MAY 15. 1916 



an examination unnecessary; but there is no 

 way of ascertaining this fact previous to 

 the examination. On the other hand, colo- 

 nies have been found with the swarming im- 

 pulse week after week, altho I continue to 

 break down the cells, expecting that the 

 bees will cease rebuilding them. If I could 

 have foreseen this I would have shaken the 

 bees fi'om the combs and removed the brood, 

 because, as we all know, such a colony will 

 not gather the usual amount of surplus 

 honey. 



At the Michigan state beekeepers' con- 

 vention, held at Grand Rapids last Decem- 

 ber, I learned that this subject was to be 

 taken up, therefoi'e I attended the conven- 

 tion and interviewed several of the beekeep- 

 ers Avhom I considered authorities on the 

 subject. 



PRANK SLUSHER^S PLAN. 



Mr. Frank Slusher, of Traverse City, 

 Mich., uses the ten-frame hive, and winters 

 his bees in a cellar. They are set out on the 

 summer stands some time during the first 

 half of April. He usually ean-ies them out 

 at night and contracts all entrances to a 

 space 1 inch by %. He thinks by this plan 

 he is able to prevent drifting. He prefers 

 cool cloudy weather the day following, if 

 possible, in order to keep the bees from 

 flying too freely. 



Mr. Slusher does nothing with the bees 

 after this until the weather is warmer, and 

 more settled, or until about the time they 

 begin gathering pollen. Then all colonies 

 are examined; those that are queenless are 

 united with other colonies, the quesnless 

 colonies being set on top. If a strong colo- 

 ny is queenless it is set over a weak colony, 

 while if a weak colony is queenless it is set 

 over a strong one. A queen-excluder is 

 pushed between the tM'o colonies, care being 

 f^aken not to disturb either colony. 



When examining the bees, the condition 

 of the stores is noted; and, if short, a frame 

 of sealed honey is supplied. If this is not 

 available the bees are supplied with enough 

 candy to last until fruit-bloom, after which, 

 if more stores are needed, the bees are fed a 

 thin syrup until they can gather sufficient 

 from natural sources. 



About twelve or fifteen days before the 

 clover or raspberry flow, Mr. Slusher gives 

 all colonies that are sufficiently strong a 

 ten-frame super provided with drawn combs 

 if he has them; if not, full sheets of me- 

 dium brood foundation. The queen is al- 

 lowed full range of both stories. 



Xotliing further is done until four or five 

 days before the honey-flow when he takes 

 from one to three or even four frames of 

 sealed brood (or as nearly sealed as can be 



obtained) from the strongest colony. These 

 are distributed among the weaker colonies, 

 or, if not needed for that purpose, are plac- 

 ed in the second stoi-y if the queen has not 

 yet taken possession. Provided the queen 

 has already taken possession, the brood is 

 placed in a super which the queen has not 

 yet entered. Frames of brood removed 

 from strong colonies in this way are re- 

 placed by full sheets of foundation, Mr. 

 Slusher thinks this is an ideal way to get 

 foundation drawn out. If tliere is no need 

 of having foundation drawn out, an empty 

 worker comb replaces the comb of brood. 



The bees are now left alone until a week 

 or ten days after the flow begins. At that 

 time, all colonies are examined. The cover 

 of the hive is removed, several })uffs of 

 smoke given to drive the bees down between 

 the frames, in the hope of getting the queen 

 doAvn into the brood-chamber. The super is 

 then lifted off and a queen-excluder slid 

 between it and the brood-chamber below, 

 the brood above being left to hatch, thus 

 giving the bees more room for surplus. 

 Four or five days later, each upper story is 

 examined, merely by lifting tAvo or three of 

 the center combs. If eggs are found, it 

 indicates that the queen is above. The bees 

 are then shaken in front of the hive and 

 the combs replaced in the suj^er. This is not 

 often necessary, as the queen is generally 

 driven below by the smoke before the ex- 

 cluder is put on. 



After this time the work consists in see- 

 ing that each colony has plenty of room. 

 As supers are added they are placed next 

 the brood-chamber over the queen-excluder. 



E. D. TOWNSEND's plan. 



E. D. Townsend, of Northstar, Mich., likes 

 to have a limited amount of spring protec- 

 tion. He winters out of doors, altho last 

 winter he had two apiaries wintering in 

 trenches- — that is, buried in sand. On ac- 

 count of limited help he usually begins un- 

 packing his bees about the first of May. It 

 takes perhaps two weeks to do this. 



Mr. Townsend puts on the upper stories 

 early, and disposes of the brood-chambers 

 of dead colonies by putting them over the 

 strongest colonies, where they answer the 

 purpose of the first super. During the first 

 manipulation he equalizes stores, providing 

 those that are short with stores taken from 

 those having more than enough for present 

 requirements. He puts the upper stories on 

 all colonies likely to need them within two 

 weeks, not waiting for the brood-chambers 

 to get full. With distant out-apiaries and 

 limited help it takes about two weeks to go 

 thru the bees. 



Mr. Townsend objects to heavy packing 



