740 



rHE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



REPLIES by Prominent Apiarists. 



Feeding Outside the Hives. 



Qnery, No. 161.— Aslwiab to feed my bees, 

 why coulJ 1 not do so by putting sugar syrup in 

 empty combs a few rods frora the hives, and then 

 let the bees talie it in 7— H. G. W.. Ills. 



If there are no other bees near by 

 this could be done ; but after putting 

 the syrup in the combs, why not Iiaiig 

 them in tlie liive and " done with itV" 

 — VV. Z. Hutchinson. 



In the first place, you would be 

 likely to feed other people's bees as 

 well vour own ; and yo" would make 

 fools'and robbers of your bees— chiefly 

 because the colonies that needed feed- 

 ing the most would get the smallest 

 share of the feed.— G. W. Dkmahee. 



It will work very well provided the 

 ■weather is warm, with no neighbor- 

 ing bees. Possibly the combs might 

 be torn down. Piit the combs in the 

 hive and they will be quickly emptied. 

 — C. C. Miller. 



You could, but I would much pre- 

 fer to feed inside the hives, then my 

 own bees get the food, and there is 

 less danger of robbing ; besides, I can 

 feed at any time— night or day, cold 

 or warm. — A. J. Cuok. 



Owing to the great liability that 

 will be found of starting robbing, 

 such a course of procedure will be 

 dangerous ; and if it were not so, it 

 will be found to be full as easy and 

 simple to feed in the usual manner.— 

 J. E. Pond, Jr. 



The combs would be liable to be 

 gnawed badly, and robbing would be 

 started unless they were fed all that 

 they could carry all day. Besides, 

 weak colonies would not get as much 

 of the feed as the strong ones, while, 

 as a rule, the weak ones are those we 

 especially wish to feed.— G. M. Dog- 

 little. 



Yon can do tl^at if you do not care 

 which bees take the most ; but we 

 would prefer giving it in tlie hive and 

 thus regulate the quantity given to 

 each colony. Outside feeding is a 

 very poor method at all times. — 

 Dadakt & Son. 



You could, but you could not in 

 that way feed them in proportion to 

 their iie(?ds, one colony as compared 

 with the others. If your neiglibors 

 keep bees, you will also feed them. 

 Yon are more liable to engender rob- 

 bing in this way, especially if the 

 syrup contains any honey. It is much 

 belter to use a good top-feeder, and it 

 is scarcely more work.— .Iames IIed- 

 don. 



There are many ways of feeding 

 bees requiriug even less labor than 

 the plan suggested that will not cause 

 any disturbance. The plan that I use 

 seems to be nearly always practica- 



ble, which is, to raise the front of the 

 hive and turn the feed in at the en- 

 trance. A good top-feeder that 

 holds not over a quart is the best. In 

 cool weather the feed should be given 

 warm, and no more at a time than 

 will keep warm until it is all taken up. 

 Otherwise many bees flying out with 

 their loads will be chilled and lost.— 

 G. L. Tinker. 



Virgin ftueens and Laying Workers. 



Query, Xo. 163.— Will a virgin queen and a 

 laying worker remain in the same hive together?— 

 Clayton, Mich. 



We think that a laying worker will 

 cease to lay if there is a queen hatched 

 in the same hive in natural circum- 

 stances. — Dadant & Son. 



Yes, with hundreds of laying work- 

 ers when Cyprian and Syrian bees 

 compose the colony.— G. M. Doo- 



LITTLE. 



Yes.— \V. Z. Hutchinson. 



Very likely they might.— A.J.Cook. 



A virgin queen will sometimes re- 

 main in the same hive for several 

 days, but she is generally "balled" 

 to death, when she returns from her 

 bridal trip.— G. W. Dejiakee. 



Yes. Some bee-keepers suppose, 

 and with good reason at times, that 

 drone eggs are laid by laying workers 

 even wlien a very proliHc queen is at 

 work in the same hive. I had an in- 

 stance this last season where several 

 laying workers were found in a hive 

 with an extra good queen. — J. E. 

 Pond, Jii. 



My experience is that they will not. 

 The reason is, that the queen in 

 attempting to fly out and to mate will 

 be caught and " balled " to death. I 

 have rescued them by caging, when 

 in two days the bees would agaiu 

 receive them ; but every time they 

 attempt to fly out they will be 

 "balled." Very many queens are 

 killed in nuclei in this manner, whose 

 loss has been charged to birds or 

 depredating insects.— G. L. Tinker. 



