GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1920 



[\ 



TALKS TO 



By lona 



LJ 



AS stated in 

 the last 

 talk, the 

 bees should be 

 kept supplied 

 with plenty of 

 stores right up 

 to the honey 

 flow. And it 

 should be re- 

 membered that during this season when 

 much breeding is in progress, strong colonies 

 will use several pounds of stores weekly. If 

 colonies need to be fed, we advise feeding 

 a good candy rather than syrup since the 

 bees take it with less excitement and less 

 danger of robbing. And during warm wea- 

 ther just before the honey flow, robbing is 

 easily started unless great care is taken. 



If our directions so far have been follow- 

 ed, the beginner will now have strong colo- 

 nies with clipped queens, at least one good 

 comb of honey, and from seven to ten frames 

 of brood. In case of the strongest colonies, 

 there probably is brood in two stories, the 

 queen having access to both. 



In case the beginner has already applied 

 the swarm-preventive measure suggested in 

 our last talk, he may now find that such 

 colonies, because of rainy weather, a scarci- 

 ty of nectar, or the extra super room given 

 them, have entirely given up their swarm- 

 ing intentions. Possibly, at the end of eight 

 days no queen-cells may be found in the 

 hive, or perhaps queen-cells may be found 

 with a hole in the side of each, showing that, 

 for the present at least, the danger of 

 swarming is over. In this case no increase 

 should be made, for, if the bees can be kept 

 contented without increasing, they will 

 store much more honey. 



By this time the packing has probably 

 been removed. If not, it should now be 

 taken off and the colonies should be given 

 a larger entrance by withdrawing the en- 

 trance blocks. Colonies are not likely to 

 swarm if they have good young queens, suf- 

 ficient ventilation, plenty of super room in 

 which to store honey, and enough room in 

 the brood-chamber for the queen to lay 

 without being crowded by brood or honey. 

 But, tho unlikely to swarm, they may do so. 

 Therefore, until all danger of swarming is 

 over, the colonies should be carefully ex- 

 amined every seven or eight days to make 

 certain that all within the hive is in right 

 condition. 



Robbing. 



Just before or immediately after a honey 

 flow or when nectar is coming in very slow- 

 ly, bees are constantly on the alert to obtain 

 sweets from any source whatever. If the 

 bees find sweets that have been carelessly 

 left where they have access to them, they 

 will soon get the scent and then will most 

 thoroly search everywhere until they find an 

 opening into the honey-house or other place 

 where the sweets are kept. After they have 

 returned to the hives with their load many 

 other bees join them until soon a loud, high 



BEGINNERS 



Fowls 



3 



LJ 



^=^^^^^^^^^=^ 



humming is 

 heard and the 

 air is filled with 

 thousands of 

 bees darting 

 with great ra- 

 pidity to and 

 from the source 

 of sweets. If the 

 robbing is not 

 stopped by the beekeeper, there will shortly 

 be a fearful uproar of angry, fighting, sting- 

 ing bees that will take possession of the 

 entire neighborhood. Such robbing is not 

 only dangerous because of possible trouble 

 with neighbors, but Is also very bad for the 

 bees. After they have once enjoyed such an 

 orgy they are more inclined to get started 

 again, and in case there are any weak colo- 

 nies in the neighborhood they may be entire- 

 ly destroyed, their stores being stolen and 

 the bees killed by the robbers. Even strong 

 colonies are sometimes overpowered and kill- 

 ed. When the beginner understands the 

 danger of allowing robbing to start, he will, 

 when working with bees, have this continu- 

 ally in mind, and take every precaution to 

 prevent it. 



To Distinguish Robbers from Bees at Play. 

 During the warmest hours of the day, 

 many young bees may be seen at play, flying 

 all about the entrance and making such a 

 commotion that at first glance one might 

 think them robbing, but a closer inspection 

 will show the difference. These bees will 

 be found to be young fuzzy-looking bees. 

 There will be no dark shiny-looking robbers, 

 no fighting nor sneaking, and no challeng- 

 ing of entering bees. The commotion is 

 simply young bees taking their first flight, 

 circling about in front of the entrances in 

 order to mark their locations carefully so 

 that they may know to which hive to return 

 when they take a more distant flight. 

 How to Prevent Robbing. 

 If thru any accident honey is spilled on 

 the ground or hive, it should be diluted with 

 water and all traces of sweet removed. Also, 

 if it is necessary to remove any combs from 

 the hive, they should be placed in an empty 

 super and immediately covered with cloth. 

 When opening colonies during a dearth, 

 but little smoke should be used since the 

 smoke leaves the bees in a more defenseless 

 condition, less able to resist robbers. At 

 such times weak colonies should be left with 

 contracted entrances and their hives should 

 not be opened. The beginner ought never 

 to open hives when bees show a tendency to 

 rob; but, if it is absolutely necessary, let 

 him use a cheese-cloth or netting bee-tent, 

 just large enough to place over himself and 

 the hive. 



To Stop Robbing. 

 If the case of robbing has just started, 

 the entrances should be contracted; and 

 over the fronts of the hives that are being 

 robbed grass should be thrown loosely and 

 kept dampened. 



Any colony that seems unable to defend 



