January, 1920 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



23 



^ FROM THE FIELD 



OF EXPERIENCE 



perfect condition, there not being over a 

 dozen dead bees in a two-pound package. 



In those packages that showed many dead 

 bees I found that if they were at once sprin- 

 kled with water, it tended to revive the 

 bees; but so far as their being of any fu- 

 ture use was concerned they were practical- 

 ly worthless. 



In one case a shipment was by mistake ad- 

 dressed to our neighboring village of Seat- 

 tle, and held there for about 10 days before 

 being sent to Tacoma. On arrival the bees 

 appeared to be about all dead; but I watered 

 them at once with a sugar syrup, and an 

 hour later when I dumped out the package, 

 fully one-fourth of the bees were alive and 

 able to fly and enter the hive in front of 

 which I placed them. However, three days 

 later they had dwindled to the vanishing- 

 point. 



My conclusion is that the bees do not 

 need water as much as they need more air 

 and ventilation in transit, and that the 

 shipping cages as at present constructed are 

 not properly made. The ends being in the 

 shape of a rectangle, it is possible for the 



cages to be so placed in the express car that 

 the bees are smothered, either by being 

 placed against the wall of the car or by 

 having other packages piled so close to them 

 as to shut off the air from the bees. In 

 some eases the express messenger has even 

 placed the bees alongside of the steam or 

 heating pipes in the ear to keep them warm. 

 It is possible that a six or eight-sided cage 

 might be an improvement. 



Another thing that should be impressed 

 on the buyers is that it is a very risky 

 proposition to buy pound packages unless 

 the purchaser has some brood to give the 

 bees upon arrival. 



My experience has been that, even when 

 queens start to lay two days after arrival, 

 as is often the case, by the time the brood 

 is ready to hatch, the bees have so diminish- 

 ed in numbers as to be unable to take care 

 of the brood which therefore chills and dies, 

 and the bees soon dwindle out. In the fu- 

 ture I shall see that I have some brood to 

 give the bees upon arrival, and also, if pos- 

 sible, a week later. 



Tacoma, Wash. T. Dwight Whitman. 



Tl'.i.i apiiiry ot Geo. II !;• 



!;••> iiuldhville, I'ii.. i.s in a :jO-foot (.■learintr in li< 

 is up and over the tree tops. 



timbers. The bees' flight 



