194 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



jVovpmlirr 



deep cell foundation, fence separators 

 and plane sections is too limited to be 

 of value, but whatever changes we do 

 make I do hope we will not depart 

 from the standard iy^xiV^ sections. 

 The cost will be too gi-eat for an im- 

 aginary gain. 



NOTES. 



(1). Foundation should touch the 

 sides of the sections and come to with- 

 in one-sixth of an inch of the bottom 

 bar. 



(2). I have used thousands of bot- 

 tom starters and fail to find much ben- 

 efit from them. But I have learned this, 

 that if they overlap one-fourth of an 

 inch or so no harm will result; the 

 bees will cut them to fit and unite 

 them all right. 



(3). If holes are found in the sep- 

 tum of foundation the bees lose time 

 and add too much wax in mending. 



(4). Feeding back on account of 

 granulating should be discouraged. 

 S. T. PBTTIT. 

 Belmont, Ont., Canada. 



Rang^e of Honey Bees. 



The range of the honey bee is but lit- 

 tle understood by the masses, many 

 supposing that bees go for miles in 

 quest of nectar, while others think that 

 they go only a- short distance. It may 

 be curious to many to understand how 

 any one can tell how far the bee may 

 fly, but this is simple when understood. 

 Years ago, when the Italian bees were 

 first introduced in the United States, 

 these bees, having marks different to 

 the common bees already here, were 

 easily distinguished, and after any bee- 

 keeper had obtained the Italian bees 

 they could be observed and their range 

 easily noticed. If bloom is plentiful 

 close where bees are located, they will 

 not go very far, perhaps a mile in 

 range, but if bloom is scarce they may 

 go five miles. Usually about three miles 

 is as far as they may go profitably. 



Bees have been known to go as far as 



eight miles in a straight line, crossing 

 a body of water that distance to land. 

 It is wonderful how the little honey 

 bee can go so far from its home and 

 ever find its way back to its own par- 

 ticular hive. If, while the little bee is 

 out of its home, or hive, the hive 

 should be removed some ten or twenty 

 feet, according to the surroundings, 

 when it came back to where its home 

 was first located it would be hopelessly 

 lost. If its home was in an open space, 

 with no other objects close, it might 

 find its way home, but, even should the 

 hive be moved only a few feet, many of 

 the bees would get lost. 



So to move a hive, if done in the win- 

 ter time, it would be all right; but if in 

 the summer time it should be done af- 

 ter dark, or when the bees are not fiy- 

 ing, and even then the bees should be 

 stirred up some, and smoke blown in 

 at the hive entrance and a board or 

 some object placed in front of the hive, 

 so that the bees in coming out may 

 mark their new location. Bees, no 

 doubt, are guided by sight and also by 

 sense of smell. They are attracted by 

 the color of bloom, as, if they are at 

 work on a certain kind of bloom, they 

 are not likely to leave that particular 

 kind of bloom for any other as long as 

 they can find that kind. Again, bees 

 are often attracted to sweets by their 

 sense of smell, for they will go affter 

 sweets, even if in the dark, if close. 

 However, any kind of sweets may be 

 placed in glass in plain sight, but if 

 covered so as not to emit any smell, 

 the bees will take no notice of it. — 

 Philadelphia Inquirer. 



"The year, throughout the United 

 States, excepting Colorado, Florida, 

 Vru'mont, Michigan and Northern Cali- 

 fornia, has been a most signal failure." 

 — Gleanings. 



One more number will complete the 

 eighth volume of The American Bee- 

 Keeper, 



