April 16, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



249 



USING THB SMOKER— FEEDING A NATURAL SWAK.M. 



And SO with G. B. Williamson's style of fuel and smoker, 

 one smoker full will last half a day if you don't use it inuiti. 

 Some of us use our smokers. 



Natural swarming is indeed good practice; but if vou 

 set it down that natural swarms never have to be fed you'll 

 get badly left some time. "Left" is the exact word. A 

 hungry swarm hangs together almost winter-cluster style 

 for a good, long spell, and then seizes the first bright, warm 

 hour to leave the ranch. Page 156. 



A MODERN ENTHUSIAST — NUMBERING QUEENS. 



So many have grown staid and half-way cold that it is 

 delightful to read once more a genuine, intelligent enthu- 

 siast. This is anent William W. Green and his apiary, 

 pages 161 and 162. His report of the Cyprio-Carniolan cross 

 is worth its place, certainly. How nice it would be if the 

 qualities of a first cross would only stay so, instead of 

 getting "every which way " with succeeding generations! 



Having the hive-number belong to the queen and travel 

 around with her is nice — in some respects — not nice to have 

 numbers die. as queens eventually must. And for big api- 

 ary and cold heart it wouldn't do at all. The maxim that 

 " figures can not lie " would get all battered up. 



\ RECORD ON INCREASE. 



Sixty-five colonies against his will, and no bees or 

 queen to make them of but one wandering swarm, is quite 

 a record — a record which Mr. Peter Gallee may hold until 

 somebody calls " Sixty-six I" on him. Page 162. 



THE DIAMONDS DIDN'T SPARKLE. 



But Mr. G. H.Wells couldn't get his bright, red diamonds, 

 with black figures inclosed, to impress their prettiness on 

 us in the picture. Never mind, Mr. W., we know they are 

 pretty — and also impress you with a sort of mj'-own-ness, 

 which is a good thing to have. Page 161. 



THE "VIRGIN" .\PIARY. 



The three modern hives and one old memento of C. W. 

 Virgin constitute the most restful and rural view of the four. 

 The grove looks almost like a natural forest. Nothing says, 

 " Hustle 1" nothing says, " Crowding here 1" Page Ibl. 



CONDUCTED BY 



DR. O. O. MILLEie, SlareDgo, HI, 



[The Qaestlons may be mailed to the Bee Jonrnal office, or to Dr. Miller 



direct, when he will answer them here. Please do not ask the 



Doctor to send answers by maiL— Editor.1 



Colony Left the Hive. 



I had a swarm of bees come out to-day, or left the hive. I had 

 been feeding more or less for the last two months. There were no 

 jounj; bees in the brood-ehamber, or sealed brood. What was the 

 trouble with them* lama beginner, having kept two or threecolo- 

 nies tor the last two years. Iowa. 



Answer. — Possibly it was a hunger swarm, the bees leaving the 

 hive because they had nothing to eat. Sometimes, however, tbey 

 leave the hive when there seems no way of accounting for it except 

 pure cussedness. 



Using Hives Where Bees Died-Spraying Fruit-Trees. 



1. I have lost colonies of bees ibis winter. Will it do for me lo 

 put new swarms in the combs of the hives again, when they swarm 

 this summer; ' 



•J. A man living a mile from where I do is going to spray his 

 apple-trees with Paris green this spring. Will my bees bring it huiiie 

 to their hives J New Hampshire. 



Answers. — 1. Yes, it will be all right. 



■-'. If fruit-trees are abundant, your bees may not go so far. li 

 scarce they will be likely to visit ihose trees when in bloom, and if lie 

 should spray during bloom it would mean death to the bees. Bui if 

 he is an up-to-dale fruit-grower lie will spray only before and after 

 bloom. The experiment slatiuns have dearly settled that spraying 

 during bloom is a damage to the fruit Crop, and in several States ii is 

 against the law to spray during bloom. 



Burr and Brace Combs- Telescopic Hive-Covers. 



1. I am only a beginner, having: 3 colonies in Dan/.enbaker hives. 

 One has built burr and brace combs until I dread opening the hive. 

