1909 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



231 



and it was for this reason that I used five hives in 

 each group rather than one or two, to get an ave- 

 rage. 



It seems probable that a strong colony will re- 

 duce syrup with less loss than a weaker colony; 

 also that there would be less loss in warm weath- 

 er than when the weather is cool with frosty 

 nights. 



1 used scales with ,!^-lb. notches, which might 

 make a possible error. It will be noticed that in 

 these figures I have used the results between 

 warm thick and warm thin syrup. The difference 

 between warm thick syrup and cold thin syrup 

 as usually fed is even greater. 



As it requires 5,4 times as much heat to reduce 

 water to vapor as to raise the same amount of wa- 

 ter from 32° to 212°, we can see the bees have 

 not been wasteful of their fuel. 



I have had a suspicion that the loss of 2 lbs. 2 

 oz. to the hive may have been due in part to the 

 labor of cairying the honey down into the hive, 

 but have no way of proving it. 



Middlebury, Vt. 



QUEEN INTRODUCTION. 



Queens Introduced and Laying Within 

 the Hour, and Never a Failure. 



BV JOSEPH GRAY, 

 Fxfrrt in AfUulture, and County Council Lecturer. 



Simmins' direct-introduction plan, though suc- 

 cessful, does not make headway, because it can 

 be used only toward evening, and is, therefore, 

 unsuitable for all-day manipulation. 



Dr. Miller's drowning plan of introducing 

 looks risky; and to daub a queen with honey 

 from the stock to which she is to be introduced 

 is not nice, and is attended with some risk. Like 

 Mr. Holtermann, I have sighed for some quick 

 method of introducing queens, and success has 

 now rewarded me, and I submit what I believe 

 will become the most popular method of queen 

 introduction — viz., Gray's flour method. I can 

 take a queen from a nucleus, remove the old 

 queen, and have the young queen all right and 

 laying within the hour. A traveled queen or a 

 virgin can be as easily and safely introduced, 

 even though the bees are all alert to seize a leg or 

 wing of the first robber that dares intrude. 



To follow this plan of intrx)ducing I open the 

 hive, find the comb with the queen on, and re- 

 move her. I then lay the comb flat so that both 

 hands are free, dust the bees on the upper side of 

 the comb with flour from a flour-sifter, open the 

 large door of the cage, shake out the queen on to 

 the comb, and dust her with flour. If a flighty 

 queen, I take the precaution to dust her with 

 flour before I open the cage. 



If the queen has been removed the day previdus, 

 there is no need of removing a frame. I take off 

 ihe cover, lay the cage on the frames, door up- 

 ward, and soon a crowd of bees collects around 

 the cage. I dust the lot with flour, swing open 

 the door, when — out steps Her Majesty and at- 

 tendants, ea.'ery one of xvhich ivill he accepted — a 

 sure proof of the reliability of the method, for 

 v\ith ordinary plans all attendants are usually de- 

 stroyed. 



I use Pott's queen-cages, which can also be 

 used as cell-protectors or nurseries. The differ- 

 ences between these and the regular Benton cages 

 are: 



1. The candy- hole is made from the end, us- 

 ing only a half-inch bit. 



2. A half-inch hole is made through the side 

 into the center compartment. 



3. The top and side covers are of perforated 

 metal, and cut so that they do not catch the 

 clothing. 



4. These covers are put on with a screw, which 

 serves as a hinge, and can be tightened with on- 

 turn of the screwdriver, so that the imprisoned 

 bees can not force open the door and escape, which 

 I have seen them do when laid down temporarily. 



The convenience and advantage of these cages 

 will be readily seen in the following operationp: 



Go to your nucleus colony and pick up the 

 comb with queen; grasp it with the left hand, al- 

 so hold your queen-cage with the same hand, 

 your thumb over the opened side door. Now 

 with the right hand pick oflr your queen and she 

 will easily pass through the half- inch door. A 

 three-eighths or quarter inch is not nearly so con- 

 venient. You can cage as many bees as you 

 wish, with seldom a sting. The covers are so 

 cut that they will not catch the clothing and pull 

 open on the way to the out-apiary. 



Long Eaton, England, Oct. 20. 



CLOSING HIVES FOR THE WINTER 

 A SUCCESS. 



BY E. N. WOODWARD. 



Referring to the article, "Outdoor Wintering," 

 page 110, I will say that the plan as described has 

 proved a success so far as I am able to judge. 



My bees were closed up in December, and 

 were undisturbed until the first of March, when 

 I carefully removed the packing from the top, 

 and found them, as I expected, nicely clustered 

 between the frames, apparently healthy and 

 strong, and with plenty of honey. To be doubly 

 sure, 1 opened the entrance to the air-chamber 

 in front; and, finding them quiet, with only a 

 few dead bees scattered here and there, I closed 

 them again, and they will remain closed until 

 the time comes for them to do their houseclean- 

 ing and spring work. 



My prime object has been to save winter stores, 

 as compared with the common method of out- 

 door wintering. 



Now, this is no problem with me. It is a set- 

 tled fact. I have wintered bees with this closed- 

 up-air-chaniber combination two different sea- 

 sons, and with uniform success. The reason is 

 plain when we stop to think that a bee is not a, 



