198 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



March 1, 1906 



practise of interchanging combs, that has played such sad 

 havoc and destruction of whole apiaries that I would not 

 advise it unless the bee-keeper is absolutely sure that there 

 is no danger. 



Reference is made to the spreading of bee-diseases. 

 Unless it is certain that no trouble might result, it would be 

 better to resort to feeding the weaker and needy colonies 

 with good, clean sugar syrup, and supply them with stores 

 in this way. 



The weather conditions will have to be considered, and 

 also the number of colonies needing stores, as to whether 

 outside feeding should be practised, or whether the syrup 

 should be given in feeders inside of the hives. The latter 

 would be the better during cool weather, and if only a part 

 of the yard needs to be fed. If a larger number of colonies 

 in the apiary need feeding, and the weather is warm enough 

 for the bees to store it rapidly, outside feeding could be done 

 with less labor. 



The syrup stored by the already " rich " — if these are 

 not too many — would only stimulate them the more, and 

 make stronger, booming colonies of them for the harvest 

 later on. The syrup stored and used by them would not be 

 considered as a loss. Of course, if all need feeding it is an 

 easy matter to decide which would be the most practical for 

 the apiarist to follow. It is best to feed enough to last 

 them for from 10 days to 2 weeks at a feeding, depending 

 largely, of course, from the time natural sources will step in. 



A Visit Two Weeks Later. 



After this examination and equalizing, or feeding of 

 stores, etc., it is best, and not necessary, to disturb the bees 

 any more until settled warm weather, except a visit about 2 

 weeks or so after the first to look after the "Doubtful" 

 colonies, or those marked with an X a * the first examina- 

 tion. 



Arriving at such a colony we proceed with the examina- 

 tion just as previously, using smoke only sufficient to keep 

 the bees back, taking out the center comb to examine for 

 brood, and marking the colony " O. K.," if it is so. If 

 queenless, the simplest and quickest way to get rid of them 

 is to place them on top of another colony, or to place a weak 

 colony, with a queen, from some other stand, on top of the 

 queenless one, and leave them to unite and cluster in the 

 chamber containing the brood-nest. This I have found to 

 be the most satisfactory method for disposing of the queen- 

 less colonies at this time of the year. The season is quite 

 early in which to have queens to give to the queenless colo- 

 nies — at least for the average bee-keeper — and it is also too 

 early for such colonies, or any others, to rear queens that 

 would be worth keeping in the apiary. 



I believe in rearing queens — good queens — in strong, 

 rousing colonies, and under none other than favorable con- 

 ditions for such work. If left to rear a queen from brood 

 given them they are slow to build up to profitable colonies 

 for lhat season, unless a very favorable season prevails 

 from the start, and combs of hatching brood are given them 

 during the beginning to strengthen and encourage the col- 

 ony. By uniting 2, however, shorter work is made of them, 

 and the combined forces result in a strong colony in a short 

 length of time, and will store its share of surplus, while the 

 2, separately, would perhaps only build up strong enough, 

 and store sufficient, to go into winter quarters next fall. 



Spreading Brood and Other "Fussing." 



There are many minor manipulations that might be, 

 and are, practised by the apiarist in the apiary during Feb- 

 ruary. Among these are the spreading of. brood, stimula- 

 tive feeding, and trying to help the bees in other ways in 

 early spring; but I have come to the conclusion — and that 

 after having tried all manner of such things — that there is 

 more to be lost by them than gained, especially in the 

 hands of the inexperienced or the careless. With the large 

 bee-keeper, who numbers his apiaries by the dozen, and 

 who keeps bees for a " bread and butter" purpose, all these 

 "tinkerings" are considered as so much unnecessary 

 "fussing;" besides, he has not the time to practise them. 

 For this reason no further mention of these methods will be 

 made at this time, but, instead, it should be our purpose so 

 to manage our apiaries throughout the year as to consume 

 the minimum amount of labor and expense, and yet yield 

 the largest possible returns for our pocket-book. 



