1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



849 



At the close of the season, if I have more 

 bees and combs than I want I unite the 

 bees back and render the poorest combs into 

 wax. 



I have now a series of experiments with 

 nine artificial colonies in building natural 

 combs by feeding- under different condi- 

 tions. These bees were shaken out of aver- 

 age colonies with average queens upon emp- 

 ty frames with narrow starters, some with 

 and some without wires; some of the combs 

 are now nearly complete. The most nearly 

 perfect are in wired frames; but some with- 

 out wires are nearly as good. Wires are 

 perpendicular, and absolutely prevent sag- 

 ging. There is practically no drone comb 

 in any of the nine colonies. The wires 

 answer as guides in building the combs. 

 They should be waxed. 



East Townsend, Ohi©. 



CUBAN SHOOK SWARMS; SHAKING A SOT.U- 

 TION OF THE FOUL-BROOD SITUATION ; 

 WHEN AND HOW TO SHAKE; THE EFFECT 

 OF SHAKING ON BLACKS, CARNIOLANS, 

 AND ITALIANS; SHAKING GIVES PERFECT 

 CONTROL OF SWARMING. 



I have made several hundred of them this 

 year, and am still shaking. There are two 

 reasons for this— to control swarming and to 

 keep clear of foul brood. On account of the 

 latter, as well as tlie high price of founda- 

 tion, I use starters this year entirely. 



Last year I used full sheets of founda- 

 tion, and I can not see that they are of 

 enough advantage to pay the difference in 

 cost, though perhaps they would in a colder 

 climate or a shorter honey-flow. There is 

 a difference between shook and brushed 

 swarms when some bees are left. In brush- 

 ing you get those that the brush hits, and 

 leave those that it misses, while shaking 

 takes those that have the poorest hold of the 

 combs, and leaves those who hold on better. 

 The result is, in the latter case, that the 

 queen is about certain to drop off, while the 

 bees that are left are the young nurse bees 

 that are wanted to care for the brood. Even 

 in this hot climate there must be bees 

 enough left to care for the brood until some 

 bees hatch. 



In shaking, make a quick vertical move, 

 and no honey is jarred out if not too violent; 

 but if the combs are slanted the honey on 

 the lower side is spilled. This, however, 

 does no great harm, for it staj^s with the 

 bees on the old stand, and they will look 

 out for robbers. I smoke pretty well so the 

 bees fill themselves with honey. 



The old hive should be filled with frames 

 about as fast as the combs are taken out, to 

 make a place for the bees to cluster, or they 

 will run out of the entrance or boil over the 

 top, and perhaps lose the queen. 



The best time to shake is toward night, 

 for the bees are not so apt to swarm out. 

 In case a frame of young brood is left, there 

 is very little danger. If the}' do swarm out 

 they are not apt to run away, for they will 

 usually stay several days before leaving 

 the limb. 



Blacks are much more apt to swarm out 

 than Italians. Carniolans build comb fast- 

 er than the others, and build up quicker; 

 or, at least, those in one of Coggshall's api- 

 aries here do. The brood is to be put into 

 a new hive and set facing away from the 

 swarm. I stop the entrance with green 

 grass; and by the time the grass wilts the 

 colony is able to care for itself. In filling 

 the hive with brood I put in ten full frames, 

 the combs of honey or those with but little 

 brood being put either on other colonies or 

 extracted. This makes less increase and 

 stronger colonies. Sometimes there will be 

 brood from three different hives to make one. 



I give a queen-cell at the time of shaking; 

 then by the time the brood is all hatched 

 there is a young queen laying. This colo- 

 ny can then be "shook" in its turn, but, of 

 course, there will be no brood, so the bees 

 are all left. 



I melt up the combs for wax after extract- 

 ing what honey there is. By this means I 

 hope to keep clear of foul brood and to get 

 a lot of wax. I consider "shaking" the 

 most valuable thing that has come up in 

 the bee journals for a long time, for it gives 

 perfect control of swarming. 



Artemisa, Cuba. Harry Howe. 



SHAKING PREFERABLE TO BRUSHING; SHAK- 

 ING FOR REVENUE ONLY; ADMIRABLE 

 FOR OUT-APIARIES; BEST TIME 

 FOR CLIPPING. 



In answer to your inquiry concerning 

 brushed or "shook" swarms I will say 

 that I have practiced this plan for years, 

 more or less, as the best interests of my 

 business were indicated from year to year. 

 In the beginning I will say that, in my 

 judgment, "shook " swarms are much more 

 preferable, not in name but in fact, to 

 brushed swarms. It is a fact patent to all 

 who have handled bees that, in shaking a 

 comb, it is the oldest bees that leave the 

 comb first, so it is possible for the apiarist 

 to leave the combs protected by bees that 

 will stay where he puts them. Hence I say 

 this condition which is so desirable can be 

 secured better by shaking than by brushing 

 all and then returning a part to the combs 

 without proper regard to age. 



I have never practiced shaking off all the 

 bees, neither would I advise it, for there 

 are generally a few pilfering colonies in 

 almost any apiary that would be attracted 

 by the smell of new honey left on these 

 combs, and would gladly take advantage if 

 left entirely unprotected. 



I will emphasize the fact that the combs 

 of brood should be left well protected; but 

 as to just how many bees to leave would be 

 indicated at the time to the operator accord- 

 ing to the amount of hatching brood and 

 the condition of the weather. The hive con- 

 taining the brood is carried to a new stand 

 if intended as increase; but if the intention 

 is to unite with the parent colony at the end 

 of 21 days, then it is set close beside it with 

 the entrance at right angles. 



Some objections to "shook" swarms have 



