1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



701 



Heads of Grain 



From Different Fields 



YOUNG BEES NOT ABLE TO FIND THEIR WAY BACK 

 TO THE HIVES. 



[in our Keb. 15th issue there .irose a little discussion between 

 Dr. Miller and the editor. The question came up over the use of 

 the Miller bee-escape placed on a pile of supers that had been 

 removed from their respective hives with the bees in them, with 

 a bee-escape on top. We took the position that, when such su- 

 pers were remote from their hives, there would be young bees 

 that could not tly and would be lost. Dr. Miller raised the point 

 whether such young bees would ever desert the brood and go 

 above. At any rate he had practiced the plan much, and had ex- 

 perienced no such loss. Not being entirely sure of our ground 

 we called for reports. The only one we have received sustains 

 the editor, and here it is. — Ed.] 



In your note on page 200 of Feb. 15th you ask 

 for an expression from subscribers in regard to 

 bees being lost from supers when taken away 

 from the hives before bees are out. Last summer 

 I took two supers off before the bees had all gone 

 down; and, it being time to go to work, I took 

 them to my shop, about ten rods away, where I 

 placed them on an escape-board, gave them a lit- 

 tle smoke to start them, and left them just out- 

 side. The bees came out and flew around as if 

 lost, and finally settled down in little bunches; 

 and those that I did not carry back died. I think 

 that all the old bees had gone down through the 

 escape before I took the supers from the hive; 

 and as the young ones had never located the hive 

 they were lost. Albert I. Mills. 



Ignacio, Colo. 



[One swallow doesn't make a summer, and 

 we should be glad to hear from others. The 

 question is important; for if Dr. Miller's way is 

 wasteful of bee life we should know it. If.it is 

 not, it is a convenient method to use at times. 

 In the multitude of counselors there is wisdom. 

 So, bee-keeping friends, especially those who 

 know, we should like to hear from you. The 

 editor is not particularly anxious to be"vin!i- 

 cated " at the expense of truth; but if he is ri 'ht 

 he would like the satisfaction of telling Dr. Mil- 

 ler, "I told you so." — Ed.] 



REMOVING BEES FROM BUILDINGS WITHOUT DOING 

 ANY CUTTING. 



My near neighbor had some bees in his house 

 for several years. They entered over tiic front 

 porch, where the "L" joins the main pat of the 

 house. I thought I would give them a trial last 

 spring, so I stopped all places of entrance except 

 one. Over that I put a bee-escape. Up against 

 this, on May 8, I put a hive with one frame con- 

 taining some brood, larvit, and eggs. May 11th 

 I took the hive home, about 200 feet, and remov- 

 ed the bee-escape. A few of the bees returned, 

 but enough stood by the hive to build up into a 

 -Strong colony. May 16th I*put a second hive 

 up against the bee-escapes, and captured a much 

 larger swarm which I removed May 31. June 

 8th I put on the escape again, and put up the 

 third hive, captured another good swarm, which 

 I took off July 1 and moved them three miles 

 out of town. These three swarms have all built 

 up strong, and the last two made some surplus 

 honey. 



All three swarms had two frames of comb, and 

 only siarters in the other six frames. In each 



hive the combs have all been drawn out and fill- 

 ed with stores for winter. 



But the end was not reached yet. There were 

 still some bees left in the house. July 8th 1 put 

 on the bee-escape, set hive No. 4, and soon had 

 a lot of bees, and they drew out the comb and 

 filled it with brood and honey. I left the bee- 

 escape on for seven weeks. I thought I would 

 get them all this time. I then took it off and left 

 the hive so that the bees could go in and bring 

 out the honey if there was any in the house. 



After awhile something happened up there. A 

 war was on, and in a few days I found the hive 

 did not contain half the bees. I could not find 

 a queen, and brood was wanting. I think there 

 was 30 to 40 lbs. of honey in the hive. I order- 

 ed a queen to put in, and on going to the hive 

 about a week after I found the bees nearly all 

 gone, and the honey all transferred to some other 

 place. It is possible they went back into the 

 house. If so I will give them another trial this 

 spring. Geo. H. Eastman. 



Storm Lake, Iowa. 



[Our correspondent should have trapped the 

 bees out into one hive, or, at most, two. Using 

 so many different hives entailed a large amount 

 of work, which apparently did not succeed in the 

 end in accomplishing the mam object — to get all 

 the bees out of the hovise. It is very evident that 

 the bees from the last liive went back to their old 

 quarters. If this hive had been removed to a lo- 

 cation two miles away there would have been no 

 returning. — Ed.] 



early OR LATE TAKING OF BEES OUT OF THE 



CELLAR; SOME INTERESTING FACTS THAT 



SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. 



Last Thursday, April 23d, was cold in the 

 morning (about 35), and it got warm rapidly. 

 At noon the thermometer stood at 70, and I said 

 to myself, "I almost know Mr. Kinyon will be 

 working with his bees, and after dinner I will go 

 up and see him." 



After dinner I got into the auto, and in about 

 twenty minutes I was at his place, and, sure 

 enough, he was working with the bees with his 

 brother. He halloed to me and said: 



"1 will be through with this hive in a few mo- 

 ments. " 



He said he had just begun working with 

 them, and added that he would get me a veil. 

 He tied one around my hat, and then we sallied 

 forth to see what condition the bees were in. He 

 said, "Here, take this cover for a seat." He 

 then opened a hive, remarking as he did so, 

 "These bees, the first two rows, were taken out 

 of the cellar March 16th. After we go through 

 these we vsill go through two rows that were 

 taken out April 16th, and I want you to note the 

 difference." 



The first hive opened had considerable brood, 

 and was doing nicely. Hive after hive was 

 opened, and we found them in pretty good con- 

 dition so far as brood, strength, and honey on 

 hand were concerned. We soon got over the 

 two rows. "Now we will look over those taken 

 out April 16th. " 



We opened the first hive, and I immediately 

 remarked, "Why, they haven't any brood." 



Mr. Kinyon said, "I guess they are queenless. 

 No, here is a small patch." 



