OCTOBEK 15, 1914 



S17 



Meads of Graim froim Differeelt FieMs 



Vj dw ^ ^ * • 

 4i 







THE BACKLOT BUZZER 



The fellow who made such a' howl when he 

 bought war sugar at seven cents a pound is now 

 sellin' it for eleven. His bees filled up on goldenrod. 



Excessive Heat Causes Bees to Carry an 

 Astonishing Amount of Water. 



We have just had a heat wave here — 125 degrees 

 in the shade — and it was amusing to see the way the 

 bees behaved, and how madly they went for water. 

 The extreme heat stopped the honey-flow, but the 

 bees took no notice of any honey exposed. All they 

 wanted was water. They were getting their princi- 

 pal supply from a water-hole half a mile away. Then 

 some of them discovered that the tap was dripping, 

 and in a little while there was half a pint of bees 

 hanging on to that tap. By and by the accumulat.on 

 would become too great, and the whole lot would 

 fall off ; but the cluster would reform with fresh 

 bees instantly. I put a tub under the tap and filled 

 It, and it was immediately rushed, and black with 

 bees. Those from the tap fell off into the water, so 

 I got a dead bush and lifted them out on to the 

 grass, and instantly they were covered by others 

 sucking the water off. I covered the surface of the 

 water with bushes so that they could not get drown- 

 ed. An apiary of 150 hives emptied a twenty-gallon 

 tub in less than three hours. These hives had no 

 shade-boards on, and yet only three combs split be- 

 low the top-bar with the heat, and not one melted 

 down. The bees were so crazy after water that they 

 would crowd on to one's bare arms and suck the 

 perspiration ; and if one got a cup of water to drink 

 the bees would be into it before vou could get it to 



your mouth. Now, what did they require all this 

 water for? In my opinion, to spray over the combs 

 and brood to prevent them from melting down with 

 the heat. IMajor Shallard. 



8. Woodburn, Aus., Sept. 12. 



[We recall that bees drink a great deal more 

 water on hot days than on other days, and yet we 

 never heard the explanation otfered that they use 

 water brought in to spray or dampen their hives. 

 We have never, in all of our experience, noticed 

 any dampness in the hive on hot days, although we 

 have repeatedly seen it on a warm day just follow- 

 ing a cold winter spell. But why should not bees 

 need to drink more water in extremely hot weather 

 for the same reason that dogs, horses, cattle, and 

 their owners do ? Is it not reasonable to suppose 

 that they need it just as they do? — Ed.] 



Are Worker Larv* Fed Royal Jelly for the 

 First Thiee Days? 



Referring to the statement, page 255, April 1, 

 " Then change their minds and feed royal jelly for 

 a queen," is not the white substance in the bottom 

 of the cell, in which the very young worker larva 

 is floating, chyme, or royal jelly ? The fact that 

 they are floating in it seems to me as if they had not 

 been able to consume all that has been offered them. 



This day-old larva can be scooped out with the 

 chyme, without the least injury, and placed on the 

 chyme in the cell-cups. I have not been able to 

 see any difference in the queens so reared, except 

 that they seem better than some that I have, may 

 be on account of the selection and being raised out 

 of the swarming season. 



But if we can get better queens by any extra 

 work, we should not spare it. Don't queens some- 

 times leave royal jelly in the bottom of the cell that 

 they have not been able to consume ? This is not 

 meant to criticise anybody, but to learn all I can 

 about the work. 



Cayeiras, Brazil, April 23. Carlos Smith. 



Trapping Robbers Not Recommended. 



In Gleanings just received I have noticed the 

 editorial on trapping robber bees. Aug. 15th Glean- 

 ings previously outlined this plan, and I tried it 

 once too often. It works perfectly, but it puts the 

 bees in an inferior hive while killing out another 

 and stronger hive. Better let them rob, and make 

 the strong one stronger, instead. 



FEEDING CRUSHED APPLES. 



I wish to inquire if it would be possible or of 

 any worth to crush apples in a cider-mill and scattei' 

 them out for the bees during this month in plac3 of 

 feeding for a late September flow. Apples are prac- 

 tically of no cost, and I have noticed bees on fruit 

 and juices, and think the crushed apples would also 

 provide a bit of poultry food. Chas. H. Cargo. 



Bladen, Ohio. 



[We would not advise the apple juice, because of 

 the danger of bee dysentery before spring. — Ed.] 



Carniolans Swarm in March. 



I have been having quite an experience with Car- 

 niolans that I thought possibly would interest some 

 of your readers. I hav§ an outyard of about 40 colo- 

 nies of these bees. On March 13 they cast the first 

 swarm. After remaining in the air for some time 

 they entered another hive, joining another colony. 

 In a short time they came out again and returned to 

 the old stand. Not being satisfied there, they «oon 

 re-entered the other colony, where they still were. 



