GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Conversations ^vith Doolittle 



At Borodino, New York 



USING "baits" to the BEST ADVANTAGE. 



I have read with interest what you have been 

 telling us about bait sections ; but you have not told 

 us how to use them to the best advantage. Some 

 put them in tlie center of the super so that tlie bees 

 can work both ways from them, drawine out the 

 foundation on either side till the ends of the supers 

 are reached. I may not be up in this matter ; but 

 it looks to me as if it would be better if there were 

 some way of using them so that the sections near 

 the ends of the super would be finished up within 

 a few days of the time the center ones are. Where 

 the sections at the ends of the supers are two weeks 

 behind in finishing, I find that those finished first in 

 the center of the super are often badly travel- 

 stained, so much that they have to go in a grade 

 lower than would be the case could the super come 

 off when these are first finished. 



Something depends on the number of 

 baits we may have at the beginning of the 

 season. To get at the matter we will sup- 

 pose we have 100 colonies which we expect 

 to put supers on for section honey ; that we 

 use a super holding four rows of sections, 

 11 sections in a row, or 44 sections to the 

 super, and that we have only 100 baits. I 

 know of no better way to use them than to 

 put one of these in the center of one of the 

 center rows. This bait will have five sec- 

 tions filled witli foundation on either side 

 in that row, and in the other three rows. 

 The bees will begin work in the center of 

 the supers; and if the season is poor, or 

 the sections put on early, the center sec- 

 tions in such supers will be finished long 

 before those next to the ends of the supers. 

 But we have the consolation that, even in 

 this condition of affairs, the bees enter the 

 sections much sooner than they otherwise 

 would ; and through this we not only secure 

 more honey but discourage swarming 



If we have 200 baits they should be put 

 in the center of the two outside rows. In 

 this way tlie bees will eonamence work all 

 through the center of the super at the same 

 lime. The drawing of the bees to the cen- 

 ter of the tAvo outside rows makes it warm 

 in the middle rows, and for this reason the 

 bees will begin to draw the foundation 

 there as soon as they will on either side of 

 the two baits. I find that baits are mostly 

 used in this way unless there are as many 

 as 400, when one is put in the center of 

 each row. Then if the bees are somewhat 

 crowded for" room they will fill two-thirds 

 of the sections so they will be near comple- 

 tion at about the same time, while the 

 other third will be only a few days beliind 

 in all ordinary good seasons. Many tell me 

 that 400 baits for 100 colonies in the spring 

 is all that is necessary, and that they would 

 not use more if they had them, other than 

 to fill supers full of them, and put such on 



the hives when the flow is at its height, un- 

 der which circumstances they will be filled 

 and completed so that they will go as No. 1 

 or fancy honey, which they claim can never 

 be the case where sections are used as baits. 

 I do not agree with those who argue thus; 

 for if I could always have things just as I 

 like them I would have 800 or 1200 baits 

 for the 100 colonies, the latter preferred. 

 With that amount I would fill the 100 su- 

 jDers in this way : I would put one in the 

 center of each of the four rows; then I 

 would put one in each of the four rows at 

 either end, one section away from the ends 

 of the supers. This would make each of 

 the rows as follows : Beginning at one end 

 there would be first a section filled with 

 thin foundation, then a bait; then three 

 sections filled with foundation; then a bait; 

 then three of foundation ; then another 

 bait ; and, last, one of foundation. This is 

 the way I have used my supers for thirty 

 years, if I could only furnish the 1600 

 partly filled sections from the year before. 

 And I wish to go on record right here as 

 saying that, so far as I can see, a super fill- 

 ed in this way has as good effect toward the 

 prevention of swarming as does the put- 

 ting-on of the first super of the season fill- 

 ed with all baits. Of course, with all baits 

 and a good colony the storing will go on in 

 all of the 44 about equally. With the 

 twelve, storing will commence first in the 

 baits, while the foundation is being drawn. 

 But at the end of three or four days there 

 Avill be little difference. Even the four cor- 

 ner sections will apparently be just as well 

 filled as those at the center, when the whole 

 of the 44 in the super will all come up to 

 completion at the same time. 



There is no prettier sight than a super of 

 sections all alike in advancement, with not 

 a cell yet sealed, though filled with water- 

 white honey which sparkles and glistens in 

 the morning sunshine. Not even the whole 

 of the 44 sealed sections, with their snow- 

 white cappings, look nearly so enchanting 

 to me as does this mass of sparkling 

 smoothness, and this is just what I have 

 seen hundreds of times in the first supers 

 of the season when I had enough baits. 

 'Vnd where the season allows of their com- 

 ing to completion thus, the man who could 

 tell which sections contained the baits and 

 which the foundation would have a sharper 

 eye than most apiarists have, to say no- 

 thing of those who know of honey only as 

 they buy it in the market. 



