10 



fiLfiAMlJSTGS IN BEfi CULTURE 



January, 1922 



ing the winter yielded an average of seven 

 supers of honey per colony, while those left 

 unpacked yielded an average of but one 

 super each. No doubt the difference of 

 opinion among beekeepers of the Intermoun- 

 tain Eegion as to the value of winter pro- 

 tection is a result of differences of altitude 

 and exposure to winds, but probably the 

 chief reason for the prevalent practice of 

 wintering in single-walled hives lies in the 

 fact that the main honey flow comes so late 

 that even weak colonies have time to 

 build up for it in the spring. Some of those 

 who are packing for winter in Colorado 

 practice dividing these strong colonies in 

 May, which enables them to have two 

 strong colonies ready for the honey flow 

 which usually begins the latter part of June 

 or the first of July. If no increase is want- 

 ed the colonies are reunited at the close of 

 the main honey flow, which gives strong 

 colonies for winter and saves considerable 

 fall brodtl-rearing. 



3fi^S)S= 



EEPOETS from some of the meetings of 

 beekeepers recently held in different parts 



of the country 



Are Beekeepers 



Losing Interest in 



Honey Production? 



indicate a 

 smaller attend- 

 ance than usual, 

 as well as a 

 lack of interest in some cases. This is to be 

 expected after a few years of abnormally 

 high prices for honey, and no doubt many 

 of those who plunged headlong into honey 

 production when prices were high will drop 

 out when prices are no longer so alluring. 

 Honey production must now pass out of the 

 highly speculative, "get rich quick" class 

 and go back among the more conservative 

 industries. Perhaps the sooner this is ac- 

 complished, the better. 



But many of the older beekeepers are 

 finding it difiicult to readjust themselves to 

 the new conditions; and, strange as it may 

 seem, just when beekeepers are most in need 

 of the benefits that should come from their 

 meetings in helping them to reduce their 

 production costs and increase their yields, 

 many are failing to take advantage of the 

 winter meetings. The Editor is convinced 

 that now is the time to push ahead in hon- 

 ey production instead of hanging back. The 

 greatly increased consumption of honey 

 thus far this season, in spite of adverse in- 

 dustrial conditions, certainly looks good for 

 the future. The potential market for honey 

 is no doubt greater than any of us have 

 ever dreamed it could be. Those who stick 

 to honey production now, get away from the 

 wasteful methods in production which, in 

 spite of the waste, yielded a profit when 

 prices were higli, and pass by no opportun- 

 ity to learn something that may help to in- 

 crease their average yield per colony, are 

 tlio ones who will have their buckets riglit 

 side up when more jirosperous times come. 



THESE editorials are written in southern 

 California where the Editor is assisting in 

 a short course in 

 The Wintering 

 Problem in South- 

 ern California. 



beekeeping given 

 at Los Angeles 

 by the Extension 

 Division of the 

 University of California and the U. S. De- 

 partment of Agriculture. At this time (Dec. 

 10) normal colonies of bees of normal 

 strength for this season are broodless and 

 about as quiescent as they ever become in 

 this region except during periods of rainy 

 weather. 



Apparently the bees try to take a rest 

 here during the winter as they do in the 

 North, but during the day the hive is 

 warmed up by the bright sunshine and, if 

 the bees have formed a cluster during the 

 night, it is broken during the day. The bees 

 usually fly freely nearly CA^ery day except 

 during rainy weather. 



Willows are already beginning to put out 

 new growth where they have sufficient wa- 

 ter supply, and soon the bees will be gath- 

 ering pollen from this source. Some varie- 

 ties of the eucalyptus are now in bloom, and 

 the bees are beginning to obtain nectar 

 from this source. The warm days and cool 

 nights, together with some early pollen and 

 nectar, will soon stimulate in all normal colo- 

 nies brood-rearing, which is then continued 

 thru the remainder of the winter, tho it is 

 not carried on extensively. Usually brood 

 can be found in some of the colonies of any 

 apiary in parts of southern California every 

 month in the year. Thus while there is a 

 more or less definite broodless period here 

 in the fall or early winter, this period is 

 only a few weeks long instead of a few 

 months as in the North. 



One outstanding feature of winter brood- 

 rearing here is that, as a rule, it is the 

 strongest colonies that remain broodless the 

 longest. Weak colonies or colonies made up 

 largely of old bees are the ones that can be 

 expected to rear brood at this time when 

 the strong colonies are broodless. This long- 

 er period of no brood-rearing should give to 

 the strong colonies a great advantage. 



With so much winter activity the colonies 

 often become badly depleted during the win- 

 ter, dwindling down to mere nuclei before 

 they begin to gain in the spring. Surprising 

 as it may seem to northern beekeepers, the 

 problem of having the colonies rousing 

 strong at the beginning of the honey flow 

 from orange blossoms is apparently more 

 difficult than that of the northern beekeeper 

 in having his colonies ready for the honey 

 flow from clover. In other words, excessive 

 winter flight, together with winter brood- 

 rearing, is more difficult to overcome than 

 winter activity because of cold weather or 

 poor stores during confinement in the North. 



The most important steps in the prepara- 

 tion for winter here, to prevent the deple- 

 tion of the colonies bv excessive winter ac- 



