730 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Nov. 12, 1903. 



asked, but you invite the subscribers of the American Bee .Journal to 

 ask, and I have accepted the invitation. I am just crazy to learn all 

 I can about bees, and am taking up the work one subject at a time, 

 and am now on queen-rearing and mtruducing. Mississippi. 



Answers. — Allow me to premise that the book, " A Year Among 

 the Bees," was written by a man who didn't know all about bees, and 

 1 wouldn't approve all the things he recommends. Between you and 

 me, I don't count that an up-to-date book. Another book, "Forty 

 Years Among the Bees,'' is not quite so bad. 



1. In the case you ask about, the author is telling that he keeps the 

 hive containing his breeding queen on top of another hive, or over the 

 super of another colony, moving it occasionally to a new place, thus 

 weakening it by making it lose its flying force at each change. Of 

 course, there must be no connection between the upper and lower 

 hives whatever; the bottom-board of the upper hive stands on the 

 cover of the lower hive. Instead of that plan, I prefer to keep my 

 best queen in a nucleus standing permanently in its own place, draw- 

 ing. from it brood and bees if at any time it gets too strong. 



3. A colony has swarmed, and the queen being clipped the swarm 

 has returned. The queen is taken away from this colony, as well as all 

 of its eggs and unsealed brood, so it will start queen-cells from the 

 eggs or brood given. 



8. Incipient queen-cells are those that are started but not very far 

 advanced, as when started only a day or two. 



4. The bees of a swarming colony are recommended as being good 

 bees from which to start nuclei, because they will stay where they are 

 put. A swarming colony is any colony in the humor of swarming, 

 and in the jiresent instance more particularly one that has swarmed 

 and returned, because of having a clipped queen. 



5. Yes, if a nucleus is set on top of another colony, the nucleus 

 has its own bottom-board, so there is no communication with the hive 

 below. 



6. It is a common and a good practice to give a frame of young 

 brood to a colony or a nucleus having a virgin queen. This helps to 

 keep up the strength of the nucleus; it is supposed to have a stimula- 

 ting effect in starting the young queen to laying, and, if one linds no 

 queen-cells started on this young brood on a future visit, one can feel 

 pretty sure the queen is still there. 



7. When the frame of brood on which a queen is found is taken 

 with its adhering bees from a nucleus and given to a iiueenless colony, 

 the chances for friendly reception are better than it the queen were 

 given alone, because the queen is not disturbed as when caught, and 

 consequently does not act in a frightened manner; moreover, she is 

 surrounded by a strong guard of her own bees to protect her. 



8. By spreading brood is meant moving two frames of brood apart 

 and putting between them a comb containing no eggs or brood. The 

 queen will lay in this inserted comb very promptly, and thus the colo- 

 nies will rear brood faster than it left to themselves— that is, faster 

 than they would if the brood had not.. been spread. This refers to 



building up nuclei into full colonies in hot weather, when there is no 

 danger of chilling the brood by spreading it. 



0. It appears just the same as it does immediately after becoming 

 too old, only it is smaller. You can learn about the size of brood 

 by taking eggs that you know were laid on a certain date, and then 

 watching their size at different stages. A larva is too old for queen- 

 rearing after three days old, and it is probably a good deal better 

 when only a day or two old, for I Und that when allowed their choice 

 bees select for queen-rearing larva; only a day or two old. The safe 

 way is to use the smallest larva' you can find. 



10. The paraphernalia described in spring management at 

 page 33. But it is a mussy job to till combs with syrup for feeding, 

 and I'd much rather have a Miller feeder. 



11. Turn to page S3, and you will see that one of the queens is re- 

 moved two or three days before uniting. Generally, there is no fight- 

 ing. 



12. Generally part of the nuclei are queenless, so there are no 

 queens to dispose of. 



13. I don't know. It is more convenient to leave the escort bees 

 with a queen, but it may be safer to have them out of the way. Then 

 there is the remote chance of introducing foul brood by means of the 

 escort bees. 



11. In any hive, where queens have been reared, you are likely to 

 find the remains of queen-cells — called cell-cups — perhaps a quarter of 

 an inch deep. 



15. I don't known. 



16. I don't think I could give instruction suffloiently clear to en- 

 able you to make a Porter escape, and if you had the instruction it 

 would be cheaper for you to buy one. Besides, you might be prose- 

 cuted for making and using a patented article. 



17. In about 8 days after the first swarm, under ordinary circum- 

 stances, a second swarm may issue with a young queen. It the hive 

 is moved a day or two before this, the colony is depleted of its field- 

 bees (which go to the old stand and join the swarm), and is so weak- 

 ened and discouraged thereby that the superlluous young queens are 

 killed, and furtfier swarming is given up. If the old colony were 

 moved as soon as hived, it would be getting stronger every day, and 

 on the eighth day would be strong enough to swarm. 



18. It is a common thing for bees to destroy both the drones and 

 the drone-brood when they no longer feel the need of drones, espec- 

 ially if there is a let-up in the honey-harvest. 



1!1. A single colony will furnish enough drones for a whole apiary, 

 and young queens from pure mothers mating with pure drones will be 

 pure, but no matter how your colonies are placed you can not be sure 

 that your young queens will not mate with drones from colonies a mile 

 or more away. 



30. They would not be likely to separate again. 



21. Nothing — no need to prevent it. Put a super with its bees on a 

 strange hive during the harvest, and you'll find there is no inclination 

 to fighting. 



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C 



FROM MANY FIELDS 



From One of Oup Old Friends. 



I judge there are not many that read 

 the American Bee- Journal now that 

 read it in the days of its infancy, when 

 it was published by Mr. Wagner, in 

 Washingion, D. C, in the days " Nov- 

 ice "used to give his experiences in 

 it, and the first thing I looked for was 

 what "Novice" had to say, for I was 

 in the same boat, trying to winter bees 

 in the house by supplying such feed as 

 I thought they needed. Those days 

 are long since past, but not forgotten ; 

 neither are many of the men that fig- 

 ured in those days in the bee-world. A 

 few of them still survive, for I see their 

 names occasionally. But a majority 

 of them have passed over — to the Better 

 Land, I hope. For two things the 

 good Ivord permits me yet to have 

 love — for him and for his creatures — 

 bees among the rest. 



W. S. Van Meter. 



Neosho Co., Kans. 



A Season of Failupe— Plants. 



Our honey crop here is like a man 

 hunting God's country, it is always a 

 mile (year) ahead. 



We had three good flows this year. 

 The first was ruined by cold, dry 

 weather, the second by cold, wet 

 weather, and the third by a severe 

 drouth. The bees are in bad shape 



