52 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL- 



Jan. 26, 1899. 



reach even a moderate degree of success with bees unless he 

 becomes enthusiastic. 



Read, learn, study, and practice, are needed requisites 

 to become a g'ood and succe.ssful bee-keeper. For myself, I 

 can find no more pleasing- and interesting- reading-matter 

 than that upon bee-keeping, and such has been the case 

 from the time I was taken with the bee-fever. 



I have known of no one who was not enthusiastic in his 

 calling to meet with much success. The present winter 

 should be improved by thoroughly studj-ing- and learning 

 our pursuit, at least bv those new in the business. 



Carroll Co., 111. 



CONDUCTED UY 



DR. C. C. AlILLER, Marengo, 111. 



[Questions may be mailed to the liee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct.] 



Arranging the Hives -Comb or Extracted Honey. 



1. In locating a small apiary of from 30 to SO hives, 

 which method of arranging the hives would you consider 

 preferable — (a) leave a space of about three feet between 

 each two hives (the hives will be in a long row) ; (b) or. 

 group the hives in threes, leaving about a foot space be- 

 tween the center one and those right and left of it, and al- 

 lowing- about six feet between groups ; (c) have you any 

 better plan to offer than either of the above ? 



2. I can set the hives to face east (straight) or south-east 

 (at an angle) — which would be the better ? 



3. In your locality, and taking an average season, what 

 would you consider a fair cash return from 10 colonies — (a) 

 workt for comb honey, (b) for extracted ? Iow.\. 



Answers — 1. The groups of three will make it easier 

 for bees and young queens to find their hives, but it will 

 not be very convenient for the operator to g-et at the middle 

 hive in a group of three. Better than either of these plans 

 you will probably like having the hives in pairs, with not 

 more than about four inches between the two hives in 

 each pair. 



2. You will not be likely to find any material difference. 



3. I don't know. Perhaps $25 for either. 



Temperature of a Moist Cellar. 



Does it make any difference whether the temperature in 

 the bee-cellar is high or low in regard to moisture in the 

 hives in winter ? Iow.a. 



Answer. — Yes, more moisture will collect in the hives 

 in a cold than in a warm cellar, other things being equal. 

 If a cellar is verv damp, it will need to be kept warmer than 

 if drv. 



Quintet of Questions. 



Last year I started in the spring with 12 colonies, in- 

 creast to 19, and received about 200 pounds of honey. In this 

 section the past year was very poor indeed. 



1. Do you approve of full foundation sheets for a new 

 swarm- in an S-frame dovetailed hive ? The reason I ask 

 about foundation is, if you use full sheets, will not the de- 

 posit of wax the bees go with go to waste ? 



2. Which do you consider the more valuable for hives, 

 basswood or pine ? 



3. Where can I get them, and what will a colonv of 

 Cyprian bees cost ? 



4. I know of .some basswood trees about three or four 

 inches throiigh that I can get. Will it, pay me to get them' 

 and reset near my apiary ? How long will it be before such 

 trees will bloom ? There is quite a large locust grove not 

 far from my apiary from which my bees get much hone)-. 



5. Is rye Hour the best for feeding bees for pollen when 

 they cannot take a flight ? New York. 



Answers. — 1. Yes, it makes sure of having j'our combs 

 all worker. It also makes sure of straighter combs than 

 you can get in any other wa}'. The bees will draw out the 

 foundation only a little way, and then they will find use for 



the wax they have in finishing out the cells. Some excel- 

 lent authorities prefer to have the first half of the combs 

 built with starters, having full sheets of foundation for the 

 last half. But it takes a good deal more care to g-et straight 

 worker-combs without foundation. 



2. Pine, b)' all means. Basswood is one of the worst 

 woods to shrink and swell, and is not fit for hives or frames. 



3. I don't know. 



4. VerA- likely it may pay well to do so. It depends 

 somewhat on circumstances. If they are within a mile, and 

 not too crowded, so that if left they would grow up into 

 good trees of their own accord, then it might not pay to 

 touch them. But if they are crowded, or likely to be de- 

 stroyed, it will be well to get them, especially if not plenty 

 about you. Sometimes others will take and plant them as 

 shade trees in reach of your bees. I've seen them blossom 

 when five or six inches through. 



5. Better not think of feeding- rye or any other substi- 

 tute for pollen when bees cannot fly. Leave them in quiet. 

 Substitutes for pollen are to be fed in the open air when it 

 is pleasant for the bees to fly, but have no natural pollen to 

 work on. Just as soon as they can get genuine pollen they 

 will desert the imitation article. What is best to feed is 

 partly a matter of convenience. I think ground corn and 

 oats has been more satisfactory than anything I ever tried, 

 and I've fed bushels of it. The bees will work out the finer 

 parts, and the coarser part that's left can be fed to stock. 



Hive-Stands Hiving Swarms Foundation in Sections- 

 Spring Feeding Finding Blaclt Queens. 



1. How is the best way to make hive-stands? I have 

 mine of four posts driven into the ground about six inches 

 high. Is there any better way ? I wish to put my hives in 

 groups next spring-, the same as you have yours. How 

 much space should there be between each g-roup ? Please 

 give full particulars. 



2. If I hive a swarm in the forenoon, putting surplus 

 case of the parent hive on the swarm immediately, can I 

 wait until 5:20 p.m. before removing- the parent hive to the 

 new location, and putting the swarm on the stand of the 

 parent hive ? 



3. When hiving swarms and putting section-cases of 

 the parent hives on the swarms with excluding-board, how 

 do the drones get out ? 



4. Please give the best way to put foundation in sec- 

 tions. I have been using full sheets (3^4x3^+) but had two 

 cases on a colony of Italians that were not built down to 

 the bottom. 



5. Do snakes ever trouble bees ? A neig-hbor of mine 

 told me he saw a snake near the entrance of two of his hives, 

 and a few weeks later noticed they were weaker. 



6. Give some good way to feed in spring. Mj' book 

 does not give full partictilars. I would like to feed over the 

 brood-nest. What kind of feeder do I want, and how do 

 you keep the hive warm without enameled cloth ? My hives 

 have board covers. 



7. I have a few colonies of black bees to which I would 

 like to give Italian queens, but I am unable to find the old 

 queens. Can you give me a sure way of catching them ? 



New York. 



Answers. — 1. The best way to have hives arranged de- 

 pends somewhat on the lay of the land, and other circttm- 

 stances. but as a general rule it is doubtful whether anj' way 

 is better than to have them in groups of fours, two hives 

 side by side, and two others back to bac"k to the first pair. 

 Make a stand, not for each hive, but for each pair. It will 

 take less work than to make a separate stand for each hive, 

 and it's much easier leveling the larger stand. Set two 

 hives side by side, facing the same way. with four or five 

 inches .space between them. Your stand must be just of 

 the right size for those two hives to sit comfortably upon 

 it when placed in that position. Each stand requires two 

 pieces of board six inches wide. Common fence-boards are 

 all rig-ht. Cut two of the pieces four or five inches longer 

 than twice the width of a hive. Cut the other two pieces 

 about as long as the bottom-board of your hive. Now nail 

 the two long boards on the two short ones and your stand 

 is finisht. Exceedingly simple, isn't it'/ Lay your stand 

 on the ground where you want to place your hives, use a 

 spirit-level, and make it perfectly level the long; way. That 

 will make the hives level from side to side. As to the other 

 direction, let the stand slant a little forward, .so water will 

 run out of the entrances of the hive. Of course, if the 

 g-round is not perfectly level, you will have to block up the 



