GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



March, 1917 



wax. This work is hard the first year ; but 

 after that it is easy. 



WHAT TO WEAR IN THE BEEYARD. 



Do you wear black in the apiary during 

 the hot weather? Try wearing a pair of 

 white overalls and jacket and note the com- 

 fort. I have learned that the wrist is a 

 bad place to get stung, and I avoid it en- 

 tirely by wearing a sort of sleeve protector 

 made from 8 or 10 oz. canvas which extends 

 from the palm of the hand to the elbow. 

 I make it to fit snugly about the palm with 

 a slit for the thumb. I fasten it with a 

 safety-pin to the sleeve. 



A PLAN WORTH nUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO ME. 



Shortly after setting out the bees at one 

 outyard where they were wintered in the 

 cellar, I found that they had drifted con- 

 siderably, and that there were nearly one 

 hundred colonies that had but a handful of 

 bees each. The bees in this apiary had win- 

 tered very poorly, and only a few came 

 thru with many bees; but as a rule the 



Try wealing white overalls and jacket in the apiary, 



queens were good. I looked them over by 

 examining from the top only. Where I 

 was sure they would not hold out for a 

 little longer until it warmed up, I helped 

 them by giving a comb of bees from the 

 strongest colonies; but I lost quite a few at 

 that. Just as soon as it was warm, and 

 pollen was coming in freely, I examined 

 every colony, marking the extra strong and 

 extra weak ones, and also the medium strong 

 and medium weak ones. The average colo- 

 nies I left as they were. During the day, 

 when the bees were flying, I exchanged the 

 places of the extra strong with the extra 

 weak if the weak colony had a good pro- 

 lific queen, and also exchanged the places 

 of the medium strong with the medium weak 

 colonies. This had a tendency to equalize 

 the number of bees in the colonies. Altho 

 the real weak ones appeared the stronger 

 for a short time, the strong ones with the 

 extra brood soon caught up. A little later 

 1 made another shift as above, and equalized 

 them again. The result was wonderful; 

 and, altho I expected little if any surplus. I 

 got 100 lbs. to the colony. After seeing the 

 results from the first exchange, I worked it 

 in the other yards with equal success. 



After exchanging the weak and strong 

 •colonies, in a few days I examined them to 

 see the result. The once strong colonies 

 had but few bees, and I suppose what were 

 left did double duty in caring for the brood, 

 as did also the young when it emerged, for 

 they cared for the brood all right. Here 

 was my only fear, as the queens were not 

 hurt a bit. 



In the weak colonies that had good pro- 

 lific queens, with the aid of the extra bees 

 these queens laid to their limit, and in a few 

 days gave the bees all they wanted to do — 

 at least it so equalized the bees that they 

 were all given employment in rearing brood, 

 and the result was that nearly every colony 

 was in very good condition for the harvest. 

 The honey-flow being somewhat late helped; 

 but still I am sure I benefited much. I am 

 going to test the plan again next season. 

 My Ford car makes short cuts between 

 yards, and carries a wonderful lot of sup- 

 plies. I expect to use a trailer next season. 

 I believe it pays to perform one's work 

 systematically, completing one job before 

 starting anotliev, and doing eacli little oper- 

 ation the same each time, so that it becomes 

 automatic. I use every device possible 

 for expeditious work, always use nailing- 

 forms for nailing up hives, covers, frames, 

 cases, etc. It makes the work easier, and 

 I accomplish so much moi'e. 



I try to keep my apiaries spick and span, 

 and my honey-houses in a presentable con- 



Continued on pafie 223. 



