190 



THE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[For the Americaa Bee Journal.] 



Experience in Italianizing.— No. 2. 



Mr. Editor : — In live daj's after I bad found 

 the queen — or the second one — for 1 am con- 

 vinced that I found two, an old bee-keeper cal- 

 led to see my bees. He had just ordered two 

 queens from Mr. Langslroth. I related to him 

 the circumstances in reference to finding the 

 queen, and expressed my fears tliat, as the 

 Italian queen to be introduced had been kept 

 in the box since July 24th, seventeen or eight- 

 een days, she could not hold out four or five 

 days longer, until I could introduce her. On 

 examining the box, he agreed with me, saying 

 he hardly believed she was still alive. I asked 

 him if he thouglit I could safely introduce her 

 now, it being five days since I removed the 

 black queen. He said we would open the box 

 and see if she was yet alive, and if she was, we 

 had better risk it, than risk keeping her any 

 longer. On opening the box there were hardly 

 twenty bees alive. But her majesty was stid 

 living, though very weak. We knew of no 

 way to keep her a few days longer, and I deter- 

 mined to risk introducing her then. So we 

 caged her with eight bees; cut out all the cells 

 we covdd find; put the cage on top of frames 

 ■where tlie bees were thickest; leaving off honey- 

 board, and spreading an oil cloth over, as I 

 always do since. When I went to uncage her 

 in twenty-four hours, she with every bee was 

 dead. Tlius I realized the failure I had expec- 

 ted to be the result of this bothering case. 



Being determined not to give up, or grieve 

 over spilt milk, I determined to let them remain 

 queenless until they would be glad to accept 

 any queen I should see fit to olTer them ; went 

 to my desk and ordered two more c|ueens to be 

 shipped forthwith. I would have sent to Mr. 

 Langstroth this time, as it was much the near- 

 est point, but I knew from the gentleman above 

 referred to, that Mr. Langstroth could not fur- 

 nish them for several weeks. Mr. Quinby filled 

 the order promptly;*but the bees were eleven 

 or twelve daj's on the road, though they finally 

 arrived all right. By the way, I examined the 

 hive again in five days from the time the queen 

 -was killed, and found four more sealed cells, 

 which I removed. This was the cause of the 

 killing of the queen. We had either overlooked 

 them, or they were built over larva? five days 

 old from the &g^. 



Nine days previously I had removed a queen 

 from another hive, to receive the second of the 

 two queens ordered. This case hardly took me 

 an hour, with no assistance. I introduced 

 those t«'o queens safely, but made a very ludi- 

 crous bhmder in the iirst instance, that_ came 

 near ending in the loss of the queen. This was 

 as follows : The bees that came with the first 

 two queens wore common black bees ; and I 

 expected of course those coming with the second 

 two would be of the same kind. But on open- 

 ing the box before the window, the first bee 

 that came out took position on 'the top of the 

 box, with wings vibrating, abdomen extended, 

 and yellow bands glittering in the sun. Not 

 expecting to see a such bee, I immediately 

 seized her, supposing her to be the queen, dip- 



ped her in a spoon of honey, and introduced 

 her. While going to the hive with her in my 

 hands, she curved her body and made vigor- 

 ous elforts to get loose. I thought Mr. Quinby 

 had sent a very small but stout queen this time. 

 The greatest wonder was that she did not sting- 

 me, as she ought to have done, for she proved to 

 be a veritable worker^ as we shall see. After 

 introducing her, and believing all was right, I 

 returned to let the remaining bees out of the 

 room. On entering I found the window full of 

 yellow-banded queens., precisely like the one I 

 had just introduced. I saw my mistake instant- 

 ly. Nearly all the bees had left the box, and 

 collected on the window. But on looking in 

 the box, I saw her majesty at once. I had 

 many doubts whether the bees would accept 

 her now, after having deceived them with a 

 worker, but finally concluded to try by experi- 

 ment whether she would be received or not. I 

 introduced her in the same manner, by besmear- 

 ing her with honey. I would here remark, in 

 passing, that for besmearing a queen, I use a 

 little honey taken from the hive to which the 

 queen is to be introduced, and have thus never 

 failed to introduce them safely. While intro- 

 ducing this queen, I accidentally dropped her 

 on the honey-board, about three inches from 

 the hole I intended to put her in. She ran into 

 it with the swiftness of a cockroach. Novices 

 should guard against such accidents; and those 

 who read this will be in no danger, probably, 

 of incurring such risks. After being satisfied 

 that I had introduced these two queens success- 

 fully, I resolved to give the bees no cause for 

 excitement, lest the newly installed sovereigns, 

 be yet killed, during a temporary ebullition of 

 passion. I believe bees can be provoked to de- 

 stroy their queen, and hence I never opened 

 either of the hives to see if all was right, till I 

 saw the young Italians come out to play, in 

 thirtj''-four days after. At present I would not 

 fear opening a hive half a dozen times, if neces- 

 sary, the week after I introduced a queen. But 

 my rule is never vinnecessarily to disturb a colony 

 — though, at that time, I had other reasons for 

 being so careful of the queens. I was very anx- 

 ious to raise queens and Italianize all my other 

 colonies, the ensuing season, t>om those two 

 queens. I then had seven other stocks, besides 

 those two — having had six in the spring, with 

 but two swarms that season, besides one from 

 the woods, making nine in all. These I wished 

 to Italianize before they increased. 



Having been very successful in wintering 

 bees, I intended my next number for that sub- 

 ject, but as the season for raising queens and 

 Italianizing is approaching, I shall devote it 

 to those topics ; so that those who prefer my 

 process as being easier, may have an early op- 

 portunity to try it. 



It would be a good plan for others of large 

 experience, to write on the same subject for the 

 May number of the Bee Journal, so that we 

 may have a greater variety of plans and sug- 

 gestions than has yet been submitted to it rea- 

 ders. If Mr. Langstroth could finish his hand- 

 book, giving varfous practical manipulations 

 and useful processes in detail, the book would 

 find a rapid sale, and be just the thing needed. 

 Lowell, Ky. A 



