388 



GLEANINGS T N BEE CULTURE 



June, 1922 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



lius been fine every day, so that many colo- 

 nia are now (May 7) working in the supers. 

 Nevertheless, it is extremely difficult to 

 forecast a honey crop. 



American foul brood is becoming quite 

 prevalent in this locality and is causing a 

 considerable loss. European foul brood, 

 wliich practically wiped out many large api- 

 aries about 15 years ago, has practically 

 disappeared. This disease is no longer con- 

 sidered a menace since we liave learned how 

 to handle it. Judging from some of the 

 recent articles in Gleanings, it would seem 

 that there are even yet some beemen who 

 haven't learned the trick. For their bene- 

 fit let . us repeat: Strong colonies, Italian 

 stock, prompt treatment. Don't wait till 

 the colony becomes rotten with disease but 

 go through the hives every two weeks and 

 treat at once when discovered. A practical 

 mode of treatment is this: Kill the queen, 

 in 10 days destroy queen-cells and unite 

 with a strong colony, preferably Italian, by 

 placing tlie diseased colony on top over a 

 queen-excluder and sheet of newspaper. I 

 have used this treatment with hundreds of 

 colonies and European has been entirely 

 eliminated. But, say, don't try this plan 

 with American foul brood. E. S. Miller. 



Valparaiso, Ind. 



In Wisconsin ^^'''y *^'^ ^^"'■•^^' '"^<^ *^^ 



season so far is normal 

 with the average season. Clover is in nor- 

 mal condition in our immediate vicinity. 

 Outdoor-wintered bees wintered perfectly 

 and better than cellar-wintered bees. The 

 outdoor-wintered colonies are very much in 

 advance of the cellar colonies. Prospects 

 for a crop are normal here at this time. 



We have 250 colonies in modified Long 

 Idea hives, 20 Langstroth frames in one 

 hive-body, permitting the use of ten-frame 

 supers side by side above these lower 20- 

 frame bodies. These hives are packed all 

 the year around, excepting the supers when 

 tliey arc on the hives. 



Previous to this time (June) we have ex- 

 amined our colonies once in April, general 

 condition, bees, queen, amount of brood and 

 lioney being recorded. Normal colonies that 

 have five or more frames of brood and four or 

 more frames solid full of honey at this time 

 (end of April) need no more attention until 

 fruit bloom when a super is given, as they 

 are likely to have 10 or more frames of 

 brood by that time and of course the 20- 

 frame hive full of bees. More supers are 

 added in June before the honey flow. At 

 the beginning of tlie honey flow all colonies 

 and every frame of brood are carefully ex- 

 amined for American foul brood. We have 

 not had any for nine years, but all this time 

 it lins been a few miles away. 



We arc nol olilii^cd to do anyt liin';- wli;it-' 



i^\('r in or with the brood-cliamber to pre- 

 \ent or t-oiiti'ol swarming. We do shift 

 supers and add supers according to the 

 needs of the colonies. That is all the colony 

 work we do during the honey flow. We 

 have less than 59^ of natural swarms per 

 season. Our cellar-wintered bees are in ten- 

 frame Langstroth hives, and we and most 

 other beekeepers here practice a mild form 

 of the Demaree plan for swarm control; al- 

 low the queen two brood-chambers until the' 

 clover flow, then keep the queen in the lower 

 chamber witli three or four frames of most- 

 ly unsealed brood; the balance of the brood 

 is placed in supers above a queen-excluder. 

 A few- frames of brood are placed in the 

 center of each suj^er, so that a line of brood- 

 combs will extend from the bottom of the 

 hive to the top of it without a break. This 

 system does not shock the colonies and 

 cause a setback as it might with a complete 

 break of brood between supers and taking 

 too much away from the queen below at one 

 time. However, it seems to be necessary to 

 remove more frames of brood from the 

 brood-chamber again every week to 10 days 

 and raise them above the excluder.' On a 

 small tryout we had no swarming by simply 

 allowing the queen two lO-frame brood- 

 chambers, one above the other, and adding 

 the supers above. We think that this would 

 not prove reliable every year. 



Greenville, Wis. Edw. Hassinger, Jr. 



» * » 



In New York ^^^^ J'^''^ wintered 



exceedingly well and 

 built up rapidly during April where they 

 were supplied with sufficient stores; but, on 

 account of such heavy brood-rearing during 

 April, many colonies will be short of stores 

 and will have to economize during May un- 

 less supplied by feeding or a good flow from 

 fruit blossoms or dandelions. For this rea- 

 son the.y may not come into the clover honey 

 flow in June in as good condition as they 

 should. 



Omng to last summer's severe drouth clo- 

 ver was tliin and small last fall. Early 

 spring rains helped it considerably and it 

 wns looking quite promising until tlie very 

 cold spell came on the last week of April, 

 with the mercury dropping to 16 degrees. 

 In some places this was accompanied by dry 

 weather and a northwest wind. Clover now 

 has a dry, withered appearance and does not 

 look very promising. We do not believe 

 that clover throughout the west end of the 

 state promises a 50 per cent crop on an 

 average with no prospects at all in some 

 localities. However in many seasons fair 

 yields of honey are secured from rather 

 thin stands of clover, for usually the thin 

 stands are left to thicken up with other 

 grasses before being cut, aff'ording the bees 

 a longer period for working it. It is there- 

 fore always advisable to l)e prei)ared witit 



