500 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15 



the bees will have something to care for. 

 Never mind the slop on the frame; the bees 

 will take care of that right away, and prob- 

 ably get more assistance than either you or 

 they care for. 



Before starting the next frame, clear the 

 table of the trimmings by dropping them into 

 the tin box, and closing the lid. Before your 

 job is finished you will probably draw from 

 this store; but in the mean time you want 

 the fragments under cover, to be free from 

 the annoyance of thousands of bees that are 

 naturally attracted by the smell of honey. 

 Turning to the box hive you will find a host 

 of bees on top of the combs. Jar them off 

 into the empty box, and proceed with the 

 second comb and the second frame. If you 

 find brood here, be as gentle as you can. 

 Do not kill any life wantonly or even care- 

 lessly. I know it is impossible to make ome- 

 lettes without smashing eggs; but one need 

 not smash eggs when omelettes are not be- 

 ing made. Besides, bees cost money. Bees 

 and honey are convertible terms. Bees make 

 honey, but honey is made into bees. There- 

 fore both humanity and business protest 

 against the careless destruction of life. 



If the weather be at all cool, one can not 

 proceed too quickly with the brood-combs to 

 get them into the care of the bees as speedily 

 as possible. 



The instructions for filling one frame ap- 

 ply equally to all others; but this may be 

 added: Get the combs as even as possible, 

 and never hesitate to cut out a piece that is 

 too thick, as it will interfere with the future 

 handling of the frames. Again, in piecing 

 out. try as far as possible to cut pieces that 

 will reach from top to bottom of the frame, 

 as the wedging-in gives more certainty of 

 the comb staying in place. And do not for- 

 get the reserve stock in the tin box. 



Once the frames are all in place and the 

 cover on the hive, place a board running to 

 the entrance and set the box with the bees 

 on it (open end, of course) toward the en- 

 trance, and the procession will soon start 

 homeward. Fig. 4 



PREVENTING ROBBERS. 



Last of all, remove the honey mess as quick- 

 ly as possible, so that you will not encourage 

 robbing. Even with only one hive in the 

 yard, and the nearest apiary quite a distance 

 away, it is simply amazing how speedily a 

 well-defined line of travel one can see in the 

 air. So at once carry the old box hive at 

 least one hundred feet from the scene of oper- 

 ations; pick up all loose fragments of comb, 

 and dispose of them in the covered tin box; 

 then wash the tools and table as speedily as 

 possible. A few minutes' playing with the 

 hose pipe is very effective. 



The last time I transferred was toward the 

 middle of November. The day was warm, 

 with no wind. I worked on the south side 

 of a thick hedge so that the conditions for 

 comfort were ideal. The task was finished 

 by two o'clock; but before the bees were all 

 in the hive a perfect cloud of robbeis had 

 gathered from far and near. To protect the 

 hive I flung a liberal supply of damp grass 



on the entrance-board, leaving it there until 

 four o'clock, when the chilly air drove the 

 visitors away. The grass was removed, so 

 that those which rightfully belonged there 

 could find admission 



The robbers returned for at least two days; 

 but I was on the alert, and at the first hint 

 of their presence I applied the wet grass. 

 The unwelcome visitors held the outside of 

 the hive for the best part of these two days, 

 but after that a very contracted entrance 

 seemed sufficient. 



The scrap comb was strained of its honey 

 over the stove, then diluted and fed back to 

 the bees in an Alexander feeder, giving about 

 a pint each day. At the end of a week I 

 opened the hive, examined only one comb, 

 but found it in fine condition; so with a 

 sharp knife I cut the rubber bands, which 

 snapped back to the bottom of the hive. 

 The bees are now carrying them out at their 

 leisure. On the same day 1 cleaned the bot- 

 tom-board. The hive was exceedingly strong 

 in bees, but 1 found hundreds dead on the 

 bottom. I think the chilly night had killed 

 off those that failed to get into the combs, as 

 in my present locality the thermometer 

 touches 32 degrees every night during the 

 winter months. 



A few moth larva? were found, but not 

 enough, I think, to have hurt much; and 

 since the transfer a couple have been found 

 outside the entrance. 



December 9, a month later, young bees 

 were sporting in goodly numbers, so that, 

 apparently, all is well. A few bees were 

 carrying in pollen of a light yellow color. 

 The source of this is unknown to me. The 

 only bee-plant I knew to be in bloom was 

 alfilarela; but the blossoms were few, as its 

 season is not due until February, so far as I 

 can learn. There also lingered on the stage 

 a small quantity of second- growth sweet clo- 

 ver. 



Medford, Oregon. 



MOVING BEES IN CAR LOTS. 



Some Timely Suff^f'stinns from One who 

 has Learned by Extensive Experience. 



BY E. D. TOWNSEND. 



There is but one good time to move bees, 

 and that is at the period in spring when the 

 hives are the lightest in bees and noney. In 

 this location this is about the middle of May. 

 Our plan is to watch the progress of the sea- 

 son to see whether it is late or early, and oc- 

 casionally to look through the swarms in or- 

 der to keep posted on the time when the col- 

 ony is weakest in bees and in stores. This 

 will be when the last of the old bees have 

 died, and when their places are filled by 

 young bees just reared, which are not, as 

 yet, very numerous. 



PREPARING COLONIES FOR MOVING. 



If the bottom- board has a deep side, place 

 this side up, and fasten with four box-staples, 

 which should be put on the sides of the hive. 