Fertilization of ftueens. 



Qnery, No. 16:$.— Will a queen become fer- 

 tilized if placed in a cage with a drone ? I caught 

 a virgin queen and put her into a Pect cage with 

 a drone ; the next day I placed her on a frame in a 

 hive containing a nucleus, and in a few days I 

 found newly-laid eggs.- C. A. H. 



No. The plan you give did not 

 hinder the queen from becoming fer- 

 tilized as all queens are.— G. M. I)oo- 



LITTLE. 



I think not. How do you know that 

 the queen did not fly from the nucleus 

 and thus become fecundated V — W. Z. 

 Hutchinson. 



No. The queen you caged with a 

 drone was mated before you caged 

 her, or after you introduced her to 

 the nucleus.— G. W. Uemakee. 



The experiment of attempting to 

 fecundate queens in this manner has 



been tried time and time again, and 

 resulted in failures. There is nothing^ 

 strange in her laying, but the trouble 

 is, however, that her eggs will pro- 

 duce drones. If she had mated with 

 the drone, the evidence would have 

 been so plain that only a cursory ex- 

 amination would have discovered the 

 fact.— J. E. Pond, Jr. 



She may have flown out to meet a 

 drone before or after being caged. — 

 C. C. Miller, 



No. The queen undoubtedly went 

 out on her bridal trip shortly after 

 being introduced into that nucleus. — 

 Dadant & Son. 



Usually not, if ever. May be she 

 flew out and mated after she was put 

 into the nucleus. Probably she was. 

 —A. J. Cook, 



I should think not. I never experi- 

 mented in this line, but tliose who 

 have, have given it up, I believe. I 

 think that your queen flew out and 

 met a drone on the wing during those 

 " few days."— James IIeddon. 



No, and I do not believe a queen 

 ever was fecundated in confinement. 

 Again, it is not desirable to have 

 them so fecimdated, even if it were 

 possible. We can accomplish all that 

 the most sanguine can hope for with- 

 out resorting to the conflnement pro- 

 ject. The man who discovers a plan 

 of mating queens in confinement will 

 not be bailed as a benefactor. — G. L. 

 Tinker. 



OUR CLUBBING LIST for 1886. 



We supply the Ainerieaii Bee Journal 



for ISSG, and any of the following? publica- 

 tions, at the prices quoted in the last column 

 of figures. The first column gives the regu- 

 lar price of both. All postage prepaid. 



Price of both. Club 



The Weekly Bee Journal 1 00.. 



and Gleanings in Bee-Culture 2 00.. 1 75 



Bee-Keepers'Magaziue 2 CO.. 1 7.5 



Bee-Keepers' Guide 150.. 140 



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Canadian Bee-Paper 2 00. 1 75 



The G above-named papers 550.. 5 00 



and City and Country !....2 00.. 1 50 



New York Independent 4 00.. 3 30 



American Agriculturist 2 50.. 2 25 



American Poultry Journal ...2 25.. 175 



and Cook's Manual 2 25.. 2 00 



Hees and Honey (Newman). ..2 00.. 1 75 



Binder for Am. Bee Journal.. 1 75.. 1 60 



Apiarv Register— 100 colonies 2 25.. 2 00 



Dzici-zon's liee- Book (cloth)... 3 00.. 2 00 



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Quinby's New ISco-Kfcping ..2 50.. 2 25 



Langsti-oths SUuiiiaril Work .300.. 2 75 



Roofs A U C of Bee-Culture. .2 25. . 2 10 



Alley's Queen-Rearing 2 50.. 2 25 



Fanner's Account Book 4 00.. 3 00 



Guide and Hand-Book 1 .50.. 1 30 



Xlie Giiicle and Hand-Book, is a book 

 of ready reference and an encyclopiedi^ of 

 evei'ything desirable to know. As a guide 

 to the home-seeker, it is invaluable. Itscon- 

 tents arc partially given on page 750, and 

 will convince any one of its value. We do 

 not think any of our readers can afford to 

 do without it. As a book of ready reference 

 we find it of great value in our library. We 

 will send the Weekly Bee Journ.vl for a 

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