954 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15. 



by Mr. Bonney far superior to the usual in- 

 structions that accompany shipping -cages. 

 In fact, I have not attempted to introduce one 

 in years with the cage in which she is receiv- 

 ed, without first releasing the escort and cag- 

 ing some of the bees of the colony with her, 

 which invariably treat the queen kindly if 

 very young, or have filled themselves with 

 honey. It works equally well if the queen be 

 caged in an odorless cage without any bees, 

 but still better to use the bees and odorless 

 cage, or the odorless cage without the bees 

 first scented by allowing the queen to be su- 

 perseded to remain in it an hour, in the hive ; 

 but I piefer scenting the cage with the old 

 queen, and then using the bees with the 

 queen to be introduced, either by placing her 

 in it and selecting the bees one at a time, or 

 allowing them to go in, which they quickly 

 do in search of their mother, and close them 

 up for awhile, and then allow the queen to 

 run in. 



One advantage worth considering in having 

 bees with the queen is that she is less liable to 

 be damaged by the outside bees by getting 

 hold of a leg or wing. I am partial to side- 

 comb cages, as the queen is placed right down 

 in the cluster ; but instead of relying on 

 hatching brood, young bees are at once put 

 into the cage with the queen, through a hole 

 near one corner, as large as a leadpencil. 

 The hole is stopped a day or two with a cork, 

 and with candy when the cork is removed, 

 thus allowing the bees to release the queen, 

 and combining the good points in the differ- 

 ent methods. A great deal of this is too com- 

 plicated for a novice, and no doubt for that 

 class the usual instructions are best ; but be- 

 fore being too confident of uniform success by 

 pasteboarding it should be remembered that, 

 when queens are sent by mail, bees, cage, and 

 all partake of the scent of the mails, and 

 from this source much of the trouble arises, 

 and there will not be the success that attends 

 the same plan if the queen be changed to a 

 fresh cage, thus removing much of the odor. 



Bees will often destroy their own queen if 

 given back after having been caged an hour 

 or two with some of her own bees in a cage 

 that has an odor that is transmitted to the 

 queen. 



Inasmuch as Dr. Miller was impressed with 

 the fact that bees caged with a queen from a 

 different colony were kind to her, I wish to 

 say that, when robbers are bad, I often pre- 

 pare a number of cages with escorts, by se- 

 lecting the returning young bees that are tak- 

 ing their playspells, and find that it works 

 well, as they always treat the queens kindly, 

 are exactly the right age, and I have only to 

 keep the nuclei open long enough to find the 

 queens. 



Creek, N. C. 



[When Dr. Miller first spoke of this plan in 

 his Straw, p. 680, I did not take much stock in 

 it ; but I am free to confess that there must 

 be something in it after all. Caging the bees, 

 and keeping them so until they have a real 

 sense of their confinement, or loneliness, no 

 doubt puts them in a condition where they 



are ready to take up with any queen. When 

 they are given back to the whole colony hav- 

 ing the same scent, the new queen with them, 

 all goes on lovely. But, as Mr. Pridgen points 

 out, it is doubtful if the beginner would be 

 able to recage or change the escort. But the 

 advanced bee-keeper may well give it a trial. 

 I should be pleased to hear from others. — Ed.] 



DIVIDING VS. SWARMING. 



Boiling Foul-broody Honey, 

 BY W. W. WHIPPLE. 



Last April I met with quite an accident that 

 kept me from work some weeks, and my apia- 

 ry had to be neglected ; and when I was able 

 to work it kept me bu.sy from early morn till 

 late at night. Thinking I could make it a lit- 

 tle easier during the swarming .season if I di- 

 vided for increase instead of letting them 

 swarm naturally, I divided part of my strong- 

 est swarms, as recommended by Doolittle, and 

 flattered myself that 1 should have a good 

 time so far as that was concerned, and I did ; 

 and now I am fully convinced that dividing 

 for increase is a great thing to do, for every 



W. W. WHIPPLE. 



division swarmed, and some of them twice — 

 in fact, nearly all my swarms came from my 

 divided colonies. However, I got a very good 

 crop of honey, and the bees seem to be in good 

 condition for winter. 



There seems to be a great diversity of opin- 

 ions in regard to the time foul-broody honey 



