252 



Gleanings in Bee Culture 



hungry I have given them a little syrup through the 

 screen, although upon examination of the frames I 

 found ample stores in the combs. Would you ad- 

 Vise me to take the screen off the entrances of the 

 hives and let the bees have access to tlie stable, and 

 possibly fly out of the door if they wish? or would 

 you recommend some other treatment ? 



Chicago, 111. C. F. CHiiiDS. 



[During the winter you will alM'ays f5nd some 

 bees in front of the entrances of colonies wintered 

 outdoors, even when they are wintering normally. 

 However, during this past very severe winter it is 

 possible that there were more dead bees coming 

 out than was proper. 



It was all right to take the hives and put them in 

 the stable where there was less exposure: but It 

 would have been better if you had taken them 

 down into your cellar and darkened the windows 

 so that the bees could not fly out. In any case it 

 was a mistake to put wire cloth over the en- 

 traces, and we are a little fearful that it may have 

 resulted in killing all the colonies. When bees are 

 confined in a hive in this way it is almost sure to 

 cause trouble. We advise you to remove the wire 

 cloth at once; and it would be- better for you to 

 take the colonies down cellar and darken the win- 

 dows, so as to keep them from flying out. — Ed.] 



Bees Flying from Six to Eight Miles 



I quite agree with Mr. Doolittle in his theory that 

 bees fly several miles in gathering nectar, but can 

 go him one better, for 1 have traced my bees over 

 six miles, and know they fed .still further. I am 

 well aware that a great many people think it is im- 

 possible to follow the flight of a bee: but it is a very 

 easy matter at certain times — on a windy day, for 

 instance. 



The first time I discovered my bees working so 

 far from home was by accident. I had been work- 

 ing at an out-apiary, and was returning home in 

 the evening. When six miles from home I noticed 

 hundreds of bees crossing the road on both sides, 

 and was much surprised, knowing of no apiary in 

 that neighborhood. In fact, this was in the tules, 

 and there was no residence for miles around. We 

 were having what we call one of our north winds, 

 which blow here at times for three, six, or nine 

 days. I was traveling facing the wind all the way 

 home. The bees were returning home. The wind 

 being very strong for them to fly against, they flew 

 low and slowly. Being in their path of flight, as I 

 was, and traveling in the same direction, it was an 

 easy matter for me to trace them all the way home. 



This was my first knowledge of bees going so far ; 

 but since then I have traced them a number of 

 times for seven and even eight miles. Most au- 

 thorities tuAt 1 have read claim that bees travel 

 only from one to two miles, which is only a theory, 

 according to rny experience. 



Woodland, Cal. L. B. Capps. 



Six Questions 



1. When bees are smoked, is thehoney with which 

 they gorge themselves lost, or do they replace It in 

 the cells? 



2. At how low a temperature in spring is it safe to 

 open and manipulate the brood in the hive without 

 chilling? 



3. Is it all right to let the rays of the sun shine di- 

 rectly on the frame of brood and eggs when one is 

 handling them? 



4. What is enameled cloth ? 



5. I have heard it contended that the rendering 

 of combs infected with foul l)rood is not necessarily 

 done at a high enough temperature, nor the heat 

 continued for a long enough time, to kill the germs, 

 and disease maybe spread by the use of foundation 

 manufactured from wax thus carelessly rendered. 

 Is there any thing in it 7 



6. How far back does foul brood date ? 



.lAMES M. MUNRO. 



Slate River, Ont., Can., Jan. 22. 



n. We believe it is not definitely known whether 

 the honey with which the bees gorge themselves 

 when they are smoked is consumed by them or re- 

 placed later in the cells. Some of it is undoubtedly 

 consumed, but perhaps a part of it may also be de- 

 posited in the cells again. Probably it would de- 

 pend on circumstances. 



2. Opinions differ as to how low a temperature 

 brood will stand for a short time; but it is safe to 

 say that it is unwise to manipulate combs when it 



is too cold for bees to fly, unless one or two from a 

 hive are taken out for only a moment or two to 

 make an examination — lor instance, to determine 

 the ciuantity of stores the hive contains. 



