536 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



August, 1922 



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TALKS TO 



Geo. S. 



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TH E O U GH- 

 OUT the 

 greater por- 

 tion of the Unit- 

 ed States August 

 is a quiet month 

 for the bees, 

 though the bee- 

 keeper may be 

 busy caring for 

 his honey crop and seeing that his colonies 

 are in proper condition for fall. Usually 

 there is but little if any nectar available 

 during the first half of the month, except 

 in certain especially favored regions such 

 as portions of the alfalfa and sweet clover 

 regions of the West. While the recent rains 

 in the clover region have revived the white 

 clover so that there may be a large amount 

 of bloom in some places, not much nectar 

 can be expected from this source in August. 

 Beginners are often puzzled to note that 

 the honey flow from clover ceases in July, 

 even though there is apparently an abund- 

 ance of bloom left. Occasionally the late- 

 blooming clover furnishes considerable nec- 

 tar, but it can not be depended upon even 

 to furnish enough for the bees to live on 

 this month. In portions of the clover re- 

 gion, conditions are favorable this season 

 for some nectar from the second crop of 

 red clover. Sometimes this plant yields in 

 sufficient quantities to make it necessary to 

 put the supers back on the hives to furnish 

 room for the red clover honey. Those who 

 are located where much red clover seed is 

 produced, should watch their colonies to see 

 if they store from this source. 



When no nectar is to be had most of the 

 bees if undisturbed stay at home even dur- 

 ing the middle of the day, only a few going 

 to the fields. Some of these carry water 

 and some carry pollen. This lack of flight 

 is quite noticeable, especially when the hon- 

 ey flow closes abruptly, thus emphasizing 

 the contrast between the busy days of the 

 honey flow and the leisure after its close. 



During hot weather great clusters of bees 

 hang quietly on the outside of the hive in 

 strong colonies. Beginners, who have read 

 in the books and journals that bees should 

 not be permitted to cluster out in this way, 

 are sometimes greatly disturbed to find all 

 their strong colonies clustering out after 

 the honey flow has closed, but it is quite 

 normal for them to do so. The great army 

 of workers that have suddenly found them- 

 selves without a job must go somewhere, 

 and, if there is not room for all of them 

 inside the hive during the heat of the day 

 without- danger of suffocation or, melting the 

 combs, clustering out is the proper thing 

 for them to do. The caution in the books 

 and journals against permitting the bees to 

 cluster on the outside of the hive refers to 

 clustering out during the honey flow, not 

 after it has closed. 



During hot weather bees use considerable 

 water, and the water carriers are sometimes 

 annoying around watering troughs or pumps. 



BEGINNERS 



Demuth 



1 



^^^^^^^^^ 



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This can be 

 avoided by 

 placing a jar of 

 water near the 

 hives to supply 

 the needs of the 

 bees. A layer of 

 cork chips, such 

 as those used in 

 shipping grapes, 

 makes a good float to prevent the bees from 

 drowning. After the bees have formed the 

 habit of obtaining water at a pump or water- 

 ing trough it is difficult to entice them away 

 hy placing water near them; but, if this is 

 done early or the supply shut off at the other 

 place, they will soon learn to go to the sup- 

 ply provided by the beekeeper. 



Care of Comb Honey. 



Those who took off comb honey promptly 

 as soon as finished, as advised last month, 

 will no doubt have it all taken off before 

 this journal is mailed, except in the few 

 regions where the honey flow continues 

 through July. The supers of finished comb 

 honey should be stored in a dry room, pre- 

 ferably an upstairs room. Comb honey will 

 absorb moisture through the cappings if ex- 

 posed to dampness, and if much moisture is 

 absorbed the expansion of the honey in the 

 cells sometimes bursts the capping and hon- 

 ey oozes out, thus spoiling its appearance. 

 Such honey usually ferments slightly, which 

 also spoils its flavor. Even if the cappings 

 are not broken out the expansion of the 

 honey sometimes causes it to fill the cells 

 completely against the capping, causing the 

 capping to take on a water-soaked appear- 

 ance. All this trouble can be avoided by 

 proper storage in a dry room. 



The supers of finished honey should be 

 piled in a tight pile, the first super being 

 placed on a flat board or an inner cover and 

 the top of the pile covered tight. The pile 

 should not rest directly on the floor unless 

 in an upstairs room. A hive-body or box can 

 be used to support the pile above the floor. 



Wax Moth Larvae May Damage Comb 

 Honey. 



Sometimes the larvae of the wax moth get 

 into comb honey after it is taken from the 

 hives. The first indications of their work 

 are patches of fine particles resembling fine 

 sawdust, which may be seen on the surface 

 of the combs or in vacant cells at the edge 

 of the section. A little later the tiny larvae 

 can be seen eating holes in the cappings. 



Tf wax moth larvae appear they should 

 be killed by placing a small amount of car- 

 bon bisulphide (obtainable at drug stores) 

 in a shallow pan which is set on top of the 

 upper super in the pile but inside of an 

 empty super, the cover being placed over 

 tliis empty super. An ounce of carbon bi- 

 sulphide is sufficient to kill all the wax 

 moth larvae in five or six ordinary comb- 

 lioney sujiers within half an hour. This fu- 

 migation, if needed, should be done about 

 two weeks after the Iioney was taken from 



