Oct. 18, 1900. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



663 



pass into the true stomach and there mix with the digfested 

 pollen is not improbable. I feel very certain that no water 

 does pass directly into the stomach as a component part of 

 this larval food. I believe that it is all absorbed, passing' 

 into the blood and, of course, indirectly aids in diffestion, 

 and so is important in all the work of the bee. In all ani- 

 mals, water is very quickly absorbed when it is taken into 

 the alimentary canal, and I believe with bees, as with higher 

 animals, that it speedily passes to the blood and so promotes 

 secretion and excretion. 



I do not suppose that perspiraton on the outside amonj:;^ 

 bees is at all active. The chitinous cover of bees would 

 serve to greatly lessen perspiration from the outside sur- 

 face of the body. Thus, it is probable that what we might 

 call skin perspiration is very slight. Possibly it does not 

 exist at all. But we must remember that the skin of bees 

 is reflex, and lines all the great network of breathing- 

 tubes. These breathing-tubes come in close apposition 

 with the blood. That water from the blood is constantly 

 and rapidly passing to the air in the breathing-tubes or 

 trachea, is certainly true. This is purely analagous to per- 

 spiration, as the water is constantly passing from the blood 

 and cools the body. Of course, this water passes out with 

 the air, always bearing its load of heat with it. It goes 

 without saying that neither Mr. Doolittle nor I ever saw 

 this " sweating." It is entirely out of sight. There is no 

 question but that the bee must cool off. It is as active as 

 the higher animals, and all animal activity genders heat. 

 This heat would soon destroy life were it not carried away. 

 I still believe, despite Mr. Doolittle's kindly criticism, that 

 a very important function of the water taken by bees is to 

 secure this coolitig-off process. 



Mr. Doolittle remarks upon the sticky moisture that we 

 always find when bees are suffocated in the hive. Of course, 

 any honey that is incorporated in this moisture is regurgi- 

 tated by the bees. I do not state that there may not be a 

 good deal of this honey. I believe as strongly that very 

 much is water which passes from the bees in their attempt 

 to cool off their bodies. Does Mr. Doolittle know that this 

 is not the case ? 



Mr. Doolittle's weight of brood I think is no argument 

 in this case. The brood is not made up of water, but of 

 tissue like all larval insects. I do not think the brood con- 

 tains any more water than do other larva;, yet many larva^ 

 surely get no water at all in their food except in combina- 

 tion. This is true of all the borers. 



To recapitulate : Bees need water as food to build up 

 their bodies, to aid in performing their functions, hence, in 

 producing the food of their young and in counteracting the 

 heat produced by vital action. It is probable that this 

 water all goes to the blood, and not directly into the food 

 given to the larva;'. I do not believe that in the general 

 economy of the body the processes are greatly different 

 with bees from those of higher animals. If not, then surely 

 the cooling-off process which comes thru evaporation of 

 water — we might call it respiratory sweating — is of exceed- 

 ing importance. 



I am very glad Mr. Doolittle wrote his critique, and I 

 hope others will do so if they feel that they have good and 

 substantial reason for doubting these propositions. The 

 processes in the animal economy are so complicated that 

 none of us can afford to be dogmatic. We only want to 

 get at the truth, and there is no such good way as by 

 friendly criticism. Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



Finding Queens- Experiences in Introducing, Etc. 



BY EDWIN BEVINS. 



KILLING old and other undesirable queens, and introduc- 

 ing young ones in their places, has been my chief 

 occupation for several days. Much has been written 

 lately on the subject of finding queens, and judging from 

 the remarks of some, they seem to consider it a formidable 

 task. I have not found it so. My method is as follows : 



I first get an empy hive and fasten a swarm-guard at 

 the entrance. Then I smoke the bees to be operated on, 

 and set the hive to one side. Then I place the empty hive 

 where the one removed stood. Then I adjust a wide board 

 so that its upper side shall be on a level with the upper 

 side of the alighting-board. Then I place two short pieces 

 of 2x4 on the wide board, so that one end of each piece 

 shall connect with one side of the hive. These pieces of 

 2x4 direct the bees to the entrance, and prevent the queen 

 from crawling off to one side, as she sometimes will if 

 there are no obstructions. Then I smoke the bees a little 



more at the top, and proceed to take the frames out one by 

 one, and shake the bees all off in front of the empty hive. 



If time presses, I do not look on the combs for the 

 queen at all. If not, I give them a few hasty glances. The 

 combs as fast as shaken are put into the hive, and the bees 

 soon cover them. The bees that have clung to the sides 

 and bottom of the old hive are tirusht down in front of the 

 new hive, so there is practically no chance to miss the 

 queen. I never miss finding her outside, and sometimes 

 while there are a good many bees outside with her. The 

 time consumed is less than the time spent in telling how it 

 is done. 



The queen I got from Dr. Miller was introduced safely, 

 but it took a long time to do it. She was received on Tues- 

 day, and put in a hive with bees taken from above a queen- 

 excluder, and confined to the hive by means of wire-screen. 

 This confinement was continued for only about 48 hours. 

 By Dr. Miller's advice I left the pasteboard over the candy. 

 On the Friday following the Tuesday when the queen was 

 received, the bees had not attackt the pasteboard at all, and 

 I had it removed. Then the bees were left unmolested till 

 the following Tuesday or Wednesday, when I had an ex- 

 amination made, and found the queen still in the cage. I 

 told the person making the examination to take a small 

 stick and punch a hole thru the candy. He did so, and a 

 day or two after bsing able to get around myself, I lookt 

 and found the queen on one of the combs. 



I was not so fortunate with another queen I received 

 from Alabama a day or two after Dr. Miller's came. The 

 candy had been eaten into to a considerable depth, and 

 fearing the bees might release the queen too soon. I tackt a 

 piece of pasteboard so as partly to cover the hole that ad- 

 mits to the candy. After two days the pasteboard had not 

 been toucht, and it was removed. Examining again at the 

 end of five days after the cage was placed on the frames, I 

 found the queen and her escort dead in the cage. The bees 

 had not tried to release her. Whether the pasteboard had 

 any part in the loss of this queen I will not venture to say. 

 I am inclined to believe, however, that my bees do not like 

 pasteboard. 



The season here has been almost a failure so far as sur- 

 plus honey is concerned. Most of my colonies have enough 

 for winter. A few will have to be fed. I made some nuclei 

 and reared some queens for them in August, and I shall do 

 a good deal of doubling up, partly to save stores and partly 

 to get rid of some undesirable queens. A nucleus with a 

 young queen will be united with an old colony having con- 

 siderable honey, but whose queen was past her usefulness. 



Decatur Co., Iowa, Sept. 28. 



A Visit to Some Kane Co., 111., Bee-Keepers. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



SEPTEMBER 19th we accompanied the Prohibition Spe- 

 cial Train (which carried candidates WooUey and Met- 

 calf, with others) as far as Aurora, 111., expecting to 

 spend the day among bee-keepers in and near that city. 



Mr. W. H. Norris, one of the bee-keepers, met us at the 

 depot, he having come to see the special train arrive, and 

 hear the speakers. He took us "under his wing," and 









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3/r. F. L. Taylor and Apiary. 



