356 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



One of J. M. Buchanan's oiitapiaries in winter, eacli colony being in a two-story hive. 



and most of the unsealed brood into the 

 lower story of the hive, with two or three 

 empty combs. From three to five frames of 

 the oldest brood are placed in the center of 

 the upper story, over a queen-excluder, and 

 the rest of the combs placed on each side of 

 the brood. At this time we generally find 

 fifteen to twentj' frames fairly well filled 

 with brood. Should we find eggs in queen- 

 eells, most of the brood is placed in the up- 

 per storj^ and what brood is left in the low- 

 er story is alternated with empty combs or 

 foundation, all queen-cells being removed. 



A week or ten days later we look thru the 

 upper stories and destroy any queen-cells 

 that are found — no use to look for cells be- 

 low the excluder, as there won't be any there 

 if a good job was done when the queen was 

 " put down." Some of the brood in the up- 

 per stories is used in nuclei for increase. At 

 this time, all colonies that are storing well 

 are given another super of empty combs 

 next to the excluder. We go over the yards 

 about once a week and give supers to those 

 in need, as it is important that they do not 

 feel crowded. 



The hives are tiered up, and the honey al- 

 lowed to ripen well before it is removed. 

 In taking off the honey, which is usually 

 done about the end of the flow, bee-escapes 



are used. Before these are put on we drive 

 down most of the bees with a cloth wet with 

 crude carbolic acid, which is laid over the 

 frames for a minute or two. Tli? extracting 

 is done at the outyards, in a honey-liouse or 

 in a tent, and the wet combs put back on the 

 hives after sunset. 



From two hundred colonies worked on this 

 system we have had less than one per cent 

 of swarming for two yeai-s, while our neigh- 

 bors report fifty to a hundred per cent. I 

 find the bees winter better, and build up 

 faster and stronger in two stories than in 

 one, and require much less attention in the 

 spring, and they will get the honey if there 

 is any to be had. 



My bees are a good strain of Italians, 

 mostly three-band, and only the poorest col- 

 onies are requeened each season. The rest 

 supersede as they see fit. One factor that 

 may have an important bearing on the 

 swarming problem is the rearing of a large 

 number of drones. I keep this down by al- 

 lowing only woi'ker comb in the brood- 

 chambers, and using full sheets of founda- 

 tion. 



The illustration shows one of ray out-api- 

 aries in winter, with the bees in two-story 

 hives. The trees in the picture are locust. 



Franklin. Tenn. 



