938 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1 



one or the other for those who could not 

 tolerate the Hoffman frame on account of 

 the excess of propolis in localities like yours. 

 Now, having said this much, I am prepared 

 to believe that, for your locality, I should 

 like your frame, for the production of comb 

 honey exclusively, as well as any thing I 

 know of. 



I am inclined to think your plan of stay- 

 ing up foundation by means of splints is ex- 

 cellent. I will confess I did not enthuse 

 very much over it when you first introduced 

 it, believing it were better to await the re- 

 sults of your years' experience. That you 

 continue to look upon it with favor, and that 

 the bees do not gnaw away the comb along 

 the wood to any great extent during a dearth 

 of honey, as I understand they do not, are 

 points worthy of our careful consideration. 

 But even then the wire will have the advan- 

 tage of holding the comb a little more se- 

 curely for extracting and for shipping, be- 

 cause it is attached to the frame; and it 

 would take a fearful slam or bang to dis- 

 lodge a comb from the frame — so strong as 

 practically to smash the frame itself. Ex- 

 tracting-combs, as I know from observation 

 in California, and as I know in shipping bees, 

 are subjected to some severe strains, and 

 perhaps the only possible objection that may 

 still stand against the wooden splints is this 

 one. I am well aware of the fact that you 

 are a producer of comb honey, and that your 

 argument is that it is better for yon to use 

 what is best adapted to that specialty. But 

 if you were like some bee-keepers, and in 

 some localities, you would find it necessary 

 to use a frame that you could use inter- 

 changeably for extracting and for comb- 

 honey purposes. —Ed. 



HOW TO' DISINFECT HIVES. 



I have an opportunity to purchase a party's 

 bees and outfit, including several empty L. 

 hives. There is no evidence of disease in 

 the hives now occupied, but the empty hives 

 vuiy contain germs of untold horrors. Would 

 dipping these hives in a strong boiling solu- 

 tion of concentrated lye, as described in the 

 ABC, for removing propolis, destroy, for 

 instance, foul-brood germs? 



I have read somewhere on the subject of 

 "Uniting," that, if both colonies be liberal- 

 ly sprinkled with sweetened water to which 

 sufficient extract of peppermint has been 

 added to give a strong odor, all conflict 

 would bejavoided. Is there any merit in this 

 claim? Geo. McAllister. 



Mayf air, Jills., Sept. 6. 



[Strong lye would hardly be suitable for 

 disinfecting the hives. Your better way is 

 to smear the inside of each hive a little with 

 coal oil, touch a match to it, and, just as 

 soon as the inside of the hive is blackened 

 (not charred), clap the cover on, but the 

 cover should be scorched in the same way. 

 A more convenient method is to hold the 

 hive over a bonfire with a long pole, exposing 

 the entrance to the flame. When the inside 

 of the hive just begins to take fire, dash 

 about a gill of water in and clap the cover on. 

 This will check the fire instantly. 



Peppermint is sometimes used for uniting. 

 With ordinary pure Italians, nothing need be 

 used, and, generally speaking, I would unite 

 any colony, whether hybrid or Italian, by 

 putting them together. If they fight, smoke 

 them a little. — Ed.] 



THIN TIN as a MIDRIB FOR COMB FOUNDA- 

 TION. 



Can not very thin tin be used for founda- 

 tion instead of wax, and a coating of wax be 

 put on it? It would be much stronger, and 

 not liable to break. I have to confess that 

 I am not smart enough to extract the honey 

 without breaking the comb. I used founda- 

 tion the size of the frame, and wired it; but 

 before I get up speed enough to throw the 

 honey out, the comb is ruined by breaking. 



A. H. Frank. 



Red House, N. Y., Sept. 12. 



[About 35 years ago our Mr. A. I. Root 

 tested tin as a base or midrib for foundation. 

 He even went so far as to run a thin grade 

 of metal called "taggers' tin" through an 

 old foundation-mill. He coated it with wax, 

 and gave it to the bees. He secured combs, 

 but found the expense of the product was 

 altogether prohibitive, and no better than 

 ordinary foundation sustained by means of 

 wire at a mere fraction of the cost of the 

 tin backing. It actually used more wax, 

 and was colder for the bees. Then Moses 

 Quinby, before A. I. R., had what might be 

 called all-metal combs. 



This field has been gone over thoroughly, 

 not only by A. I. Root, but by hundreds of 

 bee-keepers; and the general consensus of 

 opinion has been that there is no better way 

 to stay foundation than by the use of wire 

 or wooden splints, as recommended by Dr. 

 C. C. Miller. -Ed. 



WHY THE COLONY DIDN'T BUILD CELLS 

 WHEN MADE QUEENLESS. 



Will bees start queen-cells at this time of 

 year? I took a queen out of a hive, and left 

 it six days so I could get some royal jelly to 

 start some queen-cells; but they never start- 

 ed one. What must I do to get the bees to 

 start queen-cells at this time of year? 



Alto, Mich. Oscar Smith. 



[You do not say whether there was any 

 brood of the right age from which cells 

 could be started at the time you removed 

 the queen. Queens are apt to stop laying 

 during the latter part of August and the 



