164 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL^ 



March 17, 



Report of the Northeastern Ohio, Western New 



York, and Northwestern Pennsylvania 



Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



BY ED JOLLET. 



This Association convened at Corry, Pa., Jan. 12 and 13, 

 1898. The usual business preliminaries disposed of, a general 

 informal tallj on bees was in order. 



FOUL BKOOD. 



Mr. Spitler started the mill with the question, " Does any 

 one know of a foul brood law in the State of Pennsylvania?" 

 No one knew of any such a law, but all were agreed that there 

 should be such a law in every State. 



President Dewey askt if any one knew of foul brood in his 

 vicinity. No one knew of it at the present time. Mr. Edgett's 

 bees had had foul brood a few years ago. " It was caused," 

 he said, " by the bees in some hives being accidentally smoth- 

 ered. Having brood in all stages it chilled and rotted in the 

 combs. These combs were given to other colonies, thinking 

 they would clean them properly, but the brood that was sub- 

 sequently reared in these combs develop! into foul brood." 



Mr. Nichols thought foul brood might be caused by the 

 injudicious spreading of brood, allowing it to become chilled 

 and rot in the combs. 



Mr. Sutton thought that the spraying of fruit-trees while 

 in bloom often killed off the bees to such an extent that the 

 brood was chilled and subsequently caused foul brood. All 

 present, however, did not concur in the opinion that foul 

 brood could be spontaneously germinated, and thought that in 

 a locality entirely free from the disease chilled brood could 

 not possibly cause it. 



BROOD-FRAME COVERING IN WINTER. 



"What Is the best covering for over the brood-frames in 

 winter ?" 



The majority used burlap or other cloth that would per- 

 mit moisture to escape. Mr. Sutton used enameled cloth, the 

 enameled side toward the bees. Mr. Nichols had the best re- 

 sults by using a board over the frames, putting it on and 

 allowing the bees to seal it thoroughly. Messrs. Sutton and 

 Nichols both used a heavy packing on top of their sealed 

 covers. Mr. Dewey used a rim covered with cloth, over 

 which he laid felt wrapping, such as is used for covering steam 

 and water pipes, it being a non-conductor of heat and cold. 

 Mr. Peck used a box larger than the hive ; setting the hive in 

 the box, he packt the space between the hive and the box with 

 chaff, and also put six inches to a foot of chaff on top of the 

 hive. 



EXAMINING COLONIES WITH SEALED COVERS. 



The question arose as to how those using sealed covers 

 examined their bees during the winter. 



Mr. Nichols always tried to be sure that his bees had 

 honey enough to carry them through, and then trusted to luck. 



Mr. Sutton could tell about all he wanted to know in win- 

 ter by putting his ear to the outside of the hive. If the bees 

 were quiet, or he heard a low, even hum, he felt reasonably 

 sure they were all right. But if every now and then he heard 

 a sharp, plaintive note, he was apprehensive. 



Mr. Edgett examined his bees at any time during the win- 

 ter or summer that he wanted to know how they were getting 

 along. 



Mr. Peck would not disturb his bees during the winter, 

 not even by walking through his apiary, if there was a frozen 

 crust on the snow. In fact, if he caught a person walking 

 through his apiary at such a time he would order him out. 



The President's annual address was now delivered by Pres. 

 Dewey, in which he exprest his pleasure at meeting those pres- 

 ent, and extended his best wishes that success might crown 

 our future efforts. 



Mr. Spitler next read a paper on 



Spring management of Bees. 



If the conditions necessary for successful wintering of the 

 bees was complied with the fail previous, spring management 

 will be, as a general thing, a very simple matter. Of course. 



bees must have the needed attention at the right time, even if 

 they come through the winter in the best possible condition. 



Some of the colonies will have consumed double the stores 

 that other colonies have by consuming stores in brood-rearing 

 or some other cause or causes. They will have to be attended 

 to — perhaps fed — while other colonies will have abundant 

 stores, too much perhaps, and will need frames of honey 

 taken to be replaced by empty ones so as to give the queen 

 plenty of room for depositing eggs. Without this precaution 

 early and small swarms may be the result, but oftener the 

 hive is too short of stores, even with strong colonies. 



