August, 1922 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



iu the fields from early in the morning until 

 late in the evening — a condition uiidcr 

 which the bees nre not much inclined to 

 swarm. 



This suggests the possibility of greatly 

 reducing swarming by better wintering and 

 better spring care, so that the swarming 

 season will have passed before the honey 

 flow begins. In localities where the honey 

 flow comes relatively late there is but little 

 trouble from swarming; but, in the clover 

 region, especially in its northern portion, the 

 swarming season usually comes during the 

 honey flow. If by better management the 

 greatest emergence of young bees can l)e 

 made to occur previous to the honey flow, 

 there would certainly be less trouble from 

 swarming. The few colonies, mentioned 

 above, that attempted to swarm this season 

 were behind the others in building up, so 

 the "swarming season" for these colonies 

 came during the honey flow. Farther north 

 in the clover region where the bees were 

 confined to their hives part of the time dur- 

 ing the honey flow, reports indicate that the 

 bees behaved quite differently as to swarm- 

 ing, some reporting the worst season for 

 swarming for years. The reason for this is 

 apparent, for, even though the swarming 

 season proper had already passed, the con- 

 gestion of the brood-chamber by field bees 

 during an intermittent honey flow is no 

 doubt more conducive to swarming than the 

 congestion brought about by the emerging 

 young bees during the period of greatest 

 emergence. A study of the daily weather 

 maps, published by the Department of Ag- 

 riculture for June, reveals plainly where 

 swarming was troublesome in the clover re 

 gion this season and where it was not trou- 

 blesome. 



ONE great disadvantage in operating api- 

 aries at a distance, so that the beekeeper is 

 in his apiaries only 



Inferior Stock 



Reduces Value 



of Comb Honey. 



during the honey 

 flow, is the lack of 

 opportunity for 

 systematic re- 

 queening and the improvement of the stock. 

 Tt has now been several years since the Edi- 

 tor's apiaries were properly requeened; and 

 it does not take long to slip backward in 

 the quality of^ stock, especially for comb 

 honey, when this important work is not 

 done. The lack of uniformity in stock Avas 

 especially noticeable this season not only in 

 the yield, but, to a much greater degree, in 

 the manner the sections were filled and fin- 

 ished. Some colonies finish the sections of 

 honey in such a manner that they are most 

 attractive, while others do very poor work at 

 finishing. Some colonies fill the sections al 

 most completely without being crowded, 

 while others leave large pop holes at the 

 lower corners or taper off the comb so it is 

 light weight nnd not really attractive. 

 Sonic colonies lon\'o u sj>ace between the 

 honey and the cupping, giving ths cap]iiHg 



that delicate white appearance so desirable 

 iu comb honey; while otlier colonies leave 

 but little if any space between, whicli gives 

 the cappings a dingy or water-soaked ap- 

 pearance. At the close of the season some 

 colonies continue to finish the honey well, 

 while others seem to anticipate the close of 

 the honey flow by varnishing the otherwise 

 white cappings with propolis. 



The honey flow, except at the close, was of 

 such a character this season that there was 

 no excuse for anything but fancy comb hon- 

 ey, yet the grade of some honey Avas low- 

 ered on account of inferior stock. 



The selection of stock is much more exact- 

 ing for comb-honey production than for the 

 production of extracted honey, for Ave must 

 not only have hustlers in gathering and 

 storing, but combined Avith tliis Ave must 

 have good comb-builders, good finishers and 

 as little swarming and propolizing tendency 

 as possible. 



A few Aveeks of time spent in selection 

 and requeening in July and August not only 

 insures stronger and more nearly uniform 

 colonies next spring, but for the comb honey 

 producer a careful selection of the breeding 

 queen should result in an increased value of 

 the crop of honey because of its better fin- 

 ish. In addition to tliis, the enjoAnnent that 

 comes from building up and maintaining a 

 strain of bees best suited for the produc 

 tion of fancy comb honey is Avorth all the 

 effort Avhen one can spare the time. 



COLONIES that SAvarmed and lost their 

 clipped queens just previous to the honey 



floAv and Avere 



When Removing 



the Queen Is Better 



Than Shaking to 



Prevent Swarming. 



prevented from 

 a further at- 

 tempt to swarm 

 b y destroying 

 all but one of 

 the queen-cells, outstripped everything else 

 in the yards this season. In these colonies 

 the young queens began to lay soon after 

 the main honey floAv began, so that they 

 were in prime condition during the best 

 part of the honey floAv early in 'June. The 

 few colonies that Avere shaken to anticipate 

 SAvarming forged ahead immediately after 

 shaking but soon dropped behind because of 

 their decreasing numbers. 



Tavo years ago the rcA-erse Avas true in 

 these same apiaries. That season it Avas the 

 shaken SAvarms that outstripped all others. 

 eA-en those Avhich made no attempt to 

 SAvarm, while the colonies which had their 

 queens remoA-ed gaA^c the poorest yield; btit 

 in that case the best part of the honey floAV 

 came Avhile the dequeened colonies Aver^ 

 still queenless and immediately after the 

 others Avere shaken, Avhile this season the 

 best part of the honey flow came after the 

 young queens began to lay. With so inur-h 

 A^ariation in the seasons, especialU- in the 

 eastern portion of the United States, no 

 Avonder beekeepers do not agree as to AA'hicli 

 method is better. 



