1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



201 



Upon investigation, I found one of the strongest colonies 

 queenless, and another one with an unfertilized queen which I 

 killed. Both colonies had superseded their old queens of 

 1890-91 late in October, 1894. 



I also found two colonies rather weak in bees, but with 

 young and choice queens. In this instance I accomplished the 

 uniting of the queenless bees with the nuclei containing young 

 and choice queens in the following way : 



After putting in slices of onions, as stated before, I ex- 

 changed stands, thus letting the larger bulk of the bees fly 

 back to their old stand, finding, of course, now a young queen 

 on hand. Those bees remaining on the combs in the queenless 

 hives, I placed, at sundown, beside the nucleus containing the 

 queen. It has worked like a charm again and no bees killed. 



In concluding I will say that we have had, and have, 

 rather hard times in Nebraska, on account of the fearful 

 drouth, and it it had not been for my alfalfa fields, and sweet 

 clover, it would have been a great deal worse for my bees, 

 than it was. All my bees are now in first-class condition, and 

 I mean to keep thera that way, if it can be done. A beekeeper 

 worthy the name must know the condition of his bees and the 

 age of his queens at all times, and apply remedies promptly 

 and judiciously. Grand Island, Neb. 



"MiHHesota Laagstroth " Hive aud Its Use. 



BY C. THEILMANN. 



Much has been said and written about bee-hives, and 

 there seems to be many more different hives in use that have 

 not yet come before the public, and which have been operated 

 with remarkable success for many years. I wish to give a 

 brief description of the hive I use, and the adoption aud suc- 

 cess I have had with it so far. 



I kept my first colony of bees in a gum, or a part of a 

 tree; my second colony in a store-box, and my third in a nail- 

 keg. The first one I found in my woods in a tree, the other 

 two were swarms which I found on some wild plum-trees. 

 Two of these colonies swarmed the same season, for which I 

 made boxes, and hived them. This made me five colonies the 

 first year of my bee-keeping, without any outlay for bees, and 

 but little expense otherwise. I got some surplus honey from 

 them, but I don't recollect just how much, but their hives 

 were full of nice honey. I had never kept bees before, and did 

 not know anything about bee-keeping, but I learned enough 

 during that season to know that gums, nail-kegs, store and 

 other boxes were not the things to keep bees in for profit. 



At that time I did not know of any bee-paper or bee- 

 books, so I went around the country to see a few scattered 

 bee-keepers, to learn how they kept their bees. After a num- 

 ber of investigations I saw a hive, which, to my judgment, 

 was best adapted for this latitude and climate. I ordered 24 

 of them, and filled them with bees the next season ; this in- 

 cludes the swarms with the first five colonies, which I also 

 transferred into the new hives. This was in the summer of 

 1870. In 1871 I tried the regular Langstroth 10-frame 

 hive, also some other patents as experiments, but none of 

 them suited me as well as the first ones, and ever since then I 

 have adopted and used this hive exclusively, and will use it 

 hereafter until I can be convinced of a better hive for Minne- 

 sota. I am free to say that my success in bee-keeping is 

 partly due to this hive. 



The hive is called the " Minnesota Langstroth." It has a 

 portico, and a cap over the supers or section-cases. The bot- 

 tom-board is nailed tight to the brood-chambers, so it can be 

 used as a feeder, when needed, by tilting up the front end 3 

 or 4 inches. This is the only perfect feeder I have ever tried ; 

 it is always quickly emptied by the bees, and one man can 

 feed a ton of honey or syrup in less than an hour's time in this 

 way. It is always there when needed ; it takes no time to put 

 it on the hive, and none to take it off and store it away ; 

 neither does it occupy any extra storage room. In short, I 

 find it the best feeder of any I have ever tried or seen, which 

 means a large number of different kinds. 



The hive is 17j'2xl3^, and 11 inches deep. The frames 

 rest on rabbets. They are 15^^x9?^ inches, inside meas- 

 ure. The top-bar is 18 inches long, }4 inch thick, and % inch 

 wide, with a tongue in the lower side to fasten foundation on 

 it The bottom-bar is W^i long, stands edgewise in the end- 

 bar, and projects a bee-space outside of the end-bars. This 

 projection is a most excellent contrivance in handling frames 

 quickly. It prevents the crushing of bees in taking out and 

 putting back frames : neither can the bees stick the frames 

 fast to the wall of the hive with propolis. 



