652 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 1. 



inspiration comes again, please do not quench it 

 nor cut it short. The locality, even in far-off 

 Cuba, where such increase and crops of honey 

 can be made as you mention, can never be unin- 

 teresting to the readers of Gi-eanings.] 



MY EXPERIENCE WITH A SELF-HIVER. 



DR. MILI.ER FEELS SOMEWHAT HOPEFIJI. OF 

 THEIR SUCCESS. 



I received from Henry Alley a " Perfection " 

 self-hiver, but did not have a chance to use it 

 very early, for the season was so late, and 

 swarming has not been very troublesome. In- 

 stead of putting it on any hive at random, with 

 the possibility of its remaining on all the sea- 

 son witliout being used, I concluded to wait till 

 I felt pretty sure a swarm would come from 

 some particular hive, and then put it where 

 there would be a certain chance to test it. July 

 18 an egg was found in a queen-cell in No. 70. I 

 said, '• There's the place for the self-hiver."' So, 

 on it went. It was a little troublesome to make 

 it bee-tight, as the cleat of the hive prevented 

 the hiver from fitting up tight to the hive. A 

 little strip was nailed on at each side to close 

 the open space. Then I waited, and lifted the 

 cover every day or two, only to find the hiver 

 empty, except the trap, and in that, I found 

 drones. As a trap for drones it is a big success, 

 and it is a very easy matter to take out the 

 trap, empty it. and put it back again. About 8 

 o'clock this morning. July 28, Mrs. Miller said. 

 "I think there's a swarm out." Going down I 

 found bees issuing from No. 70, and in a fcnv 

 minutes they had settled in two clusters on two 

 different trees. Turning my attention to tl.e 

 hive I saw the queen on the ground. "There, 

 now," said I to myself. •' Emma will say she is 

 more sure than ever that no reliance can be 

 placed on any excluder holding a queen if it 

 will let workers through," for she has always 

 said to any thing I miglit say about a queen- 

 excluder. "I/it will exclude." And then I'd 

 reply, "It is hardly wise to ignore the experi- 

 ence of otliers; and while ive have been so un- 

 fortunate as not to be very sure that any queen 

 has ever been prevented fi'om going through an 

 excluder when she really tried to. others say 

 that excluders do work; and we can hardly put 

 our little experience against that of a good 

 many others."' But then I would get the wo- 

 manlike reply. "I don't care for the experience 

 of others if I've had experience enough of my 

 own; and you know very well that oar queens 

 have gone through, even when using the latest 

 and best excluders. When I've seen the queens 

 go through with my own eyes, I don't need the 

 evidence of others that they can't go through."' 

 To this I could only reply that the cases slie had 

 seen were not with the latest excluders, and 

 there was some chance for mistake in the mat- 

 ter so long as she had not actually seen the 

 queens go through the proper perforations. But 

 in this case, if the queen went through I could 

 hardly say any thing in defense. 



Looking closely, while the bees were still is- 

 suing. I saw some of them coming out at the 

 side, between the hive and hiver. Stooping 

 down I could see tliat I iiad not put my strip 

 quite low enough, but ha<l left a little crack 

 which had been gnawwd larger by the bees. 

 Through this the queen had undoubtedly come, 

 as she was on that side, and not far from the 

 opening when I found her. I^ifting tlie cover I 

 dropped the queen into the hiver to give her a 

 second chance. Then I watched closely to see 

 whether she came out again through the same 

 crack, for tliere were still a good many bees 

 coming through it. Pretty soon the procession 



ceased, as the swarm was all out. Then I want- 

 ed to find out whether the queen had gone into 

 the trap or had gone back into the hive. I 

 thought I might be able to see her in the trap 

 by looking through the front, if she were there. 

 I could .see plenty of drone heads trying to get 

 through, but notliing that looked like the head 

 of a queen. To make sure. I took out the trap, 

 opened the tin slide at the end, and watched 

 eagerly to see the queen come out. Drones 

 came one after the other, but no queen. At 

 last, as I was just concluding all had emerged, 

 out came the queen. 



I put her back into the trap, p.ut the trap in 

 its place, and then went for a hammer. I 

 pulled off the strip, nailed it on just a little 

 lower down, and then awaited the return of the 

 swarm. They had very kindly consented to 

 wait long enough for me to make any necessary 

 repairs, and were out in all about a quaiterof 

 an hour. At last they came back, just as I 

 have seen them come many a time when there 

 was no hiver in the case — first a few anxiously 

 inquiring bees, then a sprinkle, then a full 

 shower'. No other swarms were out, so there 

 was no chance for unpleasant complications by 

 the mixing of two swarms. Some time after 

 they had had time to get settled I went down 

 to see how many bees were in the hiver. A 

 goodly cluster was there, but there didn't seem 

 nearly so many as had been hanging on the 

 trees — I should hardly think more than half as 

 many. Still, there were enough for a good- 

 sized swarm; and if as many would always be 

 found there I'd call it a success, for it will be an 

 easy matter to add to the swarm as many as de- 

 sired from the old hive. I think I shall leave 

 them in the hiver foi' two or three days, to see 

 what the outcome will be; for if it is to be a 

 practical thing with those who have out-apia- 

 ries, there will be times when a swarm will be 

 left to its own resources for two or three days. 

 I should hardly want to be obliged to go the 

 rounds of the apiaries every day. 



I have not felt very enthusiastic over the mat- 

 ter of self-hivers, but I am inclined to believe 

 they have come to stay. The little experience 

 I have had in this one case shows me that great 

 care is necessary in making perfect connection 

 between th(> hive and the hiver, so that no bee 

 be allowed to get out between. And I suspect 

 it may be well to fasten the hive and hiver to- 

 gether with nails or sciews, so there may be no 

 possibility of their getting accidentally pushed 

 apart or slowly drawn apart by alternate swell- 

 ing and shi'inking of the wood. 



July 29, 11: 30 a. m.— I have just been down to 

 interview the colony with the self-hiver. We 

 had a heavy rain last night, and the thermome- 

 ter took a sudden drop from the place it has 

 been holding the past few days among the nine- 

 ties, and stood this morning at .58°. "VVas there 

 any danger that the queen would be deserted 

 and chilled in the trap? Of course, it's a rare 

 thing to have the thermometer at .58° during 

 swarming time ; but then, it might happen 

 again any lime. I looked through the front in 

 the trap, and could see not more than eight or 

 ten bees, but could see no queen. vStill. it's not 

 easy to see through the excluder zinc, and she 

 might be there witliout my seeing her. I lifted 

 oft' the board cover. The cluster was still there, 

 but shrunk in size. The difference in tempera- 

 ture would shrink it without there being any 

 fewi^r bees in it. 



Then I took out the ti'ap to make sure whetii- 

 er the queen was there. I opened the tin slide 

 and watched carefully all bees that came out — 

 on(^ drone, a vei'y few workers but no queen. I 

 looked carefully to see if any thing more was 

 left in the trap, dead or alive. No. there was 

 certainly no queen there. 



