596 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



Replies by Prominent Apiarists. 



[It is useless to ask for answers to 

 Queries In this Department in less time 

 than one raontli. They have to wait their 

 turn, be put in type, and sent in about a 

 dozen at a time to each of those who answer 

 them ; get them returned, and then find 

 space for them in the Journal. If you are 

 In a "hurry" for replies, do not ask for 

 them to-be inserted here.— Eel 



DisposiuE of Siimliis of Bees, 



Query, No. 307.— It is necessary for us 

 to reduce the number of our colonies one- 

 half. They have swaVmed but once, and are 

 consequently all very strong-. Will it be any 

 advantage to double up the bees of 2 colo- 

 nies in one hive instead of killing- half, 

 provided we can do it without their fighting? 

 -H. & S. 



I think it would be best to unite at 

 least the young bees.— C. C. Miller. 



Kill half the colonies if you cannot 

 sell them. Do not unite very strong 

 colonies.— W. Z. Hutchin.son. 



You do not say why you want to 

 double them up. I should say let 

 them alone.— H. D. Cutting. 



No. There is no advantage in 

 doubling strong colonies.— G. M. Doo- 



LITTLB. 



Do not kill, but double up. Do this 

 late in the evening and they will not 

 fight. If any choice of queens, de- 

 stroy the poorest and cage the others 

 to be sure of their safety.— J. P. H. 

 Brown. 



If your hives are without bottoms, 

 for wintering out-doors, unite in the 

 fall by setting one colony on the 

 other with honey cloth or board be- 

 tween, with small openings, and then 

 remove and let them altogether after 

 two or three days, and leave them in 

 the double hives all winter. If win- 

 tered inside, simply set one colony on 

 another as you put them out in the 

 spring. There are some decided ad- 

 vantages in this method. — H. R. 



BOARDMAN. 



If my colonies were of average 

 size, I would never unite other bees 

 with them, no matter what had to be 

 done with the surplus bees. If it be- 

 comes necessary to do so, it is as 

 proper to kill bees as it is to kill any 

 domestic animal for the benefit of 

 man.- G. W. Demaree. 



What do you wish to kill any bees 

 for? If all are strong, why double 

 up ¥ Leave them as they are, as pos- 

 sibly a severe winter may follow and 

 kill off as many colonies as is desired 

 or desirable. I can see no advantage 

 so far as safe wintering is concerned, 

 in doubling strong colonies. It can 

 be done, however, without any per- 

 ceptible loss from fighting.— J. E. 

 Pond, Jk. 



My experience teaches me that it 

 would not. Such, however, may not 

 always be the case in all localities and 

 in ail seasons, though I think it is a 

 rule.— James Heddon. 



It is better to double up colonies 

 than to kill a part where it is neces- 

 sary to reduce the number. As very 

 large colonies do not winter so well 

 as average sized ones, the doubling 

 up should be done as soon as the sea- 

 son for surplus is over, or not later 

 than Sept. 1. Doubling up is easily 

 done by making one of the colonies 

 to be united, queenless for nine days. 

 Then cut out queen-cells and unite by 

 using a little pepermint water. — G. L. 

 Tinker. 



Age of Queens. 



Query, No. 308. — 1. Will an Italian 

 queen live longer than a black one ? 2. How 

 long does a queen live and keep her colony 

 well furnished with eggs ? — C. K. S. 



1. No, we think not. 2. Three or 

 four years.— Dadant & Son. 



1. No. 2. Usually about 3 years.— 

 G. L. Tinker. 



1. I think not. 2. From 2 to -1 years. 

 — H. D. Cutting. 



1. I presume not. 2. I have had 

 queens live and remain excellent for 

 five years. This is rare, however.— 

 A. J. Cook. 



1. I think there is little difference as 

 to length of life of the queens of the 

 two races, if both have the same 

 treatment. 2. From 3 to 5 years, with 

 me.— G. M. Doolittle. 



