604 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Topics oF Interest. 



Spring Maiiaiement of Bees. 



E. I.. I'RATT. 



Sometime ago I explained my method 

 of working bees by the "jumping and 

 double entrance plans." They have 

 proven so successful in quite a number 

 of large apiaries in different parts of the 

 country, that I give them again with 

 what changes and additions that have 

 been found advantageous in practical 

 experience for two seasons. All who try 

 this method are requested to made a re- 

 port to the author with any suggestions 

 that can be given from experience with 

 them. 



The first thing to be done in the Spring 

 is to give the hives a thorough renovat- 

 ing. Look each colony over and see 

 that it has a good queen and plenty of 

 stores when equalizing operations com- 

 mence. 



For some reason the bees die off in 

 some hives very much faster than in 

 others, although the colonies were of 

 equal strength in the Fall, and the 

 queens equally prolific. Some queens 

 do not do so well as others in early 

 Spring, and unless such colonies are 

 given some aid from the apiarist, they 

 will amount to nothing all the season, as 

 they cannot build up in time for the 

 harvest. 



I have found the jumping plan of 

 equalizing the colonies as expeditious 

 and effective as any I have ever tried. 



I examine my colonies, and mark the 

 very strong ones, and exchange stands 

 with the weaker ones, jumping the hives 

 over and across, bacl<: and forth, at in- 

 tervals of about ten days, until I have 

 thcin all of proper strength to store 

 comb-honey, which means full of bees 

 and brood, but very little honey. 



All colonies that are found too weak 

 to possibly build up in time, should be 

 left out of the above operation, and set 

 aside to be built up and re-queened later 

 on. It is very important that all the 

 queens be of a prolific sort, and the bees 

 good workcu's, if you hope to make any- 

 thing at liandling bees for a living. 



A colony covering three or four combs 

 fairly well will do to work on this plan, 

 and wlic.ii a colony of this size suddisniy 

 occupies the stand of one covisring six or 

 ciglit combs, tluu'c is an influx of jiopu- 

 lation to the w(iaker colony, which givcis 

 the queen in that hive courage, and she 



will at once start to fill with eggs all the 

 comb available. 



Two frames of the unsealed and very 

 young larvae should be taken from the 

 strong colony and be given to the 

 strengthened one as soon as sufficient 

 bees have left to properly care for it, 

 which will be in the afternoon, if the 

 colonies were jumped in the morning. 

 Leave as large a portion of the sealed 

 and hatching brood with the strong col- 

 ony, as such a large number of the bees 

 are taken away by the change that it 

 will not refill with young bees in time to 

 cover the very young brood that is left. 

 Here is where outside cases work in well, 

 on cool nights. 



We will now suppose that all the col- 

 onies are in good working condition. It 

 is about ten days before clover opens, 

 and everything is in readiness for a good 

 crop of honey. 



For illustration, we will suppose you 

 have-4 good colonies of bees in prime 

 condition, arranged in a group, one 

 facing east, and 8 together in line fac- 

 ing south, but in different parts of the 

 yard, if you please, the 8 in one place, 

 and the fourth in another. 



Ton days before the main honey- 

 flowers open, remove colonies 1 and 8 

 (the two outside ones of the 3) and place 

 them in the same relative position by 

 the side of No. 4, so as to compel the 

 working force from the hives 1 and 8 to 

 enter No. 2, which should be tiered-up 

 for extractcd-honey, or arranged with 

 two or three tiers of boxes with founda- 

 tion starters. To prevent such large 

 colonies from hanging out or swarming, 

 they should be arranged according to 

 the double-entrance plan, which is as 

 follows : 



Remove the top part of the front strip 

 on a bound honey-board, and place it on 

 a bottom-board with cleats, so that there 

 is a bee-space above and below, with an 

 entrance to each. Place the hives on 

 top, and attach an Alley trap to the 

 upper entrance, leaving the lower one 

 open so that the bees can enter it from 

 under the trap. By this arrangement 

 there is always plenty of ventilation, 

 and swarming, if it happens, is under 

 control, as the trap will catch the queen, 

 and the swarm will return to the hive. 



It is interesting to watch a large col- 

 ony of bees work through a double-en- 

 trance arranged in this n|,anner. A 

 largi^paitof the bees on their way to 

 the field make their exit through the 

 trap above tlie zin(; honey-board, while 

 the loaded ones crawl into the lower en- 

 trance. 



One will readily see that the ventila- 



