218 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Apr. 4, 



taking into consideration that the average life of the bee is 

 probably not more than 35 days, and the enormous amount of 

 brood (many of mine liad 12 to 14 r^angstroth frames for K 

 weeks), we can see how much honey it takes before we can 

 take any surplus. 



If this article leads others who have more time than I 

 had, to investigate, it may throw some light on overstocking. 



Sabinal, Tex. 



CONDUCTED BV 



DR. C. C. MII^I^ER, AI^XJiEXGO, ILL. 



IQuestlous may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller direct.! 



Keeping: Bees in a Garret. 



What is the best method to keep bees in a garret ? It is 

 above the second story, has three large windows at the west 

 side, and three not quite so large on the east side. Oldenburg 

 is only a little country town, but on account of putting up a 

 new building, I will be compelled to remove the bees (4 colo- 

 nies) to the garret until next fall, at least ; then I will have 

 a fine place for them. How will I manage to return swarms 

 to the hive from which they issue ? I do not want to increase, 

 and I cannot prevent swarming, as Mr. Muth does, because I 

 cannot extract, or rather I do not want anything except comb 

 hohey. Will they need any different management than if out- 

 of-doors, or in a house-apiary ? B. S. 



Oldenburg, Ind. 



Answer. — I don't think you will need to manage differ- 

 ently in a garret from what you would on the ground, at least 

 in most respects. See to it that the bees cannot get out into 

 the garret, for if they do they do they'll fly to the windows and 

 buzz away on the glass till they die. Let the only passage 

 from the hive be one that opens outside. As to returning 

 swarms, it will be just as easy to return a swarm in the garret 

 as on the ground, except for the extra labor of carrying the 

 swarm up the stairs. Take the swarm in a box, bag or basket, 

 and the bees will stay together while you carry them up-stairs. 

 You may have to return a swarm to the hive several times, 

 but if you persist in returning it until all the young queens 

 but one are killed, you will be master of the situation. 



I'll tell you a way that I learned from Doolittle that may 

 suit your case. When the bees swarm, cage the queen and 

 leave her in the hive. In five days cut out all queen-cells, at 

 least all sealed cells. In five days more cut out cells again 

 and free the queen. Then there will be no more swarming. I 

 think it would be a good plan to have an Alley queen-trap at 

 the entrance, for then a swarm would not come out and go off 

 without your knowing anything about it. 



TTse Leaves Instead of Chaff. 



In the absence of wheat or oat chaff for packing the chaft' 

 hive, is there anything that will do equally well? I cannot 

 get either kind of chali' here without a great deal of trouble. 



Ilolyoke, Mass. J. H. B. 



Answer. — Gather clean leaves of trees, using them when 

 perfectly dry, and they'll answer a very good purpose. 



Wants Honey and Not Swarms. 



I have 10 colonies of bees in Langstroth hives. The past 

 two seasons I have not gotten any honey. The bees seem to 

 be working all the time in the season and swarming. I put 

 the sections on with startei-s, but can get no honey — what I 

 want is comb honey. Is their any way I can stop their swarm- 

 ing, and have them store a little honey ? They are on the 

 summer stands packed in sawdust, and are all alive. 



, I have two colonies in the cellar in box-hives. What 

 would you do with them '> I am located in a valley between 

 two mountains, in what I should think is a good bee-field. 



Ticonderoga, N. Y. J. C. 



Answer. — So many things are to be taken into considera- 

 tion that without knowing all the particulars it's hard to know 

 what to advise. If a colony is gathering enough so it swarms, 



and the swarms gather enough to winter on, It certainly seems 

 that they are gathering enough to store surplus if they are so 

 minded. One way might be to put back all swarms as fast as 

 they issue, then the stores that would be used to fill up the 

 swarms would at least partly go into the surplus boxes. From 

 the way you speak, it is quite possible that you don't put on 

 supers till the bees begin to think of swarming, then more 

 than one swarm is sent out from each colony, leaving the 

 mother colony too weak to store any surplus, and the swarms 

 have all they can do to fill up for winter. 



Suppose you try this plan the coming season : Put on 

 supers a little before the full flow begins ; if white clover is 

 your crop, put them on about as soon as white clover begins 

 to bloom. Then when the first swarm comes out hive it on 

 the old stand, putting the mother bive within a foot or two on 

 one side. In about five days move the old hive away entirely, 

 setting it a rod or two from the old stand, and that will greatly 

 strengthen the new swarm, and if the season is good it will be 

 strange if the new swarm will not store some honey for you. 

 You ought to have a good bee-book, such as this journal is now 

 offering. (See page 219. — Editor.) 



Sowing Alfalfa Clover Seed. 



I have 7 colonies in good condition. They have had two 

 good cleansing flights since December. I pack my bees in 

 straw to winter them. It is so cold here yet that bees have 

 not gathered any pollen yet. I would like to sow some alfalfa 

 this spring. Would it be safe to sow before the frost is out of 

 the ground'? W. L. R. 



Pioneer, Ohio, March 20. 



Answer. — I know of no reason why it may not be sown 

 as early as any of the clovers, but if anyone knows to the 

 contrary, let him rise and speak. 



That "Deep" Plan for 'Wintering. 



I suppose I may put in "Questions and Answers " a reply 

 to the question of Mrs. Durbin, on page 179. Why, Mrs. Dur- 

 bin, are you not satisfied with the reply, or rather the ques- 

 tion, of your husband ? And yet there's no law against a 

 woman thinking up some improvement, even if she's not a 

 veteran. I'm not at all sure that the plan you mention may 

 not be worth a trial. Years ago it was talked of, and perhaps 

 to some extent practiced — to stand a Langstroth hive on end 

 for wintering — and your plan would be somewhat in the same 

 line. I should prefer to have the four frames in the upper 

 hive filled solid full of honey. C. C. M. 



■When Alsike Clover Blooms. 



It was the driest season here last summer we have had for 

 years. I have 31 colonies of bees, and I did not get any 

 honey. I want to know whether Alsike clover blooms in the 

 fall like red clover? C. W. T. 



Williamstown, Ky. 



Answer. — Almost everything that applies to red clover 

 applies to Alsike. It blossoms the second and third years. 

 Comes in bloom a little ahead of white clover, and.if cut or 

 pastured just before coming into bloom it will bloom after 

 white clover. 



What to Do With Weak Colonies in Spring. 



I have 21 colonies of bees in the cellar, but some are very 

 weak, and I am afraid queenless, as owing to last year being 

 such a poor year for honey, all the stores my bees had for 

 winter was what I fed them. What I want to know is this: 

 When I take them out this spring, will it do to put a light 

 colony on the top of some other, and let them unite — that is, 

 if it is queenless ? Or can you give me some better way of 

 saving these small colonies, so that they will be in condition 

 for the harvest ? L. S. 



Aurora, 111. 



Answer. — I used to take a great deal of pains to try to 

 nurse up these little weaklings that come out half dead and 

 alive with very few bees in them, and sometimes I'd give them 

 brood from a strong colony to help bring them up. The idea 

 was that if there was one very strong colony and one very 

 weak one, if 1 let them alone the weak one would die, and 

 then I'd have only one colony, but if I gave the weak one 



