1884 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUIl^. 



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BEE-NOTES FROM THE BLUE RIDGE. 



THE HONEY CROP A FAILURE. 



f^ HE honey reports the present season seem to 

 i)" indicate that the honey - flows have, like 

 spring frost, run in streaks— the non-honey 

 streaks showing much the wider breadths. 

 The mountain bee-keepers in this end of the 

 range will have to take seats among the crowd who 

 have been "left." The pi-esent season has been 

 one of the poorest that ever visit this region, for 

 making honey. 



May opened with the brightest prospects, and 

 colonies filled their brood-chambers with a strong 

 force, and every thing was ready for the surplus. 

 The most advanced colonies commenced storing in 

 the sections and upper-story hives, when June 

 came with rain and clouds. For five weeks this 

 weather continued, the second week in July bring- 

 ing again sunshine, but cool, unfavoring breezes, 

 and the conditions for honey secretion continued 

 unfavorable the entire season, with only an occa- 

 sional propitious day. No spot seems yet to have 

 been discovered that is entirely blest by a never- 

 failing harvest for the farmer or bee-keeper. 



NON-SWAR.M1NG QUEENS. 



The value of a non-swarming queen that keeps 

 steadily to business, losing no time in preparations 

 for swarming, I have never, before the present sea- 

 son, seen so strongly e.vemplifled. I have the good 

 fortune to possess one of that class— a dollar queen 

 mailed from the "Home of the Honey-Bees," in the 

 summer of 1882. Her colony showed no symptoms 

 of a desire to swarm in 188:$, although favored by an 

 abundant honey-flow from the opening of spring- 

 till the middle of August, and gave a large surplus. 

 This season she was in advance of all other colonies 

 in the yard, keeping right on when the surplus ar- 

 rangement was put on, and when the rain and 

 clouds came had some 40 lbs. of surplus ready to 

 take off, while the most advanced among the other 

 colonies began to cast swarms that had to be fed to 

 sustain them through the best season. While the 

 majority of the colonies made little more than a 

 bare living, this one yielded 80 lbs. of surplus. It 

 seems to me that the much-talked-of "coming bee" 

 will not be the one with fancy stripes, the very pro- 

 lific, or wonder of gentleness, etc., but the queen 

 least inclined to swarm, whose progeny is intent on 

 putting away honey for a " rainy day." Bees that 

 are ever making preparations to swarm are an un- 

 profitable nuisance. 



THE BATTLE OF THE GIANTS. 



The discussions between the great masters in bee- 

 keeping, on the subject of clipping queens and hiv- 

 ing swarms, are very interesting, and, I hope I shall 

 be pardoned for adding, sometimes amusing. We 

 who look on feel like clapping friend Doolittle, while 

 admiring the consummate skill with which he par- 

 ries every thrust and maintains his ground. I some- 

 times fancy his pure love of method causes him to 

 take unnecessary pains and trouble to achieve his 

 results. In the matter of hiving swarms with a 

 clipped queen, I never could see any necessity for 

 lifting the old hive from its stand and placing the 

 one to receive the returning swarm in its place. 

 Simply place the new hive six or eight inches 

 In front of the old hive; and when the swarm is 

 about all out, throw a piece of burlap or muslin 

 over the old hive, and in a few minutes the swarm, 

 raissingr their queen, will commence to return and 



enter the hive prepared for them. Open the cage, 

 and let the queen run in with the bees, when the 

 job is done, and then any disposition can be made 

 of the old colony and swarm desired. I prefer the 

 clipped-queen system most decidedly. This method 

 e.\actsone condition which must never be neglected. 

 The apiarist must be in or about the yard in 

 the swarming season, with queen-cages in his pock- 

 ets, or where he can lay his hand on them in an in- 

 stant. The moment a swarm begins to issue he 

 must be on the spot. The queen will soon make her 

 appearance, when he can place the cage before her, 

 secure and pocket her, place a hive in position, and 

 await the returning swarm. My swarms seldom 

 cluster, but, missing the queen, return in a few 

 minutes. If they do settle in a convenient place, 

 carry the hive and place it on the ground directly 

 beside or under the cluster, take two or three hand- 

 fuls of bees from the bunch, and with a slight 

 shake drop them at the entrance, when they will 

 commence to crawl in. Uncage the queen, and she 

 will go in with them. Shake the bunch down, or, if 

 on a fence or body of a tree, brush them down, and 

 the column will take up its march for the entrance. 

 If the cluster is sprinkled a little before com- 

 mencing operations they will be less inclined to fly. 

 I prefer the naked hand for lifting bees, to a ladle. 

 If you use one hand— not the double hand— keep 

 the fingers a little apart so as not to pinch the bees, 

 and work gently, there is no danger of stings. 



Some who object to clipping queens allege that 

 they are very liable to be lost. My experience is, 

 that they go immediatelj- back into the hive when 

 they find they can't fly with the swarm. If the 

 ground is clear in front of the hive, or a wide 

 board connecting with the entrance, 1 believe they 

 will almost invariably raturn. In case the queen 

 has not issued, or returns before she is secured, she 

 can be captured by opening the hive, which, being 

 depleted of bees, she is readily found. Lift the 

 frame she is on, and place it in the hive prepared 

 for the swarm. Look sharp for queen-cells, and 

 pinch any off that may be on the frame containing 

 the queen, or the swarm may issue again. There is 

 no cage better or more convenient for capturing 

 and holding the queen than one of your mailing- 

 cages. Reverse the tin slide so as to open a part of 

 the large hole, place the open cage in front of the 

 queen, turn her head toward the entrance with a 

 finger, and she will go in; push the tin slide down, 

 and pocket your queen. 



INTRODUCING QUEENS. 



On introducing queens, Alley is very emphatic in 

 advising that the colony remain three days queen- 

 less. As he states no reason for this I presumed he 

 had discovered the fact without the cause. Doo- 

 little, with his remarkable power of close observa- 

 tion, states in one of his aiticles the facts, and also 

 gives the reason. In three days after the colony 

 has become queenless, queen-cells are well advanc- 

 ed, and the bees ai-e expecting a new queen; the 

 young queen appearing among them is accepted as 

 the consummation of their hopes, and the cells, no 

 longer needed, are destroyed. This, in short, seems 

 to be the simple natural reason. The colony is 

 looking for a new sovereign, and accepts the first 

 that appears. Why not hold queens in a safe place 

 till the colony to be requcened is prepared in its 

 own natural way for the reception, then let the 

 queen run in? E. E. Ewing. 



HigrhlandB, N. C. 