In no case should bees have more combs than they can 

 well cover in the spring, if it is desired to build up colonies 

 for the early honey-flow, whatever that may come from. S» 

 in most cases contraction of the brood-nest will have to be 

 practiced for best results. But, says one, " That will be fuss- 

 ing too much." Perhaps it will, but as heat is one of the 

 necessary conditions for brood-rearing, heat must be provided ; 

 this can only be done by contracting, especially in small col- 

 onies. A weak colony with a good queen can be built up to a 

 strong colony if taken in hand in time. 



When bees are examined — overhauled — in March, if the 

 weather is warm enough to contract the brood-nest so that 

 brood-rearing can commence, a weak colony should have 

 but three frames at first, and one of these should be full of 

 honey. If the cappings next to the center are broken a little 

 to start up business, all the better. The next time you handle 

 break some more cappings, perhaps on the outside of the 

 comb this time would be best, especially if more than two 

 weeks since first handled. 



Then follows expanding the brood-nest, which must be 

 practiced with great caution, and in weak colonies it should 

 not be done until young bees hatch out in pretty large numbers 

 so as to be sure that chilled brood will not result. By adding 

 combs from time to time, and feeding all that will be necessary 

 to keep the queen busy, the very weakest colony can be built 

 up, but better not have weak colonies. 



By providing water in abundance in a warm location — in 

 a sunny place protected from west winds — much may be done 

 to prevent spring dwindling. By not giving more combs to 

 the bees than they can cover, the wax-moth, so much dreaded 

 by many bee-keepers, can do no harm. Geo. Spitler. 



Mr. Dewey had some dark honey which he wisht to utilize 

 In the spring to the best advantage. He queried as to whether 

 it was best to feed for stimulating brood-rearing to colonies 

 that had an abundance of honey in their hives, or whether it 

 would be better to feed it so as to fill the brood-combs just 

 before the white honey-flow. The majority thought the stim- 

 ulative feeding would pay the best. Mr. Peck thought that if 

 he filled the combs with the dark honey just before the white 

 honey-flow, the bees would carry it up into the supers where 

 it would do more harm than good. 



The prevention of swarming was next considered. Mr. 

 Nichols' plan was to give plenty of super room in time. He 

 practiced clipping the queens; the first year he dipt one 

 wing, the second the other, and the third he superseded the 

 queen. Mr. Sutton gave room underneath the brood-nest to 

 prevent swarming. 



The next on the program was a paper by Mr. L. K. 

 Edgett, on 



jnanagement of Swarms. 



This subject is one prolific of discussion, and I can do no 

 more than give the method, as it has been a success with me 

 and others who have used it in this locality. 



It may be well to give my reasons for its use. With black 

 bees I found the Heddon plan would prevent all after-swarms, 

 but with Italian, Syrian a'nd Carniolan in many instances it 

 only delayed them a few days, and if I cut out all queen-cells 

 but one, left the hive crowded with young bees that had no 

 work, as there was no brood to nurse or comb to build, 

 they would hang out until the young queen began to lay, or 

 they were old enough to go to the fields, and this time was lost. 



Here we have a short honey-flow, generally, and not very 

 heavy. Colonies that swarm store very little or none after 

 swarming in the June honey-flow. I do not advise the use of 

 this method in May or August, but on swarms that come at 

 the beginning or during the June flow. When a swarm issues 

 during this time, I hive It in a hive contracted one-fourth, and 

 set it in the place of the old colony, leaving the colony beside 

 it turned at right angles or moved in any way to throw the 

 working-force into the new swarm. The third day after, put 

 the supers from the old hive on the new swarm, and move the 

 old hive so that the entrance comes close to that of the new 

 swarm. This can be done a little at a time, or all at once, as 

 best suits the operator. Leave the hives in this position until 



