June, 1909. 



American "Bee Journal 



through, he says there is no building 

 down. 



On the same page, Dr. C. C. Miller, 

 while commending the plan, points out 

 that it is better suited for hives stand- 

 ing singly than for those standing in 

 groups of 4. In the latter case there 

 is likely to be some mixing of bees. 

 But can any great harm come from 

 mixing? He says that at one time he 

 had his hives raised by means of a 

 block at each corner. There was no 

 building down, but it was unpleasant 

 to work sitting beside such a hive, as 

 the bees would come out at the side 

 and sting his legs. But why didn't he 

 ' set a board against the side of the hive 

 while sitting there? 



If there can be an abundant open- 

 ing without having the bees build down- 

 it ought to be quite a factor in pre- 

 venting swarming. 



Destroying Queen-Cells and Swarm- 

 ing 



Sometimes the beginner thinks he is 

 pretty much master of the situation be- 

 cause he can take out the combs of a 

 colony and kill all queen-cells that have 

 been started. He reasons : "Bees al- 

 ways start queen-cells before swarm- 

 ing, and the first swarm issues when 

 the first cell is sealed, or about 8 days 

 after the egg is laid in the cell. So if 

 I kill all cells once every 8 days, there 

 will be no chance for a swarm to is- 

 sue. Good scheme, and easy." 



But it is not so good as he thinks. 

 In one case it may be that when the 

 cells are killed once, there may be 110 

 further attempt at swarming. But in 

 another case there may be cells started 

 again within a day or so. If these are 

 again killed, it only seems to make the 

 bees more determined, and finally the 

 bees may conclude to swarm with 

 queen-cells only slightly advanced, or 

 indeed with none started at all. It may 

 as well be fully understood that destruc- 

 tion of queen-cells is not to be depended 

 on as a preventive of swarming. 



The exception to this is in the case 

 of afterswarms. When the prime 

 swarm issues, the old queen goes with 

 it, and under ordinary circumstances 

 a second swarm may issue about 8 days 

 later. If, however, a day or two be- 

 fore this time all queen-cells but one 

 are killed, there will be no more swarm- 

 ing. 



That sounds easy ; and yet the ex- 

 perienced bee-keeper is not likely to 

 practice nor to advise killing queen-cells 

 to prevent afterswarms. There is an 

 easier and better way. It has been giv- 

 en a number of times in these columns. 

 When the prime, or first, swarm issues, 

 set the hive containing the swarm on the 

 old stand and set the old hive close 

 beside it. A week later move the old 

 hive to a new stand 10 feet or more 

 distant. That's all; the bees will do the 

 rest. No need to open the hive at all. 

 ^Moving it that short distance is easier 

 than to open the hive and hunt the cells. 

 Besides that, it is surer. You may miss 

 a cell; the bees will not. 



Some beginner may say. "I think I'll 

 make the matter still easier by setting 

 the old hive at once at a distance where 

 it is finally to remain." That may be 



easier, but by no means so sure. For 

 if set at once where it is finally to re- 

 main, the old colony will during the 

 next 7 or 8 days have a large number 

 of young bees emerging from their cells 

 and will feel fully competent to send 

 out another swarm. 



The case is utterly different if the old 

 hive be placed beside the swarm and 

 not moved to a new place for a week. 

 When then moved, all the field-bees will, 

 upon return from foraging, go straight 

 to the old place and join the swarm. 

 This will greatly deplete the mother col- 

 ony. Not only that, for a day or so 

 nothing will be brought into the hive 

 from the fields. Even if there were 

 no depletion in numbers, this sudden 

 dearth coming suddenly upon them 

 would be enough to drive out all thought 

 of swarming. 



Don't think of depending on the kill- 

 ing of cells to prevent either prime 

 swarms or afterswarms. 



Gettmg Many Queen-Cells 



A new way of getting queen-cells in quan- 

 tity is given by Hans Pechaczek, Bienen- 

 Vater, 247. Let the best queen fill a frame 

 with eggs. When the oldest larvae are a day 

 old. cut the cells into strips somewhat .Alley 

 fafhinn, only don't cut through the septum. 

