268 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 



SAWDUST PACKING, VERSUS OTHER PACKING. 



Bees that were led and packed in chaff or like 

 protection are wintering nicely in this locality. 

 But those that were left on summer stands, un- 

 prepared for such weather as we have been having, 

 have perished. I went into winter quarters with 

 65, all on summer stands. 



I have been using sawdust for packing, for four 

 years; also chaff and dry loaves; but I should give 

 my preference to dry sawdust. I should prefer the 

 chaff hive stuffed with dry sawdust, also some dry 

 sawdust next to the bees on top, to hold the heat. 

 I have been in the habit of leaning a board over the 

 entrances when a cold wind is blowing directly 

 against the front of the hive, and moving it as soon 

 as it moderates or changes its course. 



Moons, O., Jan. 37, 1886. Lewis H.vines. 



HOUSE POAVER PREFER.\BLE TO STEA.M FOR CUT- 

 TING UP HIVE STUFF. 



I have a one-horse tread power to saw stuff' for 

 hives and boxes, and can saw two-inch plank as 

 easily as one could wish. It is pleasant work to 

 make hives now, and I think it better than a small 

 engine. It costs less, and almost every bee-keeper 

 has a horse, so the expense of running it would be 

 comparatively nothing. It will thrash, saw wood, 

 and pump. I think many of the friends would like 

 them better than an engine, as there is no danger 

 of fire. The Fearless, I think, is the best. 



Amity, Orleans Co., N. Y. .1. W. Utter. 



Friend D.. please tell us where these horse- 

 powers can be bought, and what they cost. 



BROOD AVITH THEIR HEADS AT THE ROTTOM OF THE 

 CELT^S. 



I helped a neighbor take the honey from a bo.v 

 hive; and as 1 had a queenless colony I saved the 

 queen and introduced her. Afterward I found 

 some capped brood in the corner of the bo.x hive. 

 The heads were at the bottom of tiio cells, instead 

 of being against the cappings. Would you remove 

 the queen? Is she worthless or not? 



Chas. C. Schwob. 



Moundsville, W. Va., Feb. 12, 1886. 



Friend S., I have never before heard of 

 such a thing as bees witli their heads to- 

 ward the bottom of the cells. If there is no 

 mistake about it, it is something I don't un- 

 derstand. I would not discard any queen 

 until I had tested her fairly. 



HOW TO DISPOSE OF DRONE -EGGS, ETC. 



Sometimes I find a frame of drano-comb, used in 

 upper story for extracting, full of eggs. What is 

 the quickest and easiest way to destroy them? 



How much sulphur to a given ai'ca is sufficient to 

 destroy moth larva'? I am afraid of using too 

 much, and injuring the honey. I didn't use any 

 sulphur last year,'and got' along all right; but per- 

 haps I was running a risk. 



Is a room that is beeproof also moth-proof? 



Feb. 17, 1886. E. H. M. 



There are several Avays of destroying 

 drone-larvie — washing them out of the way 

 with a fountain pump ; sprinkling salt on 

 them ; standing the combs in the honey- 

 house imtil the larva" die, etc. The A B C 

 book gives full directions for fumigating 

 combs. Where we use Italian bees, there is 

 not very much need' of fumigating the hon- 

 ey; at least I would not fumigate it until 

 traces of worms begin to be seen iji the 

 lionev. A bee-proof room is probably moth- 

 proof. 



CALLING THE ROLL. 



Feb. 11, roll was called. Nos. .50 and 58 failed to 

 answer. They were chaffed in on summer stands. 

 Of 80 colonics, half are in the cellar, right under our 

 sitting-room, where the children romp, and where 

 the organ is required to give forth the praises of 

 our heavenly King. Then, too, we have potatoes 

 in the cellar. The thermometer varies from 3.5^ to 

 40°, 45°, and 48'. The bees are all O. K. yet, and 

 seoni in good shape. I carried out several colonies 

 to day, and found no smell upon their garments- 

 no, not even a hair singed. Sam. II. Bolton. 



Benton Uidge, Hancock Co., O., 1886. 



A WARNING AGAINST USING FIRE AttOUND THE 

 APIAltY. 



Last Saturday I came very near losing a great 

 number of my bees by lire. Tlie severe cold weath- 

 er we had here has killed the grass and the orange 

 leaves. I was cleaning up, and set lire, outside the 

 apiary, to clean up a place to make a fire outside, 

 when the wind caught the flame and carried it right 

 among the hives. It took all hands and the cook to 

 put out the fire. I did not lose any bees. It 

 scorched some hives badly, and melted some wax 

 I did not want melted, but I thank God that I got 

 off so well. D. M'Kknzik. 



New Orleans, La , Jan , 1886. 



HOW TO REMOVE POLLEN PRO.M OLD COMB BY 

 MEANS OP A FORCE-PU.MP. 



I see by Gleanings of Feb. 1, 1886, page 105, E. S. 

 Hanson makes inquiry how to remove pollen from 

 old combs. As I have removed pollen from hun- 

 dreds of old combs, I will give my process. I take 

 wool-twine, iu lengths long enough to go around 

 my frames the shortest way. I tie two strings 

 around each frame a little way from the ends (my 

 frames arc 15'» in. long), to hold the combs from 

 breaking cut. I take a tub or barrel, and place 

 the combs in "criss-cross." As fast as I put in 

 combs, I fill up with Avater, taking care to get as 

 much water as possible in the cells; when the 

 combs are all in I put on a weight to keep them un- 

 der water. I let them remain 48 hours. I attach 

 the hose to my force-pump, and put the windmill 

 in geai', then place the comb on edge, with my finger 

 over the end of the nozzle to make the water go in 

 a flat stream. With a good wind, the pollen will fly 

 out lively. Hold the nozzle within six or eight inch- 

 es of the comb. 1 have to soak some of the combs 

 the second or third time. In the absence of a force- 

 pump, the extractor would do nearly as well. Not 

 one comb in 50 need bo broken if properly handled. 



Valparaiso, Ind., Feb. 13, 1386. T. S. Bull. 



If I understand you, friend B., your plan 

 is to soak the pollen in water until it is soft, 

 and then wash it out with a spray of water. 

 I presume a fountain pump would do it 

 nicely. 



FLAT-BOTTOMED FOUNDATION AS GOOD AS ANY 

 FOR SURPLUS. 



Gleanings for Feb. 1 is at hand, and I think it 

 alone worth the subscription price. I used some 

 flat-bottomed foundation last season. The thin, 

 for sections, did as well as any; but the thicker, for 

 brood-frames, was nearly all worked into the natu- 

 ral shape; that is, the bottoms of the cells were 

 worked down into the three little lozenge shaped 

 plates, the same as in natural comb. I don't know 

 whether this is always the case or not, as the bees 

 were not doing much at this time. The weather so 



