594 



GtEANtNGS IN :bEE CULTUEE. 



July 



his plan for experiment, though I hardly see how 

 any thing could be simpler than our reversible cor- 

 ners, or less liable to come in contact with brace- 

 combs or propolis. 



doomttlk's method of forming nuclei. 



Further experiments upon the Doolittle plan of 

 forming- nuclei have not been so favorable. In 

 fact, many of the old bees in that nucleus (see p. .VjI) 

 which I thought wore succcisfully domiciled in 

 their new quarters have since disappeared, and I 

 suppose went back to their old quarters. Another 

 nucleus was formed in exactly the same way, as re- 

 coi-ded on page 551. When the bees were removed 

 from the cellar, and put into the hive the following 

 morning, their weight was two pounds and a quar- 

 ter. On the morning of the second day the bees 

 were shaken into a cage, and weighed. The result 

 showed that the nucleus liad lost a pound and a 

 half of bees. Surely a part, at least, of these bees 

 must have gone back to their old location. On look- 

 ing into the liivc afterward, although their num- 

 bers seemed depleted somewhat, I should hardly 

 have supposed, judging fi-om the looks only, that 

 they had suffered such a loss. Some of the old 

 ragged-winged bees were there, and are still there, 

 showing that these old bees do not always go back, 

 though it would appear that a large majority do. 



I conclude, then, that, to correctly report upon 

 the Doolittle plan of forming nuclei, the bees 

 must be weighed before and after being moved. 

 Had I done so in the first experiment, the results 

 might have been similar to the last. The plan 

 works nicely for introducing queens; that is, so far 

 asti-ied; but from my present experience I should 

 say that nearly half of the bees go back to their old 

 location. Perhaps friend Doolittle can inform me 

 why I have seemingly failed upon further experi- 

 ments. 



1 will say this much, however: In experiments 

 which we have made in forming nuclei in the ordi- 

 nary way (i. e., taking frames and adhering bees 

 from several different hives and uniting them into 

 one swarm in a new location) we found that not a 

 single ragged-winged bee would stay, though at 

 least half the bees of the new-made swarm were 

 of this latter class. With Doolittle's plan we did 

 succeed in making a few, at least, of these old 

 fellows stay at their new location. 



ROBBING— A CAUTION TO BEOINNEHS. 



Our honey season has stopped suddenly off with us, 

 and, in consequence, the bees are*, little inclined to 

 be cross, and rob. As many of our colonics are nu- 

 clei, we have to exercise extra precaution when 

 o|)ening and examining into the same. We are con- 

 tracting the entrances of all such, and the boys are 

 keeping a close watch of the whole apiary besides. 

 When bees once get started to robbing badly at this 

 time of the year we do not recover from the effects 

 of it for the whole season; that is, when the little 

 scamps have once learned the trick of thieving 

 they do not seem to forget it soon. Beginners es- 

 pecially, need to be careful. 



I'UTTING A PANE OF GLASS IN FRONT OF THE EN- 

 TRANCE WHEN ROBBING HAS COMMENCED. 



Seeing it recommended in the liritiah Dec-Journal 

 of the last issue, that an ordinary pane of glass 

 placed in front of the entrance of a robbed colo- 

 ny would stop robbing, I determined to try the plan 

 on some nuclei where a few straggling robbers were 

 trying to gain entrance. These nuclei iiad just 

 been opened, and, as usual just at this time of the 



year, robber-bees were around; and when the hives 

 were closed they would pounce down upon the en- 

 trances, where tlie little lovers of home met them 

 in hand-to-hand fight. Panes of glass were leaned 

 against the front of two or three of the hives. The 

 I'csult was quite satisfactory; the robbers would 

 cither bump their heads against the glass, or, seeing 

 their own image rellected against them, appeared 

 to think that they were met by their enemies on 

 the wing. Not many of them had sense enough 

 to go around the edges of the glass; and the 

 few that did, finding themselves inclosed, buzzed 

 up and down the pane of glass on the inside, and 

 finally dropped in front of the entrance. Hei-e the 

 inhabitants made short work of them. Very soon 

 the robbers came to regard that entrance with evil 

 forebodings; and when the glass was taken away 

 they did not seem to know the difference. As to 

 whether the glass will stop a bad case of robbing at 

 the entrance when the inmates of the hive have 

 given up in despair, I have my doubts; though the 

 plan, if taken in time, might prevent robbing in a 

 great many cases. Ernest. 



Gleanincs in Bee Culture, 



Published Scini-Monthltj . 



^S-. I- I^OOT, 

 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, 



MEDINA, O. 



TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID. 



For Clubbing Sates, Seo First Page of Seadiss Matter. 



n^^EiDiiisr-ii^, jTjiLnr 15, lese. 



If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not.— John 11 : 9. 



THE FAVOKITK PACKAGE FOR 100 LBS. OF EX- 

 TRACTED HONEY. 



The new square tin honey-cans are having quite 

 a boom, and we are glad to see the^n going off thus, 

 because we believe it is the best package for stor- 

 ing and shipping extracted honey we ever offered 

 for the money, and wo feel assured they will take 

 well. If j'ou haven't seen them, send i)0 cts. and we 

 will send you a pair of the cans, boxed, ready for 

 shipment. As many of you have large quantities 

 of e.vlracted honey, it is time for you to be thinking 

 of putting it in some suitable paejiage. 



CARNIOLANS AND THEIR MARKINGS. 



I FIND that I made an error in a recent issue, 

 stating that Carniolan worker-bees from our best 

 queen received from Frank Benton were some of 

 them yellow-banded. One of them produced part 

 Carniolan Avorkers and part workers having some 

 of the yellow bands. We thought last fall the other 

 Carniolan iiuecn did the same thing; but at present 

 we find no yellow-banded bees among the young 

 bees just hatching out. There are Italian workers 

 through the colony, but these probably came from 

 adjoining hives. I am very glad to make this cor- 

 rection. The progeny of this Carniolan queen are, 

 however, so near like common black bees that, 

 when these common bees are flitting about the 

 hive, trying to rob, we find it very difficult to tell 

 one from the other. 



