THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



19( 



[For the Amorlcau Boo Joarnnl.] 



Motildy Combs. 



As much has boon said in dilTcrent works, 

 and by dillcrcnt correspondents, in regard to 

 the utihty of careluUy removing old or mouldy 

 combs, an experiment of mine may be found in- 

 teresting. 



About a year ago T examined the combs of a 

 stock that had perished for want of pro[)cr ven- 

 tilation, &c., and found them quite mouldy. 

 Nearly every frame contained some honey, 

 and many of them were full of dead bees. Find- 

 ing it a hopeless task to pull the bees out sepa- 

 rately, I carried the hive in doors, to be out of 

 the way of robbers, and there it staid until 

 June, when the bees were at work on clover. 



After I had used all my frames of good 

 combs, I opened this hive to see whether the 

 combs had dried off and improved in condition. 

 I found the honey had been so damp that what 

 was in open cells had become sour ; and the 

 smell was so bad from the dead bees tliat I was 

 tempted to melt all into wax ; but taking some 

 of the best I concluded I would try them. 

 These the bees cleaned out, and filled with hon- 

 ey so rapidly, that I gave them some more. 

 Finally, after airing them one forenoon, I took 

 the two worst frames, which were full of dead 

 bees and so mouldy that they wei-e for the most 

 part covered with a downy substance and smel- 

 ted quite badlj^ and put them in the centre of 

 one of mj" strongest Italian stocks. I must 

 confess that Taftcrwards thought of taking them 

 out again, for fear that the bees might desert 

 the hive, so disagreeable was the smell ; but, 

 on further thought, concluded to wait until eve- 

 ning. 



AVhen I returned home I was at a loss to ac- 

 count for the number of dead bees about the en- 

 trance of the hive in which those frames were 

 inserted, until I saw that they were the self- 

 same mould}- bees removed from the bad combs. 

 And on lifting out the said frames, I was agree- 

 ably surprised to find them nearly filled with 

 clear sweet honey, and the cells so lengthened 

 out with clean while wax that I could not 

 believe it possible they were the same, till I had 

 examined all the others repeatedly. 



It may be suggested that the bees could have 

 built new combs nearly as cpiiek as to cleanse 

 the old ; but from other experiments made at 

 the same time, I am sure they could not have 

 done so, by considerable odds. I have since 

 used many frames of combs full of dead bees, 

 but these were removed so readily, that I should 

 never liave known the difference. 



Perhaps all bees arc not as energetic as my 

 hybrid Italians ; but a frame of comb will have 

 to be very bud indeed after this, before it is con- 

 demned. 



Notice. 



P. S. — Who is going to furnish us with artifi- 

 cial comb, or even tlie foundations, made of 

 oloth or paper soaked in wax, as a correspon- 

 dent suggested V I tried it last year sutticienll}' 

 to convince me that the bees would use such ma- 



terial ; but from my imperfect stamps, I could 

 not prepare it satislactorily. 



One ohjeoiion to the comb-emptying machine 

 would be that folks around here will not buy 

 strained honej', or if tliey do, it will not bring 

 near as higli a price as honej^ in clear white 

 coml)s. Again, how will you prevent it from 

 candying ? 



Who can furnish foundations for combs, or 

 has the necesary dies for stamping them ? 



[For the American Bco Journal ] 



Wintering Bees. 



Mr. Editor : — Would it not be a proper time 

 just now, at the close of this long and severe 

 winter, for bee-keepers to give their experience 

 in wintering bees, through the medium ot your 

 valuable Jouris^al ? If all would do this, giv- 

 ing the manner of treatment, the kind of hive 

 used, and all the particulars in each case, it 

 would certainly be a source of great benefit to 

 5^oung apiarians. Hoping that all t^ ill act upon 

 this suggestion, I will give you my experience. 



I had twelve colonies in the fall, all of them 

 Italians — five in Langstroth's movable comb 

 hive, two in Hotchkiss' dividing hive, two in 

 Dr. Eddy's patent hive, and three in movable 

 comb hives changed from common box- 

 hives. Eight of them were strong colonics, 

 with abundance of stores ; one medium ; two 

 with plenty of bees, but short of stores; and 

 one w^eak, with very litte honey. In October I 

 fed the weak colonies as much syrup, (made 

 by dissolving coffee sugar in hot water and 

 boiling it until all the scum rose and Avas skim- 

 med off), as they would carry down. Two of 

 the weakest colonics I put into a dark room — 

 with double walls, filled between with dry 

 straw — w^ell ventilated. The rema'nder I left 

 on their summer stands, removing the honey 

 boxes from all, but leaving the honey-boards 

 on the Langstroth hives without any other pre- 

 paration for winter. 



Now for the result. On the 10th of March I re- 

 moved the two weak ones from the dark room. 

 One of them was in fine condition, with a small 

 supply of syrup in the combs ; but the other 

 one had starved to death. One of the colonies 

 in the Langstroth hive perished from dysentery, 

 while all the others are in fine condition, with 

 plenty of honey to last until they can gather 

 from the opening flowers and buds of spring. 



One year ago, I wintered all mj^ colonies 

 (five) in a dark room ; and I think those I 

 kept in the open air this winter are in as good 

 condition, as thej- were in the spring, except 

 perhaps a larger percentage of dead bees on the 

 bottom-board. 



I have come to the conclusion that there is 

 not so much difference, after all, in the kind of 

 hives ynu use for wintering bees, if your colo- 

 nics are strong, with an abundance of .tores, 

 and plenty of vjncard ventilation. 



Geo. IIardisty. 

 Malverx, O., March 12, 1868. 



