THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[July, 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



BEE-KEEPEES' OONVEKTION, 

 Interesting Discussion in Relation to Bees. 



REPORTED BY ROSWELL R. MOSS. 



The special meetinsf of the Southern New 

 York and Northern Pennsylvania Bee-Keepers' 

 Association met at the City Hall in Eluiira, 

 April 19th, and was called to order at 11 o'clock 

 A. M., by I. V. Mapes, President. In tlie ab- 

 sence of the Secretary, Mr. A. D. Griswold was 

 elected Secretary jyro tern. The Convention re- 

 mained in session two days, during which the 

 following questions were discussed : 



Wintering Bees in-doors or out— Which is the Best ? 



Mr. Chase, of Allegheny county, had wintered 

 heretofore in-doors, but did not like it ; started 

 on summer stands last winter with 102, and now 

 has 98. 



Mr. A. D. Griswold built a house at one time 

 to winter— bees would get uneasy, and discharge 

 their faeces about the entrance of the hive. One 

 winter he left the bees out, with more satisfac- 

 tory results. Kow uses a double hive with 

 double walls, and finds that the bees leave the 

 hive as frequently as in single walled ; finds the 

 double walls proof against the heat of the sun 

 in summer, and new swarms are less liable to 

 leave the hive. Has a neighbor who wintered 

 in-doors, and was much discouraged, 



Mr. J. Hadsell likes an even temperature for 

 bees ; thinks they do best in a house celhvr, well 

 ventilated, about 25" ; if much above that bees 

 become uneasy, and are apt to discontinue work ; 

 has had good success the past winter ; has lost 

 some, but attributes the loss to foulbrood. 



Mr. D. C. Knight, of Allegheny, has wintered 

 with the best sviccess in a house in such a winter 

 as the last. Bees fly frequently and become 

 chilled and lost. ^Must not be too warm nor too 

 many stocks in a house, as there is a good deal 

 of animal heat in a swarm ; thinks a house bet- 

 ter than a cellar. Should be without a floor, as 

 a step would jar the stocks ; and must be well 

 ventilated. 



Mr. John Rowley wintered his in a cellar ; 

 thinks they used less honey than they would if 

 left out doors, but finds the comb mouldy ; does 

 not know the reason, as it was dry and well ven- 

 tilated. Put in fourteen stocks.— From one hive 

 that he had out-doors, all the bees left during 

 one of the recent warm days. 



Mr. Moore has wintered both in-doors and out ; 

 wintered well out-doors by shading the entrance 

 to keep bees from flying. -»./':' -. 



Artificial Sicarming. 



Mr. Hadsell has had good success by dividing 

 the frames and putting into a new hive, leaving 

 the queen in the old hive, transferring some 

 yoimg bees and setting near an old stock, some 

 of the bees of which, on returning from work, 

 would enter tlic new hive. 



Mr. Griswold has had some experience in arti- 

 ficial swarming, but has no desire to practice it. 

 If he did, would take the queen from the old 



stock and place it in a new hive on the old 

 stand. The bees on retuiming and finding her, 

 would be willing to remain, and commenced 

 building comb, while the old stock would raise 

 a new queen. 



Mr. Moore has had good success with the 

 method described by Mr. Griswold. 



Mr. Knight has done nothing with artificial 

 swarming ; thinks they are more profitable to 

 remain in stock until they swarm naturally. He 

 then puts two or three young swarms together, 

 thus getting a good deal of surplus honey. 



Mr. Chase has tried both natural and artificial 

 swarming, and thinks the natural will do for 

 him, certainly, if surplus honey is his object. 



When, is the best tiine to put honey boxes in the 

 hives f 



Mr. Griswold thinks it desirable to put one 

 box on as soon as the bees will put honey in it, 

 and as often as they will fill it ; wants to get all 

 they will make of box honey before the bees 

 commence swarming. On new swarms, waits a 

 few days until the queen gets established below. 

 This prevents her going up and remaining in 

 the box. 



Mr. Hadsell puts the boxes on as soon as the 

 hive seems full of bees. 



Mr. Moore concurs, and thinks the bees will 

 not get the swarming fever as soon as they would 

 if not supplied. 



Mr. Chase finds it quite a trade to know when 

 it will do to put on bees to get the most honey. 

 He uses the American hive, and puts one tier of 

 boxes immediately on a new swarm ; raises them 

 when half or two-thirds full and puts empty 

 ones under them, raising the under one as soon 

 as the upper ones are full. Leaves the empty or 

 unmarketable ones on all winter, which the bees 

 will fill as soon as they are able, by which 

 means he gets the greatest amount of surplus 

 honey. 



Mr. Knight put boxes on old swarms as soon 

 as the bees commence to stay about the entrance 

 of the hive. On young swarms, puts the boxes 

 on before he hives the swarm ; is not bothered 

 by the queen goii.g into boxes, probably on ac- 

 count of his making the new swarms strong by 

 doubling. 



What is the most profitable size for honey boxes? 



Mr. Chase has made about thirty thousand 

 boxes for sale, of several sizes ; finds a box with 

 four glass sides, two of them four by five, and 

 the other two, five by six inches, small posts, 

 the best. The glass is secured by small tins ; 

 tops and bottoms of wood ; weighs about one 

 pound, and will hold about three and a half 

 Ijounds honey — two combs. This size sells best 

 in New York. 



Mr. Hadsell sells in Elmira ; has had bad luck 

 sending to New York. Makes boxes to fit the 

 top of the hive, which he fills with small panes 

 to weigh about three or four ounces. When 

 filled will weigh two and a half or three pounds 

 gross. Buys back the frames, which he prefers 

 to new ones, for five cents. 



Mr. Coke thinks for this market the small 

 frames described by Mr. Hadsell the most sala- 



