Aug. 13, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



521 



son. I boug-ht a late June swarm from one of them. Would 

 you advise breeding from this swarm's queen, or introduc- 

 ing new stock by buying a new queen from some reliable 

 breeder ? and would you advise getting a red clover (jueen 7 



Although these other bee-men are in a different valley, 

 they claim their bees come through a gap between the 

 mountains into the valley mine are in. 



My hives are 10-frame chaff, reduced to 8-frames by 

 division-boards or dummies. Pennsylvania. 



Answers. — 1. Pumpkins and all kindred vines do, also 

 the mints ; I don't know about the others. 



2. It is possible that your neighbor has better bees than 

 yours ; it is also just possible that his bees have the advan- 

 tage of pasturage, even if they are only a mile away. Be- 

 fore deciding fully, you can compare the work of the new 

 swarm with that of your other bees. As the expense would 

 not be great, it might be well at the same time to get a queen 

 of good stock — red clover queens may or may not be better 

 than others — then when you see the work of the progeny of 

 your new queen — that is, of colonies having queens reared 

 from her — you can breed from the best. 



The Division-Board and Its Use. 



In regard to the use of the division-boards, I would like 

 to be informed. Is the board placed in the center of the 

 brood-chamber or to one side, and for what purpose is it 

 used, anyway ? Minnesota. 



Answer. — What you call a division-board is really a 

 dummy. Its purpose is to fill up the extra space in the hive 

 after all the frames are in. If the hive were just large 

 enough to take in the frames it would be difficult to take 

 out the first frame. The dummy is put in either side, and 

 is easily taken out. When that is out there is plenty of 

 room to take out the first frame. That gives the one and 

 only use of the dummy. 



Swarming— RearlngTQiueens. 



1. What is the matter with one of my colonies? It issued 

 as a swarm June 14, that returned to the old colony ; June 

 26, in the forenoon, they issued as a second swarm, which 

 returned, and a third swarm came out in the afternoon, 

 which I hived. Two days later a fourth swarm came out. 

 I sent these back by killing the queen and cutting out all 

 the queen-cells, for the old hive had a queen. They do not 

 have any brood now. 



2. How can I rear some queens when there are no 

 queen-cells in any of my colonies ? 



3. What caused one of my colonies to cast two swarms 

 that returned, and not any that stayed out ? 



4. Will an 8-frame dove-tailed hive hold enough honey 

 to winter a 12-pound swarm ? Minnesota. 



Answers. — 1. June 14 the old queen issued with a 

 prime swarm. Through defective wings, or for some other 

 cause, she could not go with the swarm, and the bees re- 

 turned. By June 26 a young queen had emerged, but she 

 was also unable to go with the swarm, and you hived the 

 swarm with a later queen. No brood would be ia the hive 

 till their young queen was old enough to lay. 



2. Remove the queen from a strong colony and the bees 

 will start queen-cells galore. 



3. It may be that the queen could not fly. Then they 

 tried it the second time with the same result. Then because 

 of discouraging weather, or for some other reason, the bees 

 gave up further swarming. 



4. Yes, if the frames are full enough. 



Moths and Worms Destroying Bees. 



How can I drive out the moths and worms that are de- 

 stroying my bees? They kill the brood, and even get into 

 the supers. How would it do to throw salt or lye into the 

 hives ? I fired one hive, but that was hard on the bees. 



Illinois. 



Answer. — There is no way you can dri^e the bee-moth 

 without driving out the bees ; but you can get the bees to 

 do it for you. Keep your colonies strong, and they will look 

 out for the moths, especially if you have Italian blood in 

 your bees. You can, however, give the bees some help by 

 disposing of the large worms in the combs. Take a wire- 



nail and pick a hole in one end of a worm's web or gallery, 

 then start at the other end, digging after the worm till it 

 comes out for you to kill. 



Colonies Eatine Eggs and Destroying Queen-Cells— 

 Extracting from Brood-Combs, Etc. 



1. Why do queenless colonies eat or destroy eggs given 

 to them to rear a queen ? One of my colonies destroyed a 

 cell I gave them, and are queenless yet. 



2. Can honey be extracted from comb having a small 

 patch of brood in it, and not injure the brood ? 



3. How long can a queen be confined without injuring 

 her future laying 7 



4. Why does a queen sometimes lay 2 or 3 eggs in one 

 cell? 



5. Why do bees swarm after filling the body of the hive 

 and full size 8-frame body on top one-fourth full, as mine 

 did yesterday, July 6 7 Idaho. 



Answers. — 1. Bees frequently eat or destroy eggs given 

 them or left with them when queenless. I don't know why. 

 They will also destroy queen-cells sometimes for no appar- 

 ent reason. 



2. Yes, if you don't turn rapidly enough to throw out 

 the brood. 



3. I don't know ; probably a week or two ; possibly 

 longer. 



4. Sometimes there seems to be something exceptional 

 or wrong with the queen ; she lays two or three eggs in a 

 cell when other cells are empty. 



5. Generally because crowded for room ; in which case 

 it's a sign of a good queen. 



Lazy Bees— Comb or Extracted Honey— Introducing 

 Queens. 



1. I have a colony of bees which seems lazy ; they will 

 not store honey in the super at all, while the others do. 

 Would it be a good plan to requeen 7 



2. Which would be more profitable for this locality 

 (northern Vermont) comb or extracted honey, both selling 

 at the same price ? 



3. Which hive is the best to use for extracted honey, the 

 8 or the 10 frame Langstroth, or the Draper barn ? 



4. Do you think forced swarming could be successful 

 here 7 



5. I have a new swarm in a Danz. hive which is too 

 weak to work in a super. If I should have another swarm 

 come out would it be all right to hive them in the same hive 

 with the weak one 7 



6. What is the most successful way of introducing 

 queens 7 Vermont. 



Answers.— 1. Probably ; although without knowing 

 more about the case it is hard to say. 



2. Probably extracted. 



3. One of the larger size. 



4. Yes. 



5. Yes, only you must look out for fighting if the added 

 swarm has a virgin queen. 



6. Hard to tell. The plans are legion, every plan her- 

 alded as the most successful, and each in turn failing at 

 times. Lately I have been using the water plan with entire 

 success, but whether it would always succeed so well is a 

 question, for I have used it only during a honey-flow. Hold 

 the queen in water till she is nearly, or entirely, drowned, 

 then give her to the queenless colony by laying her on one 

 of the top-bars. 



Amerlkanische Bienenzucht, by Haps Buschbauer, is 

 a bee-keeper's handbook of 138 pages, which is just what 

 our German friends will want. It is fully illustrated, and 

 neatly bound in cloth. Price, postpaid, $1.00 ; or with the 

 American Bee Journal one year— both for $1.75. Address 

 all orders to this office. 



Queenie Jeanette is the title of a pretty song in sheet 

 music size, written by J. C. Wallenmeyer, a musical bee- 

 keeper. The regular price is 40 cents, but to close out the 

 copies we have left, we will mail them at 20 cents each, as 

 long as they last. 



