860 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



AS GLIMPSED THRU THE CAMERA 



BY H. H. ROOT 



The pathway of a queen-breeder is not 

 always strewn with roses; there are unex- 

 pected thorns. The weatherman plays un- 

 kind pranks, and takes delight in making 

 the most experienced prophet so badly mis- 

 taken that he will prophesy never again. 

 Just when the breeder gets everything go- 

 ing tine, sudden cool weather will come on 

 followed by cold rains, and all plans have 

 •o be set aside and new ones made. One 

 week the breeder" may have a big surplus 

 of queens; then in just a few days there 

 won't be a queen in sight, nor immediate 

 prospect of getting any. The unhappy 

 victim of circumstances has little to do but 

 look out on the cold dreary world and look 

 in on (he letters from his angry customers 



tore great holes in the sides of the other 

 cells and mutilated the helpless inmates, 

 the bees meanwhile organizing a "wreeking- 

 ei'ew" and clearing up after her, as best 

 they could. 



The engraving shows one of the bars of 

 cells, every cell a complete wreck. Whelli- 

 er the young queen tore all of the side of 

 the cell away herself in her frantic efforts 

 to kill her rival, or whether the bees re- 

 moved a part of the wax in cleaning out 

 the remains, I do not know. 



CLIPPING QUEENS. 



To the beginner this process is one that 

 is cordially dreaded. It is not difficult, 

 however — the easiest thing in the "world, in 

 fact. 



demanding that their orders be filled or 

 (heir money returned. 



But it is not of the weather that I intended 

 (o write. The queen-breeder has to be a 

 careful man, and withal a good book-keeper. 

 If there is any mistake in his figures that 

 mistake is likely to be a costly one — so 

 costly that the breeder groans to himself 

 that " life is just one blame thing after 

 another, anyway." 



This summer, for once in his experi- 

 ence, Mr, T'ritchard happened to make a 

 mistake of one day in his figures. Two 

 bars of cells were left a day too long; and 

 the first virgin out, true to her instinct, 

 immediately slaughtered all her unborn 

 sisters. With the one jDassionate idea of 

 reigning supreme or not reigning at all she 



it is well to practice on a few drones 

 first, catching them by the wings between 

 the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. 

 Transfer the bee to the thumb and fore- 

 finger of the left hand, placing the under 

 side of the thorax on the ball of the finger 

 with the head toward the other fingers, the 

 thumb meanwhile pressed very lightly on 

 the thorax just enough to keep the bee 

 from getting away. Particularly in case of, 

 a queen, always try to catch the wings on 

 both sides in order that she may be pre- 

 vented from buzzing around and getting 

 badly frightened. When she is in position 

 between the thumb and finger her legs will 

 grasp the end of the finger and the wings 

 wilL nearly always stick straight out. Tliere 

 is then no danger of clipping a leg, and the 



