714 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Nov. 6, 1902. 



live in hopes of a successful ending'. Hope is a great an- 

 chor. Thank God for hope. "Faith, hope and charity, 

 but the greatest of these is charity." But I am " stuck " on 

 hope. Mrs. C. R. West. 



Ellis Co., Tex., July 21. 



I Questions and Answers. | 



CONDUCTED BY 



r>R. O. O. BdlLLBR. Afarenero, Ul. 



[The Qaestlons may be mailed to the Bee Journal office, or to Dr. Miller 



direct, when he will answer them here. Please do not ask the 



Doctor to send answers by mall. — Editor.! 



Beginning in Bee-Keeping. 



I am an amateur, with absolutely no knowledge of the 

 first principles of bee-keeping. I have no bees, hive, or 

 friends that know, but an abundance of flowers. Will you 

 kindly inform me how to begin ? Where can I get supplies 

 in this section of the country ? Cai,ifornia. 



Answer. — Well, now, that's refreshing, to find a man 

 who knows that he doesn't know anything 1 The first thing 

 is to get a good text-book, and as it is now late in the sea- 

 son, you will have plenty of time to become familiar with 

 it before it is time to make a purchase next spring. In- 

 deed, when you have been told to get a text-book you have 

 been told about all you need to be told for the present, for 

 the office of such a book is to answer a multitude of ques- 

 tions that will arise in your mind, besides a number of 

 others that you would not have thought of. Before spring 

 you will probably become so interested in the matter that 

 j'ou will want a bee-paper — unless you have made the mis- 

 take that so many make by getting a bee-paper before a 

 text-book — and in the Journal you will find advertisements 

 of those who have bees to sell, and you can then order from 

 some one not too far off, so as to save enorsious express 

 charges. After you have fairly started in your text-book, 

 your visits to this department will be specially welcome, 

 and you need not hesitate to ask about anything that does 

 not seem entirely clear in the text-book. 



ttueenlessness During Swarming-Time— Mottis on Comb 

 Honey—Wintering Bees. 



1. What is the cause of bees getting queenless during 

 swarming-time ? I had one colony that cast a swarm about 

 the middle of June, and not wishing for swarms I went 

 through the hives and cut out all queen-cells, leaving one 

 young queen in the hive, which was constantly singing 

 from the time it hatched until she came fourth with an- 

 other swarm, leaving the colony queenless, and no brood to 

 rear. Two weeks afterwards I gave them a new queen which 

 they accepted and everything was all right. What was the 

 cause of the bees swarming out with that queen and leav- 

 ing the mother colony queenless? 



2. What is the cause of moth getting in the sections of 

 comb honey ? I keep them in a dark, dry, warm place? 

 What can I do to kill them ? I have about 400 sections of 

 fine white honey, and I keep it in a closet close to the cook- 

 stove, and some of it has small moth in it. 



3. What is best to put over brood-frames to keep the 

 bees dry in winter ? 



4. Will bees winter well in a tight shed closed all around 

 except 14 inches. Illinois. 



Answers. — 1. It is not an uncommon thing for bees to 

 swarm out with a virgin queen when she takes her wedding- 

 flight, and whether they swarm out with her or not there is 

 a chance that something may happen to the queen, such as 

 being caught by a bird, and then, of course, the colony is 

 hopelessly queenless. Once in a great while a colony is so 

 foolish as to swarm out with a young queen in regular 

 swarming style when there is no other queen or queen-cell 

 left in the hive. I don't know why '.' 



2, The probability is that the eggs of the moth were 

 laid in sections while they were yet on the hive, and while 

 you are keeping the sections in the best kind of a place, it 

 is also a good place for the moth's eggs to hatch and 

 develop. While they are still small it will be an easy mat- 



ter to destoy them by fumigating with bisulphide of carbon 

 or with sulphur. 



3. It is largely a matter of convenience, depending 

 upon what there is to be had most easily. Probably noth- 

 ing is better than cork-dust. Dry leaves are also good, 

 planer-shavings, chaff, rags, etc. 



4. Some winter very successfully in that way, espe- 

 cially in localities as far south as yours, where the winters 

 are not so severe as farther north. 



Place to Winter Bees— Winter Temperature for Bees- 

 Weight of Bees, Hive, Etc., for Winter. 



I have a small room built up next to the roof of a 

 double granary, enclosed with a 6-inch wall of chaff on top, 

 bottom and all sides except south, which has one window. 

 I wintered S colonies in this room last winter — all that I ' 

 had — I am a beginner. Three of them came out sound and 

 saucy, and the other two starved to death. 



1. Do you think this is a good place to winter bees? or 

 do they need more feed in such a place than in a cellar ? 



2. At what temperature should this room or cellar be 

 kept to give the bees a chance to ripen and seal syrup given 

 to them made of granulated sugar ? Or will they ripen and 

 seal it all in winter ? 



3. About what should a common 8-frame hive, bees and 

 comb, weigh when it contains 25 pounds of honey? 



Iowa. 



Answers. — 1. The probability is that a cellar would be 

 better, at any rate the bees would consume less in a cellar. 



2. The general opinion is that 45 degrees is the best 

 temperature for a cellar. Warmer than that might favor 

 ripening, but the bees would not do so well. Better not 

 count on bees ripening syrup after the first of October. If 

 you must feed too late for bees to ripen the syrup, give 

 candy as directed in your text-book. 



3. I don't know for sure, but think it would be about 45 

 pounds. 



*-.-»^ 



Worms Working on Honey— Keeping and 

 Fumigating Honey. 



1. I have about 100 pounds of comb honey in sections, 

 and I notice here and there a section which has a few 

 places where there are little grindings. It looks as if a 

 worm is there, but I cannot see anything. Perhaps the 

 black ants have done it, as there are still a few running 

 around when I open the cupboard. 



2. I have the honey upstairs in a cupboard, south side 

 of the house. Where should it be kept ? 



3. Should honey be fumigated if to be kept until next 

 year ? What should I use ? I have been thinking of using 

 brimstone. Will this hurt the honey ? Pbnn. 



Answers. — You are safe in laying the blame on worms 

 rather than ants. The first intimation of their work on 

 sections will be found on the edges where the comb joins 

 the wood, a little heap of whitish powder, but the worm is 

 so small it is not easily seen. 



2. Upstairs is a good place if warm. A hot, dry place 

 is the thing. Indeed, if kept in a very hot place through 

 the summer, as in a garret next the roof , it will stand freez- 

 ing in winter without injury. 



3. It may or may not need fumigating. Depends upon 

 whether the moth has laid any eggs in it. Brimstone will 

 do, and will do no hurt if not used too strong. Bisulphide 

 of carbon is more in favor than brimstone or sulphur now- 

 adays. 



Honey as a Health-Food is the name of a 16- 

 page leaflet (3'2x6 inches) which is designed to help in- 

 crease the demand and sale of honey. The first part is 

 devoted to a consideration of " Honey as Food," written 

 by Dr. C. C. Miller. The last part contains "Honey-Cook- 

 ing Recipes" and " Remedies Using Honey." It should be 

 widely circulated by every one who has honey for sale. It 

 is almost certain to make good customers for honey. We 

 know, for we are using it ourselves. 



Pricks, prepaid — Sample for 2 cts.; 10 for 10 cts. ; 25 

 for20cts.; SO for 35 cts.; 100 for 60 cts.; 250 for S1.2S ; 500 

 for $2.25 ; 1000 for $4.00. If you wish your busine.«s card 

 printed at the bottom of the front page, add 25 cts. to your 

 order. 