1. Probably not. 2. It varies very 

 much ; may be 4 years, may be not a 

 year. Some think it pays to super- 

 sede all queens over 2 years old.— C. 

 C. Miller. 



1. I do not know that she will. 2. 

 The average life of a queen is 3 years 

 of good service. First and second 

 years the most prolific ; third year on 

 the decline.— J. P. H. Brown. 



2. If she is not " horse whipped " 

 by spreading the brood, or exhausts 

 herself by keeping a large brood-nest 

 filled with brood, she may last four 

 years.— W. Z. Hutchinson. 



1. I know not. There is no reason 

 why she should, other things being 

 equal. 2. Ordinarily a queen will 

 prove prolific tor2J-^ to 3 years. I had, 

 last season, a queen 5 years old that 

 was as prolific as any I ever saw. 

 About o seasons, however, is the 

 average with myself.— J. E. Pond, Jr. 



1. I have not noticed any difference 

 in the longevity of the queens, but 

 Italian workers are longer lived than 

 ' Germans. 2. Good ones live and 

 keep up to the laying standard 3 to 4 

 years, and when they fail they fail all 

 at once, and are superseded. — James 

 IIeddon. 



1. I do not think the matter has 

 ever been tested on a scale of sufficient 

 magnitude to decide it witli any cer- 

 tainty. So far as I am able to judge 

 there is little if any difference in the 



longevity of the two races. 2. It de- 

 pends upon the development of the 

 queen. In other words, it depends 

 upon her constitutional strength as 

 to how long she will be useful. She 

 ought ordinarily to do two years' 

 good service. In exceptional" cases 

 she may do good work for 3 or 4 years. 

 — G. W. Demaree. 



BiiilfliiiE Comlis on Wirefl Frames, 



Query, No. 30!).— When only a strip of 

 foundation 4 inches wide is used on a wired 

 Langstroth frame, will the bees build the 

 rest of the comb so that the wires are in the 

 middle of the comb ?— H. M. 



That we have never tried, nor would 

 we like to try it.— Dadant & Son. 



I do not know, but I think not 

 always.— C. C. Miller. 



If the wires are drawn taut, I think 

 they will.— W. Z. Hutchinson. 



They will build it near enough for 

 all practical purposes. — H. D. Cut- 

 ting. 



I should not use wire when using 

 onlv a strip of foundation.— G. M. 

 Doolittle. 



Not always. I prefer my frames to 

 have tri-angular comb guides, and 

 the foundation securely fastened to 

 this guide ; then I have no use for 

 wires, which are at best a nuisance to 

 the bees.— J. P. H. Brown. 



I always use full sheets with wire. 

 I should suppose the wire would 

 trouble some with only starters. — A. 

 J. Cook. 



The experiment has not worked 

 well with me. I avoid wiring frames 

 in all cases as much as possible. I 

 much prefer combs well built in the 

 frames without wire.— G. W. Dem- 

 aree. 



No ; but why use wires in brood- 

 frames V They are a needless and 

 useless expense, besides being a great 

 annoyance to the bees. — G. L. 

 Tinker. 



My experience is more limited than 

 I meant that it should be at this time, 

 but in the few cases tried, the bees 

 have followed the wires perfectly 

 every time.— James Heddon. 



They do with me. I have as an ex- 

 periment given a starter only J^-inch 

 wide on wired frames, and found the 

 comb was built directly on the wires. 

 The frames, however, should be 

 wired plumb centre, and hung ex- < 

 actly plumb in the hive.— J. E. I 

 Pond, Jr. " 



Colored Posters for putting up over 

 honey exhibits at Fairs are quite attractive, 

 as well as useful. We have prepared some 

 for the Bee Jouknal, and will send two or 

 moi-e free of cost to any one who will use 

 them, and try to get up a club. 



: I 



Frank Clieslilre's new book on Bees 

 and Beo-Keeping, can be had at this oflace.— 

 Vol. I, bound in cloth, $2.50, postpaid. 



