248 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



THOSE who 

 have secured 



TALKS TO BEGINNERS 



Geo. S. Demuth 



their colonies 

 of bees and mov- 

 ed them home, 

 as advised in the . 



''Talks" in the | |l If 



February and 

 March issues, 

 will be interest- 

 ed to note the activity of the bees during 

 the first warm days in April. In the South 

 the colonies are already rearing large num- 

 bers of young and becoming quite strong. 

 In some places they may swarm this month; 

 but, in the North, brood-rearing will only 

 get Avell under way during April. It is 

 time now, both north and south, for begin- 

 ners to become acquainted with the bees 

 themselves and, especially in the South, 

 learn to handle them. 

 Meaning of Things Seen at the Entrance. 

 By noting the bees at the entrance it is 

 possible to tell several things about the col-" 

 ony Avithout opening the hive. Sometimes 

 the number of bees in flight near the en- 

 trance is much greater than at other times. 

 These periods of excessive flight do not nec- 

 essarily mean that the bees are working 

 more than usual. After they have been con- 

 fined to their hives by bad weather for 

 some time the bees will rush out in great 

 numbers for a cleansing flight or for a little 

 playflight in the sunshine. Also, when young 

 bees begin to emerge in great numbers, the 

 playflight of these youngsters will be no- 

 ticed, this usually taking place early in the 

 afternoon. In either case this extra flight 

 soon subsides, and the more moderate flight 

 of the regular work continues. 



Unusual activity at the entrance also oc- 

 curs when bees are robbing; but, if the col- 

 ony is strong and has not just been disturbed 

 by opening the hive, there is no good rea- 

 son to suspect that these extra bees in 

 flight are robbers from neighboring colonies. 

 Bees in robbing behave differently in flight 

 from bees taking a cleansing flight or a 

 playflight, and it is well for the beginner 

 to know this difference. Unlike the inmates 

 of the hive, robber bees are cautious and 

 alert on entering, but heavy with stolen 

 honey and anxious to escape Avhen they come 

 out. Except in the case of very weak colo- 

 nies which are not able to defend them- 

 selves against robbers, and queenless colo- 

 nies which sometimes cease to defend their 

 hive, robbing is usually the fault of the 

 beekeeper in exposing the combs too free- 

 ly when opening the hives at a time when 

 the bees are not able to find much nectar 

 in the flowers. 



By noting the regular work of the field- 

 bees as they come and go, it is possible to 

 judge as to the strength of the colony. By 

 noting the manner of flight one can tell 

 whether they are finding nectar in abun- 

 dance or but little if any. Bees that are 

 heavily laden with nectar are less alert than 



U 



April, 1922 



empty bees and 

 can readily be 

 distinguished by 

 their manner of 

 alighting and en- 

 tering the hive. 

 Note the number 

 of bees entering 

 the hive with lit- 

 tle balls of pol- 

 len attached to their legs. These can easily be 

 seen as the bees run in at the entrance, each 

 pollen-carrier carrying two pollen pellets. 

 The ancients thought these were tiny peb- 

 bles which the bees carried for ballast, but 

 Ave now know that they are balls of pollen 

 Avhich the bees haA'e gathered from the flow- 

 ers and packed in the little hairy baskets on 

 their legs. Pollen furnishes the nitrogenous 

 portion of the diet for the rapidly growing 

 bee larvae and is essential for brood-rearing. 

 By noting the color of the pollen and then 

 watching the bees at Avork in the fields or 

 forest, the inquisitive beginner soon learns 

 to distinguish pollen from different floAvers 

 since it varies greatly in color. 

 When to Open the Hive for Examination. 

 Usually it is best not to open the hives 

 unless necessary until fruit bloom; but, by 

 choosing a warm day when the bees are 

 Avorking well on some early blooming flow- 

 ers, hives can be opened Avithout injuring 

 the colonies this month, CA^en in the North. 

 Colonies, that are packed for Avinter in such 

 a manner that it is necessary to unpack 

 them for examination, should be left alone 

 until some time in May in the North, unless 

 there is reason to believe they are short of 

 food Avhen, of course, they should be exam- 

 ined and fed if necessary. Beginners should 

 not attempt to open hives to examine colo- 

 nies Avhen the Aveather is cool or Avhen the 

 bees are not working freely. Neither 

 should they attempt this early in the morn- 

 ing or late in the afternoon at this season, 

 for it is much easier to handle bees Avithout 

 being stung during the middle of the day 

 Avhen it is Avarmest and Avhen the bees are 

 Avorking most freely in the fields. 

 How to Open the Hive. 

 With the smoker lighted and going Avell 

 and Avitli the bee-A'eil carefully adjusted so 

 no bees can get under it, approach the 

 liiA-e at the side, not in front. Give a light 

 puff or tAvo of smoke at the entrance, just 

 enough to subdue the guards. This i§ not 

 alAvays necessary, but it is a good precau- 

 tion until one learns when it can safely be 

 omitted. Take off the outer cover and the 

 cushion or tray that holds the Avinter pack- 

 ing if one is on the hiA'e, and then insert the 

 chisel-like end of the hive-tool under one 

 corner of the inner cover, lifting it not more 

 than an eighth of an inch, so smoke can be 

 bloAvn through the crack before any bees 

 can get out. Next, treat the adjacent cor- 

 ner in the same way and then slowly lift 

 the end of the cover thus loosened, at the 

 same time blowing smoke uii<iQr it to drive 



