270 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1 



swarm, ruining his harvest. Since he has culti- 

 vated the natives, swarms in the same place are 

 a rarity. He no longer troubles himself about 

 them. 



Not for the past eleven years has the question 

 of prevention of swarming been up for discussion 

 in Swiss conventions. 



Of course there are differences in this respect. 

 There are yards of the brown race where a few 

 swarms annually are welcomed; and cells from 

 these being utilized, the moderate swarm-lust is 

 perpetuated. Yet the majority of Swiss bee- 

 keepers have, so to say, renounced swarming en- 

 tirely, since the use of right methods has brought 

 such remarkably satisfactory results with artifi- 

 cial increase. 



With not a swarm last year, and only one this 

 year, in an apiary of 70 colonies, as reported 

 by Mr. Wuersten, in Bern, likely the limit of 

 possibility has been reached. 



According to the reports of 1907, out of 40 

 breeders 16 had stimulated their extra hustlers 

 toward swarming; in spite of this, 10 had no re- 

 sults; and of 1544 colonies, only 90 swarmed, or 

 6 per cent. In 11 apiaries, with 280 colonies, 

 not one swarm issued. 



Mr. Kramer does not contend that their best 

 types agree to limit themselves under all circum- 

 stances to a fixed number of swarms, as weather 

 conditions and stimulation have their influence. 



Among their colonies on scales at the observa- 

 tion-stations they have also types of fixed char- 

 acter, as Flora in Zuerich, and Mrs. Keller's 

 Turba (they have names for their queens). For 

 ten years these have had never a Festbummel. 

 (I don't know what a Festbummel is; but likely 

 enough it's the racket Swiss bees make when they 

 swarm.) 



It must be mentioned, however, Mr. Kramer 

 says, that there are some cases of harking back, 

 occasional colonies swarming two or three times 

 in the same year. That is nothing strange. 

 Leaving these out of the count, the remainder 

 give only a small per cent of swarms. "And 

 that," says he, "fully satisfies us." 



That would hardly fully satisfy a large num- 

 ber of American bee-keepers, who would not like 

 the loss of this small percent in out-apiaries with 

 no one to watch. Likely it is different in Swit- 

 zerland, if each bee-keeper generally has only the 

 one apiary, and is on hand to see any swarm is- 

 suing. 



" In ten years," says Mr. Kramer, " from about 

 a dozen colonies I have had only one swarm. 

 Early in June, 1907, I gave to my strongest col- 

 ony a queen-cell just hatching. The colony was 

 in the fullest state of development, and swarm- 

 ing would naturally have been expected; but in- 

 stead of that there was quiet superseding." 



He feels certain that Americans may reach a 

 strain of bees giving only two or three per cent 

 of swarms, but not with hot-blooded bees. With 

 colonies out in the open in America, the chance 

 is better than in Switzerland, where bees are 

 housed, or in the shelter of buildings, and with 

 brown bees Americans ought to be able to reach 

 a strain of bees that might fairly be called non- 

 swarming. 



All of this sets one to thinking, and raises 

 some questions. However much better we have 

 found Italians than black or brown bees it seems 



hardly worth while to dispute that the reverse is 

 the case in Switzerland. Is it not just possible 

 that blacks over there are materially different 

 from the ones we have here.-" Might it not be 

 worth while to try their blacks here? 



Supposing we should try some of their best 

 stock, and find them fall so far behind our Ital- 

 ians as honey-gatherers that we would rather 

 stand the extra swarming of the hot-blooded yel- 

 low bees, there still remains the fact that by per- 

 sistent breeding they have secured what closely 

 approaches non-swarming bees. If they can do 

 that with black bees, why can it not be done with 

 yellow bees.? Admit that there is more " swarm" 

 to a yellow bee, it is only a matter of more time 

 and more effort. In that connection the lesson 

 we are to learn from Swiss bee-keepers is that they 

 have gained their goal by a united effort. What 

 law is there to prevent all the leading bee-keepers 

 of our land from working as a unit tor a strain of 

 Italians at least somewhat approaching non- 

 swarmers.' 



In trying to take heart from the example of our 

 Swiss brethren, it is only fair to note one feature 

 that detracts quite a little bit. Those of our 

 ranks who are perhaps most especially interested 

 in having bees little given to swarming are pro- 

 ducers of comb honey. If I am not mistalcen, 

 extracted honey has pretty much the whole field 

 in Switzerland, and the prevention of swarming 

 with bees run for comb honey might be found 

 there quite a different problem. Even so, the 

 game is worth the candle. 



Please bear in mind that the effort for such bees 

 is not merely to get rid of the swarming trouble. 

 If personal reference may be pardoned, I may 

 say that for years the colonies that have given 

 me my best yields and the colonies least given 

 to swarming have been practically identical. 

 Moreover, I am sure that by continuous breed- 

 ing from colonies least inclined to swarm I have 

 made quite a little progress in the long journey 

 to No-swarm-land. If one man alone can do 

 even a little, what might not be done by all 

 working together.? 



Marengo, 111. 



[Our Swiss brethren, as we understand it, pro- 

 duce extracted honey almost exclusively, and 

 they use very large hives or "chests," as they 

 call them. Under these conditions it is no won- 

 der they have very little swarming. The Dadants, 

 of Hamilton, 111., run for extracted honey, using 

 large hives and pure Italian bees; yet theirswarm- 

 ing, ranging over a period of many years, has not 

 been much over two per cent. Practically the 

 same may be said of all the Dadants' following 

 in Europe. What strain of Italians Mr. Gross- 

 mann had been trying when he had so much 

 swarming is not stated; but we have no trouble in 

 this country when leather-colored Italians are 

 used in large hives run for extracted honey. We 

 are unwilling to believe that the gentle yellow bees 

 of Northern Italy are any worse about swarm- 

 ing than a strain of black bees in Switzerland. 

 Still, we are open to conviction. The black bees 

 of the Swiss bee-keepers may be very different 

 from the German or black bees in this country. 

 It is generally conceded that the Carniolans, na- 

 tive of a country that is practically a geographic- 

 al part of Switzerland, are much more inclined 

 to swarm than the ordinary Italians. — Ed. J 



