Oct. 1. 1911 



603 



York. Sections for this purpose are made of four 

 pieces of wood — top and bottom strips narrowed by 

 cue beeway. When the sections are taken off the 

 hive, strips of glass cut the right size are slipped 

 between the two projections of the side pieces of 

 the sections. A fancy border of paper is sometimes 

 pasted around the edge to hold the glass in place. 



The glass-section business involves a lot of extra 

 work, and we don't think you would be warranted 

 in catering to that trade, as there is only a very 

 limited call for it. You will find samples of Eng- 

 lish glass sections on page 120 of the ABC and 

 X Y Z of Bee Culture, in ihe edition for 1908.— Ed.] 



A Substantial Extractor-cover. 



I will tell you how 1 made a cover for my Root 

 automatic extractor. I thought the cotton cover 

 was the best thing out, and it worked well so long 

 as there was no honey nor stickiness on the out- 

 sid€ of the extractor; but it was not so easy to put 

 on after it had been used a while, so it set me to 

 thinking. I took the ->8 basswood lumber from the 



We doubt if it would pay you to feed back a nine- 

 cent extracted honey when comb honey brings 

 onl.v 17 cts. The wear and tear on the bees, the ex- 

 pense of feeders, and time of the apiarist, would 

 leave little or no profit. It is well, too, to take into 

 consideration the fact that fed-back comlj honey is 

 usually not ciuite the equal of ordinary cornb hon- 

 ey.— Ed.] 



Honey in Extracting-combs Candied while Still in 

 the Hives. 



Our bees have gathered a considerable quantity 

 of honey which has granulated in the combs on the 

 hives. The trouble seems to be general in this lo- 

 cality, for 1 have heard of the same thing from oth- 

 er bee-keepers. Some combs extract nicely, others 

 not at all. In general, about one-third remains in 

 the comb. I have not seen any thing like it in 20 

 years. Do you know of any way of getting tlie bees 

 to clean out this granulated part witliout exposing 

 the combs in the open? Tiie reason 1 do not want 

 to do this is because foul brood is very prevalent in 

 the neighborhood; and although my 

 bees are free from it. so far as I know, 

 yet I do not feel safe in taking any 

 chances. 



The honey in the brood-nest is, most 

 likely, in tlie same condition. How 

 will that do to winter the liees on? 



August F. Koch. 

 Amana, la., Aug. 3. 

 [Dijj the comljs, after uncapping, in 

 warm water; place them in a super on a 

 hive, and feed back. It may be neces- 

 sary to repeat the dipping .several times. 

 We would not advise trying to winter 

 on lioney candied in the combs. — Ed.] 



Section 



case that the extractor came in, and made a fine 

 cover. At first I did not have wire screen in it: and 

 every time I opened it, it did not smell nice and 

 fresh. I leave the back half on all the time. Some 

 cleats underneath, inside the can, keep the cover 

 in place. 

 Arkona, Ont. I. Langstroth. 



Smoking at the Entrance; the Hand 

 Switch Bottom-board. 



We are running several hundred col- 

 onies of liees as does Mr. Chapman, p. 

 435, July 15, and have not once this sea- 

 son insulted a single one by pouring a 

 cloud of smoke into their front door. 

 I am at a loss to understand why text- 

 books and some writers advise smoke 

 at the entrance. 



I should like to ask for reports on 

 the Hand switch bottom - boards. I 

 would not give a cent for the opinion of 

 one who has two or three powerful col- 

 onies in his Ijack yard when it is prob- 

 able he does not know what a power- 

 ful colony is; but if such men as Crane, 

 Coggshall, Holtermann, Sclioll, Gill, or 

 any of that cla.ss thinlc enough of the 

 idea to try it, let's hear from them. 



Birmingham, Mich. A.W.Smith. 



Loss in Feeding Back to Produce Comb Honey. 



What per cent of loss is there in feeding extracted 

 honey to bees to make comb honey? 1 have some 

 customers who will not use any thing but comb. I 

 know where I can get some very finely colored and 

 flavored honey. Please give me a definite answer 

 with approximate estimate of loss. How late can 

 this experiment be carried on? What is the best 

 time of the year for it? Could choice clover ex- 

 tracted honey at 9 cents be fed to bees, and sold in 

 the comb at 17 cents profitably? 



Winchester, Ky., Aug. 21. J. M. Wheeler. 



[The loss in converting good extracted honey into 

 comb honey varies according to conditions. Some- 

 times there is no appreciable loss, and at other 

 times it takes 5 lbs. of extracted to make 3 lbs. of 

 comb honey. There is a great difference in bees. 

 Some strains will do very well, while others are 

 very poor at it. 



Of course you understand the importance of thin- 

 ning down the honey slightly with water before 

 feeding back. For particulars, refer to " Feeding 

 Back," under "Comb Honey." as given in the A B C 

 and X Y Z of Bee Culture. 



Why Queens were Slow about Laying. 



I see by rejaorts from different j)arts of the coun- 

 try that queens v\ ere slow this year in brood-rear- 

 ing early, resulting, in this locality, in a small 

 working force during our short clover flow. 



Detroit, Mich. A. E. Hasselbach. 



[As to why queens were slow about rearing brood, 

 we think it was largely dvie to the very hot weath- 

 er bringing on a drouth early in the season. That 

 early drouth stopped practically all sources of nec- 

 tar. Queens will not lay, and bees will not rear 

 very much brood unless there is either a big sup- 

 ply of stores in the hive or unless nectar is coming 

 in little by little.— Kd.] 



Dead Brood Being Thrown Out in Front of the 

 Entrance. 



In the morning the alighting-board is covered 

 with dead brood in all stages of growth, from the 

 smallest to perfectly formed bees ready to step out 

 and go to work. Please advise me what to do. 



Kellettville, Pa. W. H. Carbalgh. 



[There are four (possibly five) conditions that 

 might account for the dead larv» in front of the 

 hive. 1. The presence of the moth-miller, or, rather, 

 moth-worm, if the bees are blacks or hybrids; 2. 

 Brood that had been chilled some cool or cold 

 night, and, consequently, died: 3. Brood affected 

 by disease; or 4, brood that had been poisoned by 

 something that the bees had gathered. Without 



