1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAIU 



147 



to all parts of the country. We have shipt bees In closed hives, 

 with only a 4x4-inch opening covered with wire-cloth in the 

 bottom-board, from April 1 till May 15, without loss. On the 

 other hand, we have had great losses from shipping bees with 

 the entire top replaced with wire-cloth, in May, simply from 

 their having too much fresh honey in the hive. 



One of the most indispensable requirements in shipping 

 bees great distances is to have but little if any fresh honey. 

 We would, therefore, be sure to ship the bees before fruit- 

 bloom, unless the season was very backward and cold. After 

 a good winter, with populous hives, we would try to ship about 

 the last of March or beginning of April. With two-story chaff 

 hives, all in one piece, as we understand, we would if the colo- 

 nies were strong, remove the cap or cover and tack a piece of 

 wire-cloth over the upper story. The cap could then be put 

 on or left off, at will, according to the weather. We would use 

 box cars, for there would be but little danger of overheating 

 the bees, and darkness keeps them from fretting if the hive is 

 otherwise uncovered. 



• If the colonies were only of middling strength, and the 

 time early, say the last of March, we think they might be riskt 

 without any air but the crevices in the cover, provided they 

 had sufficient empty room in the upper story to enable them 

 to cluster away from the brood-combs, if they felt ill at ease. 

 Stock cars are not good to ship bees because they admit too 

 much light. In a closed car, if some of the bees happen to And 

 an opening, they will be compelled, by the absence of light, to 

 remain In the car, and many of them may return to the hive. 

 In an open car, they will be lost at once, the minute they 

 emerge from the hive. 



We do not like to ship bees without an opening at the bot- 

 tom of the hive. As a matter of course. In a double-bottom 

 hive, it is out of the question to give them air in this way. But 

 this may be remedied by a larger opening at the top. We 

 never put wire-cloth over the entrance, because we have often 

 noticed that the bees, being accustomed to flying out at that 

 spot, will fret themselves to death, and their dead bodies will 

 soon obstruct that entrance, so that it might as well be closed. 

 When the air comes from the bottom there is more chance for 

 a circulation. In warm May weather, with single-wall hives, 

 we have often shipt bees by covering the entire brood-chamber 

 with wire-cloth, protected by a board raised two inches above 

 it and cleated on the hive. The cap or cover, which accom- 

 panies the hive, is then shipt separately. 



We have shipt bees in the hottest weather, in July, by re- 

 moving half of the brood-combs and replacing them with dry 

 combs, alternating them with the others. In hot weather it is 

 also well to leave a part of the old bees behind. In this way a 

 man may readily leave a small swarm on the spot from which 

 the bees are removed, without injury to the colony removed 

 but rather for its benefit, for a very populous colony will find 

 difficulty in a trip of several hundred miles. If they are con- 

 fined In too small a space, in hot weather, suffocation will soon 

 take place, the bees seemingly being drencht with perspira- 

 tion, and the combs breaking down from the temperature 

 being raised above the normal degree of blood heat. 



To recapitulate the above remarks, we will say : Ship the 

 bees when the hives are the lightest, but as early In spring as 

 practicable. In cold weather give but litlle ventilation. If 

 the weather is fair and the colony strong, have an opening 

 either at the top or the bottom. If at the top, shelter this 

 opening with a board cleated above. In hot weather open both 

 top and bottom and remove a part of the brood-combs, or space 

 them so they will not be all together. 



Mr. Paul L. Viallon, of Louisiana, who used to ship large 

 •quantities of bees from the South to the North every spring, 

 at the time when we were also shipping, told us that he was 

 4n the habit of fastening the combs with cleats placed between 

 them so as to avoid breakage. This precaution, which is ad- 

 visable in shipping single colonies by express, is rendered un- 

 necessary, as in the present instance, when the apiarist loads 

 and unloads his bees himself. 



Mr. J. M. Hambaugh, late of Illinois, but now of Cali- 

 fornia, has devised a very good contrivance to give air to colo- 

 nies when transporting them from place to place. Mr. H. was 

 in the habit of moving his bees to the hills in the spring for 

 the clover and basswood crop, and moving them back to the 

 low lands of the Illinois River In the fall. This contrivance 

 consisted of a light frame takiug the place of the super, but 

 only three inches high. This frame which was fitted over the 

 brood-chamber and under the cover or cap, in the same way as 

 a super, was perforated in about two-thirds of its length, on 

 all four sides, with an opening about an inch wide. This was 

 covered with wire-cloth, and a perfect system of ventilation 

 was thereby establisht right over the brood-combs, without 

 the rays of the sun being permitted to interfere in any way 

 with the comfort of the bees. 



In transporting bees, the apiarist must use his own judg- 

 ment, but it is better to give rather too much air than not 

 enough. Yet it is well not to carry the thing far enough to 

 chill the brood, but when the hive is populous the bees are not 

 likely to allow the brood to remain uncovered if there is any 

 danger of its being chilled. They will be sure to do their best 

 to keep it warm. 



Let it be remembered, also, that obscurity is best. The 

 rays of the sun are injurious, therefore we object to box cars, 

 except In case of exceedingly hot weather, which is not to be 

 feared in this latitude, even in the month of May. 



Hancock Co., 111. 



Some Notes from Western Iowa. 



BY E. S. MILES 



We have had a nice winter up to the present time (Jan. 

 15), enough snow for sleighing, and no bad storms or very 

 low temperature. The snow has protected the clover, which 

 notwithstanding a very dry fall now looks as if it would come 

 through In fair condition. 



Bees seem to be wintering all right, as they have plenty 

 of good, thick honey to live on. I often read articles con- 

 demning the practice of taking the early honey away, and 



Another View of the Oolden Disk Section Cleaner. 



leaving the late-gathered honey for winter stores, but our fall 

 honey is thicker and heavier than clover or basswood honey, 

 and bees have always wintered well on it for me. 



LARGE vs. SMALL HIVES AND SWARMING. 



Out of 25 colonies in 8-frame hives run for comb honey, 

 there were 7 that did not swarm ; while out of -t colonies in 

 10-frame hives treated the same, 3 swarmed, and the other 

 one was run for extracted honey. So it does not seem to me 

 that the 10-frame hive has auy advantage over the 8-frame 

 as a non-swarmer. I have a neighbor who has a colony in a 

 dry goods box, size about 13^x2xo feet, and they invariably 

 swarm. 



I remember last year they were the first to swarm of any 

 in the neighborhood. There is no hive large enough to pre- 

 vent swarming in this country In good seasons. 



MOTH-TRAPS AND CARELESS MANAGEMENT. 



I have a neighbor who told me lately that he had a colony 

 of bees with two cases of comb honey entirely eaten by the 



