June, 1917 



GLEANINGS IN BEE' CULTURE 



447 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



room, both for the newly hived swarms and 

 the parent colony, and gave plenty of up- 

 ward ventilation. We trajjped the queens 

 of the new swarms. Cutting the cells in the 

 parent hive did not stop the swarming ex- 

 cept after much fussing as the season pro- 

 gressed. 



The alsike harvest was then beginning. 

 Alsike has been our main source of honey 

 in recent years, as white clover has failed 

 for about twelve years. When the alsike is 

 cut our hopes are gone. Very little was 

 accomplished by any of our colonies until 

 the latter part of June, and our hopes van- 

 ished. Two wet summers, however, had 



A hive on scales is a positive necessity in any 

 honey-producing yard. If the one colony does not 

 represent the average in the yard there should he 

 two. 



brought out wliite clover everywhere in the 

 pasture fields, and by July the rains had 

 ceased and good hot Aveather came. The 

 bees then quieted down and worked again in 

 earnest on the white clover. This continu- 

 ed until the hot July sun killed the clover. 



I would never think of conducting a 

 honey-house without a scale hive. It is the 

 pulse of the whole situation. Each day at 

 sunset we know what was brought in ; and 

 if the unexpected happens in the field the 

 beekeeper knows it and can act accordingly. 

 The scale hive is our guide in putting on 

 supers and restricting them as the season 

 closes. 



In hiving bees we take the shortest cuts 

 possible. We make no noise while the bees 

 are swarming — simply go about our Avork 

 until they are on the wing. When they 

 have clustered Ave are ready tu do the hiving. 



We set the hive as close to the cluster as 

 possible, and give the cluster a gentle jolt. 

 This is easily done where the bees cluster 

 low. If they are high in the air we cut off 

 the limb, provided it does not damage the 

 tree, and shake it gently in front of the 

 hive. 



Our bees sometimes cluster in such an 

 out-of-the-Avay place as the trunk of a tree 

 or the bottom of a currant bush. We put 

 the liive as near to these as we can get it 

 and then bloAV smoke from above, driving 

 the bees doAvn toward the hive until Ave get 

 them on the run or on the Aving. Brushing 

 in such a place simply aggravates the situ- 

 ation. 



If the bees are clustered on a limb that 

 Ave do not Avant to cut, Ave shake it and hold 

 a green bushy one near by and keep them 

 off the first limb by shaking and smoking 

 until they alight on the limb Ave supplied. 

 Rather than cut a limb, fix up a scaffold, 

 or use a basket, I have dropped sAvai'ms 

 from quite a distance in front of the hive, 

 and, by smoking the limb Avhere the cluster 

 was, have caused the remainder of the bees 



Two swarms tliat clustered together on the limbs 

 of a small cherry-tree, making it necessary to tie 

 the limbs for support. 



