1890. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



181 



eral years and results show the cor- 

 rectnes-s of the theory. When the 

 niaxitniim nuiiihor of colonies desired 

 by and bee-kee{iers is not yet reach- 

 ed, the same result?; may be obtain- 

 ed by killing iuui(>sirable queens and 

 supplying the colony with better ones. 

 Abundant "new blood" is secured tiy 

 bringing home stocks from two out api- 

 aries. If this plan followr-d persist- 

 ently for a term of years will not de- 

 velope "Apis American " what will ? 

 Youngsville, Pa 



Building up Weak Ooionies. 



BY G M. DOOLITTLK. 



From the numerous reports coming 

 in, I judge that there are many weak 

 colonies of bees in the United Sfates 

 the present spring, and if so it will be 

 but natural for all having such to 

 wish to know bow to best manage 

 them. Therefore, I have concluded 

 that I could do no better at the pres- 

 ent lime than give an article on how 

 to build up weak colonies of bees in 

 the Amei'icau Bee Keeper, so that 

 those having such can use the same if 

 they so desire. The all imporlant 

 question which confronts at the start 

 in this mattt-r of liuilding up weak 

 colonies, and a que.-^tiou not fully 

 understood by mor^t novices, is the 

 best means of securing and keeping 

 the degree <»f heat retjuired by the 

 law of nature, with the fewest bees 

 demanded for the successful rearing 

 !)f young l)ees during the fickle weath- 

 er of early spring. Ju order that 

 brood rearing may go on successfully 

 the tenjperature inside of the clusieV 

 of bees must be at least 92°, as I have 

 proven by many experiments with a 

 -elf registering thermometer. Now, 

 suppose that we had a cluster of bees 



that on a moderately cool morn- 

 ing occupies three or four spaces be- 

 tween the cond)s in a full hive con- 

 taining 2,000 cubic inches; we w'ill 

 usually tind brood in but two combs 

 and but small patches at that, with 

 this brood increasing very slowly as 

 the days go by on account of lack of 

 sufficient heat to carry on brood rear- 

 ing to the best advantage. Shall we 

 leave tliis colony as it is or shall we try 

 to help them, is the question ? Many 

 will tell us to leave them as they are, 

 as to do dift'erently will be only a 

 waste of time. For the novelty of 

 the thing let us experiment a little 

 and see if the advice of the many is 

 correct. We will set these two combs 

 having some brood in them close to 

 one side of the hive and by means of 

 a nicely fitting division-board shut all 

 of the bees on these two combs, allow- 

 ing a little space under one corner of 

 the division- board sufficient for the 

 bees to run under to secure food 

 whenever they wish, from a comb of 

 honey placed just outside of this 

 board, thus giving them the assurance 

 that there is no danger of becoming 

 short of stores, thus stimulating them 

 to brood rearing. By looking a few 

 days later we will find that the queen, 

 under these conditions, can and has 

 occupied from two to three limes the 

 space that luis the one which was left 

 v.'iih her b es and biuod in the center 

 of a full sized hive. As tlie above 

 has been spoken lightly of by some, 

 they calling it " spring fussing," I 

 have made some experiments rt^gard- 

 ing it and for exam{)ie i will give one 

 of them. I selected two colonies as 

 nearly alike as possible, both being 

 clustered between five ranges of combs 

 and shut the one on two combs while 



