1900 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



185 



CLIPPING QUEENS. 



Wrong and Right Methods of Doing this 

 Work — Editor's Views. 



THE difTcrtMiee of opiinctn anions' 

 practical boe-keepers regarding- 

 the utility of the various styles 

 of hives and implements is readily 

 explained by the diversity of methods 

 employed in the pursuit of tlie several 

 objects sought. Apparently conflicting 

 ideas of methods frequently result from 

 climatic or other conditions as widely 

 differ(Mit. Practical men usually have 

 some logical reason for their preferences 

 in these matters; yet. it is not improb- 

 able that to most cf us is afforded 

 abundant opportunity, through closer 

 study and practice, to very materially 

 advance our interests. This has been 

 amply demonstrated in our own case. 

 Repeated trials, with the exercise of 

 patient observation, have shown that 

 the lack, of experience and skill were 

 alone responsible for the unsatisfactory 

 results attending first efforts. 



Well may the reader ask. "What has 

 all this to do with our subject ? " Only 

 this: The foregoing thoughts are a 

 result of reading in the Bee-keepers;' 

 Review the following editorial: 



Dr. Miller, A. Norton and the editor of 

 (Tlea)iln(is discuss some of the methods 

 of clipping a queen's wing. I have tried 

 the methods that they mention, and 

 several others besides, and have nc^ver 

 found any better way than the one 

 recommended by the editor, viz.: that of 

 simply picking up the queen by the 

 wings, using the thumb and forefinger 

 of the right hand, then transferring lier 

 to the left thumb and forefinger, taking 

 hold of lier by the thorax. As he ex- 

 plains, the thorax has a hard, cliitinous 

 covering, and, with ordinary care, th(>re 

 is no danger of injuring a (pieen in 

 holding her by this part of her body. 

 While holding her in this manner clip 

 her wing with a pair of scissors. The 

 only trouble is that when the fpu'en feels 

 the scissors she is likely to tlirust up a 

 leg. and the careless or nervous opera- 

 tor may cut off a leg as well as a wing. 

 The remedy is not to be nervous or care- 

 less. There is no need of haste. Do the 



work slowly and deliberately. If a leg 

 comes up in the way. wait un,til it goes 

 down. 



Whether one is engaged in the pro- 

 duction of comb-honey, extracted honey, 

 queen rearing or rearing bees for sale; 

 whether he operates north or south, 

 east or west; whether he is a bee-keeper 

 for profit or for pleasure only, are mat- 

 ters having no bearing on the methods 

 of clipping a queen's wing. The best 

 method in the hands of one remains 

 always the best in the hands of any and 

 all. There may Ije those who. by long 

 practice, have become more proficient 

 in the use of a faulty method than they 

 would b(> with one much more simple 

 and efficient with which they were un 

 acquainted. Their failure, however, 

 to have acquired dextei-ity in tlu' simpler 

 and better method, indicates nothing 

 against the obviously better plan; nor 

 to prove the superioi-ity of a bungling, 

 dangerous way to which they may have 

 been accustomed. We believe there is a 

 right way and one or more wrong ways 

 of doing anything. That is. understated 

 conditions there is always one method 

 possessing greater merit, or a greater 

 number of advantages than any one of 

 all other methods. This, then, is the 

 •right way" of performing this particu- 

 lar piece of work. 



The olivious advantages, under cer- 

 tain methodsof handling bees, in having 

 the que(Mi's wings clipped, has led to its 

 extensive practice, and it will doubtless 

 long remain as an establislied custom 

 with bee-keepers. We therefore believe 

 that if there exists any one method of 

 clipping. whicli is really m()r(^ simple, ex- 

 peditious and safe than any other, that 

 method should be advocated. 



With due respect to the opinions of 

 such able veterans as Messrs. Hutchin- 

 son and Root, we cannot but believe 

 that tlieir public advocacy of so crude 

 and dangerous a method of clipping is 

 dui' only to the fact that they have 

 failed to give a fair test to a decidedly 

 better way. If the proper method is 