There is a bee-space all around the hive, also over the 

 frames and on the bottom — nearly K inch between the frames 



and the bottom. This gives room to scrape out the dead bees 

 in winter, and also gives good ventilation for the bees. 



I used 9 frames the first season, and 8 frames after that. 

 The capacity of the brood-chamber is about the same as a 

 Langstroth 10-frame hive. 



My section-case holds 28 seven-to-the foot sections, has 

 three partitions with tin strips on the lower side to hold the 

 sections. It has 2-inch wide strips of glass in the middle of 

 the sides (to see the condition of the sections without disturb- 

 ing the bees), with wooden slides over the glass to shut out 

 the light. 



I have no use for separators — they are a hindrance to the 

 bees. I get straight combs by using nearly full sheets of foun- 

 dation, by setting the hives level from side to side, and by 

 keeping them full of bees. 



I do not paint my hives, because paint will hold the vapor 

 of the bees in the hive, while nearly all, if not quite all, will 

 escape through the pores of the wood, if not painted. This is 

 a big consideration for the health and welfare of the bees, es- 

 pecially in winter. 



The lumber for my hives is planed on one side only (the 

 inside) the outside is left rough, which prevents refection of 

 the hot sun in summer. It also prevents cracking and warp- 

 ing the wood, and is more durable. From the experiments I 

 had with painted hives, I would not use them if I were to get 

 all my hives gratis, and a dollar per hive in cash besides. I 

 don't keep bees for looks, but for the pay there is in it. A 

 more shallow or painted hive may, for one season, give as 

 much surplus honey, but for a long run of successful bee-keep- 

 ing, my hive nas stood the test over all others in Minnesota, 

 when properly conducted. 



I omitted to say that I do not use any cushions, packing, 

 or other materials, over the brood-chamber, except a planed 

 %-inch-thick honey-board, cleated on the ends to keep it from 

 warping. This board is kept within a bee-space over the 

 brood-frames all the year around, except in the honey season 

 when the section-case takes its place, and the honey-board is 

 then used as a cover over the case, and the hive cap is high 

 enough to cover two section-cases. This cap make also a nice 

 tool-bench when taken off the hive and opened for manipula- 

 tion, as it has a flat top. 



In my 25 years' experience, my unpainted hives, as de- 

 scribed above, last just as long, if not longer, then those that 

 I had painted and planed outside. I found no saving in that 

 respect. Theilmanton, Minn. 



CONDUCTED BY 



DR. C. C. JUILLER, AIARErfGO, ILL. 



[Questlon6 may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct. 1 



Bees Fluttering' on the Ground. 



What causes bees to run out of their hive and run around 

 on the ground, and keep their wings going as if they wanted 

 to fly ? They are nearly twice their natural size, and the 

 other bees seem to not notice them, as they do in bee-paralysis. 



J. W. S. 



Answer. — When a hen has her head cut off, she flutters 

 around on the ground at a great rate. I don't know exactly 

 what she does it for, and I doubt if she does. When a bee 

 comes out of the hive all swelled up to die, it flutters around a 

 little like a hen with its head cut off, only it seems more 

 orderly about it. I don't know just why it does so, and I 

 doubt if the bee does. 



making Bees Pay — How ISIany Colonies from Each P 



1. In which is there the most pay or money — in rearing 

 queens for sale, selling full colonies, nuclei, or honey ? 



I live where bees might be made profitable, but we have 

 bad shipping facilities. It is about 30 miles to the nearest 

 railroad, but wagons travel almost daily. Our principal tim- 

 ber is oak, poplar, beech, linden, sourwood, dogwood, maple, 

 and a great many others. We have many plants that afford 

 honey — fruit-trees, etc. I have some artificial pasture in the 

 summer, such as clover and buckwheat. I shall sow a good 

 crop of the latter, as nearly all of my bees got in good order 

 last fall from it. I have about 15 acres of clover. 



2. Now, according to the above, to how many colonies 



