Gleanings in Bee Culture 



BUZZINGS ROUSED BY THE MARCH 1ST ISSUE 



BY ALLAN LATHAM 



It is but natural that an unexpected arti- 

 cle such as "A Contrary Beekeeper," March 

 1, page 133, should stir said beekeeper out of 

 lethargy. Months have passed since Latham 

 has written any thing for publication, his 

 many irons in the fire occupying all his at- 

 tention. There have been many times 

 when he wanted to get up and speak, but 

 failed because of insufficient stimuli. Large 

 entrances, hard winters, paper protection, 

 etc., as brought to the front March 1, to- 

 gether with that article of Miller's, are too 

 strong, so here goes. 



What the editor has to say about wind, 

 protection, and cold spells is all good sound 

 sense, even if he is a little off about inside 

 temperatures. Wind is the great enemy of 

 bees in winter, and no small antagonist in 

 summer. Unless the hive be fitted with 

 air-tight cover, with no chance for a draft, 

 it would be folly to subject a colony to the 

 rigorous trial which a cold wind will put up- 

 on it. Still air at zero is less of a hardship 

 for a colony than a gale with the tempera- 

 ture 30 degrees higher. Large entrances so 

 placed as to let a steady blast of cold air in 

 upon the cluster will bring disaster. That 

 same entrance so placed as to receive only 

 winds of moderate temperature or deflected 

 cold winds will tell a different tale. 



Steady cold? Yes, that is what kills lots 

 of colonies. The contracted cluster con- 

 sumes all the fuel within reach, and starves. 

 How combat such a foe? Fortunately, 

 steady cold is rarely accompanied by sun- 

 less skies for many days at a time. So, let 

 the sun break up the continiiity of that 

 steady cold. Here is where the big entrance 

 and ihe black paper do the work. The 

 black paper catches the heat and passes it 

 slowly through the walls of the hive, and 

 stirs up that contracted cluster. New fuel 

 is brought in from the stores near by. The 

 weary insects stretch their limbs and take 

 new courage. The big entrance carries 

 away the dampness, and the cold is less 

 deadening. Night comes with the steady 

 cold again ascendant, but the little furnaces 

 are going full blast with plenty of oxygen 

 to furnish good clean burning. What sat- 

 isfaction to see the vigor and clean health 

 of those same bees when April comes! 



True, there is much in locality. I have 

 found it true even with "let-alones," and 

 there is one place down on Cape Cod where 

 I have had to cut down those big entrances. 

 Why? Because a long stretch of sand allows 

 the dami^ ocean breezes to sweep unobstruct- 

 ed right into those hives. This present win- 

 ter I have again left them wide open to put 

 the matter to a further test. The severe 

 winter will give a faithful test. 



Yes, it is a severe winter here; but, though 

 Norwich is but 50 miles from Providence, 

 where Miller lives, this winter does not com- 

 pare in severity in Norwich with the winter 

 of 1903. That winter no flight came to the 



bees from Nov. 19 till March 22, It was 

 stated that 75 per cent of bees along the New 

 England coast perished that winter. This 

 present winter will see the end of many col- 

 onies, but only of those not properly sup- 

 plied with stores or those weak in bees. My 

 own colonies at present date (March 8) are 

 in splendid condition, having enjoyed flights 

 in December, January, and February, each 

 month furnishing an ideal day for a cleans- 

 ing flight. 



Mr. Miller has painted a very rosy picture 

 of the let-alone hive. Be it known that 

 there are troubles with these let-alones which 

 are peculiar to them. This system of bee- 

 keeping has its fine features, and teems with 

 interest; but it furnishes no quick road to 

 wealth, nor need a lazy man look upon it 

 with too optimistic a gaze. 



Norwichlown, Conn. 



PUTTING BEES ON THE SUMMER STANDS 



BY B. H. TRIPP 



With the first warm days of spring comes 

 the desire to get the bees out on their sum- 

 mer stands. Oh how one longs to watch 

 the busy little workers hustling with their 

 duties for the good of the colonies! But it 

 will not do to be in too much of a hurry, for 

 there will be many days when they will be 

 better off in the cellar or cave than outside, 

 huddled together so closely as to chill the 

 outer brood or eggs. 



My 28 colonies are in a cave 6X8 feet 

 square. I have been down to see them but 

 once since Jan. 1, and have just put some 

 rubber roofing over the snow that covers 

 the hatchway, in order to keep it from melt- 

 ing as long as I can. My object is to keep 

 them as nearly dormant as possible until 

 there is something for them to bring in. 



When the snow is all gone, and lair weath- 

 er comes, I shall keep my weather eye open 

 for a cool spell, when the bees will not fly 

 for a couple of days; then I'll open the doors 

 about sundown and leave them for two 

 hours to cool off. Then, after placing a wet 

 cloth over the entrance, I will gently carry 

 them out and place them on their summer 

 stands. 



By way of assistance to them in their 

 housecleaning, I will (on the first warm 

 day) place them on fresh clean bottom- 

 boards. This, I think, is important, as it 

 saves a lot of hard work removing the dead 

 bees and cappings that have accumulated 

 during the winter. 



As this stuff is more or less damp, it is a 

 sanitary precaution to remove it as soon as 

 possible. At the same time I will remove 

 the empty or moldy combs and shove the 

 remaining combs and followers to the left 

 side of the hive. My followers are always 

 on the right side, as my hives face the south. 

 I think that they afford some protection 

 against the cold west winds of spring, and 

 ater, from the hot afternoon sun. 



Brooklyn, Iowa. 



