lSS6 



GLEANINGS IK J3EE CULTUUi:. 



m 



or little, and keeping the utensils bright and 

 clean, no matter how much trouble it might 

 take to do it. 



STRENGTHENING AATEAK COLONIES. 



UOOLITTI.E'S FLAN OF DOIN(J IT. 



'HEN spi-iufr arrives, most beo kEt'iors find 

 that they have more or less weak colonies, 

 even when their bees as a rule winter well; 

 while now and then a spring' finds some of 

 us with a loss of nearly the whole apiary, 

 and the few colonies remaining are mostly weak, 

 or perhaps we have a part of the few weak, and a, 

 part strong-. If many weak colonies are on our 

 hands, and we are not an.xious to augment our 

 numbers, probably the best way would be to unite 

 them till all are in comparatively good condition. 

 But it more often happens that, when we have 

 many weak colonies, we are the most anxious to 

 save them all it possible, for we get many weak 

 colonies bnly after a heavy loss during winter, in 

 which case we are desirous to increase all we can, 

 so as to utilize our empty combs before the moths 

 destroy them. 



Many ways have been devised to give strength to 

 these weak colonies so as to keep them along till 

 settled warm weather comes, so that they could 

 build up; but most of them liave proven failures 

 when put in practice. The most general plan is 

 that of giving hatching brood from the strong colo- 

 nies to them; but as a rule this results in a loss of a 

 part if not all of the brood; for the amount given 

 must generally of necessity be more than the weak 

 colony can cover and keep warm, while' the young- 

 bees so hatched seem to lack the necessary vitality 

 among- so few old ones to keep the warmth up dur- 

 ing cold nights; hence it often happens tliat all 

 perish together. 



If brocd is given it is better to adopt the plan the 

 editor did several ycais ago, which wns to take a 

 cake or biscuit cutter and cut out a small portion of 

 a frame of brood, and all of that .iust gnawing- 

 through the cells, and insert this in the weak hive 

 in the comb, which the few bees cover. However, 

 this does not always work, as the editor well knows; 

 besides, it mutilates the combs so as to spoil iheir 

 beaut.y; and when wired frames are used it is out 

 of the (juestion altogether. 



Well, after all my trials, I have at last struck on a 

 plan which has so far worked to iierlection, and by 

 it I am able to put a weak colony right "on its foot" 

 without materially injuring the strong one;'<. The 

 plan is this: Take the wire-cloth bo.x I have before 

 described in Gi-eanings. Perhaps I had better 

 describe it again here, so that the new subscribers 

 can make one. Make a bo.\ of any size to suit you 

 { I use one holding about six quarts), and cov<'r the 

 two sides with wire cloth. Through the lop, bore 

 II hole to admit the small end of a large lunnel, 

 such as is used t)y those who sell bees by the pound, 

 and make a slide to cover this hole after liie funnel 

 is removed Now proceed to your strongest colony 

 (if you have no such, one should be bought, if possi- 

 ble, as it will i)ay largely on the investment), and 

 look it over till you find the queen. Put the frame 

 she is on aside from the others, so as to make it 

 impossible to get her in your box, when you will 

 select a frame well covered with bees (or two partly 

 covered). Now drum lightly on this frame so as to 



cause the bees to fill themselves with honey, and 

 sot it down by the hive. While the bees are filling 

 themselves, put back the frame having the queen 

 on, and adjust the hive, except leaving a space for 

 the fi-ame which the bees are on. As soon as they 

 are well filled, adjust the funnel in the box, wlien 

 they are to be shaken down through the funnel, 

 and the box closed with the slide. After putting 

 the frame back in the hive, and closing it, the lo.\ 

 of bees is to be carried to a warm room and a 

 blanltet thrown over the box to keep it dark, when 

 it is to stand three or four hours. During this time 

 the bees will realize their queenless condition, and 

 set up a great buzzing, telling plainly of their loss. 

 Now go to the weak colony you wish to strengthen, 

 and get their queen, which is to be put in with the 

 bees in the box. To do this, set the box down sud- 

 denly so that all the bees will go to the bottom; 

 then (juickly draw the slide and drop in the queen, 

 closing it again. Cover up again and leave until 

 about sunset, or three or four hours more, when the 

 bees will be found clustered compactly like a 

 swarm. Now go to the colony from which you got 

 the bees, and get a frame of hatching- brood, with- 

 out bees, and put it in the hive containing the 

 weak colony, when j-ou will at once hive the bees 

 from the box on it. If the evening is at all cool 

 I shake the bees from the bo.x right on top of the 

 frames so that none shall get chilled. I think all 

 will see the "why" of the plan, without my ex- 

 plaining further. G. M. Doolittle. 

 Borodino, N. Y., April, lf83. 



Friend D., your plan will work all right, 

 without any question ; but you will excuse 

 me for suggesting tliat tliere is too much 

 machinery iibout it to suit o(n- woik. Jt I 

 wanted to strengthen ;i colony during apple- 

 bloom, or at any time when the bees are 

 working fairly, fwoiild just lift tlie fnmie — 

 brood, bees, and all — out of any Iiive that 

 coTild spare it, dui'ing the middle of the dny, 

 when most of the bees are in the lields, and 

 set it in the hive that needs strengthening. 

 I would be careful that the frame did not 

 contain very much unsealetl brood, however. 

 As most of the Hying bees are in the fields, 

 the bees covering tlie combs in the middle 

 of the day will be, as a rtile, young ones; and 

 with us, such a frame of bees will not quar- 

 rel nor be qutirrekd with, one time in ten. 

 Just set them quietly between the combs of 

 the weak hive, and let them get acquainted 

 their leisure. If they do quarrel, a brisk at 

 smoking will generally make them peacea- 

 ble with each other. 



MOSQUITO -BAR VEILS VERSUS THE 

 GLASS FRONT. 



REASONS FOR HREFEHRING THE I-ATTER. 



§OME seem to think the objections to glass 

 fronts \ery "obvious." Perhaps the glas-s 

 fronts they have experimented with indeed 

 bear their "obviousness" upon the fttcc of 

 them; but when any one claims that glass 

 can not be so adapted to and inserted in veils as to 

 render objections "few and fai- between," we are 

 prepared to come^ orwai'd and bear testimony to 

 either his culpable ignorance or desire to misrepre- 

 sent. We desire to present the claims that the 

 glass front should have upon the favor of the pro- 

 gressive bee-keepers of our age. 