 Would there be any danger of chilling the brood if I were to drum 

 them into another story, after settled warm weather is here, putting a 

 queen-excluder in to keep the riueen above! 



■J. Would full sheets, starters, or old comb be better for their new 

 place! I would prefer to have them build new comb, because the old 

 comb is crooked Uaken from a box-hive), and naturally leads them 

 inio bad habits of ooinb-buikling. 



3. I have some telescopic covers. . Is it necessary to have more 

 than the thin super-covers it they are used, or is a heavy cover, Koot's 

 E or F, required also! Maryland. 



Answers. — 1. There would be no danger of chilling the brood, 

 and it might work all right and it might not. I knew one case ia 

 which the queen staid over the excluder two or three weeks and never 

 laid an egg. Put the qufeen and the new story under the excluder. 



2. Full sheets. 



8. With a telescopic cover the thin super-cover is all that is needed. 



Transferring-Getting Bees Out of an Old House. 



1 . Can bees be transferred at this season of the year ( March 30) ? 



2. How can it be done to the best advantage! 



3. How does Mississippi rank as a honey-producing State! 



i. How can bees be gotten out of the loft of an old house! Can 

 they be driven out with smoke? Mississippi. 



Answers. — 1. Yes, any time when it is warm enough. Much 

 transferring is done in time of fruit-bloom, which is much earlier, of 

 course, in Mississippi than in the colder North. 



2. I don't know of anything different from the instructions laid 

 down in the books. But it might be better lo wait till 21 days after 

 the issuing of a prime swarm. 



3. I have no definite knowledge about it. ■ 



4. It depends upon position, etc. It where you can readily reach 

 them, smoke enough to quiet them, and then cut out the combs. 



Keeping Bees In a House Room. 



I have a room in the second story about 10 by 12 feet, with one 

 window. By opening the window about 6 inches, and tacking sheet- 

 ing over the remainder of the window, could I keep colonies of bees in 

 the room ! a,nd would they go to and from the room and be able to 

 locate their own hive on returning! I am living in the city, and want 

 to accommodate 10 colonies that way, if possible. Illinois. 



Answer.— I'm afraid your plan wouldn't work satisfactorily. 

 Bees cannot see as well as you, and with so little light they would 

 hardly find their hives, especially when cloudy. It might do it you 

 should leave the whole window entirely open, with an awning to keep 

 out rain. Or you could have holes through the wall to each hive. 



Cutting Out Drone-Comto— Moldy Drawn Comb. 



1. If I go over each colony and cut out the drone-comb, will the 

 bees build worker-comb in the space, if it is done when 1 put them out? 



2. I have several frames of drawn comb that are moldy, and have 

 quite a lot of dead t)ees in. Will the bees clean them out' and when 

 and how is the best time to have it done! Minnesota. 



Answers.— 1. They will be nearly sure to fill in drone-comb. Fill 

 in the holes with patches of worker-comb. 



3. They'll clean 'etu up all right. Give them wherever needed, 

 and if you have no immediate use for them do this way ; Put them itt 

 a hive-body and set under a good colony, so the bees must pass through 

 them in going in and out, and the bees will clean them. Do it any 

 time. 



Bees that Allow Robbing. 



What can be done with bees that allow themselves to be robbed 

 without making any resistance to the robbers? I have several colonies 

 every spring destroyed in this way. They just work away and pay no 

 attention to the robbers, even right through the fruit-bloom. They 

 do not seem to distinguish the robbers from their own bees, or else do 

 not care, I have tried everything I know, and without avail. The 

 bees are not queenless. Pennsylvania. 



Answer.— I have never had any experience in this line, and don't 

 know what can be done. But others have reported the same difliculty. 

 and some one may be able to give the remedy; so the question is 

 referred to the constituency. 



Transferring Bees— Using Sun Wax-Extractors. 



I began the bee-business in August, 1902. I bought over 30 colo- 

 nies in boxes. I have lost 7 by starving, or at least 5 by starving and 

 2 by moths. My bees that were able to be robbed last year are all 

 right now; they are gathering in pollen by the wholesale. I tried 

 transferring one colony yesterday morning. 1 fed them with some 

 others which I am feeding, and theu in the evening I drummed them 



