AMERICAN BEE JOURNAU 



297 



Why Did the Bees Die ?— Mr. 



M. D. Andes, of Bristol, Tenn., wants to 

 know the cause of his bees dying oflf. 

 He writes thus : 



Why have my bees been dying all win- 

 ter? They have plenty of honey, and 

 while I have not lost an entire colony, 

 as many as 25 to 100 bees are carried 

 out dead every morning from each hive. 

 I cannot account for it, unless it is im- 

 pure honey. Last year was a bad honey 

 season in this section, and my bees 

 seemed to gather most of their supply 

 late in October. M. D. Andes. 



At a distance, one can do little more 

 than make a guess in such a case, but 

 from the data given your guess would 

 seem a pretty good one, that the diffi- 

 culty comes from unwholesome stores. 

 But it depends a little on circumstances 

 whether there may be anything very 

 bad in 25 to 100 bees being carried out. 

 If that occurs every day for a short 

 time, or even should there be a larger 

 number for a very few days, there need 

 be nothing alarming in the case, but if 

 it should be a regular thing day after 

 day for many days, then something is 

 astray. 



"Wide Frames.— Mr. Elmer Brid- 

 enstine, of North Liberty, Iowa, asks 

 the following question about the use of 

 wide frames : 



I have read the article about wide 

 frames by Mr. G. M. Doolittle, on page 

 148. The question with me is, does he 

 hang those wide frames, or let them rest 

 on top of the brood-frames ? I mean the 

 wide frames that hold one tier deep. 

 Please reply through the Bee J'ournal. 

 Elmer Beidenstine. 



Mr. Doolittle replies to the above 

 question thus : 



The top of the hive comes 5/16 of 

 an inch above the tops of the brood- 

 frames, and the wide frames rest on top 

 of the hive, which gives 5/16 of an 

 inch between the tops of the brood- 

 frames and the bottoms of the wide 

 frames, or just a bee-space. Some claim 

 ^ inch the proper bee-space, others that 

 % is right, but I consider the former too 

 little, and the latter too much. 



G. M. Doolittle. 



Southern Queens.— Mr. Chas. 

 Hammons, of De Witt, Iowa, asks the 

 following questions : 



1. Will a queen reared in the South 

 be as hardy in the North as a Northern- 

 bred queen ? 



2. Would you advise a Northern bee- 

 keeper to buy queens from a Southern 

 breeder ? Chas. Hammons. 



1. Theoretically it seems there ought 

 to be a little difference, but as a great 

 many queens reared in the South are 

 bought by Northern bee-keepers, and 

 there are no reports to indicate that 

 they are anymore tender than Northern- 

 bred queens, it may be understood that 

 there is no difference as to hardiness. 



2. In general, it is well to have 

 queens make as short a journey as pos- 

 sible, and it would be foolish to send a 

 long distance for a lot of queens if you 

 can get just as good at no greater ex- 

 pense right in your own apiary. Still, 

 it is often advisable to send South for 

 queens, for queens can be reared there 

 earlier in the season, so you can get 

 them there at times when they cannot 

 be had in the North at all, and perhaps 

 it is for that reason that W. Z. Hutchin- 

 son makes a practice of renewing his 

 queens each year by sending South for 

 young queens. 



Illinois Bee-Keepers are re- 

 quested to read carefully the following 

 letter which is written by Secretary 

 Stone : 



Bradfordtox, Ills., Feb. (>, 1893. 

 To Bee-Keepers of Illinois : — 



You are especially interested in the 

 completeness and character of the infor- 

 mation to be published in the Second 

 Annual Report of the Illinois State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association, nov/ in course of 

 preparation. 



It is important that the bee-keepers 

 residing in all portions of the State 

 furnish information concerning this in- 

 dustry that will be of value and interest 

 to the readers of the Report, which will 

 contain the proceedings of the associa- 

 tion at both its meetings, at Chicago and 

 Springfield ; essays by prominent bee- 

 keepers ; the report of the National Bee- 

 Keepers' Union, etc. 



You are therefore respectfully re- 

 quested at your earliest convenience to 

 send to the Secretary, answers to the 

 printed questions, so far as you feel sure 

 you can answer knowingly, and we will 

 use them in part, or in full, as needed : 



Please write your name and post-office 



