

 and still others get so hot on a real hot day that the 

 frames of honey will melt down. 



The new cover which I am using now has none 

 of the above weak points. It never needs painting; 

 v/ill wear as long as the hives themselves; will not 

 leak, and is the coolest cover I have ever found 

 What is it? It is aluminum. Some will say that it 

 is too expensive ; but if you will get it as thin as 

 taggers' tin you will find that it is not expensive. 



Simply order the aluminum in sheets a little 

 larger than your old cover, and turn down the edges 

 and nail them do\Mi, overlapping at each side and 

 end to shed the water. Put this aluminum cover on 

 a hive out in the sun with some other kind of hive- 

 cover in reach; and after letting the same stand in 

 the sun for an hour, place one hand on the alumin- 

 um cover and the other on your old cover, and you 

 will find that, while the aluminum cover is hardly 

 warm, the other cover will almost burn your hand. 

 We all know that aluminum will not rust. Remem- 

 ber, do not paint this cover, and get it as thin as 

 taggers' tin. Try this, friends, and be convinced 

 and do away with paint and rotten covers. 



Morgan, Ky. J. E. ,1ord.\n. 



Aster Stores for Wintering 



My bees are wintered on a combination consisting 

 mostly of aster honey and sugar syrup. I find them 

 to be good winter food. I do not have goldeni-od. 

 Tills year 1 M-ill remove the supers before the aster 

 flow in order to compel the bees to store their honey 

 in the brood-chamber. 



Lititz, Pa. Elmee S. Snavkly. 



