1906 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



11] 



ly they not only heard but understood the 

 language of those near the queen. 



WOULD CANDY DO FOR STIMULATIVE FEED- 

 ING? 



Here is another incident which revealed to 

 me a fact of which I was before ignorant. 

 Perhaps it may xmX be new to others more 

 familiar with winter feeding of bees. The 

 last of January I gave a few pounds of candy, 

 made from granulated sugar, to a colony 

 short of stores. A mouth later I opened the 

 hive and found the candy nearly all gone. 

 Lifting out a few frames I found consideral)le 

 uncapped honey which was not there a month 

 before. It had evidently been made from 

 the solid candy. I had siipposed they ate 

 the candy without first changing it to honey 

 and placing it in the coml:)s. As they do thus 

 change it, how would it answer to give them 

 candy at the proper season to stimulate 

 breeding? What say you, Mr. Editor? 



HOW SWARMS LOCATE. 



Another matter frequently referred to in 

 l)ee literature relates to the time l^ees send 

 out scouts to select a new home. Possibly 

 this is sometimes deferred till after the swarm 

 issues: but my observation convinces me that 

 it is usually done some days before. I will 

 briefly relate one or two instances when this 

 wa< certainly done. One June dayl discov- 

 ered bees apparently briskly at work as I 

 passed a large oak-tree. There was, some 

 thirty feet up the tree, a knot larger than a 

 half- bushel measure, which the l^ees seem to 

 have matle their home, and where they were 

 very busy. I passed the tree daily, and for 

 nearly a week the liees were active. Then 

 all at once they were gone, and I saw them 

 no more. A few weeks later a strong wind 

 l)lew the knot otf. and I had a chance to ex- 

 amine it. 1 found the hollow as smooth and 

 I'lean as if scrubbed with a brush. Evident- 

 ly the bees had cleaned it for occupancy: but 

 when they swarmed they were doubtless 

 hived by their owner, and were so well 

 pleased with their new quarters that they 

 . aljandoued the itlea of removal. 



In another case I found a bee-tree, as I 

 supposed, and in a day or two I went to cut 

 the tree and hive the bees. Only a few stray 

 Itees were in the tree. The hollow of the 

 tree, as in the case of the one hrst mention- 

 ed, had been nicely prepared for house-keep- 

 ing. Had I waited a few days I should prob- 

 ably have secured my bees unless they were 

 domestics, and captured swarming-day by 

 their owner. 



The idea frequently advanced, that Ijees 

 send out scouts after the swarm has issued: 

 that these scouts find a home in an hour or 

 two. and. returning at once, lead the swarm 

 to the hastily selected home, seems to me 

 very improbal)le and unreasonable. I am 

 sure that oljserved facts point to a different 

 conclusion. 



Springfield, Mo. 



[Whether the bees heard in the case you 

 <-ite is not entirely proven. The odor of a 

 queen will attract the attention of l)ees some 



distance away, and almost instantly. Those 

 that are queeuless, and fairly crying for a 

 queeu. would almost instantly detect the 

 smell of the thing for which they have been 

 mourning. 



Understand. I do not claim in this case 

 that the bees did not hear her, but the signs 

 of rejoicing might have come about through 

 scent. 



Yes. candy can be used for stimulative 

 feeding: and when robbers are inclined to 

 meddle, feed in the shape of candy is much 

 Ijetter than .syrup. When the bees can go to 

 the field they can get water, and with the 

 candy mix their own syrup. What you dis- 

 covei'ed in the combs was probably their 

 own syrup which they had inverted. 



There have been a number of reports like 

 those you cite, of how laees a week or so 

 ahead would send out scouts to select a new 

 home in anticipation of accommodating the 

 swarm. I do not remember that it has been 

 claimed that scouts have been sent out with- 

 in an hour or two of the swarm. The re- 

 ports have generally shown that this scout- 

 ing may be going on for a number of days: 

 so that your observation is (juite in line with 

 that of others. — Ed.] 



DISTINGUISHING BEES. 



Can the Black Races be Distinguished from 

 each other? Carniolans Adapted to Cer- 

 tain Conditions and Localities. 



BY W. A. H. GILSTRAP. 



Nothing in late issues of Gleanings has 

 surprised me more than the article begining 

 on page 505. conceruing the identity of bees 

 of different varieties. The question of purity 

 Avas raised concerning Italian bees many 

 years ago. and A. I. Root had a cut made 

 showing the three yellow bands of the bee. 

 which should show when the bee was tilled 

 with honey and placed on a windoic. Lang- 

 stroth's work, as revised by the Dadants. and 

 perhaps other authorities, accept this Root 

 test of Italian purity. It has been my cus- 

 tom for years to decide on the purity of bees 

 of dift'erent races by their looks and actions 

 on brood-combs. 



Mr. Davis' scheme looks entertaining 

 enough as a riddle: Ijut to get any value from 

 guessing on the identity of bees in a cage, 

 dead or alive — well. I'll give it up. To place 

 them on a window would certainly be a more 

 reliable test. 



The Dadants say in Langstroth's work 

 that they did not raise Carniolans. ijecause of 

 the difficulty of detecting their cross with 

 l)lacks from the pure stock. The only Car- 

 niolans I ever saw (pure stock) were from 

 the Lockhart yards, and they are quite dif- 

 ferent from blacks when they have the liber- 

 ty of the hive. Since I commenced breeding 

 them many visitors have noted the striking 

 dift'ereuce in looks and actions. 



Either the editor or myself am at sea about 

 the requirements that the Department im- 

 poses. I think that the authorities want on- 



