GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



J. E. Crane 



SIFTINGS 



Middlebury, Vt. 



Bees were flying freely about 

 here as late as Nov. 28, and even 

 working- on fall-blooming dande- 

 lions. 



« * * 



It seems to me I never heard so 

 much piping or quahking of 

 queens as I have this fall. 



* * * 



On page 986, Dec. 1, first column, the 

 strange statement is made that, if a colony 

 of bees has European foul brood, it should 

 " be broken up or disturbed." Destroyed 

 would sound better, 



* * * 



Most of our bees are being wintered, as 

 usual, out of doors. But we put 108 colonies 

 in the cellar Nov. 30 and Dee. 1. The tem- 

 perature since they were put in has ranged 

 at 50 degrees, and bees are as quiet as one 



could ask. 



* * * 



Directions are given, page 739, Sept. 15, 

 as to where to set bees in a city lot so as 

 not to cause trouble. This is well ; but it is 

 equally imiDortant to be careful what kind 

 of bees you set out in a city lot. The 

 average black colony will make ten times 

 the trouble an average Italian colony will. 

 Italian bees rarely molest unless molested. 



* * * 



Mr. Byer inquires, page 970, Dec. 1, if 

 clover out of season yields much honey. 

 That has been our experience this year. It 

 was also true fifty years ago this season. 

 Moses Quinby stated, more than fifty years 

 ago, that in some years it would yield near- 

 ly all summer, but as a rule neither white 

 nor alsike clover seems to yield much honey 



after July. 



* ** 



In reply to Dr. Miller's question, page 

 789, Oct. 1, I will say that when our bees 

 have sections filled with foundation within 

 1/4 inch of the bottom, and on a good colo- 

 ny, and honey coming in freely, we have 

 little trouble about the combs being built 

 down to the bottom; but without these con- 

 ditions foundation fastened to the bottom 

 appeared to be gnawed away, and not as 

 well secured as we had expected. 



The statement is made, page 797, Oct. 1, 

 that " just as water goes direct into the 

 blood, so does honey, leaving no residue. It 

 is assimilaled at once, and changed to en- 

 ergy," I believe this fact of vastly greater 



importance than we have been accustomed 

 to think. Dr. Miller calls attention to this 

 on page 800. If, when wearied or exhaust- 

 ed from any cause, we take a tablespoonful 

 of honey dissolved in a cup of warm water, 

 we may find ourselves in much better con- 

 dition later than if we were to take solid 

 food. 



I went out a few weeks ago with my 

 right-hand man to look over a hundred 

 colonies of bees. Suspicious that robbing 

 might develop, he brought along a hand 

 sprayer and a little kerosene. Sure enough, 

 we had fairly got started when robbing 

 began. A little spray of kerosene soon put 

 the robbers to flight; and by the use of it, 

 spraying a few hives ahead of where we 

 were at work we were able to work with as 

 little trouble from robbers as in midsummer 

 when honey is most abundant. It is better 

 than carbolic acid — cheaper, and less trou- 

 ble — best thing I ever tried. 



* * * 



That bulletin No. 695, " The Fundamen- 

 tal Principles of Good Wintering," by Dr. 

 E. F. Pliillips, is sound and timely, both as 

 to packing, protection from wind, and 

 strength of colonies. But where little hon- 

 ey is gathered after July we have many 

 colonies that are not strong. What about 

 them? Shall we break them up or unite 

 them that all may be strong? We have 

 found that such winter very well if the 

 brood-chamber is reduced to three, four, or 

 five combs, and well packed, notwithstand- 

 ing the severity of our northern New Eng- 

 land winters. A small room does not re- 

 quire as large a stove to keep it warm as a 



large one. 



* * * 



Dr. Miller inquires, page 835, Oct. 15. 

 how m.any swarms I lose by running in 

 virgin queens to full colonies. Well, doc- 

 tor, " I don't know." We sometimes lose a 

 swarm when a young queen is given a full 

 colony, but I believe not nearly so often as 

 where a queen-cell is given them, or one is 

 left in a hive after it has cast a swarm. 

 We run these virgins in mostly to hives that 

 have prepared to swarm, and from which 

 we have removed the old queen; and the 

 secret of success seems to be to introduce a 

 virgin just after the swarming fever has 

 subsided, or in two weeks from the time 

 they would naturally have swarmed if left 

 to themselves. If much earlier they may 

 swarm; and if very much later they may 

 not accept such a queen. 



