Mar. 1. 1912 



i:w 



l-ig. 



■I he swarni-CdiitroUini; de\ ice in position between the " annex "" and a liive ol bees. 



about I attach the swarm-controller and 

 annex, and make the bees work through 

 the controller. 



Referring to Fig. .">, the left hive is the an- 

 nex, the right containing the bees. The an- 

 nex is filled with empty combs or full sheets 

 of foundation. 



There is now a free passage from one hive 

 to the other through the controller. At the 

 rear it is through a closed chamber; in front, 

 across the front entrance, or vestibule, from 

 side to side. The bees immediately investi- 

 gate this annex, and occupy it with a strong 

 guard. They seem at once to regard it, from 

 the arrangement of contiguity and ease of 

 access as a part of their domicil. In very 

 warm weather, instead of lying out they go 

 over into the annex, where they find room 

 and a natural resting-place. When desired, 

 the original front entrances (now the auxil- 

 iary entrances at the extreme right and left 

 of the combination) may be opened to give 

 increased ventilation. Supers are provided 

 early; and as the outside comics in the 

 brood-nest become filled with honey and 

 l)ollen I remove those and set them in the 

 annex, placing a frame of foundation in the 

 center of the brood-nest, after separating the 

 combs, one for every such comb of honey 

 removed. Building up these combs furnishes 

 emijloynient for a class of workers that prob- 

 ably have something to do with developing 

 the swarming impulse when not gratified. 

 These new combs give the (jueen added 

 room for breeding. When the second super 

 is well started, and the first is completed, I 

 set it over on the annex. These combs in 

 the annex and the superim])Osed boxes of 

 honey increase the interest of the bees in 

 this divison of their house. There are, dur- 

 ing the active season, a great number of 

 workers whose wings become badly worn. 



and they are no longer useful in the field, 

 but make excellent guards. These old bees 

 naturally retire to a place of least resistance, 

 out of the way. This annex provides for 

 them a place of refuge, where their presence 

 is of value as guards, and their lives and use- 

 fulness are greatly prolonged. There may 

 be conditions under which this method will 

 not prevent swarming; but in my experience 

 they are extremely rare, and not to be reck- 

 oned against the system when employed be- 

 fore the swarming impulse is developed. 



Auburndale, Fla. 



[fn the May 1st issue Dr. Simmon will 

 exjilain how he uses his controller to check 

 the swarming impulse, when once it has 

 been established, by using it to switch the 

 bees into the "annex." — Ed.] 



TENNESSEE BEEKEEPERS MEET WITH THE 

 FRUITGROWERS AND NURSERYMEN 



BY GEO. M. BENTLEY, STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 



The Tennessee State Beekeepers' conven- 

 tion was held in Nashville on .January 27, 

 and the program carried out completely. 

 There was a good attendance — larger than 

 ever before. This was chiefly due to the 

 convention being held in conjunction with 

 the annual conventions of the fruitgrowers 

 and nurserymen, and through the efforts of 

 this office in advertising the meetings, not 

 only throughout Tennessee but all over the 

 South. The stereopticon lectures by Pro- 

 fessor George DeMuth, of Washington, D. 

 C, and Dr. J. S. Ward, of Nashville, were 

 especially entertaining and instructive. 

 Each of these lectures was illustrated by 

 100 or more jierfect sHdes; and as the lectur- 

 ers proceeded, every detail was plainly 

 shown on the screen. It was decided that 



