362 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 15 



General 

 Correspondence 



GREASY SECTIONS. 



Their Cause and Cure ; Killing the Goose 

 that Lays the Golden Egg. 



BY W. M. WHITNEY. 



Mr. Editor: — The matter of greasy or wa- 

 tery sections, like Banquo's ghost, bobs up 

 at regular intervals to haunt bee-keepers. 

 At this time the apparition has traveled 

 across the Pacific from New Zealand, as ap- 

 pears in Feb. 1st Gleanings, p. 87. I know 

 of no one but myself having so far taken 

 the pains to experiment along this hne for 

 the purpose of discovering if possible the 

 real cause of greasy-looking cappings. Wa- 

 tery cappings, as they are sometimes called, 

 are as far from the real condition as can be 

 imagined, for water has been so thoroughly 

 evaporated from the honey that I doubt if 

 it would be possible to cause the honey to 

 granulate. 



It hurts me dreadfully to hear old bee- 

 keepers and writers condemn a queen whose 

 workers produce, perchance, such finished 

 product. From my knowledge of the facts, 

 gained from actual experience, I am led to 

 believe that all such conclusions are jumped 

 to (so to speak) simply because such colony 

 happens to be an exception among many 

 others in the apiary. Has anybody ever 

 known of an instance where greasy-appear- 

 ing sections occur, when the hive was not 

 overflowing with bees? At any rate, I nev- 

 er have. Isn't it a fact that we are seeking 

 queens with just such laying qualities to 

 stock our apiaries? Now, from what I know 

 of the matter I'd just as soon go out to the 

 poultry-yard and wring the neck of the best 

 pullet "laying an egg each working day and 

 two on Sunday," when eggs were bringing 

 40 cts. a dozen, as to pinch the head of such 

 a queen. Really, it's like killing the goose 

 that lays the golden egg. 



Now for the report of my experiment. 

 'But allow me to premise by saying that my 

 bee-keeping has been largely a pastime; and 

 when readmg any matter having, as I be- 

 lieved, an element of doubt attending it, I 

 have tried to satisfy myself of its truth or 

 falsity by making the best test I could, and 

 this matter of greasy sections was one of the 

 doubtful ones. I could not understand how 

 it could be possible that the queen was the 

 direct cause of such a state or condition of 

 the sections. A number of years ago, after 

 reading this matter, and noticing all sorts of 

 bad things said about the queen of such a 

 colony, I determined to make an experi- 

 ment, having an impression that a very dif- 

 ferent cause existed, and that it might be 

 worth looking for. 



I selected one of my best colonies having 

 a splendid queen. When the proper time 

 came, a case of sections was put over the 



brood-chamber; and as the honey-flow was 

 then well under way, in a few days the sec- 

 tions were pretty well drawn out and were 

 being filled. This case was raised and an- 

 other put under, as has been my custom in 

 such cases. A short time thereafter, as nice 

 a case of honey was taken off as one would 

 wish to see. At the same time, the lower 

 case was raised and another put under; and 

 a cushion was put over the upper case of 

 sections, and tucked down snug so as to pre- 

 vent circulation of air. The hives used are 

 what is known as the double-walled, having 

 an air-space of about two inches around the 

 entire case of sections, in which the bees are 

 permitted to cluster. The queen, being an 

 exceptionally good one, filled this hive, in- 

 cluding the air-space, to overflowing with 

 bees. In due time a case of greasy-looking 

 sections was taken off, looking as though 

 they had been varnished. The lower case 

 was raised, the cushion removed, and an- 

 other case put under. After a time the third 

 case was removed, showing a few sections 

 through the middle with greasy markings, 

 the outside ones having none. 



Now, why should that queen's workers 

 produce white-capped sections at one time, 

 then change to greasy ones, then back to 

 white ones again? What is the conclusion 

 one is forced to after such a test? It is this: 

 That it is not the queen at all, but the exces- 

 sive heat and lack of proper ventilation of 

 the hive. That such a colony is not a suit- 

 able one for the production of comb honey 

 is a fallacy; for, with proper ventilation, such 

 a colony will do better work than a weaker 

 one, for the very good reason that it will do 

 its work much more rapidly. Such a colony 

 is just right for any work desired, if proper- 

 ly manipulated. 



It will not be a sufficient reply to say that 

 other colonies in the same yard, equally pop- 

 ulous, do not produce greasy sections. It is 

 scarcely possible to find two colonies work- 

 ing under exactly the same conditions. I 

 think it will be admitted that there is scarce- 

 ly another occupation where the difference 

 in results is so manifest from slight changes 

 in conditions or manipulations as in bee- 

 keeping. One colony may be more exposed 

 to the sun's rays in the middle of the day, 

 and be capping sections at the critical time; 

 but had there been a slight favorable change 

 of weather the crisis would have passed; or 

 one has less ventilation because of cluster- 

 ing of bees in front of the hive, which is a 

 very common thing; or the hive may have 

 been located in a part of the yard less ex- 

 posed to currents of air than many others. 

 Of two colonies, apparently equally popu- 

 lous to-day, on examination a week hence 

 we find one maintaining its force while the 

 other has fallen off perceptibly. So we 

 might continue to point out differences ad 

 infinitum, caused by differences in condi- 

 tions and manipulations. 



I feel certain that a careful examination of 

 any normal colony as it goes into winter 

 quarters will reveal more or less combs of 

 honey with cappings looking as though they 