3. It does no harm to let the sun shine directly on 

 a frame of brood; but at the same time it wouldn't 

 be good policy to leave such a comb exposed to the 

 strong heat of the sun for any length of time on a 

 hot day. 



4. Enameled cloth is what Is called table oilcloth 

 in many localities. 



5. Foul brood has never yet been traced to foun- 

 dation made from foul-broody combs. There are 

 plenty of other ways, however. In which it is known 

 to spread, and spread rapidly. It does not seem 

 Impossible that wax rendered in a solar extractor, 

 and made into sheets by the dipping process with- 

 out being thoroughly heated, might transmit the 

 disease: but the thorough boiling that the wax un- 

 dergoes when properly rendered and then refined 

 and sheeted in a modern foundation-factory surely 

 kills all traces of the trouble. 



6. It is not definitely known how far back foul 

 brood dates. Some of the very old writers mention 

 brood disease, and it is not unlikely that this was 

 foul brood of one type or the other.— Ed.] 



Tiie Best Feeder for Colonies in Buckeye Hives 



1. For feeding weak stands in the spring, do you 

 consider the Alexander feeder as good as any 7 

 Early in the spring, when the weather is cool some 

 of the time, warm syrup can be poured into the 

 feeder each evening without opening the hive and 

 thus losing heat. I got 30 Buckeye hives with seal- 

 ed covers last fall. I know the Doolittle feeder is 

 recommended: but after the Alexander feeder is in 

 position it seems to me it would be better for weak 

 stands when there are strong ones in the same 

 yard. The bottom-board of the Buckeye hive is 2 

 in. wide, or a trifle over. In order to use the 

 Alexander feeder it should be 2 inches deep. How 

 much syrup will it hold ? and how will the feeder 

 fit the Buckeye hive? I have been troubled some- 

 times by strong stands robbing weak ones: so I am 

 a little afraid of the Boardman for weak stands. 



2. It seems to rae the Alexander plan for dividing 

 is the surest and one of the best methods. Do you 

 know of any better way ? 



3. Which side of the Buckeye bottom-board Is 

 better for summer ? It looks as though the bees 

 would be inconvenienced in trying to get up on the 

 combs when the wide side is used. 



4. Is the Japanese buckwheat as good as any for 

 honey ? 



New Sharon, la. Fred Beiggs. 



[We consider the Alexander feeder excellent for 

 feeding weak colonies in the spring. One objec- 

 tion, however, is the difficulty of attaching it to 

 the hive, especially the double-walled chaff hive or 

 Buckeye hive. For such hives we recommend the 

 Boardman feeder. There need be no trouble from 

 robbers if you attach it properly. We use the 

 Boardman feeder almost exclusively at Medina, 

 and have no trouble from robbers. We prefer it to 

 the Alexander feeder because it is easy to see when 

 the syrup is gone, and it does not require any spe- 

 cial change in the bottom-board or the hive. In 

 cooler weather we use the Doolittle feeder because 

 the bees will not take the feed out of the Boardman 

 feeder after colder weather sets in. We would not 

 advise you to try to use the Alexander feeder in 

 connection with the Buckeye hive. 



2. Yes, we consider the Alexander plan of forming 

 increase most excellent. We do not know of any 

 thing any better. 



3. Some slight change was made in the Buckeye 

 bottom-board of the hive after it was put out. We 

 infer that you have the style that had the narrow 

 entrance on one side and the wide entrance on the 

 other. In winter, use the narrow entrance, and for 

 summer use the deep oiae. The bees will have no 

 trouble about reaching their combs. If you will 

 watch them while they are flying heavily from the 

 field you will find a lot of young bees hanging down 

 from the bottom of the frames: and as the bees fly 

 into the entrance they will fly clear through and 

 alight on these bees. 



4. With regard to buckwheat, we do not consider 

 the Japanese quite the equal of the silverhull or 

 the gray buckwheat for honey; but the Japanese 

 gives a much larger kernel than either the silver- 

 hull or the gray. If you want honey we think you 

 will prefer the silverhull. — Ed.] 



