108 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



er smoking of the colony. But the fasting 

 which he recommends in addition is quite 

 unnecessary. 



The so-called smoke method of queen 

 introduction has now had several seasons' 

 trial, and, like every other method of prac- 

 tical bee culture, has given varying results 

 in different hands. 



Beekeeping is far from a fixed science. 

 The bees are a living organism governed by 

 certain laws, reacting to external conditions, 

 always reacting the same to the same condi- 

 tions; but if the conditions vary, the reac- 

 tions vary also. 



Two persons attempt a certain method; 

 one succeeds, the other fails. They wonder 

 at the results, but do not see the cause. 

 They may be assured, however, that the 

 conditions were different. And until all 

 beekeepers become past masters in the art 

 of reading bee actions and analyzing condi- 

 tions, we may expect wide variations in the 

 results of the same methods in different 

 hands. The best that can be done will be 

 to explain and emphasize the conditions 

 essential to the successful carrying-out of 

 a method, and then leave each individual to 

 work out his own salvation. 



It is somewhat unfortunate that the 

 method of queen introduction so closely 

 identified with my name should have been 

 called the " smoke method," for there have 

 been several methods called by that name, 

 and not a few of the older beekeepers con- 

 fuse the new with the old. The old was a 

 system of smoking the colony more or less 

 and letting the queen run in, generally at 

 the top; but closing of the entrance was 

 not a part of that old practice. 



The new plan is more properly called the 

 "distress method," for by confining the bees 

 in a smoke-filled chamber, a; d preventing 

 their obtaining any relief by ventilation, a 

 condition of distress is created which en- 

 ables us to do as we please with them. 



Thru the courtesy of Mr. Morley Pettit 

 I have been enabled to see the reports of 

 the various Canadian experimenters with 

 this method as well as the many letters sent 

 to me, and also the published reports; also 

 at every convention I am asked many ques- 

 tions concerning it. From all this evidence 

 I have been able to get a pretty clear idea 

 of the causes of failure by different persons, 

 but the successes far outnumber the fail- 

 ures, tho we might not think so from pub- 

 lished reports; for so long as matters go 

 smoothly the operators do not hasten to in- 

 form the press. Every little while, by a 

 letter or at a convention, I learn of some 

 big operator Avho has adopted the plan and 

 of many a lesser light who uses it. For the 



new comers, and those who are not familiar 

 with the " distress method," let me repeat 

 the instructions and then speak of some of 

 the causes for failure. 



A queenless colony has the entrance to its 

 hive nearly closed, say all but an inch. Into 

 this space a cloud of smoke is blown until 

 the bees roar; then this space is quickly 

 closed. In about a quarter of a minute a 

 queen is run in and the space reclosed. In 

 ten minutes more the inch space is opened 

 and the bees allowed to ventilate slowly. 

 That is the sum and substance of the meth- 

 od. 



Here are some of the qualifying condi- 

 tions: First, the hive must be smoke-tight. 

 Open corners, warped covers, cracked floors, 

 etc., are conditions fatal to success with 

 this method. All possible chance of ventila- 

 tion must be prevented. Second, the smoke 

 must be such as to create the greatest dis- 

 tress and the least danger, and that sort of 

 smoke is the thick white choky kind- Third, 

 enough smoke must be driven in to fill the 

 chamber so completely that no bee will fail 

 to feel it. Fourth, the smoke and bees 

 should be confined for ten to fifteen min- 

 utes, and then relief given slowly as by 

 opening only an inch of the entrance. If 

 the whole of the entrance is opened at once 

 the bees may pour out in a mass and some- 

 times the queen with them. They soon 

 quiet down, even with only the inch outlet, 

 and when quiet the entrance may be fully 

 opened. 



Failure has been reported where intro- 

 duction was tried on a small nucleus — two 

 or three frames — in a full-sized body. The 

 cause is usually insufficient or thin hot 

 smoke or both. Other failure reports have 

 to do with attempts to introduce queens to 

 big colonies occupying two stories or hav- 

 ing supers on. It is very poor beekeeping 

 that calls for changing queens under such 

 conditions. It is much like swapping horses 

 while crossing a stream. When colonies are 

 as big as that, or are at work in supers, for 

 gracious sake let them alone! They are 

 doing well and working for you, so don't 

 queer the job by butting in. Plan to do 

 the requeening at such time as little or no 

 honey is coming in, and when the stock is 

 comparatively small. In the northern Unit- 

 ed States and Canada, August or Septem- 

 ber will be found to be the most advanta- 

 geous plan. 



If conditions compel the introduction to 

 big colonies during the harvest it is only 

 necessary to be sure the whole hive, supers 

 and all, are filled with smoke, and that no 

 cracks let it leak out ; then the queen will be 

 as safe as when put into a smaller colony. 



