THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Queries Sc ^tplits. 



Introduction. 



Durini? the year 18*5, the Bee 

 .JouKNAL will contain a Department 

 entitled as above, and many of the 

 prominent apiarists have already con- 

 sented to contribute to it. An old 

 proverb says that " in the multitude 

 of counsels there is wisdom," and we 

 believe it will prove to be a very true 

 one in this case. 



This department now supersedes the 

 one which has existed during the past 

 two years, entitled " What and IIow V" 

 and which was ably conducted by 

 James Heddon, who fully endorses 

 the scope and general outline and will 

 assist in the present arrangement, as 

 will be noticed by the Eeplies in this, 

 the initial number for isa5. 



Our plan, as outlined below, has 

 received the approbation of all to 

 whom we have submitted it, iind we 

 shall, during the coming year, have 

 the co-operation of tlie most promi- 

 nent, progressive and successful apia- 

 rists of America, many of whom 

 desire not only to reply to the queries 

 of others, but to propound questions 

 upon which it is desired to obtain the 

 opinions of " the knowing ones." 



All are invited to send us questions, 

 brief and to the point, which are of 

 general interest. These will then be 

 printed and sent to those who may be 

 selected by us, and several answers 

 will duly appear with the question in 

 the Bee .Jouhnal, giving the indi- 

 vidual views of those whose names 

 appear with each answer, thus afford- 

 ing all our readers an opportunity to 

 compare views, • criticize and form 

 new queries. This will bring out all 

 the light on the subject, and make a 

 department that will be very interest- 

 ing and instructive ; and, if we mis- 

 take not, one that will be enthusi- 

 astically welcomed by our readers 

 generally. 



This department is not intended for 

 advertising any one's wares — there- 

 fore, questions concerning the manu- 

 facture of goods for sale, are not ap- 

 propriate—not being of general im- 

 portance. Send such questions to 

 the supply dealer for private reply. 



From the many Queries now on our 

 desk we have selected those in the 

 next column for the initial number of 

 the Bee Jouhxal for 188-5, to which 

 the answers are appended as given by 

 the persons whose names are connect- 

 ed thereto. 



Food for Bees in Winter. 



Query, No. 1.— How much food does each 

 colony of bees require, in order to winter 

 successfully ? 



Messrs. Dad-^nt & Son answer : "For 

 the winter proper, a colony can be brought 

 through with 20 pounds of honey, or even 

 less; but to take tliem to the next crop, re- 

 quires not less than 25 to 3.5 pounds, ac- 

 cording to season." 



Pkof.A. J. Cook says : " If to last from 

 October until May, when fniit trees bloom, 

 30 pounds is none too little; from Novem- 

 ber to April, in a good cellar, 10 pounds is 

 more than abundant." 



J.VMES Heddon remarks as follows : "It 

 beiug my opinion that when we arrange 

 the conditions so as to certainly prevent 

 disease, they will also preveut the possi- 

 bility of breeding until taken from the 

 cellar. I think that 15 pouuds of stores 

 will prove to be the outside quantity 

 needed, to last until the bees are on the 

 wing to remain out-d(pors. I really think 

 we may get the amount down to 3 or 5 

 pomiils." 



W. Z. HrrruiNSON says that " from 10 

 to 15 pounds is a great plenty to carry a 

 colony through the winter in a cellar. If 

 unprotected, out-of-doors, twice that 

 amount may be needed in a cold winter." 



Dn. G. L. Tinker replies thus: "No 

 colony should have more food than it will 

 probably consume from November until 

 the following May. Twenty pomids is 

 enough for in-door wintering." 



G. W. Demarek says : " I have found 

 that bees will winter on much less food 

 than they really ought to have. My 

 strongest colonies are always those which 

 have an abundance of stores. From 30 to 

 34 pounds to the full colony gives me the 

 best results." 



G. M. Dooi.iTTLE says : "That depends 

 on the size of tlie colony and the tempera- 

 ture of the cellar or house. lu a temper- 

 ature of 45°, I allow 10 pounds for small 

 colonies and 15 pounds for good ones, 

 when I expect to attend to their wants as 

 soon as set from the cellar. If to last 

 until flowers come again, from 30 to 25 

 pounds is none too much." 



Bees Uneasy and Roaring. 



Query, No. 2.— Dec. 16 was cold and windy, 

 with the thcrniometer at zero; next morning 

 it stood at "-io dej^rrees above, the wind has 

 ceased, and the bees were roaring as if it 

 was in June. What caused the uneasiness ? 

 Is it a sij^n of diarrhea ? 



James Heddon respomls thus: "I 

 think that the roaring was caused by the 

 previous low temperature, and perhaps the 

 wind moved some loose fixtures that were 

 about the hives. The roaring is no posi- 

 tive sign that bee-diarrhea is present or will 

 follow." 



Messrs. D.vdant & Son reply as fol- 

 lows : " We have many times noticed this 

 phenomenon. We do not know exactly 

 what causes it, but it is not necessarily a 



bad sign; at any rate, it is not a sign of 

 bee-diarrhea." 



Dr. G. L. Tinker says : " In the case 

 referred to, the bees had probably suffered 

 from the cold wuids, and had become rest- 

 less. It is not a sign of bee-diarrhea un- 

 less the cause should be long continued 

 with but slight abatement, when the bees 

 woidd gorge themselves and diarrhea would 

 be likely to result." 



G. M. DooLiTTLE says : "The ques- 

 tion is indetinite. Were the bees in the 

 cellar or on summer stands? Also, no 

 number of colonies are given. I will 

 venture : perhaps the bees had taken 

 honey into the cluster which always 

 causes a merry hum to be heard, and if 

 so, could be no sign of diarrhea." 



Prof. A. J. Cook says : " I think that 

 it was caused by the previous cold. Too 

 much heat or too much cold will irritate 

 bees when confined." 



W. Z. Hutchinson remarks : " When 

 the cold is intense, the bees sometimeis 

 make a ' roaring ' in exercising themselves, 

 in order to keep warm. It is possible that 

 the cold was the cause of the roaring, and 

 the bees had not yet quieted down by the 

 next morning." 



G. W. Dem.^^ree remarks as follows : 

 " Mention has heretofore been made of 

 this state of things in the bee-hive, sup- 

 posed by some to be caused by an effort on 

 the part of the unnates of the hive to raise 

 the temperature, which had fallen so low 

 as to endanger the life of the colony. In 

 our climate the temperature sometimes 

 makes a fearful dive below zero for a few 

 hours at a time, such a dip we had on the 

 morning of Dec. IS, ISsl, just two days 

 later than the date mentioned in the ques- 

 tion. It was 4 degrees below zero, and in 

 just 48 houi-s it was rising. My bees in 

 single-walled hives have never shown any 

 signs of disturbance after passing through 

 the trying ordeal. Bees never 'roar' in 

 cold or cool weather in winter, except 

 when disturbed, and that they ever ' fan ' 

 with their wings (which produces the 

 roaring sound ) with the purpose of raising 

 the temperatme, I conte.ss to a great deal 

 of incredulity. That they sometimes 

 'fan ' to expel damp air from the interior 

 of the hive, I have the best reasons to be- 

 lieve, and I doubt not that they sometimes 

 make use of their wings to expel the cold 

 air from the interior of chaff-protected 

 hives in case of a sudden rise of tempera- 

 tme, leaving the air on the inside of the 

 hive colder than the external atmosphere. 

 If I am right in this, it would give a rea- 

 sonable ' cause ' for the ' roaring ' named 

 in the question. Bees threatened with 

 bee-dianiiea are always stupid and dull, so 

 far as my limited experience goes." 



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