448 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Apr. 1 



STIMDLA.TIVE FEEDING DURING THE COLD 



SPRING WEATHER TO KEEP THE 



HIVES WARM. 



My experiments in feeding in spring were 

 of great value, especially in the cold rainy 

 weather we had last spring. I feed with an 

 inverted beer-bottle through a hole in the 

 hive- cover. Just draw a piece of cotton 

 cloth four inches square over the neck of the 

 bottle and insert it in the hole. This keeps 

 the bees active, and they will beep the entire 

 hive warm, and rear all brood without loss; 

 whereas if they have an abundance of seal- 

 ed honey in combs they become dormant, or 

 nearly so, and cluster. If the inclement 

 weather continues for two or more days, 

 much sealed brood dies; and the first warm 

 day the hive-front will be covered with hun- 

 dreds of dead bees with the head formed and 

 legs started, while all unsealed brood is eaten 

 as fast as it is exposed to the outside of the 

 cluster. This may seem incredible, but they 

 invariably do so when cold or starving. The 

 queen, if a good one, will lay eggs at all 

 times when there is honey coming in, but not 

 when the honey is stored in the combs. 



When we can keep the queen laying, and 

 all brood reared, the problem of strong col- 

 onies is easily solved. 



Sonora, Cal. A. D. Herold. 



[We question very much whether feeding 

 in early spring serves to keep the colony 

 warm because of the stimulation induced. 

 If the weather is chilly enough to keep a col- 

 ony back, feeding at such a time would only 

 tend to aggravate matters. Of course, if a 

 colony is running very short, and is liable to 

 starve, then if no combs of sealed stores are 

 available one would be obliged to feed. — Ed] 



WATERING BEES IN THE HIVES TO PREVENT 



THEM FROM FLYING OUT ON CHILLY 



DAYS FOR WATER. 



On page 14a8, Dec. 1, Dr. Miller gives us 

 some excellent advice about watering bees. 

 It is my opinion that the most important 

 part of the article is that which relates to the 

 early spring, when the bees are compelled to 

 risk all in order to obtain water for the brood. 



I had an Alexander feeder under each hive 

 — some to feed, others to stimulate. There 

 would be times of days in a stretch when the 

 bees would not break cluster to go to the 

 feed at the rear and bottom end of the hive 

 with the prevailing cold winds which swept 

 our prairies. 



One fine morning last spring, on going to 

 the tank where the boys were watering their 

 horses, I noticed that the whole surface of 

 the tank was covered with struggling bees 

 drowning in the water. This was not a 

 pleasant sight to behold when fully half of 

 the hives in the apiary were empty and half 

 of the rest were in a weak condition; so I 

 took a pail of water, threw a handful of su- 

 gar into it, and gave each colony a pint in 

 the Alexander feeders that were under the 

 hive. In half an hour there were no bees to 

 be seen about the tank. While we may af- 



ford to let our bees hustle for their drink 

 during summer time we surely can not af- 

 ford to do so in early spring. Just slip an 

 Alexander feeder under each hive and give 

 them what they want to drink at home. 

 Moorland, la. J. P. Blunk. 



[Attention has been drawn to this before: 

 but it was stated at that time that the mois- 

 ture from the breath of the bees, condensed 

 on the inside of the hives in chilly weather, 

 would give the bees all the water they would 

 need for brood- rearing. Whether true or not, 

 we should be glad to hear from any one who 

 may have any fact to offer. We are of the 

 opinion that many bees are lost in the spring 

 in the quest outdoors for water when the 

 weather is bad. — Ed.] 



QUEENS SUPERSEDED IN WINTER. 



I have read in Gleanings that bees would 

 not supersede queens in winter. I am send- 

 ing you two queens just hatched, and there 

 were several more cells in the colony. The 

 same thing happened last winter in my yard 

 in January. George Grovek. 



Trenton, N. J., Feb. 11. 



[While it is true that supersedure usually 

 does not take place in winter, yet if a failing 

 queen leaves eggs or young brood the bees 

 will raise queen-cells as at other times, pro- 

 viding it be not too cold. If it were severe 

 weather there would, of course, be no eggs 

 In that case the colony, if it survived, would 

 be found queenless in the spring. But if the 

 queen dies the colony is likely to die also. — 

 Ed.] 



concrete WATERING-TROUGH FOR BEES. 



In order to water bees, make a concrete 

 vat 8 feet long, 6 wide, and 6 inches deep; 

 then fill it with sand and small gravel, and 

 it is ready for the water. I have used this 

 three years with good results— no drowned 

 bees as there are around a tank. I keep the 

 sand and gravel drawn up from the center a 

 little so the water can be reached longer. A 

 bucket of water now and then will keep the 

 gravel moist. B. F. Spafkord. 



Morning Sun, Iowa. 



[This is a good suggestion. If no creek be 

 near, moist gravel should be provided.— Ed] 



entrance-guard to PREVENT ROBBING. 



When robbing is going on, contract the 

 entrance of the robbed colony down to one- 

 fourth the usual size, and place an entrance- 

 guard over it. It will be a bold robber that 

 will enter after this is done. 



Pittsfield, 111. Geo. B. Duff. 



[The scheme of applying an entrance-guard 

 to check robbing we consider excellent. — 

 Ed.] 



liquefying honey IN AN INCUBATOR. 



In regard to an article on page 145, about 

 liquefying honey with hot air, f came to the 

 following idea, which I think would make the 

 job easy, and at the same time do it at very 



