Junk, 1922 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



A FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



379 



comb honey it is not the kind of hive one 

 uses that controls sw.arming; it's the kind 

 of honey flow and the way the bees are 

 manipulated to satisf.y them. 



Tn this article I can lay down rules only 

 for my own location, for swarming in some 

 locations is mucli more easily controlled 

 than in others. In all apiaries there is a 

 small jier cent of colonies that seem to get 

 in condition to swarm early in the season. 

 Such colonies are allowed to increase, and 

 these splendid natural cells are used for in- 

 crease or in replacing superannuated queens. 

 This leaves the average-sized colonies to be 

 held until the honey flow without swarming. 



It is not necessary here to discuss the dif- 

 ferent plans of swarm control where one is 

 working for extracted honey, for giving 

 ample room, with a little comb-building to 

 do at all times more than the present needs 

 of the colony up to the honey flow, will do 



COMB LOVERS AND [IRi; WORSHIPPERS 



Effective Work. Done in Conquering Foul Brood 

 in Wisconsin 



Yes, we have foul brood — both kinds — 

 and plenty of it. During the last season I 

 inspected bees in nearly every county in 

 the state, and I found European foul l)rood 

 in almost every yard visited. This disease 

 is no respecter of soils, as many people seem 

 to think. It seems to be equally destructive 

 in the southern part of the state on the 

 rich limestone soil as in the central sandy 

 counties. 



Picture No. 1 shows a yard in western 

 Wisconsin almost 100 per cent destroyed by 

 European foul brood. One of the worst 

 areas in the state last year was part of 

 Brown and Kewauee counties. Many of 

 the infected apiaries were on the limestone 



Fi£ 



-A W 



was almost completely destroyed by Kuropean foul brood. 



the business. But with comb honey it is 

 different. The beekeeper must have a men- 

 tal picture of all conditions, must meet the 

 conditions and demands of the brood-nest 

 and not allow that unbalanced condition be- 

 tween the hive bees and the field Avorkers 

 which will soon produce the swarming fever. 

 This can be done by giving the queen ample 

 room, with some combs to draw out, between 

 the supers and the entrance. This will pre- 

 vent that condition of satisfaction and 

 completeness which bees desire before they 

 swarm. 



Now if one feels sure of the approacli of 

 his main honey flow, lie must reduce his 

 brood-nest to one story and give ample room 

 for surplus-honey storage. Then if the flow 

 comes, swarming will be reduced to the 

 minimum, for there is no condition that pre- 

 vents swarming more than a good honey 

 flow if it comes just at the climax of the 

 swarming fever. M. A. Gill. 



Hyrum, Utah. 



ridge extending thru Door, Kewanee, Brown 



and Calumet countie;. In Oconto County 

 the disease was practically universal. There 

 was a decided epidemic in Bayfield County 

 in the extreme northern part of the state. 



In every case where the disease caused 

 any trouble and loss, two things were evi- 

 dent, hybrid bees and poor beekeeping. So 

 far as I am able to determine, these are the 

 only two factors to be considered in ^ dis- 

 cussion of this disease. I believe that Euro- 

 pean foul brood will eventually destroy all 

 of the black and hybrid bees and put all of 

 the poor beekeepers on the shelf. 



Because of the large number of wide- 

 awake, aggressive beekeepers in Wisconsin, 

 we are not much concerned about Euro- 

 pean foul brood. The presence of the dis- 

 ease is the direct cause of much Italianizing 

 that would not have taken place otherwise. 

 In a sense European foul brood is a bless- 

 ing. It makes an ordinary beekeeper into 

 a good beekeeper or puts him out of the 



