44 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 



been hived. It is certain that some colonies g:o to 

 the woods without having selected a tree, and there 

 cluster upon some branch until a tree is found. 

 There are also other instances that seem to indi- 

 cate that the bees had their future home selected 

 before they swarmed. Hence I say your question 

 is one I can not answer. I think if an apiary is 

 properly watched during- swarming time, the 

 swarms hived in nice cool hives, and then shaded 

 from the sun, not very many colonies will leave 

 for the woods. Still, there will be one now and 

 then, notwithstanding the greatest care. Usually 

 those losing many colonies are careless persons. 

 Their bees swarm unnoticed, hang until tired out, 

 and then leave for the woods. Or they are hived, 

 and then placed in the sun without a particle of 

 shade, their new combs melt down, and they leave 

 for the woods." 



The next day at dinner Mr. Meek said to the chil- 

 dren, "That was a large swarm, and it ought to 

 make us some surplus honey. I want you to make 

 ready a case of sections, and place it on their hive." 



The children were eager to do this; but of course 

 their father had to show them how to do it. They 

 first brought a rack, and enough sections to fill it. 

 Each rack held eighteen. They then selected 

 eighteen pieces of thin foundation, and dipping the 

 end of each piece into a melted ml.xture of bees- 

 wax and rosin, which their father had prepared, 

 they quickly placed that end in the center of the 

 top piece of a section, and held it there for a 

 few seconds until the melted wax cooled, and se- 

 curely fastened it. Thus they in-epared the entire 

 eighteen. They next arranged them in the rack, 

 with boards on each side, and separators between 

 each row of sections. The three rows had the ap- 

 pearance of thi;ee ordinary-sized honey-boxes, only 

 differing in the manner in which they could be ta- 

 ken apart. Mr. Meek had directed this work, and 

 now with a wedge-shaped strip he pressed them 

 firmly together, and they were held so. 



The smoker was then lighted, and a little smoke 

 blown into the entrance of the hive. After waiting 

 a few minutes he took away the cap, while Tommy, 

 with a screw-driver, loosened the boards over the 

 frames, and i-emoved them. While he v.as doing 

 this .Jane used the smoker, blowing a little on the 

 bees whenever they showed any signs of becoming 

 excited. Mr. Meek looked at the combs which had 

 been already started, and said they were being 

 built straight. Tommy then placed the case of sec- 

 tions on the hive; and when all was nicely arrang- 

 ed Mr. Meek replaced the cap. 



To he continued July 1. 



SOMETHING ABOUT HONEY mOM 

 THE SPANISH NEEDLE. 



ALSO SOME HINTS IN HEGARD TO OETTING RID OK 

 SMALL ANTS. 



fRIEND ROOT:— Like a general in the army, 

 you seem to be "headquarters" in apicul- 

 ture, and are continually receiving reports 

 from all along the line; but, luilike the gen- 

 eral, you send those reports right back so 

 that all may know what is being done. 



I live near the in'ddle of a prairie— being about 

 two miles from timber on two sides, the other two 

 sides being treeless except orchards, which are 

 quite numerous. I haA'e but a few colonies of bees; 

 and when the bees have to go to the timber for pas- 



ture I find those near the limber are more prosper- 

 ous than mine; but during the smartweed and 

 Spanish-needle bloom, which are our principal hon- 

 ey-plants here, mj' bees excel others' in producing 

 honey. The condition they are in at the beginning 

 of the honey-flow may have something to do with it, 

 as I endeavor to have strong colonies at that time. 

 The Spanish needle of which I spe'ak is different 

 from the Spanish needle in States further east. It 

 has a yellow flower, and the seed is broad and flat, 

 with a needle-like projection from each corner at 

 the outer end. The length is about the same as 

 those of the other variety of Spanish needle. The 

 honey has a yellowish tint, and is of a nice rich 

 flavor. I do not find this plant mentioned in the 

 dictionary, and it may have some other name; but 

 I know of no other, and I mention it particularly 

 because of its abundant yield of honey. We have 

 some white clover, but not enough to get surplus 

 honey from. Some of our bee-men are having 

 alsike clover seed sown by way of experiment, to 

 see whether it will be profitable. 



In this section, as far as I know, wintering is gen- 

 erally done on summer stands, with little or no pro- 

 tection, except a fence or orchard for a windbreak. 

 I know of one man who set posts along the west 

 side, to the tops of which he nailed a boai-d. and 

 against which he stacked corn-fodder. His build- 

 ings served as protection on the north. I might 

 add, chaff cushions are used by all practical bee- 

 keepers within my knowledge. 



Last season was not a good one for honey— about 

 one-third of a crop, or 40 lbs. per colony, being a 

 fair average. The increase was not enough to 

 make up the mortality of the previous winter. 



I notice in the reports that some are troubled 

 with little rod ants in*bee-hives, eating queen-cells, 

 etc. No person who has not had experience knows, 

 or can form any idea, what a trouble and pest these 

 little ants can be. They will get in the cupboard, 

 and are especially fond of light bread, pies, cookies, 

 etc. The good housewife may set the legs of her 

 safe in water; but if one of the cups becomes dry, 

 or phe leaves the broom leaning against it, or it 

 touches the wall in any place, she is horrified to 

 find the little red creatures have invaded her pan- 

 try. If there is any thing in the world that will 

 make a woman scold, it is red ants. She may 

 brush and rub and scrape and scrub, only to have a 

 new army as soon as the shelves are dry. Some one 

 said in Gleanings, "Treat the nests with hot 

 water." But whoever saw a I'ed-auts' nest? They 

 must have had a microscope. Whj-, I should think 

 half a dozen full-grown red ants could get on the 

 head of a common brass pin, and not be crowded 

 either. I judge they can smell, but they must have 

 a small nostril. I don't know how they can find 

 sweets so readily unless they can smell. Last sum- 

 mer they got in my honey-house, in my honey, and 

 among my bees. The first thing I did was to clean 

 out my house— emptied it of every thing, and gave 

 it a thorough cleansing with soap and water. When 

 it dried (as it soon did) I saturated the floor with 

 kerosene, and was afterward careful not to let 

 honey-cans touch the side of the building. I was 

 not bothered with a red ant there afterward. I 

 then saturated the bottom-board and lower edge of a 

 hive, and was troubled no more in that hive. We 

 took covers of glass cans and set under safe-legs, 

 and filled the cups with the same liquid. It is soon 

 absorbed; but about two applications are sufficient 



