THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



211 



were exchanged, two and three times 

 there must have been a loss of several 

 swarms. The destruction of the larva? 

 was a much greater loss than the destruc- 

 tion of the eggs, because the queen, hav- 

 ing plenty of room, could supply the 

 empty combs with eggs very soon after 

 they were extracted. But the eggs laid 

 after exchanging combs would not hatch 

 so soon as those destro^-ed would have 

 done, and a loss of time would result; 

 and in the extracting season, that means 

 loss of bees. 



In extracting I now have two hives 

 open at once in order to work fast and re- 

 turn each comb to its proper hive, thus: 

 Hive No. 1 is opened and half the combs 

 taken to the extractor, the comb carrier 

 then opens hive No. 2 and by the time he 

 gets to the extractor with that lot the first 

 combs are empty and ready to be exchang- 

 ed for the full ones in No. 1. One more 

 trip to -No. 2, then No. 1 is closed and 

 No. 3 opened. 



A piece of cotton cloth is used to cover 

 the hive while the combs are being extract- 

 ed. One man to uncap and extract will 

 keep two busy carrying combs, if the 

 combs are straight and in good order. It 

 facilitates matters somewhat to have the 

 extractor to run with a treadle instead of 

 crank handle. W. C. P. 



August, 1875. 



ANSWERS BY MRS. TUPPER. 



Please tell your readers the best method 

 of securing straight worker surplus comb. 



A. A. 



We have ourselves had no trouble in 

 securing straight combs, invariably, so do 

 not, perhaps, appreciate the trouble some 

 have experienced. We are careful, when 

 colonies are building comb, to examine 

 often, and if they are starting in a wrong 

 direction, to straighten at once. Of late, 

 since we have a good supply on hand, we 

 always put an empty frame between two 

 straight worker combs when bees are 

 building, and they then cannot, if they 

 wish, build crooked. 



Bees only build drone combs (as a rule 

 we mean) about swarming time, or when 

 honey is very abundant, and at these 

 times we would try and keep them sup- 

 plied with comb so they shall build none, 

 leaving comb-building to be done later in 

 the season, when honey is less plenty. 

 We can generally secure some comb almost 



any time by removing a comb from tlie 

 middle of a strong colony and putting a 

 empty frame there. Bees " abhor a vacu- 

 um," and work with a will to fill it. 

 We are very sanguine that the comb 

 foundations are going to prove a great 

 success, and aid those beginning in tlie 

 busiaess to get straight combs fast. A 

 device just patented in Vinton, Iowa, 

 makes the building of straight combs 

 sure, when the patented frame is used. 

 We are expecting to see this frame adver- 

 tised and used with profit. 



I would like to hear through the col- 

 umns of The American Bee .Journal 

 when is the best time to move bees a short 

 distance. I have one colony of bees that 

 is very strong, but do not seem to be doing 

 anything at all. Can you tell me what is 

 the matter? Do you think it best to feed 

 at this season of the year? My bees are 

 getting plenty of pollen, but not much 

 lioney. I had four colonies of Italians 

 this spring and have increased to ten, but 

 I have not a taste of honey yet. 



Would you recommend dividing if you 

 have no queen on hand? I tried one this 

 spring; it is doing fully as well as those 

 that swarmed naturally. I do not know 

 whether the plan would do to rely on or 

 not. The keeping of bees is a new thing 

 to me. I got my start from Mr. Quinby. 

 I am very sorry to hear through the col- 

 umns of The Journal of his death. I am 

 under obligations to him for what little 

 knowledge of bee culture I have. 



Can you tell me the reason of my bees 

 leaving the hive after being hived ? I have 

 never had one to stay tlie first time ; my 

 first swarm left the hive and went to the 

 woods. I found them and brought tliem 

 back. This thing ot natural swarming is 

 discouraging to me. I want to divide after 

 this, if I can. B. Lingle. 



Paoli, Indiana. 



The best time to move bees a short dis- 

 tance is after the working season is over, or 

 before it commences, that is, if by a " short 

 distance" you mean less than half a mile, 

 further tlian that you can move at one 

 time as well as another. When moved a 

 short distance, many of the old bees will 

 return to the old spot — sometimes enough 

 of them to weaken the colony seriously. 



We feed at any season of the year when 

 the bees are not gathering enough to keep 

 them breeding freely. 



By your own account your bees must 

 have gathered much honey, even if you 

 "have not had a taste yet." They cannot 

 increase from four to ten colonies in two 



