Dec. 3, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



779 



9. My bees did not swarm much this season, and the 

 one colony which filled the super first was full of brood in 

 the center sections of the super when I took it off. Docs it 

 require the entire 16 frames for the brood ? Nebraska. 



Answkks. — 1. It isn't so much the hive as the man and 

 uianagemeut. With right management there is no reason 

 why you should not have success with the hive you have. 



2. Your two stories of eight frames each are equivalent 

 to 8 frames of the usual size, 175^x9,'s, and the trouble could 

 hardly have arisen from too large a hive. It is hard to 

 guess what the trouble was, and without knowing particu- 

 lars it must be only a guess, but it is just possible that your 

 colonies were not strong enough for good results. 



3. The excluder would hardly help matters, for it would 

 only give the bees more room to store honey in the combs 

 from which the queen was excluded, while your desire is to 

 have the honey in sections. 



4. You are just about in the center of Nebraska, and 

 the likelihood is that cellaring is best. Find out, however, 

 what has been the experience of others in your locality. 



5. It will be well to have them in the shade, especially for 

 the comfort of the bee-keeper in hot weather, but it will not 

 do to move them into the shade when hot weather comes ; 

 before flying in the spring they must be where they are to 

 remain througVi the season. 



6. For outdoors 30 pounds ; In the cellar 10 pounds less 

 may answer. As a matter of safety it is well to go beyond 

 these figures. 



7. I'm not sure what it is in all cases. The chief advan- 

 tage in mj' own practice is that before the harvest there 

 may be plenty of room to develop a strong colony, and 

 when the harvest comes, reducing to one story gives all 

 room needed by the queen during the harvest. 



8. I'm not sure that I know. Possibly locality and 

 management might make one best for one and another for 

 another. For my own use I have 8 frame dovetailed hives, 



9. Your entire 16 frames being of such small size, are 

 scarcelj- too much for brood ; at least one story would not 

 be enough. If you mean that you allowed the two stories 

 for the queen, and that she had brood in the center of the 

 third story or super, I don't know what the trouble was. If 

 you mean that you were working for comb honey in the 

 second story, and that the queen laid in it, that is just what 

 might be expected ; for eight of your little frames gave her 

 too little room. 



Number of Supers Needed Per Colony. 



When the bees fill a super in th<_ spring or early sum- 

 mer, how soon may this super be taken off and still be run- 

 ning no risk of honey souring, as I have read that it does if 

 taken off too soon ? What I am figuring on is to know how 

 many supers will be needed per colony in a good honey sea- 

 son. Illinois. 



Answer. — Take off" the super when all the sections are 

 sealed. Or, take it off when all but a few of the outside 

 sections are finished, and return the unfinished ones to be 

 finished. No matter how early it is taken off, there is no 

 need of its souring unless kept in a bad place. Keep it in a 

 dry, warm place, and it will be all right. A place where 

 salt will keep dry will be all right. A hot garret is one of 

 the best places. 



I don't clearly see just what your question has to do 

 with the number of supers needed. That matter may be 

 figured in this Way : Get ready for each colony one more 

 super than the average number of supers filled in the be^t 

 season you ever had. Generally that will be more than you 

 will need ; but it does no harm to have some supers left over 

 for a future year, and it's a bad thing to be caught short. 



Working Beeswax— Moulds for Same. 



Where can I get information and books on working 

 beeswax 7 and, also, where can I get a mould for the same ? 



Illinois. 



Answer. — I suppose you refer to making comb founda- 

 tion. 1 don't know of any book that gives information 

 fuller than you will find in Root's " A B C of Bee-Culture." 

 In this country foundation is made by means of foundation 

 mills — run through a machine with two metal rolls, some- 

 thing after the fashion of a clothes-wringer. Foundation 

 mills are manufactured by the A. I. Root Co. A few years 

 ago many were making foundation, but gradually it has 

 been given up to a few who make a business of manufactur- 

 ing it, and it is doubtful if you will find it worth while to 

 make your own foundation. In Europe, thousands of bee- 

 keepers make their own foundation, partly because there is 

 some difficulty in buying foundation made of pure wax — let 

 us be thankful there is no such trouble in this country — but 

 they use the Rietsche press, pouring the hot wax into the 

 mould and pressing it. I don't know of any place where 

 you could get a press of that kind in this country. 



tioldens or Red Clover Italians— Honey vs. Increase. 



1. I had 10 colonies of hybrids, spring count, and took 

 off 1035 finished sections of honey, and increased to 25 colo- 

 nies. Now, I expect to try all goldens during 1904. Am I 

 starting right? I ask this as I see no records given of the 

 goldens as honey-gatherers, either average or leaders. I 

 want the nice color and honey-gathering qualities com- 

 bined, if possible. 



2. Would it make crosser bees to cross the golden queens 

 with red clover drones, than to leave the goldens pure? 



3. Once I was puzzled what to do with my bees ; they 

 had swarmed once apiece, the brood-frames were chock-full 

 of brood and sealed honey, giving the queen no room. 

 Swarms and all were alike ; I wanted comb honey, and no 

 more increase ; neither did I have a honey-extractor, or a 

 single empty hive. Now, what was the course to take in 

 this case? Iowa. 



Answers. — 1. If you can do as well every year, you 

 ought hardly to complain of the bees you have now. Gold- 

 ens are not uniform in character. Some are reported as 

 poor workers and others good. Their color does not neces- 

 sarily make them either good or bad. 



2. Probably not. 



3. Pile on the sections, and possibly uncap some of the 

 brood-combs if too well filled with honey. But remember 

 that filling the brood-frames with brood does not usually 

 restrict the qijeen, for the young bees hatching out provide 

 empty cells for her. 



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