.84 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



bulleiin is tie life history and control of 

 the bee moth, by F. B. Paddock. This is the 

 most elaborate and complete treatment on 

 the subject that we have ever seen; and 

 while we believe that the author unduly 

 magnifies the bee moth as a serious enemy 

 (and it doubtless is such among the box-hive 

 beekeepers of Texas), he has nevertheless 

 given us a stoi-y that supplies many gaps in 

 our knowledge of this pest. Its life history 

 is illustrated by numerous fine half-tone en- 

 gravings. It would be almost impossible to 

 give a review of this magnificent piece of 

 work, because it should be read entire in 

 order to be understood. It is so well done 

 that we shall beg the privilege of making it 

 owr into one of our booklets when the sup- 

 ply of this bulletin has been exhausted. 



This treatise on bee moth is followed by 

 a critical study of Texas beekeeping, by "W. 

 H. Dean. Some of the figures ai'e interest- 

 ing in showing the importance of the bee- 

 keeping industry in Texas. In spite of Avhat 

 Mr. Dean says to the contrai-y one would be 

 surprised to find so large a number of bee- 

 keepers who keep black bees in old box 

 hives. This fact will explain why the bee 

 moth is really a serious enemy to some bee- 

 keepers in Texas. Mr. Dean summarizes 

 his report as follows : 



The average production of honey, all grades, per 

 colony in Texas for the season of 1911, as secured 

 from reports of 2733 beekeepers, was 26 pounds. 

 Were the production from box hives eliminated from 

 this estimate, the average would be much higher in 

 spite of adverse seasonal influences. 



Bulk comb honey ("chunk honey") is the chief 

 production of the Texas apiary. It follows extracted 

 honey and sections, the latter form being compara- 

 tively scarce. 



In the data expressing the views of Texas beekeep- 

 ers as to whether apiculture is profitable as a side 

 line rather than as a profession it is interesting to 

 note that the most extensive beekeepers maintain that 

 the industrj' is tinprofitable unless conducted on a 

 large scale, and that those who claim the industry is 

 profitable only as a side line are almost invariably 

 beekeepers who follow the calling on the correspond- 

 ing scale. 



DISTURBING BEES IN WINTER. 



In the American Bee Jotirnal for Decem- 

 ber is an article from G. M. Doolittle on this 

 subject. In a general way he advises against 

 it; but toward the latter part of his article 

 he gives some testimony that goes to show 

 that it may not be altogether an unmitigated 

 evil. We quote: 



I have many times proven that such disadvantage 

 wa^ overbalanced bj' the advantage gained along 

 other lines. Let me give one or two illustrations : 



When I had been keeping bees some two or three 

 years a farmer living two miles distant advertised 27 

 colonies for sale in box hives at $5.00 each. This 

 was considered a big price at the time, but, like any 

 beginner, I was anxious for more bees, so I went to 

 Bce them. He kindly consented to let me look them 

 over, which I did by carefully tipping the hives on 



the benches they occupied, as they were wintering 

 outdoors. I found that most of them were light in 

 stores, and that there was only one colony in the lot 

 that I considered worth the $5.00. I offered $5.00 

 for this one, which he took. I wrapped it in one of 

 the sheets I had brought along, put it on the opposite 

 side of the cutter seat which I occupied, turning it 

 bottom side up, and drove home in the twilight of a 

 cold evening in the fore part of January. I well re- 

 member how the bees roared, as the sleighing was 

 poor, and how I inwardly censured myself for not 

 leaving them where they were until spring, as " such 

 a disturbance as this " would surely cause them to 

 die. When they got quiet, about 10 o'clock that 

 night, I carried them to the cellar where the rest of 

 the bees were, took the sheet off, and set them in 

 their place beside the others, still bottom side up, 

 as in the early 70's we always wintered bees in box 

 hives that way. 



No more of the farmer's bees were sold, and im- 

 agine my surprise to find on going there one day the 

 last of April, that all but two of the 26 colonies left 

 were dead, while the one I had disturbed " nigh unto 

 death " was one of the best colonies I had. It gave 

 a good swarm that year and stored 129 pounds of 

 " box honey." 



After our great loss of bees during one winter in 

 the latter 80's, a winter extremely cold and long 

 drawn out, the claim was made that the bees " froze 

 to death." I did not believe it, but claimed that no 

 chance to fly during five months of " long confine- 

 ment " was the cause. The argument "waxed so 

 hot " .that one afternoon the next winter, when the 

 mercury stood at 12 degrees below zero, I took a 

 colony of bees, and, with cover and bottom-board 

 removed, suspended the hive a foot above the ground, 

 leaving it thus for 36 hours, during which time the 

 mercury got as low as 23 degrees below. This colony 

 was then put on its old stand again, and came out in 

 May fully equal to any of its fellows which had no 

 disturbance above the usual winter's elements. 



In conclusion, allow me to say that, if there is any 

 thing in this article that would seem to show that 

 the disturbing of bees in winter does no harm, I 

 protest in advance against the assumption that I 

 advise such disturbance. I do not so advise except 

 where some gain is expected. 



We do not know but that we agi'ee with 

 Mr. Doolittle that the average person, per- 

 haps, should avoid disturbing his bees in 

 midwinter. It is a good deal like a ease of 

 spreading brood in the spring, and, we 

 may say, spring feeding. But there are 

 many things that the average beekeeper 

 should not attempt, but which an expert can 

 practice to advantage. We do not say that 

 all experts under all conditions can disturb 

 bees in their cellars and get an increase of 

 25 and even 50 per cent ; but there are some 

 who can do it. We have accomplished it 

 two different seasons, and have succeeded 

 nicely with one lot of bees in our cellars 

 thus far. 



Mr. Doolittle, in the second pai'agraph 

 from the last, above quoted, shows that the 

 one colony that was disturbed was the only 

 one out of the whole lot during that severe 

 winter that came out in good condition, 

 while the rmdisturbed colonies nearly all 

 died. Now, then, what an expert shoiild 

 do is to discover the conditions under which 

 an increase can be secured in the cellar. 



