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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Feb. 20, 



the moth-miller cannot go, they will not be damaged by moths. 

 In this locality, some seasons, such combs so placed would be 

 badly damaged by moth-worms. Combs seem to attract the 

 moth-miller, and where there are many combs in a tight room 

 or box, I believe if the miller cannot get at them she will often 

 lay her eggs in cracks or crevices in the box or building where 

 the combs are, and after the eggs hatch, instinct or something 

 else, causes the moth-worm to crawl through to where the 

 combs are. A young moth-worm can go through a very small 

 hole — so small, in fact, that I believe it would be impossible to 

 make a box out of wood that could keep them out. 



Early in the spring, long before any moth-millers were 

 around, 1 have taken combs that bad been in a building all 

 winter where the temperature would be nearly, if not quite, 

 as low as it would be out-doors — and that means cold enough 

 to kill any moth-worms ; for in this locality we always have 

 some very cold weather, and generally every winter one or 

 two spells when the temperature will be down to nearly if not 

 quite 40^ below zero for two or three days— I have put combs, 

 thus exposed, into tight boxes which had also been exposed 

 all winter, and nailed covers on, and fixed them so that no 

 moth-miller could possibly get inside, yet I have had combs so 

 placed badly damaged by moths. 



When I have empty combs to preserve, I also have empty 

 hives, and I always wanted some plan by which I could keep 

 the combs in the hives without their being damaged by moths, 

 and without the trouble and work of sulphuring them every 

 ten days or so. I finally hit upon a plan by which this could 

 be done, with practically no work or expense. This will work 

 just as well if the hives are tiered up out-doors — in fact, I 

 prefer to keep the hives containing the empty or filled combs 

 right in the yard where they can be gotten at easily when 

 wanted. 



Now all that is necessary to do this, is to get some tarred 

 paper — common tar building-paper, which can be had from 

 almost any hardware store, or lumber yard ; this should De 

 cut just the size of the top of the hive, large enough 

 so that it will come out even with the outer edge of the hive 

 all around. With hives that have the entrance cut from them 

 it will be necessary to nail a strip on to close the crack this 

 entrance would cause when the hives are tiered up. With a 

 hive made on the same principle as the dovetailed, all that is 

 necessary to do is to place the combs in the hive-bodies, then 

 take a bottom-board and turn it bottom side up. (The bottom- 

 board is turned wrong side up, so as notto leave an entrance.) 

 Then spread one of these squares of tar paper on the bottom- 

 board, and set the hive on this paper. Then put auother 

 paper on top of this hive, and place another hive on, and so 

 on as high as desired ; and if on each tier, or tiers, a piece of 

 this tar paper is put under the bottom hive, between each one, 

 also one on top between the cover and top of the last or top 

 hive, the moth-worms will never damage the combs any, even 

 If the joints betweeu the hives do not fit very tight — at least 

 they never have with me. Of course, it there were moths or 

 moth-eggs in the combs before they were so fixed, they would 

 damase the combs. 



These squares of tar paper will last for years, and when 

 not in use can be rolled up together, and thus require but 

 little storage-room. The tar paper will cause the combs to 

 smell of tar, and if they contain honey it will cause it to taste 

 tarry, but this is no detriment to brood-combs or to the honey 

 either, if it is to be given to the bees for their own use. On 

 the other hand, in my opinion, it is healthy and good for them. 

 But none of this tar paper should be used around section or 

 any other kind of honey that is intended to be sold or used at 

 home, for it will cause it to taste of tar, and be a great dam- 

 age to it. 



The only way that I know of to keep comb honey — that is, 

 if it is kept in such a place as it should be — from being dam- 

 aged by moths, is to sulphur it every two weeks or so during 

 warm weather. 



If this article is thought to be worth printing, in my next 

 I will give my method of sulphuring and handling comb honey. 



Southern Minnesota. 



More About Paintiag Hives, Etc. 



BY E. B. THOMAS. 



On page 774 (1895), I observe some kind remarks on my 

 letter on page 746, on painting hives, with Dr. Miller's ex- 

 pression of surprise that the general practice of priming 

 should have obtained in spite of the facts I adduce to ihe con- 

 trary. I think the practice can be explained as follows : 



Outside, or house-painting, is generally done on vertical 

 or hanging surfaces, and when the weather is warm and 



pleasant; the oil generally used is new, light and thin, and 

 made thinner still by the warmth of the day and the surface 

 to be painted. Therefore, in order that the oil may not "run," 

 some paint is put in to give it body, without thought as to the 

 detriment it will be to the permanence of the finished work. 

