Aug. 



1906 



(.57 



American Ttee Journal 



bntiibuted 

 Articled 



Swarming, After-Swarms, Queen- 

 Rearing, Etc. 



BV EDWIN EEVINS. 



MY best colony worked for comb-honey had, on June 27, 

 completed 120 sections. On that day T put on a super filled 

 with 8 "go-backs," and 16 sections with starters of founda- 

 tion lids super is now (July 13) about ready to be removed, 

 and has below it another super with 16 "go-backs" and 8 

 sections which were full of empty combs wdien put on. This 

 super is well on towards completion. The colony has not 

 swarmed. Does Dr. Miller think this queen will do for a 

 breeder? I have some other colonies which have made 

 nearly as good a record as this one. 



I run my bee-yard without making any effort to prevent 

 first swarms, except to give plenty of breeding-room before 

 the flow, and plenty of super-room afterwards. I have had 

 15 or 20 swarms from about 100 colonies. I work main 

 ways to prevent after-swarms. One of the most successful 

 is to put the swarming colony on another stand. If set close 

 beside the swarm now on the old stand, I have the choice 

 either to unite the bees of the old colony to the swarm 

 later, or, if young queens are wanted, nuclei can be made 

 by dividing the combs, giving each nucleus a comb with 

 I or more queen-cells on it. I have reared quite a number 

 of young queens in this way this season. I have practiced in 

 a small way cutting all of the queen-cells but one out of the 

 combs of swarming colonics. None thus treated have sent 

 out second swarms. 



A few hives from which swarms issued I did not, for 

 various reasons, care to remove to other stands. On these 

 I put another hive filled with brood-combs. This was done 

 for a double purpose. One purpose was to get the combs 

 out of the way of the moths, and in addition to this I had 

 a vague idea that they would have a tendency to prevent 

 the issuance of after-swarms. No swarms have issued from 

 colonies so treated. From this no large inference can be 

 drawn. No bee-zinc was used. The new queens will have 

 a large range, and I think there will be some big colonies 

 before winter, and that they will have plenty of honey to 

 keep them, if there is a fall flow. 



I had quite a number of queens that did not rear bees 

 enough to work in supers at all. On some of the hives I 

 had hives tilled with extracting combs, and zinc below. Tak- 

 ing a hint from Doolittle's "Scientific Queen-Rearing," I put 

 some brood in this upper-story to attract the bees, and then 

 after swarming began I put in either a comb with queen- 

 cell on it, or else a cell which I had cut from a comb. These 

 cells were invariably accepted. After the issuance of the 

 young queens I removed the zinc, and, if Mr. Doolittle is 

 correct, those colonies are requeened. I shall do a lot of 

 requeening this season. I shall use all queens reared in 

 nuclei from swarming colonies, and shall rear some more 

 in my own yard if I have to feed in order to do it. (The 

 honey-flow has been slow for about a week). In my case 

 there is nothing to account for the difference in a surplus 

 represented by a cipher and one represented by 120, except 

 the difference in queens. Other factors count in some 

 instances, but no other factors were in sight here. 



I find it particularly unsafe to keep a queen that has 

 done uncommonly well in a colony that has been worked 

 for extracted honey. One colony so worked last season 

 became very strong early this season. Just before the time 

 for supering an examination showed that the colony, although 

 quite strong, had no brood, sealed or unsealed, and there was 

 no sign that the queen had been superseded. I gave combs 

 of unsealed brood repeatedly in order for the bees to rear a 

 queen, but they persistently refused to start queen-cells. 

