July 31, 1902. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



489 



after the prime swarm, when, accordinjf to text-books, no 

 well-broiiffht-up bees should have a queeu for at least seven 

 days '! 



2. Do second swarms ever have two queens 7 and does 

 that account for those retnaining^ in the tree ? 



3. What is the record of time for bees hanging in a 

 cluster ? 



I intend to ^'ives the bees in the observation hive a comb 

 of brood with a queen-cell, hut — 



4. In case I didn't, what would the bees do? and what 

 are they staying for, anyway, without a queen ? 



Il,I,INOIS. 



Answkks. 1. A second swarm issues about eight days 

 after the issuing of the prime swarm, because about that 

 time the young queen is mature enough to leave. If, how- 

 ever, for any reason the issuing of the prime swarm is de- 

 layed, then the time between first and second swarm will be 

 shorter. The first swarm may be delayed by the weather 

 two or three days, possibly by some other cause, and in that 

 case the second swarm will issue at just the same time it 

 would have issued if there had been no delay on the part of 

 the first swarm. Of course, that will reduce the length of 

 time between the two swarms. Indeed, it is possible that 

 there might be an interval of only a day or two between the 

 issuing of the first and second swarms. The old queen 

 might be too heavy to fly at first, or she might be utterly 

 unable to fly, as in the case of a clipped queen. So the 

 swarm could only return when it issued, and come out again, 

 and if you did not happen to see it issue except the last 

 time, you might think there was only a day or two between 

 the prime and second swarms. 



2. Yes, second swarms sometimes have a good deal 

 more than two queens, and it would not be a hard thing for 

 part of the swarm to be separated from the rest with one of 

 the queens. 



3. I don't know. I never knew a cluster to hang more 

 than two weeks, and that was a very small cluster without 

 a queen. A stray swarm was hanging on a tree one day 

 when I was driving to an out-apiary. The swarm was small 

 and of no great value, but the ovpner of the tree was rather 

 insistent that we should take the swarm away. My assis- 

 tant took it in her bee-hat to the out-apiary. On our return 

 home we found a small cluster still on the limb. They had 

 probably been out foraging when we took the swarm away. 

 I think the little cluster staid and dwindled away. 



4. Those bees on the tree may have a queen, and hav- 

 ing been kept there by stress of weather so long, they may 

 have become reconciled to the situation, and if left alone 

 they may remain there all summer. 



When to Sow Sweet Clover Seed. 



When is the best time to sow sweet clover as a honey- 

 plant for 1903 ? MiCHiG.\N. 



Answer. — Sow sweet clover when other clover is sowed 

 in your locality. Probably most sweet clover is sown in 

 early spring, at about the time for sowing oats, but if con- 

 venient it might be well to sow in the fall and have it well 

 tramped in. But if you want sweet clover to yield nectar 

 in 1903, you must sow it right away, immediately, quick, 

 so as to have it grow this year. Doubtful whether you can 

 get it to do that. It does not blossom till the second year of 

 its growth, and the winter after blossoming it dies root and 

 branch. 



A Vermonter's Seven Questions. 



1. Do you prefer golden, leather-colored, red clover, or 

 honey queens, for honey-production ? 



2. Do you prefer Danzenbaker or Langstroth hives for 

 comb-honey production ? 



3. Would a queen bred in Texas do as well in northern 

 Vermont as a northern bred queen ? 



4. Which do you think would be more profitable here, 

 comb or extracted honey ? 



5. Is it necessary to put on perforated-zinc honey-boards 

 between the super and the hive for comb honey ? 



6. Do you clip your queen ? 



7. How do you get your bees ready for winter ? 



Vermont. 

 Answers. — 1. I prefer the queens that will assure me 

 the greatest profit, under whatever name or garb they may 

 appear. It is not easy to answer your question categoric- 

 ally, for what may be best in one place may not be the best 



in every other place. I like much the appearance of the 

 goldcns, but the ones I have had have not excelled others in 

 storing. .Ml goldcns, however, may not be alike. Leather- 

 colored and their grades have given excellent satisfaction. 

 The term " red-clover queen " has been used as applying to 

 different strains, and 1 am not sure I can say very definitely 

 just hpw much bees have ever done for me on red clover. 

 Honey-ijueens, as already intimated, are my preference, if 

 by that term is meant bees that give best results in the long' 

 run. Hut between you and me, I suppose there is a lot I 

 haven't yet learned about such things. 



2. I prefer the Ivangstroth. 



3. I think the general testimony is that she will do just 

 as well, although one might naturally expect a little more 

 hardiness in bees bred for a long time in the severer climate. 



4. As a rule, probably comb, although the right man 

 and the right management might make the most out of 

 extracted. 



5. It is not necessary in this locality when separators 

 are used and full sheets of foundation in sections. 



6. Always. 



7. I don't get them ready. They are carried into the 

 cellar, cover, bottom and all, just as they were on the sum- 

 mer stand. Some time, however, before it is time to take in 

 cellar, the false bottom has been removed from each hive, 

 leaving a space two inches deep under the bottom-bars. 



Bees Visiting Out-Houses and a Planing-Mili. 



1. W'hat will keep the bees from visiting out-houses? 

 and what do they go there for ? I keep the weeds and grass 

 from the hive fronts by sowing salt, but still a few bees 

 visit the out-house ; I do not know why they go. 



2. My bees in early spring made trouble at the planing- 

 mill, which is some 4 or S blocks away. What can be used 

 or done to cause them to stay away ? Iow.\. 



Answers. — 1. It is generally supposed that they go for 

 the salts to be found in such places, but it is not certain 

 that such is the right view. It is not disproved, however, 

 by the fact that all the salt needed lies in front of the hive. 

 Set a dish of water at the entrance, and you will still find 

 some bees going oS^ a distance to get water. Perhaps you 

 might try giving the bees a watering-place where they 

 could at all times find water somewhat salty. You see, the 

 salt in front of the hives is wet only part of the time, and 

 dry salt would iiardly answer. 



2. In early spring, bees quite often gather sawdust as 

 a substitute for pollen. (iive them something better to 

 work on, as ground corn and oats or other feed. 



White-Eyed Drones— ttueen-Excluders on in Winter. 



1. To what race of bees do white-eyed drones belong ? 

 I have never seen any drones with white eyes before. I 

 saw the first one about 5 weeks ago — found him in the yard, 

 then I watched every hive but could not find any more, but 

 in a few days I noticed two in front of one hive, then more 

 and more, but only in the one hive. This colony is extra- 

 strong, and is storing lots of honey in the third story, keep- 

 ing ahead of 18 other colonies. 



2. Can I leave a queen-excluder over an 8-frame lower 

 brood-chamber all winter? or must it be taken away? My 

 hives are all two-story 16franie during the winter, and I 

 would like to leave the queen-excluder on during the winter, 

 if possible. Kansas. 



Answers. — 1. To no particular race. Drones with 

 heads of unusual coloring may occasionallj- be found among 

 bees of anv kind. Just why drones should be tricked out in 

 fantastic colors, and never workers, seems to have no satis- 

 factory explanation. 



2. Certainly, there is no reason why you can not leave 

 excluders on all winter. Don't be afraid to ask all the 

 questions you like. That's what this department is for. 



Trouble in Introducing a Queen— Feeding Bees. 



1. I received a red clover queen but the bees do not want 

 to accept her. They started a lot of queen-cells, and when 

 the candy was taken out tliey wanted to kill the queen. 

 What can I do with her ? 



2. I am taking care of bees of a man 5 miles from here, 

 and the grass-hoppers have taken all the bloom from the 



