J>ECEMBER 1, 1912 



fixing before they can be shipped; and I 

 was fortunately delayed in shipping until 

 April. 1 say "foitunately," because the bees 

 were thus given a chance to rear some 

 brood, and become nearly normal. Had 

 tliey been left in Colorado three weeks long- 

 er it Avould have been more fortunate, for 

 bees should never be shipped when there 

 ;ire few young bees in the hives. 



Two cars of the bees — one from Love- 

 land, shipped April 1, one from Sterling, 

 shipped two weeks later — were sent with a 

 comb-honey super on top of each, screened. 

 The two from Longmont had narrow screen 

 frames. All of them had water dashed 

 into the outside combs, which were invari- 

 ably empty. All were loaded in tiers pack- 

 ed tight in the car, and with two-by-twos 

 between. In short, they were loaded alike, 

 I think, though I did not load, nor have 

 any thing to do with the Longmont cars. 

 But those with the deep screens reached 

 Idaho with much less loss, and all of the 

 living colonies Avere in far better shape. 

 Was the extra clustering-space on top the 

 cause f It appears so, yet weather may 

 have cut some figure. 



In June I loaded another car in Ogden. 

 These were full colonies that had been 

 swarming; but a dearth of honey had stop- 

 ped it; and they were fed sugar syrup be- 

 fore screening. They too were covered 

 with comb-honey supers — the strongest 

 with two, and in addition the entrances 

 were screened. They were also watered in 

 the same waj^, and loaded in the day time 

 as the others had been. These bees were 

 kept closed in for three days and nights in 

 all, during the sivarming season, and were 

 hauled upon hay-racks and beet-racks, and 

 yet only one unusually strong colony smoth- 

 ered, and few bees in any hive were lost. 

 I forgot to mention that the bees were 

 watered at unloading also. Did the large 

 space over the frames, plus the water, in- 

 sure the success of this shipment? I think 

 so. 



During the spring of 1912 I helped to 

 ship five cars of nuclei from California to 

 Utah and Idaho. All of these Avere weak 

 compared with full colonies; but they were 

 shut in single-story ten-frame hives on six 

 frames, Avith the screen doAvn on top of the 

 frames, and they Avere not watered at all. 

 The bees could cluster at the side, but not 

 over the frames. I saw only one ear un- 

 loaded, and fully half the bees were lost in 

 each hive, while the owner says he usually 

 loses a gi'eat many old bees. 



NoAV, this particular car was held up 

 during the heat of the day twice during the 

 trip, to which cause the owner attributed 



the loss. The weather also in Nevada Avas 

 hot Avhen Ave passed througli. But the car 

 shij^ped from Ogden to Idaho Falls in 

 June, 1911, stood on the tracks through all 

 the heat of the day in Idaho Falls on the 

 second day, though the weather Avas not so 

 hot. But tiie bees were three times as 

 strong, and hence hotter. 



The diiference, as -it appears to me, lay 

 not in the Aveather nor the motion, nor in 

 the extra time of being shut in (the Cali- 

 fornia bees were closed in for five days), 

 but in watering and the clustering-space. 

 If bees can get aboA'e the brood they Avill 

 not smother it; and Avill not eat it if they 

 have Avater. 



Now just a word about hoAV to Avater. 

 If one has extra dry combs, Avater put in 

 these is best ; but some use cans of excel- 

 sior, tacked in the sides of the hive, quite 

 successfully. I presume that it is best of 

 all to water en route with a spray ; but it is 

 not necessary for nuclei if there is water 

 in the hive. 



If bees are watered at unloading they are 

 not nearly so liable to sAvarm out when 

 opened, and be lost. A dash of Avater in 

 each hive suffices. When they are shut in 

 I should say always give water at every 

 opiDortunity. 



Carneyville, Wyo., Nov. 5. 



[ Our OAvn experience has shown the great 

 importance of gi\'ing water on the route. 

 We are convinced that, Avhen it is supplied 

 to them often enough, they will not destroy 

 their brood, and the chances of the bees 

 getting through in good order are immense- 

 ly improved. 



If ordinary strong colonies are shipped, 

 it is also important to have a clustering- 

 space over the top of the combs. With 

 ordinary weak colonies, such space, accord- 

 ing to our experience, is not necessary, but 

 such bees must be supplied Avith plenty of 

 water just the same. — Ed.] 



Bee-stings an Eye-opener 



The following item was clipped from the San 

 Francisco Call of yesterday, Oct. 5. Like lota of 

 others I've had my eyes opened by being stung, but 

 not by bees. Bee-stings usually act on me for a day 

 or two the other way. 



Oakland, Gal., Oct. 6. Geo. Malcomb. 



A PLACERVILLE APIARIST IS SAVED A VISIT TO A 

 SPECIALIST. 



Chico, Oct. 4. — While changing a swarm of bees 

 from one hive to another, George Bailey, who lives 

 near Placerville, and makes a living selling honey, 

 but who has been almost blind for some time be- 

 cause of some ailment of his eyes, was stung on the 

 face and eyelids by several of the bees. Bailey in- 

 tended to go to Sacramento today to consult a spe- 

 cialist with a view of having his sight restored; but 

 the bees did the work that he intended the specialist 

 should try to do. The effect of the stings has been 

 to restore his sight. 



