THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



117 



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JIBliliiMiiP 



CLIPPING QUEENS ADVISABLE. 



Editor American Bbe-Keepek : 

 Gentlemen : — The subject of clipping 

 the wings, of fertile queens is one of 

 many that a beginner has to decide 

 on. Thinking that an article on this 

 subject might help somebody that 

 has perhaps laid awake nights trying 

 to make a decision, I will relate my 

 experience. 



My first experience dates back to 

 the first Italian colony that I pur- 

 chased. This colony had a clipped 

 queen. They swarmed out and were 

 hived in the usual way. It proved 

 to be such an advantage over the other 

 way that I have adopted it. The best 

 time to do the clipping is in the fore 

 part of May or during apple blossom 

 time. This season of the year they 

 are generally not crowded with bees, 

 so the queen can easily be found. 

 My manner of procedure is as follows : 



Some pleasant day in May, early 

 part, about ten o'clock, when there 

 will be a large number of bees in the 

 fields, have your smoker in good blast 

 and a pair of scissor- in good order. 

 It is an advantage to have a string 

 attached to the scissope and to your 

 own person, then you can throw them 

 down and you will have them when 

 you want them and where you can 

 find them readily. Now step to the 

 side of the colony whose queen you 

 wish to cut, blow a fewpuffsof smoke 

 into the hive, and after giving them 

 time to get pretty well filled, take off 



the cover and then look the top of 

 the hive over to see how far out the 

 cluster extends. From the outside of 

 the cluster take a frame, being care- 

 ful not to jar the frame or hive. Ex- 

 amine this comb carefully. If you 

 notice eggs in the comb the chances 

 are that the queen is on this comb. 

 If not, examine the combs on which 

 they are clustered, setting the first 

 comb outside the hive, and this will 

 give you more room. When the 

 queen is found catch her by the wing, 

 lift her from the comb, lean this 

 against the hive, and with your other 

 hand take the queen by the legs; then 

 with your hand that is handiest (for 

 this is the one that should always 

 catch the queen by the wings) clip 

 her wings off, either one or both. She 

 is easier found when both are clipped. 

 After the wing or wings are clipped 

 drop her down among the bees with a 

 puff of smoke following her. In ex- 

 treme cases, if dropped down among 

 them without the smoke the bees 

 might sting her, thinking she was a 

 robber. 



One of the advantages of clipping 

 is that no first swarms go to the woods, 

 which does away with climbing trees, 

 sawing oil' limbs, etc. 

 Yours, etc., 



B. G. Higley, 



Hartford, X. Y., May 21, 1892. 



Editor American Bee-Keeper : 

 Dear Sir: — I wish to ask if any o( 

 your subscribers know of any remedy 

 for preventing poisoning by propolis. 

 The propolis poisons my fingers so I 

 have to use gloves. I have 

 using buckskin gloves this spring and 

 the propolis has worked thi 

 them and has caused my fingers to be 



