74 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 15 



bees are left confined during the greater 

 part of the day, or until near noon time, so 

 that they become considerably disturbed. 

 The moving to the new location can be done 

 either during the evening or early morning 

 before, and leaving them confined on the 

 new location, or they can be confined on the 

 old place when they are not flying, and then 

 moved during the warmer part of the day. 

 The latter is the most satisfactory, as the 

 moving stirs the bees up more just before 

 they are set free; but in warm weather the 

 former should be adhered to. 



To release the bees the moss is only part- 

 ly removed from one side of the entrance, 

 and left in front of it to obstruct the pas- 

 sageway somewhat. The bees rush out 

 with a roar, and mark the new location im- 

 mediately. 



For closing up newly made nuclei, in out- 

 yards especially, the moss, for closing the 

 entrance, is most excellent and convenient. 

 Several years ago a lot of 30 such nuclei 

 were made and closed up while robbing was 

 bad. The rest of the season was a bad one 

 except for just enough honey coming in to 

 keep the colonies built up. I did not return 

 to this yard until next year, or nine months 

 later, and found that all the nuclei had re- 

 leased themselves by gnawing away a part 

 of the moss, and had built up to good colo- 

 nies. 



This taught me a lesson to go still a step 

 further, and use moss in closing the entrances 

 for winter. Only a small opening is left at 

 one side of the hive. Next spring the bees 

 can enlarge the entrances as they need it. 

 I have two apiaries closed up so now, that I 

 do not expect to visit until late next spring, 

 when supers will be needed. If wood were 

 used, extra visits would be necessary to reg- 

 ulate or open the entrances. The danger of 

 a colony remaining closed up by oversight is 

 also done away with, as the bees can free 

 themselves. 



SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. 



If we would only stop occasionally and ask 

 ourselves a few questions I am sure we 

 should profit by them. Instead v/e rush on 

 in the same old way, and without the 

 slightest thought that we might go slower, 

 and make more by improving upon our ways 

 and methods. 



THE QUALITY OF OUR QUEENS. 



First of all, what kind of queen heads 

 each of your colonies? Is she as good as 

 she should be? This is an important ques- 

 tion. What, in the success of a colony, does 

 not depend upon the mother of the hive? 

 The best of them is none too good. It would 

 be folly for one of our Texas "cattle kings " 

 to head his herd with a scrub bull of un- 

 known worth; yet too many bee- keepers are 

 practicing just such a thing with regard to 

 their queens. Entirely too little attention 

 is given this subject. Were this not the 

 case, much better strains of bees would be 

 found in many of our apiaries instead of 

 rundown strains that are not yielding their 

 owner the profit that could be obtained. 



PROFIT. 



Here's an example. In an experimental 

 yard of 21 colonies, m.anaged for bulk comb 

 honey, one colony produced 245 pounds of 

 surplus. Four averaged 160 pounds each; 

 ten gave 90 pounds each; three, 60 pound-:; 

 two, 15 pounds, and three gave no surplus, 

 making a total of 2000 pounds, or a ton of 

 honey. The difference in surplus stored 

 was due to the queens more than any other 

 condition. The colonies were all treated 

 alike, and had the same chances. I knew 

 the queens of each colony, and could judge 

 them accordingly. The colonies making the 

 larger yields contained queens of better 

 stock from the previous fall's raising, and 

 were in their prime. The others were ei- 

 ther old or unproductive. The most prolific 

 queen had the most populous and prosperous 

 colony, and produced the most honey. 



A LITTLE FIGURING. 



Now let us suppose that such a queen 

 would have been at the head of each colony. 

 Might not the yield have been increased con- 

 siderably? Instead of 2000 pounds it would 

 have meant a total of 5145 pounds, or a gain 

 of 3145 pounds. The selling price averaged 

 9 cents per pound, or $180 for the crop. At 

 the same rate a gain of $283.05 would have 

 been made. Is it needless to argue that 

 improvement in stock would pay? It is only 

 necessary to figure what returns would have 

 been obtained with the colonies that pro- 

 duced only a small amount or no surplus. 



WINTERING THE COLONIES. 



Do you know that your bees are winter- 

 ing all right ? Have they sufficient stores 

 to last them, not only for the average win- 

 ter but through a ' ' rainy day ' ' that might 

 prolong the wintering season ? Many bee- 

 keepers suffered much loss last winter from 

 just such carelessness. It was supposed that 

 stores sufficient were in the hives to winter 

 the colonies safely. The spring was late, 

 cold, and wet, and the supply for an average 

 winter was soon exhausted. As no new 

 stores could be obtained by the bees they 

 starved. 



BEING PREPARED FOR THE HARVEST. 



If the bees winto^r well, are you prepared 

 for the honey-flow ? That is, did you order 

 your supplies early, get a good discount for 

 ordering them early, and spend rainy days 

 nailing them up, and making good wages 

 while otherwise there would have been 

 nothing to do ? There is no doubt that the 

 early-discount offers are of much value to 

 the bee-keeper who observes them. It not 

 only saves him money on the discount given, 

 but he saves valuable time, and makes idle 

 time valuable by nailing them up and pre- 

 paring them for the season ahead of time. 

 Your attention has been called to this mat- 

 ter 80 often, and it was kept before you so 

 constantly in the advertisements of supply- 

 dealers, that it is none but your fault if 

 you did not take advantage of the oppor- 

 tunity. 



