380 



aLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



May, 1917 



bees were being poisoned and the industry 

 threatened. Unfortunately, tbere is Inot 

 a law in this state, as there is in many 

 others, which j^rohibits the spraying of 

 fruit-trees when in full bloom, to protect 

 the bees. It has been acknowledged for 

 many years that no extra benefit could be 

 dei'ived from spraying fruit-trees when in 

 full bloom, and the recommendations usual- 

 ly say spray when 90 per cent of the 

 petals have fallen. At such times there 

 is very little for the bees to get from the 

 fruit - blossoms, and but few are found 

 around the trees. The fruit-grower should 

 realize the great value of the honeybee as 

 a pollenizing agent, and should protect 

 rather than destroy it. 

 » * * 



In this state great quantities of cotton- 

 seed meal are used for feeding beef and 

 daily cattle, and hogs and sheep. Reports 

 have come in now for two years of the 

 troubles coming up between the beekee^ier 

 and the stockman. For the most part 

 these have been of a more or less local 

 nature and were soon settled. It seems 

 that in a dearth of pollen the bees will 

 gather cotton-seed meal, either from the 

 storeroom or the feeding-trough. The bees 

 then become a nuisance to one working 

 around the feed-room and to the stock in 

 the feed lot. To what extent the stock is 

 stung by the bees is not known. How much 

 cotton-seed meal is carried away by the 

 bees is not known, altho one report says an 

 entire sack (100 lbs.) was carried off by the 

 bees. The last report to come in is that 

 of a stockman who was annoyed by the bees 

 from several yards in his vicinity. The 

 charge was made that poison had been used 

 to get rid of the bees. The bees died rapid- 

 ly, regardless of the trouble. This raises 

 an interesting cjuestion which should be in- 

 vestigated as soon as possible. What is 

 the effect of cotton-seed meal fed in un- 



limited c|uantities to a colony of bees? Con- 

 siderable has been said already, but facts 

 which will stand cross-examination are lack- 

 ing entirely. 



* * * 



The above brings up the discussion of 

 artificial pollen and the value of cotton- 

 seed meal as such. It has been evident for 

 some time that miich loss of bees could be 

 prevented by the use of an artificial pollen. 

 This is evident in one of the following re- 

 ports. Bees will not seek an artificial pol- 

 len when the natural pollen is available. 

 We have tried to feed cotton-seed meal, even 

 mixing in some honey. The bees took up 

 the honey but refused to take the meal. 



* * * 



On March 4, too late for our last report, 

 a severe cold wave hit Texas and was espe- 

 cially destructive in the southern portion of 

 the state. In the Rio Grande section most 

 of the citrus fruit was at least severely 

 damaged. This has made a very different 

 outlook to early-crop prospects; in fact, in 

 the latter part of March the bees were weak, 

 with little or no stores, and just making 

 a living. The season was put back thirty 

 days, and not many beekeepers expect a 

 spring crop of honey. FurtJher north the 

 extrenje drouth was a serious handicap ; but 

 in spite of this the bees were building up 

 on the stores, Avhich were going down rapid- 

 ly. In some localities of the southwest sec- 

 tion the late freeze was disastrous. Many 

 colonies of bees died, leaving plenty of 

 stores, apparently from lack of pollen. 

 Since the freeze the bees have built up 

 slowly and irregularly. With the continu- 

 ed drouth there will be but little honey ex- 

 cept from mesquite, which is usually best in 

 dry seasons. In one locality feeding has 

 been resorted to in order to keep the fine 

 start the bees had made. The queen-breed- 

 ers in this section felt the effects of the ad- 

 verse condition. 



AF R I E N D 

 of mine, a 



FLORIDA SUNSHINE 



b e e m a n , 

 tried to rear 



some queens the last of February, near 

 this place. He failed to realize his ex- 

 pectations for the weather was too cool 

 and changeable. I have always found that 

 changeable weather is about as hard to com- 

 bat, in queen-rearing, as steady cool weath- 

 er. Since the freezing temperatures of 

 early February, and the damage to citrus 

 and other trees and shrubs resulting, the 



forage lias not 



been equal to 



E. G. Baldwin normal. This 



too tends to re- 

 tard queen-iearing. Better wait now till 

 the middle or last of March or early April, 

 brothers, for your queens. Wait till set- 

 tled warm weather. It is more than likely 

 that there will be some orange bloom for 

 two rnontlis or more, and perhaps in May 

 and June, owing to the freeze. This will 

 make ideal queen-rearing weather and con- 

 ditions. Better plan to do your requeen- 



