1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAHU 



131 



About a year aftorward he received a letter from each, one 

 writiog that he had kept the queen that was sent him, in a 

 two-frame nueleiis during the breeding season, thus allowing 

 her to lay but few eggs during the breeding season, that her 

 life might be prolonged so as .to cover several years, this 

 showiug that he was more wise than many of our old queen- 

 breeders, who allow some specially good queens for breeding 

 purposes to wear themselves out in egg-laying in a year or 

 two. He further wrote that he had reared over 500 queens 

 from this mother, and expected to rear thousands before she 

 died of old age, to be used in his own and his neighbors api- 

 aries, as the daughters were the best queens for business of 

 any ever had in thai locality. He wrote that he was satisfied 

 that the amount paid for the mother was the best investment 

 he ever made. 



The other person wrote that he thought the queen-breeder 

 was unreasonable in charging §5.(10 each for such queens as 

 had been sent him ; that he had tested them beside the queens 

 which he already had, and that he could not see that they 

 produced enough honey above what his own queens gave to 

 compensate for the large price he paid for them. Further 

 writing brocight out that he had not reared a single queen 

 from either of the three, and as one of them did not seem very 

 prolific, he thought he would not breed from any of them, for 

 he believed that no advantage would come to him from so 

 doing. 



Again, a party in Australia ordered four such queens, 

 taking all the risk on the same, and then allowed the only one 

 which reacht him alive to die some months afterward without 

 trying to rear a single queen from her. 



I might give many other instances of like character, but 

 as they would only illustrate the same thing. It would be only 

 a waste of space and time. If bee-keepers do not purchase 

 queens with the expectation of using them to breed from, 

 then the low-priced queens are just as good as any, and the 

 purchasing of those of the costly grade is sirap'y throwing 

 away their money. " A word to the wise is sufficient." 



Onondaga, Co., N. Y. 



Bees Moving Eggs — Questions to Think About. 



BY D. H. WELCH. 



There are some things taught by the masters of bee-lore, 

 and publisht in our bee-literature, concerning which I think 

 we need better evidence before we accept as true. The 

 bee, " Apis Mellifica," is so liable to do unexpected things, 

 that it is easy to make an assertion based on practical observa- 

 tion, that under different conditions will result in work so 

 diverse from the first that one is apt to say, " I don't know," 

 unless we jump to this, that or the other conclusion and rush 

 it off to be printed as the most important discovery of the 

 age. And beiiig so important, it is likely to be copied by 

 other journals and publications, and, after one or two such 

 transcriptions, come to be given as facts taught by Mr. D. or 

 E., or O., or Dr. M. or T. 



One of these is the ooinmon statement that bees move 

 eggs and larva? from cell to cell, and possibly from hive to 

 hive. We often read statements regarding the truth of this 

 matter. Of course, positive evidence, if valid, counts for 

 everything. To the entomologist or student of natural his- 

 tory, or even to orje who has observed and studied the egg of 

 the bee, it would seem a pretty delicate operation to remove 

 it from one cell and place it in another, much less from one 

 hive into another ; nor do we find worker-bees possest of any 

 such delicate, tactile organs, such as we would think requisite 

 to this removal. But the close observer of natural economy 

 constantly comes in contact with so many strange things, that 

 he does not place much stress on any seeming impossiljility, 

 surely not In the face of positive evidence that the thing is 

 done. Every day we see examples of egg-carrying insects 

 (ants, for instance) — why not bees? 



About five years ago I purchast a number of colonies 

 about June 10. They were in box-hives heavy with brood 

 and honey, therefore not in the best condition for moving, but 

 the neighbor of whom I purchast wanted the " holy terrors " 

 moved away at once. In the transfer a comb was broken 

 loose, so after the hives were placed in position, this comb 

 being full of brood, was placed against the outside of the hive, 

 and a board placed over it, to protect it from sun and rain, 

 thinking that, possibly, the bees would care for the brood and 

 then abandon the comb. They did care for the brood, but 

 did not abandon the comb — Instead, It was occupied and used 

 until Sept. 1 for brood, cells being occupied as regularly as if 

 a queen had been in possession. I did not see bees carrying 

 eggs, nor did I see a queen on the comb. 1 know only the 



fact — It was done — but how ? The mere assertion of the fact 

 is no proof, and doesn't solve the problem. 



Another fact for the masters of the profession to discuss 

 occurred during the season of 1897. A small box-hive colony, 

 presumably crowded, proceeded to build comb under the 

 alighting-board, and It, too, was used as a brood comb 

 throughout the season. Why? How? The closest observa- 

 tion failed to reveal the secret of the mystery. 



Harrison Co , Ohio. 



A New Self-Hiver, Queen and Drone Trap. 



BY GEO. W. WILLIAMS. 



[Mr. Williams shows herewith a new and Improved drnne and 

 queen trap that can be used as a seU-tjivlng arraneemeot. The lUua- 

 tratfous arc so plain that perhaps no further description Is needed, so 

 we publish herewith the directions which Mr. W. has prepared, and 

 » hlch explain pretty fully the trap and Its varied uses,— Editor.] 



See that the center or cone slide is pusht so that the cones 

 are open, and the door in the end Is closed : place the trap 

 and fasten on the hive as shown In Fig*. 1. When the swarm 

 Issues the bees will pass out through the perforations in the 



Fig. 1. 

 the hive 



Fig. 1. 

 -Front view when In placo: also manner of attaf^hing to 



zinc, but the queen being larger cannot get through, but in 

 trying to get out she will find one of the cone holes and run 

 up into the upper part — she will usually do this by the time 

 the swarm is all out, and can be easily seen up there in front 

 trying to work through the zinc. 



Take the trap off the hive, and while holding it in an up- 

 right position, reach lit behind and close the cones by pushing 

 the tin slide as far as it will go, thus completely caging her. 

 Set the hive you wish to hive the swarm in h\j the side of the 

 one they Issue from, throwing some old cloth or covering over 



Fig. 2. 



Fig 2.— Back view of the trap bottom side up. and showing- cone 

 slide partlv slipt over the opetiings la cones, which, when entirely 

 sllpt up shuts off communication from one story to the other; also 

 shows back slide partly drawn out, which, when the trap Is In position 

 to receive or hive the swarm, opeus communication between trap and 

 hive. 



the old one to hide it from the bees ; place the trap bottom xip 

 on the new hive, draw out the back slide which opens com- 

 munication with that part of the trap the queen is In and the 

 hive, and — well, the bees will do the rest. As soon as they 

 miss the queen from the swarm, they will return to the hive 

 they issued from, and will find her and go into the hive to- 

 gether — thus hiving themselves. 



If it Is preferred — as many bee-keepers practice — to move 

 the old hive to a new place and set the new hive on the old 

 stand after the queen Is trapt, and while the bees are swarm- 

 ing around hunting for her, set the old hive ' to one side, and 

 the new one on the old stand, placing the trap on as before. 

 In this plan there Is no need of covering the old hive, as it Is 

 away from where It was when the bees went out. 



Occasionally a swarm will cluster (settle) before they miss 