 When this priming coat is made with finely-ground lead or 

 zinc, it is bad, but not half so bad as when made by stirring 

 into the oil some of the ocherous earths (chiefly yellow ochre) 

 as is so often seen of late years. 



If the old oil I have recommended be used, it will have 

 enough body, and even new oil well worked in with the brush 

 is vastly superior to the usual coat of priming. 



As to the practical question in the Doctor's second para- 

 graph, I think I may offer a solution satisfactory to those who 

 desire unpainted hives. Most hives made in the North are of 

 white pine — a light, porous wood, so little subject to warping 

 and shrinking that to this day it is considered by most archi- 

 tects as the only suitable wood for the core of veneered hard- 

 wood doors used in expensive houses. White pine, however, 

 does not stand exposure to the weather unless thoroughly pro- 

 tected by paint. But of late years cypress has come into use 

 for various purposes. It is not quite so light in weight as 

 white pine. From it solid doors and interior finish can be 

 made of the most exquisite beauty, according to the selection 

 of the wood. It does not shrink or warp any more than white 

 pine, and when exposed unpainted to the weather, lasts in- 

 definitely. Cypress shingles are said to last 50 years, and 

 then succumb only to the action of the rain wearing away the 

 surface of the wood. I have 40,000 of them on my house, 

 and although they have been there nearly five years, none of 

 them are appreciably warped. This wood is odorless, free 

 from knots, and is a good material for the exterior parts of 

 hives. In New York and New England it is slightly more ex- 

 pensive than white pine, but the difference is far more than 

 made up by the saving in paint. Oil all joints and bearings, 

 and underneath bottom-boards. Use galvanized nails, and no 

 part, not.even the tops, will require painting — and they may 

 be bequeathed to your children. 



While on the subject of material for hives, let me suggest 

 one reason why bees will sometimes refuse to stay in a new 

 hive. Hives made of Southern pine, as is the usage in the 

 South, or of white pine, as in the North, often contain " fat" 

 or resinous pieces, or knots which are of the same character. 

 On a hot day, whether exposed to the sun or not, these resin- 

 ous parts exude an odor of turpentine so pungent at times 

 that the desertion of the bees may be thus accounted for. 



Lynn, N. C. 



Management to Get the Most Honey. 



BY JAMES CORMAC. 



On page 600 (1895) is an article entitled, " A Different 

 Management of Bees Needed," which was to be followed by 

 this, but circumstances prevented my writing sooner. 



The past ten years, in this part of Iowa, have been a 

 continued honey-dearth, so far as white clover is taken into 

 account as a honey-plant, and only those favorably situated 

 near groves containing basswood (linden) can boast of much 

 surplus, and especially those who practice section-honey pro- 

 duction. 



The flowering of the basswood being of short duration, by 

 the prevailing methods of management a large part of the 

 honey secured by the bees is not secured in the sections; for 

 whenever this flow commenced, the bees became excited to 

 swarming, queen-cells were built as fast as possible, and prep- 

 arations made to transfer their home. Although sections were 

 on and work commenced therein, at least two-thirds of the 

 colonies would be in the air within a few days, and several at 

 the same time, necessitating a great deal of lively and hard 

 work in catching swarms and moving hives, changing the 

 supers, etc. Following the usual methods of hiving the 

 swarms, I soon found that I had more bees and less honey, 

 than from the colonies that did not swarm at that time, 

 although careful observation convinced me that colonies not 

 swarming, although as strong or stronger, did not secure as 

 much honey as those that were allowed to swarm, but did not 

 place as much in the sections during the flow. 



I studied on methods to remedy such a condition, and 

 secure almost all the honey the bees gathered, at the same 

 time permit swarming, because I believe that under this ex- 

 citement more work can be forced in the sections than when 

 under placid conditions. To prepare and adopt the method 

 to be set forth, and to save time and labor, should you have 

 many colonies or only a few, it is best to clip the queens' 

 wings, although most apiarists know the best time for this is 