 Later I found brood in one of the combs which I had not 

 given them, and so it seems they did supersede the old 

 queen, but so late there could be no surplus from the early 



How. In other eases I had queens that began laying and 



had two or 3 patches of bi 1 the size of a hand, and then 



died. On the whole, I conclude that it is safer for the 

 apiarist to do a good deal of superseding himself and not 

 wait for the bees to do 11 



The American Bee Journal at "lie time gave the unquali- 

 fied advice to break up or unite all colonies that are found 

 queenless in spring. Mis^ Wilson gave the same advice, but 

 qualified it later. I had -Mine queenless colonies which I 

 united with some having queens. Two colonies which were 

 strong in bees I requeened with purchased queens — I a tested 

 queen from this State, the other an untested from Texas. 

 These colonies have done some work in the supers. 



I will refrain from saying anything more on the subject 

 of getting unfinished sections cleaned up in the fall. Miss 

 Wilson's latest utterance cm the subject reveals the cause 

 of her and Dr. Miller's failures to get satisfactory work 

 done. Satisfactory work need not be expected without the 

 use of the uncapping-knife. Leon, Iowa. 



9\ 



15— Dadant Methods of Honey-Production 



I1V C. I'. DADANT. 



A READER of American Bee Journal puts this question 

 to me, after reading wdiat I have said about ripening 

 honey: What would you advise me to use, a tank for 

 extracted honey, or closed receptacles, or what? 



This question cannot be answered in a few words, 

 because much depends upon the condition of the honey when 

 harvested. If you allow the honey to become well-ripened 

 before extracting it. it is absolutely unnecessary to put it in 

 an open vessel. Of course, if you have an- open tank in a 

 well-sheltered position, so that no flies, ants or other insects 

 can get access to it, this is as good a receptacle as you may 

 wish for, provided, however, that you do not let the honey 

 remain in it long enough to granulate. If you allow honey 

 to granulate in a large tank, you will have considerable 

 trouble in removing it. 



We use galvanized-iron tanks whenever we deem it 

 advisable to keep the honey where it may continue to ripen. 

 The tanks we have used for this purpose are also used for 

 wine-making. They are 4 feet in height and 5 feet in diam- 

 eter, and hold 4,500 pounds, with a honey-gate of best quality 

 near the bottom. The tank is slightly inclined towards the 

 front so that all the honey may be drained out. For a 

 small apiary smaller tanks would be good, say 3 feet by 3 

 feet. But when such a tank is full, it cannot be moved, and 

 must be emptied on the spot. If you allow the honey to 

 granulate in it, you will have difficulty to remove it. 



In our own practice, with large apiaries in different loca- 

 tions, we have found it necessary to put our honey in such 

 receptacles that we could remove it at once from the farm on 

 which it had been produced. If we left honey in a tank on a 

 tenanted farm, we would run some risk of not finding it all 

 there when we came agaiif. Besides, in an out-apiary, it is 

 difficult to secure such rooms as are entirely fit for keeping 

 honey. Mice often have access to the honey-room, and, on 

 the whole, we have found barrels to be the most satisfactory 

 package, as first receptacle for the crop. These may be 

 hauled away at any time, and when bunged up are not likely 

 to be tampered with. They are absolutely proof against 

 insects or mice, as well as children. 



But we are very particular as to the kind of barrels to 

 use. It is out of the question to pick up an old water-barrel 

 or a cheap syrup-barrel for honey. Neither will new barrels 

 do, except very expensive one-. The best barrels we ever 

 used are "empty alcohol barrels" which may usually be 

 secured from drug-houses. I In se barrels have been emptied 

 of their alcohol for medicinal purposes. They are absolutely 

 tight, for alcohol will evaporate through the staves if the 

 barrel is not prepared purposely. Usually they are coated 

 on the inside with some sort of gum or glue which will also 

 keep the honey from leaking out. But the barrel must be 

 kept dry, for just as soon as it is exposed to dampness the 

 wood will swell, and whenever it dries again it will begin 

 to leak. This dry condition is also necessary for the good 

 of the honey, which is very hygrometric, and will gather 

 moisture even through the staves of a barrel. 



The advantage of barrels is in the handling at any time. 

 We can also keep honey in this shape from year to year. 



