Skptkmbkr, 1917 



(i L ]•: A N I N G S IN BEE C U L T U R E 



W. B. H., Connecticut. — Two of my yiirds aro 

 located on top of a knoll where the wind can strike 

 them from all directions. I expect to winter out- 

 doors in winter cases as recommended by the Bureau 

 of Entomolos}-. Would you advise moving the ai)iary 

 to a more suitable location ? 



A. Yes, by all means. A yard of bees will 

 often winter w^ell in single-walled hives in a 

 sheltered spot w^here another yard of bees in 

 the best cases that were ever made, in an 

 exposed location, will winter very poorly. 

 We put sheltered location first, and winter 

 ])acking second; but both, for outdoor win- 

 tering, are essential. 



If you move the yard to a more sheltered 

 jilace, wait till cold weather has set in, as 

 you might lose many bees returning to the 

 old stands; and you may lose some anyhow 

 on the first fly-day. If you have a yard 

 located in an exposed place, better move it 

 three to five miles. 



C. M. F., Massachusetts. — At the same price per 

 pound, which would be the better feed for winter — 

 extracted honey of inferior flavor and of dark color 

 or granulated sugar syrup ? 



A. The first mentioned would be better 

 for a spring feed; but on account of dysen- 

 tery, as w^ell as danger from disease, sugar 

 syrup would be much safer. Where one can 

 have positive information that the honey has 

 been produced in a yard where there is no 

 bee disease, and never has been, he can feed 

 it provided the quality is sufficiently good. 

 If the honey is of good quality, and free 

 from disease, pound for pound it is superior 

 to sugar syrup provided the price is the 

 same. 



G. L. B., Minnesota. — I have heard considerable 

 about the merits of the big quadruple winter cases 

 holding four hives to the case. How does the 

 double-walled or chaff hive compare with these win- 

 ter cases ? 



A. In extremely cold localities, where the 

 mercury goes down to 20 or even .30 below 

 zero, and stays there for weeks at a time, 

 the big cases a^re jirobably safer than the 

 individual double-walled hive. The ordinary 

 double hive has only about two inches of 

 packing sjiace between the walls, while the 

 winter case has not less than six inches 

 around the sides exposed, and eight or ten 

 inches on top. There can be no cjuestion but 

 that, in a cold climate, either big winter 

 cases or cellar wintering should be employed. 

 Which should be used will depend a good 

 deal on conditions. Where there is good 

 drainage a cellar will probably give gooil re- 

 sults. Sec article in next issue. 



E. L. B., Ohio. — I notice that there are no eggs 

 or brood in my hives, and the queens look small. 

 Should I requeen ? 



A. If there is no fall pasturage of any 

 kind, and no stimulative feeding has been 

 ])racticed, the average queen six months or 

 a year old at the close of the honey harvest 

 will let up on egg-laying, and may not lay 

 any eggs at all. A young queen a month 

 old will lay thru the late summer and fall. 



Almost every fall w^e get orders for queens 

 from beekeepers who say that they find no 



brood or eggs in the hive, and conclude that 

 the colony must he (pieenless. The fact is, 

 when there is no fall flow the condition is a 

 natural one. We usually consider it best to 

 l)ractice stimulative feeding if there is no 

 fall pasturage in orde-r to get out a force of 

 young bees. A colony with old bees only 

 may not winter well. 



W. C. B., Minnesota. — Is it possildo to extract 

 honey from the combs without an extractor; I 

 havei only a few combs, and do not wish to go to 

 the expense of buying a machine. 



A. It is not very practicable. If combs 

 containing honey are old and dark, and 

 would not do to eat direct, you had better 

 buy a small extractor or build one for your- 

 self. A small honey-extractor is almost 

 a necessity in any yard, even tho it be run 

 exclusively for comb honey. There is a 

 trade that wants honey in the liquid form; 

 and it is well to be prepared to supply 

 whatever is called for. 



J. M. C, Vermont. — I notice that for stimulative 

 purposes you recommend the use of a thin syrup — 

 half sugar and half water. Could this be used for 

 feeding up for winter ? 



A. Yes, but it would require too much 

 hard work on the part of the bees to reduce 

 it down to the proper consistency. In other 

 words, it w^ould exhaust the vitality of the 

 bees too much. For winter feeding, use a 

 syrup not weaker than two parts of sugar 

 to one of water. If feeding has been de- 

 layed till late in the season, use 2i^ parts of 

 sugar to one of water by weight or measure. 

 The sugar in any case must he thoroly dis- 

 solved. For very late feeding a little vine- 

 gar, or, better, some honey, will prevent 

 crystallization. 



J. H. C, Rhode Island. — Years ago there were 

 several reports of bad wintering on aster honey. 

 I live near an aster swamp. Should I extract this 

 aster honey if the bees gather it, and feed sugar 

 syrup ? 



A. No. If the aster stores are sealed be- 

 fore the bees go into permanent winter 

 quarters, they will prove to be perfectly 

 safe; but if they are unsealed and somewhat 

 thin, you may have considerable dysentery 

 before spring. 



B. C. L., New York. — Do bees work on ripe fruit 

 and spoil it I 



A. Yes and no. They will not injure 

 sound fruit; but if the fruit is overripe .^o 

 that it bursts open, or if the skin has been 

 punctured by birds or insects, bees will come 

 in and join in the spoliation. They will then 

 suck the juice out of the fruit until only the 

 hard skin is left. Whether bees will attack 

 broken or injured fruit will dejjend on the 

 season. If they can gather honev from any 

 of the natural sources they will ignore the 

 fruit; but wdien no sweet is available they 

 may attack any fruit with punctured skin. 



In California during the fruit-drying sea- 

 son bees will sometimes be a nuisance in 

 helping themselves to the juices of cut fruit 

 while it is drying in the trays. 