 With a narrow chisel scrape away between 

 the strips, making sure to leave no eggs or 

 larvae. Destroy eggs or larva in every alter- 

 nate cell in each strip. Put this frame fiat- 

 wise over a strong colony having no queen or 

 open brood. Let it be raised just enough 

 above the top-bars so that there shall be room 

 to build down queen-cells, not allowing the 

 bees to get at the upperside of comb. — Stray 

 Straw in Gleanings. 



The question may be raised whether 

 the quality of the product will be all 

 right if the quantity be as great as 

 one might suppose with the foregoing 



plan. It has been claimed that not 

 more than 10 to 12 cells should be pro- 

 duced at one time if they are to be 

 good. It is doubtful, however, wheth- 

 er we have any very positive knowl- 

 edge on this point, although it is very 

 desirable that we should have. Some 

 colonies, notably Cyprians, start 50 

 cells or more at a time, and so far 

 as reported they are as good as in 

 cases where only 5 or 10 are started. 

 Naturally, one would suppose that in- 

 stinct would hardly lead the bees astray. 

 Moreover, at the time when bees are 

 preparing to swarm there is a great 

 falling oflf in the laying of the queen, 

 and consequently a smaller number of 

 worker-larvse to be fed. That, surely, 

 ought to leave an abundance of extra 

 food for the royal youngsters. 



When a colony is made queenless, 

 there is an entire cessation of egg-lay- 

 ing. That will make no difference in 

 the number of mouths to feed until 

 the end of about 3 days. Then, sup- 

 posing the queen had been laying at 

 the rate of 2,000 eggs a day, there will 

 be a daily falling off of 2,000 boarders. 

 That ought to leave a pretty good chance 

 for a big lot of queen-cells. 



"But," asks some one, "how about 

 that first 3 days when there is as yet 

 no diminution in the number of the 

 regular boarders?" Well, in the first 

 3 days we are told the food given to 

 royal larvae is the same as that given 

 to worker-larvse, and the probability 

 is that in the first 3 days of its exis- 

 tence the quantity of food consumed by 

 a royal larvae does not differ much 

 from that consumed by a worker-larvje. 

 To be sure, a royal larva is fed very 

 lavishly, but it does not consume all it 

 is fed. 



IIeiK)5 - Items 



**''•»•''•-■»■ ^'"^"^^ 





The Iowa Bee-Inspector Law 



It seems that the legislature of Iowa 

 passed a Bee-Inspector bill a short time 

 ago, but it carried with it no appropria- 

 tion of funds. Consequently the Gov- 

 ernor will make no appointment of in- 

 spector, there being no funds available 

 for paying the expenses. 



This looks very much af if the law- 

 makers of Iowa had handed the bee- 

 keepers a gold-brick. It seems very 

 strange that a bill should be passed that 

 required funds in order to make it ef- 

 fective, and then no funds provided for 

 such use. What's the matter with Iowa's 

 law-makers? The bee-keepers there 

 ought to get the business end of the bee 



after them ! 



^ 



Bee-Keeping and Italian Earthquake 



On page 121 of the April American 

 Bee Journal, we published something 



about Signer Vincenzo Asprea, an Itali- 

 an queen-breeder, who lived near the 

 scene of the great earthquake which 

 occurred in December, 1908. Since that 

 item was published we have received two 

 pictures from Mr. Asprea, accompanied 

 ijy the following letter : 



Mr. George W. Yobk, Chicago — 



Dear Sir: — I thank you for the kind words 

 in the American Bee Journal for April, 1909. 

 I send you the photographs of my home and 

 home apiary. As you can see, my home was 

 half ruined by the earthquake of December 

 28, 1908. I am demolishing it, as it is un- 

 inhabitable. The ruins that can be noticed 

 near the apiary belong to another house, and 

 not a hive was injured by the fall. But I 

 lost the bee-laboratory and some tools. 



Unfortunately enough, my sister and brother- 

 in-law were killed bv the earthquake in Reg- 

 gio. There were about 120,000 dead in Reggio 

 and iVIessina. Yours truly, 



Vincent Asprea. 



Gallina, Calabria, Italy, May 11. 



We were pleased to receive the pic- 

 tures shown on the first page, which 



