106 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Which is the best way to winter bees ? 



Mr. Bacon prefers an out-building above ground, 

 made frost-poof, well ventilated and so arranged 

 that temperature can be controlled. He would not 

 have a floor to a bee-house, as it causes too much 

 jar in walking over it. He would disturb bees as 

 little as possible, and visit them only at night, and 

 then with a bulls-eye lantern. He tests the tem- 

 perature through an opening from above. Puts a 

 layer of 5 or 6 in. of cut straw above each hive. Is 

 strongly in favor of a winter flight. 



Mr. Honse concurred with Mr. Bacon, but pre- 

 fers a cellar, well ventilated. Did not succeed with 

 straw, possibly because his bee-house is partly un- 

 der ground. 



Mr. Bacon — No board should be placed on the 

 straw, it prevents evaporation. 



Mr. House — Bees must be kept dry, and ventila- 

 tion must be sufficient to secure this, but there 

 must not be too much ; 43 to 45° is sufficient. 



The reading of Prof. Cook's prize essay was called 

 for 



Mr. Betsinger favors out-door wintering, if hives 

 are covered with snow. Allows bees to fly if the 

 temperature rises to 45°. 



MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 



"Is anything gained by contracting the dis- 

 tance of frames from centre to centre for 

 spring management?" Mr. Betsinger— There 

 is a slight gain, keeping the heat confined 

 starts breeding more readily in small swarms. 

 In large swarms nothing iserained. 



"Suppose the hive is 12x16 in. inside; is it 

 better to have the frames and combs run 

 lengthwise or crosswise ?" Mr. Clark— Frames 

 should run lengthwise of the hives, Inv^olving 

 less expense and fewer bees to protect the 

 brood. 



"How long after the queen leaves her cell 

 does she take her bridal trip?" Mr. Nelli.s — 

 Fr'sm 4 to 10 daj's, varying with the season. If 

 a queen does not lay in 2 weeks after hatch- 

 ing, she should be killed. 



"May combs soiled by bees which have had 

 dysentery, be used again?" Messrs. Marsh 

 and Bacon — Combs so soiled are not rendered 

 useless. Bees will renovate them. They may 

 be cleansed with a brush and water. It is 

 well to let them be rained upon. 



"Will the drones from a queen that has not 

 mated prove useful for fertility?" Mr. EU- 

 wood — Good authorities say that they are as 

 useful as any. 



"What is the best means of keeping the 

 moth out of surplus combs, froin March to the 

 middle of June?" Mr. Clarke— Keep them in 

 the cellar, and if infested by moths, fumigate 

 with sulphur. 



"Will moths in the larval stage live after be- 

 ing exposed in a zero temperature?" Mr. 

 Nellis — No. 



Mr. Elwood did not know at what tempera- 

 ture thev were destroyed, but it must be low- 

 er than 33°. 



Mr. Doolittle narrated an instance where 

 combs had been exposed to 8° below zero. 

 When taken into a warm room larvae that 

 had been hatched in the fall showed signs of 

 life, and were restored to-activity. 



"Can bees make anything that looks like a 

 queen from drone eggs?" Messrs. Nellis and 

 Betsinger--No. 



The committee in charge of the question box^ 

 Messrs. Betsinger, Jones, Warner and Doolittle — 

 reported as follows : 



"Is there any such thing as lazy bees?" No. 



"Is rye flour better than buckwheat to feed?" 

 No. 



"How long from the time the eggs are laid before 

 the bee emergies from the cell in June and July ?" 

 18 to 21 days. 



"Does it pay to feed extracted honey for finish- 

 ing partly filled boxes?" No. 



" Do bees make or gather honey ?" Gather. 



" Best cure for bee-stings ?" Unknown. 



"Best protection for the hands against stings?" 

 Rubber gloves. 



"Best mode of feeding in winter?" Frames of 

 sealed honey. 



" How far will bees go to get basswood honey?" 

 7 miles. 



" How many eggs does a queen lay in the course 

 of the season?" 360,000. , 



" How many of the eggs laid by the queen mature 

 into bees 1" As a rule, all ; if only one is laid in a 

 cell. 



"Where two or more swarms settle together, what 

 is the best way to separate them?" Secure each 

 queen and divide. 



" Are bee conventions profitable, so far as dollars 

 and cents are concerned?" Yes. 



" Is sugar better to winter bees on than late 

 gathered honey, if the sugar is fed at the same time 

 the honey is gathered?" No. 



" Would you advise bee-men to use veils and 

 gloves for protection?" No. 



" Does it pay to allow bees to store buckwheat 

 honey in boxes or frames at the present prices, for 

 market?" Yes and No. 



" Does it pay to raise dollar queens, when honey 

 is worth 20c per lb.?" Yes, if the entire crop is 

 taken, and not, by one. 



"How can the largest amount of surplus honey be 

 secured ?" By the best arrangement. 



" Does it pay to extract honey that may be re- 

 placed with sugar providing that we find a ready 

 market for our lioney at 12y,c.?" No. 



"When old comb is used, flow much can be used 

 to advantage in anew swarm?" For extracted 

 honey, fill the hive ; for bos-honey, 3 combs. 



" Why do Italian swarms leave the parent hive 

 without filling themselves with honey?" From im- 

 pulse. 



" Can a queen sting?" Yes. 



"When is the best time to move stocks ?" After 

 flying the last time in fall. 



" What is the best method of increasing stocks?" 

 Artificial swarming. 



" Is spring feeding advised to induce early breed- 

 ing?" Yes and no. 



"Would it not be advisable to cover the top of the 

 frames in spring with quilts or something to retain 

 all heat possible?" Yes. 



Mr. Doolittle and others made some remarks 

 concerning the distance bees will fly. 



A vote of thanks was passed to the authors of 

 papers read, to the ex-president for his address, to 

 the proprietor of the Temperance Hotel, and to the 

 reporters. The Convention adjourned. 



J. H. Nellis, Sec'y. 



[The table accompanying this report will 

 be published in our next issue. It came too 

 late for this.— Ed.] 



For the American Bee Journal, 



Introducing Queens. 



I want to add something to my last article 

 on this subject. 



Sometimes trifles that are overlooked are 

 of the utmost importance to success, 

 especially in bee-culture. 



We have often noticed that, if we use 

 very fine wire-cloth for queen cages, the 

 queens are not fed by the bees, and queen 

 cells are started. The queen is then too 

 much separated from the bees that they 

 cannot see, smell, or caress her; and it is 

 probable that to such a cause Mr. Nellis 

 owes his mishaps in caging queens. Having 

 had several queens killed by using cages 

 made of fine wire, we now invariably use 

 coarse wire-cloth— 8 meshes to the inch. 

 With such the queen is among the bees; 

 they can put their proboscis through the 

 meshes to feed her; they know that they 

 have a queen and do not raise queen cells. 

 Ch. Dadant. 



H^f" We desire to caution our subscribers 

 not to send money by mail; either procure 

 a Money Order, Registered Letter, or Draft. 



