124 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



It has, I think, six legs; two are used as 

 catchers or holders. The legs are fuzzy or 

 hairy and long. It secrets itself on a limb, 

 rail, or anvthing to rest on and hide. A 

 grapevine is a great place tor them to hide 

 on and as tlie loaded bee comes home, the 

 tiy darts at the bee like a hawk would a 

 chicken and gathers with his two grabbers, 

 or front legs, and holds it fast, then bores 

 his long bill into the bee and pumps out the 

 honey, lets go of the bee and takes his stand 

 for another. I don't know whether the bee 

 dies or not. 



As he is a new comer against us, and 

 without a home, name or reputation to recom- 

 mend him to us. I have given him the name 

 of a good many representatives who come 

 among lis without a jjome or letters of cred- 

 it to pierce us with high taxes, and after 

 they have got all. to leave us to bleed and 

 die. The name I think being appropriate, 

 It is "carpet bagger." 



Will this name do? Have you a like ene- 

 my of bees with yon? If so, where did it 

 come from, and how must we manage to 

 destroy if? J. W. M. 



We have no poisonous honey at the North 

 and no reports, as yet, of any stored at the 

 South, and our own opinion is that bees do 

 not gather anything poisonous. The orange 

 blossom is reported as rich in a delicious 

 honey, have never tasted it. Yellow jasa- 

 mine is also'^[named as furnishing some 

 honey, but of peculiar flavor. We hear 

 little about the other flowers named. Will 

 some Southern bee keeper report? We be- 

 lieve nothing but bees arenecessary to make 

 the glades of Florida as famous for honey as 

 Southern California. Salt is given to bees, 

 and they take it. We cannot say that it is 

 necessary. Some of our best bee keepers do 

 not use it. We never have heard of the 

 insect you describe, but are greatly interest- 

 ed in your Taccount. Will Prof. Riley or 

 Prof. Berry look into this "carpet bagger" 

 matter and report. 



In the JouRNAi., I see directions to close 

 all upward ventilation in honey board as 

 soon as the severe winter weather fs over, but 

 I also see that the best wav to feed is 

 from the inside of the Jiive, how can botli 

 be done? Also to keep them well supplied 

 with water. I have tried giving it to them 

 from both in and out side of the hive, sweet- 

 ened and without, but I cannot get them to 

 take that all, though I see them apprently 

 hunting it in damp places. JNIiiie are in a 

 box hive witn movable frames, but through 

 ignorance the frames were put too near to- 

 gether, and they are now one solid mass, 

 but a strong swarm and as cross as bees can 

 be, I cannot make them anytliing else. 



I lost a nice swarm in the winter in a 

 Langstroth liive, for this reason— I cannot 

 feed them undt>r the honey board. Am now 

 feeding in sugar syrup init on s[K)nges, 

 whicii IS the most satisfactory way I have 

 yet found. Will it do to stop feeding as 

 soon as the first bloom, such as box wood 

 and Missouri currant comb. Everything is 

 verv late, but 1 see they are carrying some 

 pollen now. 



Do you give alsike clover seed this spring? 



Is it as good for stock as the common red 

 clover, and how late will it do to sow? 



How late in the month will it do to send, 

 that it may be answered in the next No. 



London Grove. Jane Maule. 



All ventilation can be closed by a quilt 

 laid over the frames. When bees are to be 

 fed, on top of the quilt, a small hole can be 

 made in it through which the bees can pass 

 to the feeder. Some of the feeders are made 

 so that a small pipe goes into a hole in the 

 quilt through which the bees seek the food. 



As your bees do not take the water, they 

 probably get it in some hollow log, or a 

 springy place. They prefer it in that way 

 when they can get it. 



We would advise you to transfer the bees 

 from that hive where the frames are too 

 near together, as soon as honey is abun- 

 dant. 



We would feed the bees in bad weather 

 until white clover comes. They get very 

 little honey in the early bloom that you 

 name, probably because at that time the 

 weather is not favorable for the secretion 

 of honey. 



We do not give alsike seed away this 

 year. It is considered even better than red 

 clover for stock. 



Queries ought to reach us by the 1.5th of 

 one month to be answered in the next num- 

 ber. 



Mes. Tuppei!: The bees I purchased of 

 you a year ago have done well. They in- 

 creased to three very large swarms last 

 year, and gathered about 28 lb of honey 

 each. 



I put them in the cellar under our living 

 room, Nov. 14, and took thein out the first 

 week in April. There was about a pint of 

 dead bees on the bottom of each hive. 

 They had used only .5 lbs. of honey each. 

 They are increasing rapidly now and gath- 

 ering honey. I found another colony yes- 

 terday. The progeny of the queen you sent 

 me seems to be true every time, three gold 

 bands and no degeneration. 



I don't feel quite satisfied with the hive I 

 have. It is better adapted to brood raising 

 than storing honey, I think. It contains 9 

 frames 12x1:3 inches, but the bees show 

 signs of swarming when full below, rather 

 than work in boxes. J. L. Fi!EN©h. 



We are always glad to hear good reports 

 of the bees we send out, and are sure that 

 will be the case if care is taken. 



The hive we sent them in, is, in our opin- 

 ion, the best made, either for box honey or 

 for the extractor. You must have brood 

 raised if you wish to get honey; and hive, 

 adapted for brood raising is what you want. 

 Put the boxes on early this year, fastening 

 comb in each one; when they begin to work 

 in one box, put on another, and give the 

 queen room for broods by using the extract- 

 or, or taking out a comb often. There is no 

 better hive than the one you describe. 