Amerikanische Bienenzucht, by Hans Buschbauer, is 

 a bee-keeper's hand-book of 138 pages, which is just what 

 our German friends will want. It is fully illustrated, and 

 neatly bound in cloth. Price, postpaid, $1.00; or with the 

 American Bee Journal one year — both for $1.75. Address 

 all orders to this office. 



^ 



Doctor Ittiller's 

 Question -> 33ox 



J 



Send questions either to the office of the American Bee Journal, 



or to Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 



|^~ Dr. Miller does not answer Questions' by mail. 



Shipping Bees a Long Distance— Advertising Honey 



1. How would you advise packing a colony of bees 

 which is to be shipped by freight to New York from Texas ? 



2. Do you think they will arrive safely, if well packed ? 



3. When do you think is the best time ? 



4. A publisher in New York offers me advertising space 

 in exchange for a good colony of bees. Do you think this 

 might prove profitable, or do you think that it does not pay 

 to advertise honey in a journal of science? Texas. 



Answers. — 1. There must be good ventilation, and 

 everything as firm as possible. You can make sure of the 

 first by having a cover entirely of wire-cloth. Under this 

 it may be well to have a sponge filled with water. If the 

 frames are loose-hanging they must be made secure, either 

 by nails driven down through the ends of the top-bars or by 

 spacing with sticks. Put on written instructions for the 

 hive to ride so the frames shall be parallel with the rails, a 

 hand or an arrow to point toward the engine. 



2. They should, although some roads will not accept 

 less than a carload of bees to go by freight. 



3. If sent when too cold there is danger of the combs 

 breaking because brittle, if sent when too warm the bees 

 will suffer from the heat. Probably it will not be too cold 

 to send any time now. 



4. Advertising in such a journal ought to help, but 

 whether you would get the benefit thereof directly yourself 

 depends altogether upon how it is managed. 



Pacing Hives Toward Pasture-Alsike Clover— Foul 

 Brood-Wintering— Shade for Bees 



1. Are linn and basswood the same ? 



2. Should bee-hives be set so they would face the bee- 

 pasture, or, if my bees face the east and the bee-pasture is 

 west of them, will they go to it if there is pasture in the 

 east, too ? 



3. Is the queen-bee given as a premium by the American 

 Bee Journal from a good, reliable breeder ? and is safe deliv- 

 ery guaranteed ? 



4. Did you ever raise any alsike clover ? and did it do 

 any good ? 



5. Where could I get some seed ? 



6. I had one colony of bees that had a strong smell all 

 summer. It didn't smell like anything dead. They were 

 strong in bees and had lots of brood. There was none of 

 the capped brood dead that I could see. The bottom-board 

 outside in front would have dead larva dragged out on it in 

 the morning. I took the brood out and it didn't have any 

 smell to it ; it wasUhe honey that smelled so strong. I was 

 very careful not to let any other bees get to it. At last I 

 transferred it after the Baldridge plan (page 469-1905). 

 I called it pickled brood. Now, what do you think it was ? 



7. Does the United States have any free reading matter 

 on foul brood ? If they do, I would like to know where to 

 get it. 



8. Is honey from a foul-broody colony fit for table use ? 

 I never heard of any foul brood in this neighborhood, and 

 there are lots of bees here. 



9. This is the way I put my bees away for winter : I 

 made a shed 20 inches high at the back, and 3 feet high in 

 front, with sloping roof, and facing the east. I put the 

 hives in about 6 inches apart, packed hay behind them and 

 between, and put hay on top. What do you think of it ? 



10. January 20 my bees had a good flight, from early in 

 the morning until after sundown. They don't come out every 

 little warm spell like bees that are left on the summer stand. 

 How long can bees stay in and do well without having a 

 flight ? Could they stay in until March, or longer ? 



11. How would it do to make an arbor over my bees so 



