172 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



March, 1917 



IT is evident 

 that the busi- 

 ness of selling 

 bees in eombless 

 packages is grow- 

 ing by leaps and 

 b u n d s. It is 

 taking the place 

 of shipping colo- 

 nies of bees and nuclei ; and it will probably 

 do away with shipping bees in earlots in 

 their regulation hives on combs. A care- 

 ful analysis of the express rate on bees in 

 oombless packages and the freight rate on 

 colonies of bees in earlots shows that the 

 former is much cheaper and less hazardous. 

 See Gleanings for Feb. 15, 1916, page 136. 

 At one time the movement of colonies in 

 earlots from north to south and back again 

 promised to be quite a business, because it 

 was thought that the same bees could pro- 

 duce a crop of honey in the South and then 

 be shipped north and catch another crop, 

 and perhaps a third crop further north 

 yet, later on. Some successes were achiev- 

 ed when conditions were favorable ; but in 

 most cases the movement of the bees by 

 freight extreme distances has been a losing 

 venture. 



It is now apparent that the beekeepers 

 in the Southland can in some cases secure a 

 crop of honey and then ship the bees north 

 by express in pound packages so that they 

 can catch a crop of clover or basswood. 



After having attended a chain of bee con- 

 ventions thruout the northern states we 

 ran across numerous beekeepers who have 

 received bees in pound packages from the 

 South about the first of May, built them 

 up into fine colonies, secured a crop of 

 honey, and enough more to put them into 

 winter quarters in fine condition. This 

 has been done, not once but many times. 

 In a few eases a single pound of bees re- 

 ceived in the North about the first of May 

 has built up to a full colony, secured a sur- 

 plus of 100 lbs. of extracted honey, and 

 then went into winter quarters as a full- 

 fledged colony with plenty of stores. It is 

 evident that the pound of bees and a queen 



BEES IN POUND PACKAGES 



Bees by the Pound from the South 



vs. Full Colonies Bought Locally 



for taking up Winter Losses 



By E. R. Root 



in these cases 

 paid well on the 

 original invest- 

 onent. Others 

 Avho have secur- 

 ed bees in lots 

 of two and three 

 pounds later in 

 the season, got a 

 crop tliat more than i^aid the first cost. 



The pound-package business by express 

 northward early last spring was so success- 

 ful that some beekeepers Avere seriously con- 

 sidering the question of letting their old 

 bees die off after they had secured a crop 

 of honey, extracting the combs clean, put- 

 ting away the hives, combs, etc., then filling 

 them again the following spring with bees 

 in pound packages from the South. 



Said one large producer in Canada who 

 does not wish to be quoted as yet, " I have 

 25,000 lbs. of fine clover honey in my 

 hives where bees are now wintering, and 

 this honey would now net me 11 cts. a 

 pound. I am almost beginning to feel 

 that I could extract this, take the money, 

 and buy bees in pound packages next 

 spring to put on my combs.* No, I will 

 not do it just now; for may be I cannot 

 buy the bees when I want them at a low 

 enough price." 



Beekeepers who furnished bees in pound 

 packages last spring were swamped with 

 orders, and many northern beekeepers wei-e 

 unable to get deliveries. Anticipating this 

 difficulty, one beekeeper is tentatively con- 

 sidering the question of going south this 

 winter and buying up bees, run them for 

 increase, and then ship the bees back to 

 himself in his northern home in eombless 

 packages. He would leave enough honey 

 in the hives in the South to take care of 

 the queens, brood, and a few bees, and 

 put them in charge of a man to build them 

 up for the next season. 



* This man has from 40 to 50 lbs. of honey to the 

 hive — call it 40 lbs. This would mean $4.40 

 This amount invested in bees and queens in a 

 ioml)less package would go a long way toward a 

 new start; but it would hardly be enough to make 

 the kind of colony by weight that the 40 lbs. of 

 honey would give. 



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