132 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



July, 



in particular showed wonderful re- 

 sults, and signs of swarming appeared 

 after two supers bad been removed. 



I wisbed to make a record from tbis 

 queen and it could not be done if left 

 to tbe coachman or the gardener who 

 generally caught those swarms that 

 did not escape. 



When the swarming condition was 

 noted there were several sealed queen 

 cells and many in all stages. A thun- 

 der shower was coming up and a ten- 

 mile drive with several «warms to 

 examine made me think fast, and I 

 determined to try a scheme that had 

 haunted me for some time. Tbe ten 

 frames and tbe followei*, thanks to 

 tbe accuracy of tbe manufacturer, ma- 

 terially assisted me; fitting tbe Interior 

 of the hive "like tbe paper on the 

 wall," I pried the entire body free 

 from the bottom board and turned it 

 completely over — "der attic where der 

 cellar vas," as Schmidt, the poultry- 

 man, suggested as he removed a sting- 

 er from his nose. 



Three other swarms were j:reated in 

 like manner, tbe supers being replaced. 

 On my next visit I found all tbe cells 

 that had been built on my previous 

 visit bad been destroyed by tbe bees 

 with the exception of one and in this 

 sealed cell was a dead queen. How- 

 ever, another batch of cells had been 

 prepared. Tbe supers were again re- 

 placed, after the bodies had been 

 turned over again and tbe following 

 week these cells were destroyed. Af- 

 ter tbe third ti'ial tbe honey flow 

 stopped for a time and I bad no more 

 trouble from these swarms which 

 went into winter quarters loaded with 

 bees and honey and came out tbis 

 spring almost as strong. 



Some will say you may be able to 

 reverse a Danz body but bow about 

 hives with Hoffman frames? My ex- 

 perience with Hoffman frames inclines 

 me to believe that they would stick 

 together if tbe hive was thrown from 

 tbe top of tbe barn. 



However, a channel one-half inch 

 square and three inches long could be 

 cut in the sides of the hive and a 

 one-fourth inch iron rod passed over 

 tbe frames. Tbe ends, which had been 

 bent at right angles to tbe bar, could 

 be passed under a staple in this chan- 

 nel and any kind of hive be made to 

 be inverted. 



Gt. Barrington, Mass., Mch. 6, 1905. 



ODOR THEORY OUT OF ORDER. 



BY ARTHUR C. MILLER. 



IS ODOR an important factor in 

 queen introduction? I believe not. 

 Two systems of queen inti'oductlon 

 are in use, one based on tbe theory 

 that a queen when confined in .a col- 

 ony for a sufficient time acquires the 

 supposed odor of the colony and hence 

 when liberated is received as a part 

 of it, and the other in which the 

 queen is turned into tbe colony with- 

 out previous contact with it. Both 

 systems fail at times. The theory that 

 a colony possesses an individual and 

 distinctive odor is an old one, the ori- 

 gin of which is obscure and proof of 

 its truth decidedly wanting. Long ago 

 apiarists practiced sprinkling bees of. 

 different colonies, with scented syrup 

 before uniting them, and tbe success 

 following such treatment was attribut 

 ed to the imparted scent. But i1 

 should be noted that tbe instruction* 

 always called for sweetened water 

 Is it the scent or the sweet thai 

 operates ? 



Another rule says smoke the bees 

 vigorously and a peaceful union ii 

 assured, success being attributed t< 

 the smoke biding or overpowering th< 

 natural odors. Any one who is Ta 

 miliar with the pertinacity and strengtl 

 of animal odors will appreciate th' 

 absurdity of such claims. 



Another rule says shake the bees o 

 both colonies to be united into a hea 

 before a hive and let them crawl i: 

 together, the peaceful union being a1 

 tributed to the excitement causing th 

 bees to ignore or fail to notice alie: 

 odors. One would think from sue 

 statements that bees reasoned abou 

 tbe matter. If an odor causes one be 

 to attack another, it should be as opei 

 ative when the bees are shaken togett 

 er as at any other time. 



Bees from adjacent hives often Ii 

 termingle, which would not occur i 

 odor played any important part i 

 the recognition of one by anothe: 

 Bees of one colony not infrequentl 

 set up a quiet, systematic stealing froi 

 one another, and the thieves pass fre« 

 ly and unchallenged in either hiv< 

 Perhaps odor was missing or the bee 

 were suffering from bad colds in th 

 head. (?) 



At one time a queen caged in a 

 alien colony for several days is a« ^^ 



KM 



a 



