348 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15 



to one-half inch square to iX2 inches. If 

 packed for outside wintering the packing 

 should not be removed until settled warm 

 weather. If severe cold weather follows the 

 setting of the bees out of the cellar the en- 

 trance to the hives should be conti-acted to a 

 tly-space for only two or three bees; and if 

 the hives have a fiat cover an additional fiat 

 board laid on the cover will help greatly in 

 conserving the heat of the colony. Tar-paper 

 wrapping of the hive is recommended by a 

 few specialists whose success in honey pro- 

 duction gives great weight to their opinions. 

 I have not had occasion to try it. The gist 

 of the whole matter of early spring manage- 

 ment is to keep the colonies warm and dry; 

 and, having seen that they have plenty of 

 stores, let them alone until settled warm 

 weather. 



It is a waste of time to attempt to unite 

 weak colonies early in the spring. Usually 

 the uniting of several weak colonies will re- 

 sult in one colony no stronger than if it had 

 been left undisturbed by the addition of oth- 

 er bees. 



When settled warm weather has come, and 

 all danger of spring dwindling has passed, it 

 is time to get busy with active preparation 

 of the colonies for the harvest. Generally 

 speaking this season is about apple-blossom 

 time in the northern and eastern States and 

 the southern Canadian provinces. 



There are several methods of building up 

 colonies, in anticipation of the honey-iiow, 

 employed by specialists; but I purpose de- 

 scribing only the one that has given the best 

 results in my own experience. For the pur- 



{)ose of more clearly illustrating this method 

 et us suppose a good-sized apiary, one hun- 

 dred colonies of which have come safely 

 through the spring-dwindling period after a 

 severe winter and spring. Upon examina- 

 tion we find that of these hundred colonies 

 twenty-five are strong, and bid fair to be 

 running over with bees by the commence- 

 ment of the main honey-How (white clover), 

 which will open in five or six weeks, and be 

 in its height a week thereafter. Of the sev- 

 enty-five remaining colonies, fifty are in me- 

 dium condition, with from three to four L. 

 combs fairly well filled with brood, and 

 twenty-five colonies are weak with from two 

 to three L. frames containing brood. As- 

 sume that it will be a good honey season 

 and a good location, and that the twenty-five 

 strong colonies will, without manipulation, 

 other than supplying the needed supers, 

 store an average of 100 lbs. of surplus honey, 

 or a total of 2500 lbs., and that each will cast 

 one swarm which will gather winter stores, 

 any surplus from swarms being credited to 

 the parent colonies; that the fifty colonies in 

 medium condition will gather enough honey 

 on the average for winter stores but no sur- 

 plus, the assumption being that there is no 

 fall Jow, and that none of these will swarm, 

 and that the twenty-five weak colonies will 

 rear enough bees and store enough honey 

 during the season to make eight good colo- 

 nies ready for winter when doubled up in 

 the fall. From this assumption the net re- 



turns, not counting labor or expenses, would 

 be 2500 lbs. of honey and an increase of eight 

 colonies, or 108 colonies fall count. At the 

 close of the season the possibilities of this 

 apiary, if it had been in the pink of condi- 

 tion for the honey-flow, is plainly pointed 

 out. Instead of a net crop of 2500 lbs., not 

 counting labor or expense, and an increase 

 of eight colonies, there would have been 

 nearly or quite 10,000 lbs. of honey, and a 

 liberal increase amounting to approximately 

 100 per cent, or, instead of the increase, a 

 corresponding increase in the amount of sur- 

 plus honey, all of which is evidenced by what 

 the 25 strong colonies accomplished. The 

 apiary has yielded less than one-fourth, of its 

 latent possibilities. That is not enough for 

 the progressive bee-keeper. Let us, then, 

 diligently inquire how we could have made 

 those seventy-five profitless colonies yield at 

 least a fair profit. 



It is well known that the egg-laying capac- 

 ity of the queen is not necessarily impaired 

 by reason of the colony having dwindled to 

 small proportions. A young vigorous queen 

 in a dwindled colony has as much of latent 

 value stored up in her as her equal in a pop- 

 ulous colony, and she is willing and anxious 

 to yield it up; but to do so she must have the 

 proper environment. Dwindling is probably 

 due to a variety of causes other than low vi- 

 tality of the bees, and the progeny of the 

 queens of dwindled colonies are as likely to 

 be extra vigorous honey-gatherers as other- 

 wise. In fact, dwindling may be the result, 

 in some cases, of so much vigor in the bees 

 that they venture out for water and nectar 

 in weather so cold as to cause their destruc- 

 tion. Populous colonies of such bees are the 

 ones that roll up a bountiful surplus if it is 

 to be had. The importance of getting as 

 many as possible of the progeny of such 

 queens into the honey harvest is, therefore, 

 apparent. It is equally clear that, for lack 

 of warmth, a weak colony is incapable of in- 

 cubating many of the eggs the queen might 

 lay, or of nurturing the young bees. If we 

 can so manipulate our colonies as to secure 

 the maximum of egg -laying of all our queens 

 at the season which will put the largest pos- 

 sible force of vigorous workers into the har- 

 vest, it is plain that we shall be far and away 

 ahead for our pains in the amount of honey 

 secured by the close of the season. 



HOW TO EQUALIZE WITHOUT WEAKENING 

 THE STRONG COLONIES. 



Let US classify the colonies comprising the 

 apiary in the above illustration into three 

 groups, placing the twenty-five strong colo- 

 nies in the first, the fifty of medium strength 

 in the second, and the remaining twenty-five 

 weak colonies in the third class. This clas- 

 sification is made without changing the posi- 

 tion of the colonies in the apiary, and is 

 made when settled warm weather arrives 

 and spring dwindling has ceased. Now go 

 to one of the weak colonies and select the 

 two combs containing eggs and brood, and 

 shake the bees clean therefrom into their 

 own hive, leaving no brood unless it be a 



