400 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 



perhaps an inch or two down. I next let go 

 the bands and slowly draw the needle out 

 alone, leaving the bands in the tire. With a 

 pair of scissois I cut off the connecting ends, 

 and the repair is complete. 



This may be a little outside of beekeeping ; 

 but at the same time many bee-keepers go to 

 their out-yards on bicycles, and a little kink of 

 this kind may be worth much. — Ed.] 



H. C, la. — By "ripe cell " is meant a queen- 

 cell that has a queen in it ready to hatch. The 

 term " ripe cell " is very often used, and it is 

 very expressive. 



R. A., Cal. — Brood or queen cells should be 

 kept at a temperature between 98 and 101 or 

 102. The nearer you can keep it to blood 

 temperature, 98°, the better. 



A. IV. H., Ohio. — We can scarcely under- 

 stand how you could have had such losses as 

 you had. Apiaries should be protected on at 

 least three sides by woods, buildings, thick- 

 growing shrubbery, or a tight board fence. 



S. D. G., Neb. — The two colonies you speak 

 of as having died, lack of bee-bread would not 

 have any thing to f do with the matter. In 

 fact, it is generally considered that, for suc- 

 cessful wintering, there should be no pollen 

 or bee-bread in the combs. 



J. M. C, Ala. — If your bees have bee-paral- 

 ysis, you have a very difficult disease to cope 

 with. I would advise that you separate the 

 affected colonies, as you suggest. In the 

 mean time keep us posted, as we are interest- 

 ed to know just how these cases turn out. 



C. P. B., Ore. — The condition you find in 

 front of your hives (dead bees) shows that 

 these are simply superannuated bees that have 

 died of old age. We usually find them in 

 front of entrances of all hives in spring, about 

 the time bees are cleaning house, preparatory 

 to the work of the season. 



R. M., Wash. — If the foundation you speak 

 of came from a responsible maker I should 

 say it is all right. The white deposit you re- 

 fer to may be due to the fact that too much 

 soap as a lubricant was used to get foundation 

 off the rolls. This soap dries, and leaves a 

 white deposit. Your foundation is all right, 

 probably. 



E. G. M., Ark.— All combs that have been 

 subjected to a freezing temperature, and that 

 are afterward stored in a bee and moth proof 

 room, will be perfectly immune from the dep- 

 redations of moths until wanted. If you have 

 not a tight room, and have extra hives, these 

 can be made bee-tight, and made to stand 

 anywhere in the yard. Combs stored in these 

 will be perfectly safe until you require them 

 for swarms or otherwise. Yes, Carniolans do 

 have a tendency to run to yellow, we are told. 



G. B. R., la. — The only kind of telephone 

 that you can use to give notice of swarming at 

 the house is the acoustic, and is sold by such 

 firms as Perry Mason & Co., of Boston, and 

 Montgomery Ward & Co., of Chicago. The 

 copper wires should be strung so as to run in 

 such a way as to run through the apiary back 

 and forth, being careful to avoid sharp angles. 

 The tighter the wire can be drawn and not 

 break, the better. When swarms issue, bees 

 will tap this wire so often in their flights that 

 it will give immediate warning at the house. 



J. R. V. B., Jamaica. — If you have an abso- 

 lutely non- swarming hive that will stand the 

 test of a hundred years, you have a bonanza. 

 I wish I could share your confidence and en- 

 thusiasm. Personally I do not believe that 

 swarming can be absolutely controlled by any 

 device, although I believe it can be very great- 

 ly checked under some conditions. I shall be 

 very glad to hear from you further after you 

 have tried it ; but I have seen so many at- 

 tempts to control swarming by mechanical de- 

 vices, that failed, and failed absolutely, that 

 my faith is very weak. 



G. IV. H., N. Y. — If you intend to make a 

 large honey-tank you had better make it of 

 galvanized iron ; for such has an amount of 

 surface to the honey that is comparatively 

 small. But if you desire only a small tank, 

 say one holding two barrels, I think I would 

 make it of tin ; but tin tanks must be watched 

 very closely to prevent rust. They should be 

 painted on the outside, and when left it will 

 do no harm if honey is smeared over the in- 

 side, as the latter is an excellent anti-rust, the 

 same making a sort of varnish that keeps the 

 moisture off the metal. 



IV. C. G., N. M. — The cage you send is of 

 the right principle, but it is too expensive. 

 You speak of the fact that, with a regular Ben- 

 ton cage, it is necessary to have the wire cloth 

 loose before putting in the queen and bees. 

 This was so formerly ; but within the past two 

 or three years the cage has been modified as 

 you will see by the sample we send you by to- 

 day's mail. You will notice a cork in one end 

 — or in both ends for that matter. In one end 

 the queen and bees are inserted ; and when 

 the cage is full, the cork is pushed in and the 

 cage and bees are ready. This arrangement is 

 very much cheaper, and, to my notion, some- 

 what handier. 



IV. E. P., Neb.—Oxax A B C of Bee Culture 

 was written with special reference to begin- 

 ners. While it is in a sense a dictionary or 

 cyclopedia, we recommend that each beginner 

 take up the different subjects according to the 

 season of the year that he is doing the read- 

 ing. For instance, he receives the book in 

 winter, let him read up on wintering ; if in 

 the spring, he should read up on dysentery, 

 spring dwindling, feeding, and robbing ; and 

 then, later on, comb and extracted honey, and 

 swarming. But perhaps you desire something 

 that you can digest in a shorter space of time. 

 With that end in view we would refer you to 

 the matter on pages 32, 33, and 34 of our cata- 

 log we are mailing you. 



