5.54 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 



board, I heard again the piping- sound that I thought 

 only a queen could make; and on close examination 

 I discovered, to all appearances, a common bee run- 

 ning- all over the rest, and, doubling up its body, 

 would make that queer little sound. Of course, I 

 killed the " fertile worker," but had another to kill 

 a day or two after, under the same circumstances. 

 I then gave them the young- brood with bees, 

 and in a few days I had the satisfaction of seeing 

 a queen-cell. But, poor me! the worms run them 

 away. C. L. Eaddy. 



Johnsonville, S. C, July 35, 188-1. 



Friend E., your plan of getting rid of a 

 fertile worker is exactly what I have recom- 

 mended, but I should take the frames of 

 comb from the hive, and hunt out the fertile 

 worker as she moves about among the bees. 

 Her actions are just as you represent, but 

 she does not always make the piping noise 

 you describe. Wherever you see a great 

 number of eggs in the cells, and no regu- 

 lar cells of brood, you may be sure a fertile 

 worker is the trouble. 



SOME CALIFOHNIA NOTES. 



WHAT IS IT ON COMB HONEY? 



TTp TINY insect, found on the sections of comb 

 ^im hone}', when they are taken off the hive; 

 ^K wingless, transparent, colorless, except the 

 "^^^ eyes, which are black, and a reddish spot in 

 head between the antennte; bai-ely visible 

 to the naked eye, it can be seen as it moves swiftly 

 over the section, as the light is reflected from it, as 

 from a tiny drop of water. In repose it would not 

 be noticed at all, as, being- transparent, it then ap- 

 pears as a mere atom of the wood. Antenns? are long- 

 in proportion to the size of body. It seems to stay on 

 the outside of section; nearly always in quick mo- 

 tion; sometimes single, at other times two or three 

 together; can be blown off with a light bi-eath; 

 nearly every section has them on. Who can tell 

 what it is? 



BRUSH FOR COMB-FOUNDATIOX MACHINE. 



That was an excellent idea of Mr. Enas', to fast- 

 en a long brush against the upper roller of the 

 foundation machine. I had been using a hair-brush, 

 moving it over the roller, while giving- the crank 

 half a dozen or more turns with the other hand, 

 previous to passing- each sheet through. As soon 

 as I read Mr. Enas' suggestion, I cut the handle off 

 and sawed the brush in two lengthwise through 

 the middle of the back, nailed the two pieces end 

 for end to a iJ x 1-inch strip of wood, a little short- 

 er than the distance between the uprights of the 

 machine, and fastened it there with a little wedge, 

 pushed in with the fingers. The brush should be 

 taken out and the stai-ch washed off, every time it 

 is used. I have now only to give the i-ollers one 

 revolution, while moving the sheet toward them. 

 This saves considerable time, and I am highly 

 pleased with the improvement. Mr. Enas has my 

 thanks for his valuable suggestion. 



PYRETHRUM VS. ANTS. 



Like others, I am troubled this year with the lit- 

 tle black ants in the honey-room. By putting- fine 

 sifted wood ashes on the floor, round the legs of 

 the extractor, tanks, or where anything else con- 

 taining honey i-ests, the ants can be kept away, as 

 they will not cross the ashes. A still better way is 



to fill old tin cans half full of ashes, and place the 

 legs of tables or stands in them. The cans prevent 

 the ashes from being scattered about. Water is un- 

 satisfactory. If there is only a little, the ants will 

 drink up what does not evaporate. If there is 

 plenty, it will, unless renewed every day, form a 

 film, over which the antscan travel. However, I 

 used water on a shelf, on which was placed a can to 

 catch the drip from the sun strainer, in which I 

 melt my cappings. As the shelf was near a door, 

 and on a level with the top of my uncapping-box, I 

 could not very well use ashes there. The ants were 

 thick on the shelf and around the water. Last 

 night I read your suggestion in regard to pyre- 

 thrum. I went immediately and scattered some on 

 the shelf and ai-ound the water. This morning- the 

 ants at the water ai-e dead, and not a live one near 

 the shelf. Tell friend J. M. Brooks to try sprinkling 

 pyrethrum all over his shelves, then cover them 

 with paper, to prevent the pyrethrum from being 

 blown or wiped off. I think that will stop his trou- 

 ble. Wm. Muth-Rasmussen. 

 Independence, Cal., July 22, 1884. 



I have often seen the tiny insect you have 

 described, friend M., and perhaps Prof. Cook 

 will be able to tell us exactly what it is, 

 from your description. I think pyrethrum 

 will Vie our best remedy for ants, if it works 

 all right. 



BEES, POLITICS, AND FIRE. 



A TIMELY WARNING TO BEE-KEEPERS FOR THE 

 COMING POLITICAL CAMPAIGN. 



fOU see, the upper story of my chaff hive was 

 only partly filled with wide frames, and the 

 bees had crowded into this vacant space; so, 

 wishing to drive them out, I lighted a roll of 

 rags, placed it in this space, put on the cover, 

 intending to let it remain only a minute or so, and 

 then attend to it; but at this time the band, followed 

 by a crowd of citizens, passed me, going to the de- 

 pot to give Gen. Logan a blowout, who was on his 

 way from Minneapolis. So, like a fool, I followed 

 the crowd, saw Logan, etc. (you know how 'tis your- 

 self), came home sober, went to bed, and was sleep- 

 ing- the sleep of the just (?) when the fli-e-bell sound- 

 ed an alarm, and down came the company with the 

 " masheen" to put put the fire in my chaff-hive. 

 It was about four hours from the time 1 lighted my 

 smoker before the alarm ; meantime, the smoke had 

 driven all the bees out, and they were scattered 

 about in clusters on the gi-ound. I removed the 

 lamented remains of the old hive, prepared a new 

 one with fdn. as for a new swarm, except feeling 

 sorry for them in their misfortune. I gave them 

 four frames of honey, placed the whole where the 

 old hive had stood, and in the morning they had 

 taken possession of their new habitation, seemingly 

 rejoiced that they had a master possessed of so 

 much intelligence, and that matters were no worse. 

 The fool-killer has not made his annual trip 

 through this section, hence this mishap. Don't give 

 my address, or any part of it, but call me Cato. 



Well told, friend C; and while it is Avell 

 to be alive to the interests of our country, 

 we want to look out that our enthusiasm 

 does not run away with our business on 

 hand, even if some of the "big guns" do pass 

 along the street, attended by a band of 

 music. 



