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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



time« the cap on a queen-cell will close back so that 

 it will require close observing to notice that a queen 

 lias hatched. 



If, in examining a hive on the ninth day, I do 

 not find that a queen is hatched, I place an empty 

 hive by the side of the one examined, and put there 

 in all the combs containing queen-cells except a 

 frame containing but one cell. If I find a frame 

 with but one good ripe cell I use it ; but if I do not 

 so find I remove all the cells but one good one from 

 a frame and put thi.s frame and all others that do 

 not contain queeu-cells back into the hive and put a 

 follower board up against the frames. I make sure 

 there is but one cell in the hive, as it may after- 

 swarm, for many bees will leave the hive beside and 

 return to this one. So far it has made no difference 

 how man}- cells are in the hive at the side; there has 

 been no after-swarming. In a day or two, or three, 

 look; and if a queen has hatched in the hive at the 

 side, cut out all the remaining cells and put all the 

 frames back into the first hive and put on sections. 



If it is desired to form a nucleus from some good 

 colony, or if a queen from some good colony is want- 

 ed for any purpose, here is an opportunity. If it is 

 desired to save a queen or so from some good colony 

 the separation had better be made a day sooner, as 

 the first queen may hatch and destroy all remaining 

 cells. While cutting out queen-cells, sometimes one 

 or more queens will hatch ; and if they are from good 

 stock cage them and take to some of poorer stock; or 

 if there are none such, to some others that are due 

 to hatch or will be in a day or so; and first gently 

 puft' in at the entrance a little smoke and then let 

 the queen go in and then puff in a little more smoke. 

 By this method newly hatched queens are quite like- 

 ly to be accepted. Then in half an hour or so, or 

 when convenient, look into these hives and find the 

 qtieen ; and if she has been accepted, cut out all 

 cells and put on sections. 



If the weather has been unfavorable for swarm- 

 ing for a day or so, and then swarms issue, it might 

 be well to examine on the eighth day, or even earlier. 

 In the management of bees there are so many things 

 modified by conditions that such conditions should 

 always be considered. Do not think that I always 

 succeed in finding all queen-cells, for sometimes some 

 are missed, and so an after-swarm sometimes issues. 

 When such occurs I take my small light hiving-box 

 on a light pole, and, often standing on the ground, 

 or sometimes on a light ladder arranged as an easel, 

 I reach the box up against the cluster and jar them 

 from the limb; and when they enter the box I carry 

 them to the hive from which they came and lay the 

 box in front until I cut out the overlooked cell, and 

 then pour and shake the bees from the box and they 

 enter the hive. By this method I seldom have to do 

 any climbing; and if I do, it is but little, as with 

 my light hiving-box and light pole I can reach quite 

 a distance. This method for me is quite satisfactory. 



Huntington, Ind. J. W. Southwood. 



Sending Bees in Car Lots ; Importance of Water 



I sold a car of bees to D. B. Husperger and Chas. 

 D. Case at Ordway, Colo., and will send you their 

 letters, and should like to have your comment on 

 them and the shipment, and state how well or ill we 

 succeeded. 



Fisher, Ark., June 18. S. J. Alexander. 



I We judge that you were fairly successful, but 

 infer there was considerable loss of dead bees and 

 unsealed larva3 and eggs on the way. This last loss 

 could have been avoided if you had used water to 

 spray the bees on the way. In Gleanings for June 

 15, 1912, page 371, you will find an article on our 

 experience in shipping bees. You will note that we 

 emphasize the importance of using plenty of water 

 and spraying the bees as often as may be required. 

 We also took the precaution to have wire cloth at 

 top and bottom. A colony of bees or nucleus must 

 not have too many bees in it to go through well. 



Therefore, our colonies are somewhat light when 

 they are shipped from the South to the North. A 

 strong colony will not go any great distance in a car 

 that way without considerable loss en route. If you 

 ship any more bees, take the precaution to have 

 wire cloth at top and bottom, and a barrel of water 

 in the car, with a proper spraying-outfit, so that you 

 can wet down the colonies along the journey, or as 

 often as the bees require it, and they will need it, 

 if the weather is warm, several times a day. — Ed.] 



How to Introduce Virgin Queens; Best Age for 

 Introducing 



Would it be aU right to introduce virgin queens 

 to colonies of black bees right from the nursery cage 

 without having nuclei? 



Grant, Ont., June 24. John MacDougall, Jr. 



[It will be all right to introduce a virgin queen 

 to colonies of black bees right from the nursery 

 cages. But such virgins must not be more than a day 

 old, and it would be vei'y much better if they were 

 not more than two or thi-ee hours old. A virgin 

 queen that is three, four, five, or six days old is pretty 

 sure to be attacked by the bees and killed. It is 

 also advisable to let the virgins run in at the en- 

 trance; and be careful that you don't handle them 

 with your fingers, otherwise the odor acquired from 

 your own person is liable to be communicated to the 

 queen, with the result that the bees wnll attack her. 

 Queens should be released and allowed to run into 

 the hives as quietly as possible. 



Be sure that the black colony is absolutely queen- 

 less, and that there are no cells in the hive. The 

 surest way is to make the black celony queenless, 

 and then from twelve to twenty-four hours after- 

 ward let a virgin queen run in at the entrance, be- 

 ing careful not to cause any disturbance. — Ed.] 



Putting Bees in Twin Mating Nuclei 



I am anxious to get my twin boxes into operation 

 and would like to know whether in your experience 

 it is possible simply to take the boxes and put in a 

 good dipper of bees along with a young virgin just 

 hatched, omitting the move of getting little frames 

 filled with brood in i-.rger hives first. You under- 

 stand they are, of course, all nicely drawn out from 

 last season's work. H. Harley Selwyn. 



Kirk's Perry, Quebec, Ca., June 13. 



[The plan of filling the baby nuclei by means of a 

 little dipper on combs adapted to those boxes is per- 

 fectly feasible, and the one that we regularly employ. 

 Originally, it was our idea to put these little frames 

 into the larger Langstroth frame — three of them to 

 a frame — get them filled with brood and honey, then 

 take them out and put them in the baby nuclei ; but 

 we find that is not necessary. We cut combs out 

 from old standard-size combs, slip them into the baby 

 frames, insert the frames in the hive, and then 

 dump in about a third of a pound of bees. If the 

 combs contain no honey, of course the bees will re- 

 quire to be fed. 



Y'ou will find this method described in our ABC 

 and X Y Z of Bee Culture in the edition for 1910 

 and again in the edition for 1913. You will also find 

 it in Gleanings, Nov. 1, 1909. — Ed.] 



Stopping a Case of Robbing After it is Once 

 Started 



I have found a sure remedy for prevention of rob- 

 bing. Remove the bee-escape from an escape-board, 

 and put a piece of excluding zinc over the hole. 

 Place the colony that is being robbed on top of the 

 escape-board, and a hive with a set of empty combs 

 beneath. Leave the colony on the old stand. If the 

 bees have a queen and are in normal condition I 

 have never known this plan to fail. The robbers 

 don't seem to dare to go through the zinc. 



Brush, Colo., Feb. 7. Daniel Danielson. 



