GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1920 



are two diseases called foul brood, European 

 foul brood, and American foul brood. The 

 two are entirely different diseases, requiring 

 quite different treatments. American foul 

 brood attacks sealed cells mostly, the cells 

 being sunken in appearance and showing ir- 

 regular perforations in the cappings. The 

 affected larvfe nearly always are found on 

 the lower side wall of the cell. Such larvae 

 are yellowish brown to blaekish brown, and, 

 as they decay, have a very offensive odor, 

 become ropy or stringy, and may be stretch- 

 ed out several inches in a delicate thread. 

 After this stage the dead larvae dry into 

 hard scales which adhere tightly to the cells. 

 European foul brood attacks unsealed brood 

 mostly. The affected larvte may be found 

 on any of the walls or base of the cells and 

 are usually a light yellow. This decayed 

 matter may also have an unpleasant odor, 

 but not usually so offensive as in the case 

 of American foul brood. The diseased larvae 

 reach a ropy stage, but, instead of roping 

 as a fine thread, stretch out as a coarse 

 granular thread. When scales are formed 

 they do not adhere tightly to the cells as 

 in the case of American foul brood, but may 

 be removed. This disease attacks drone and 

 queen larvae almost as readily as worker. 

 If one has trouble in determining with 

 which disease his colonies are affected, he 

 should send a sample of the comb for diag- 

 nosis to the Bureau of Entomology, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. For this purpose a piece of 

 comb about five inches square and contain- 

 ing a number of affected larvae should be 

 sent in a wooden box. (3) When a prime 

 swarm, that is, the first swarm of the sea- 

 son, issues, it is accompanied by the old 

 queen, and there is left for the so-called 

 "old colony," or the parent colony, ripe 

 queen-cells from which will come a virgin, 

 which, after being mated, will become the 

 mother of the colony. 



Questions. — (1) Is a smoker necessary in takinf; 

 the. honey out of the hives ? Will the bees sting mc 

 when I open the hive without bee-ve.il or gloves ? 

 (2) Are strawberry blossoms any good in producins 

 honey? (3) How is the best way to make a swarm 

 of bees light on an object? Suppose I was in the 

 field and a swarm of bees passed overhead, how 

 could I make them light on an object so that I could 

 capture them? Victor Parolek. 



Nebraska. 



Answers. — (1) Altho it is possible to open 

 a hive and remove honey without a veil or 

 smoker, we do not advise the practice. When 

 working with the bees the beginner should 

 wear a veil, and should certainly have a 

 smoker ready to use in case it is needed. 

 Usually a puff or two of smoke is a decided 

 advantage. Many wear gloves when they 

 begin beekeeping, but after more experience 

 is gained the gloves are usually discarded. 

 (2) Strawberry blossoms produce nectar, but 

 in small amounts, valuable only for aiding 

 in brood-rearing. (3) If you were in the 

 field when a swarm of bees passed overhead 

 and no water was handy to throw into the 

 swarm, you could probably stop them by 

 throwing handfuls of dirt into the swarm 



where the bees seemed tlic thickest. They 

 would then light on anything handy, or on 

 the ground if no bush or shrub was near. 



Question. — Colony No. 1 is an exceptionally good 

 one with an extra-good queen from which I desire 

 to produce some queens. This colony swarms leav- 

 ing a choice lot of queen-cells. I desire to requeen 

 colonies 2, 3, and 4. ■ Can I remove the queens 

 from the.se colonies and put queen-cells from colony 

 numter 1 in cell-protectors and give on© to each 

 of the colonies I desire to requeen? 



Pennsylvania. Geo. W. Meyer. 



Answer. — If the colonies are hybrids and 

 especially hard to introduce to, it might be 

 well, after removing the queen, to wait two 

 or three days before giving the queen-cell, 

 but ordinarily it would be safe to give the 

 cell in a protector immediately, provided 

 the cell would not hatch for two or three 

 days. 



Question. — Upon recent examination I find many 

 of my drawn combs cracked from cold. Can these 

 be used again, that is, will bees mend them? They 

 were stored in the loft of the barn exposed to ex- 

 treme winter temperature. Should they have been 

 stored in a warm room? W. E. Reim. 



Wisconsin. 



Answer. — It is not necessary to store 

 combs in a warm place. In fact, we always 

 leave our combs stored in honey-houses in 

 which there is no heat whatever. If the 

 combs were empty as they usually are when 

 stored for winter, they would not have 

 cracked because of the cold. But when 

 combs contain honey, they sometimes be- 

 come cracked in winter and the honey oozes 

 down the comb. We wonder if you are cer- 

 tain those combs were not cracked when you 

 stored them. They may have been slightly 

 broken in the extracting without your know- 

 ing it. There is no reason why these combs 

 should not be used. As soon as a little hon- 

 ey begins coming in, it will be found that 

 the bees will readily mend them. 



Questions. — (1) Is there any danger of the 

 queen's flying away when one is trying to clip hpv 

 or put her on another comb? (2)If I cover the 

 frames with burlap next winter, will the bees gnaw 

 it ? Frederick Spiker. 



W. Virginia. 



Answer. — (1) Yes, they do sometimes fly 

 at such times. When this happens, the best 

 thing to do is to cover the hive so that it 

 will have its usual appearance and then 

 move away from the hive in order not to 

 confuse the queen and cause her to enter 

 the wrong hive. In a short time ehe will 

 probably return to her own hive. (2) Quite 

 likely, after the bees become active in the 

 spring. More than this, the burlap is so 

 loosely woven that the bees, in their efforts 

 to remove it, loosen from it such long fibers 

 that these sometimes cripple a few bees In- 

 becoming wrapped about the feet or body. 

 When this happens to the bees it is a small 

 matter since so few will be thus disabled. 

 But one time one of our best queens was 

 crippled in this fashion. Perhaps this might 

 not happen again for years, but the one ex- 

 perience was (?nough for us, and since then 

 we prefer a mat of canvas, or, better stiU, 

 brussels carpet. 



