124 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Dec. 



gle eyes, but two were present, namely, the one 

 at the apex of the triangle, and the one at the 

 left of the base, while that on the right was 

 absent. 



I hope to be able to carefully preserve these 

 specimens, and exhibit them at the convention. 



W. LUHMAN. 



Bardowick, Jn\j 8, 1873. 



[Translated from Die Biene.] 



Surrogate. 



In No. 3 of the Die Biene* I described how, 

 for three years, in my poor locality, I prevented 

 my swarms from starving during the winter, 

 and enabled them to be strong and populous in 

 spring. This last winter of 1872-73, 1 lost my two 

 finest queens by the starving of the bees. The 

 sealed food became solid, which occurred be- 

 fore in unsealed cells, and rarely in them. The 

 food was made as usual of candy and potato- 

 sugar. I hence cannot so unqualifiedly recom- 

 mend this preparation, and am not answerable 

 for having recommended it. because it served 

 me well for three years. When I have to feed 

 this winter, I will use any material or use malt- 

 syrup. I rejected the dry food, for the reason 

 that it was not so very agreeable during the 

 cold winter months to watch the swarms, and 

 furnish them with the needed food, letting out 

 of view altogether the disturbing of the bees. 

 ***** Moreover, the dry feeding must 

 not be delayed until the cold winter months; but 

 should he began as soon as the supply of honey 

 in the fall ceases, so that there may be as little 

 consumption of their supplies of honey as 

 possible. By dampening the food with water, 

 it will be more attractive to the bees. I use 

 at times pure candy, again, mixed with potato- 

 sugar. * * * * 



E. Klipstein. 



Auerback, Aug. 1, 1873. 



The Moth-Miller. 



"We regard the fear entertained of the moth- 

 miller as misdirected, and more imaginary than 

 real. As long as a stock is strong and in good 

 condition it is safe, but should it be suffered to 

 decline from overswarming, loss of queen, or 

 other cause, the eggs of the miller are allowed 

 to hatch in the exposed combs, as the bees die 

 off from natural causes the moth- worms increase, 

 and, if not dislodged, finally gain entire posses- 

 sion. The female miller is much larger than 

 the male, and resembles in color a sliver from a 

 ■weather-beaten fence rail. During the day she 

 may often be found sticking about the cover of 

 the hive. Toward evening she will be flitting 



about the entrance, and if the comba are not 

 covered with bees, or cracks and crevices can be 

 found, or litter is retained on the bottom board, 

 she will be at no loss for a place to deposit her 

 eggs within the hive. There can be no "moth- 

 proof" hive ; but if the entrance be on one side 

 only, and the bottom board is inclined, the bees 

 have all the protection against these intruders 

 that a hive can afford. Moth-proof hives (so- 

 called) are owned either by persons of little in- 

 calmation, or sold to such by unprincipled ven- 

 ders, as well-informed bee-keepers know how to 

 prevent the ravages of the moth, and also know 

 for in warm weather more or less moth eggs 

 are present in the combs. Hence, a real moth- 

 proof hive must also exclude the bees. During 

 the summer months, if a mixture of vinegar and 

 water, well sweetened, be placed at night 

 among the hives in white dishes, many millers 

 will be drowned. Moth " traps " form the basis 

 of a considerable trade. Some of these might be 

 well enough if they were emptied, and the 

 worms destroyed every week ; but as they are 

 usually neglected, they become " moth-nurser- 

 ies " instead of traps. Worms may be trapped 

 early in the season by laying pieces of shingle 

 or S2:)lit elder, the hollowing side down, upon 

 the bottom board. The worms will retreat un- 

 der these to spin their cocoons, and must be 

 destroyed once or twice a week, or they " take 

 unto themselves wings and fly away." The 

 moth is less troublesome in large apiaries. The 

 sprightly little wren, if encouraged to build 

 its nest near the hives, will destroy myriads of 

 worms and insects. They are easily attracted, 

 by putting up boxes made three inches square, 

 with an inch and a half hole for an entrance. — 

 Rural Sun, Nashville, Tenn. 



* For Translation of Article alluded to, see October No. 

 1873. page 77. 



Honey Markets. 



CHICAGO. 



Choice white comb honey, 38@30c; fair to 

 good, 24@28c. 



Extracted, choice white, 14@16c; fair to 

 good, 10@12c. Strained, 8@10c. 



CINCINNATI. 



Quotations from Chas. F. Muth, 976 Central 

 Ave. 



Comb honey 15 @ 35c. ^ lb, according to 

 the condition of the honey and size of the box 

 or frame. 



Extracted choice white clover honey 16 cts. 



1? lb. 



*-*■ 



Work quietly ; avoid sudden jars ; never fight 

 ' your bees, and always keep cool. 



