376 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



June 13, 



kept up much better than it would be with only 8. If no 

 feeding were done, and if a flow did come, the colony on lO 

 frames would have a much larger force of workers to secure 

 it; but when I have gone beyond 10 frames, in general I have 

 got just that much less surplus — that is, with a 12-frame hive 

 I do not get as much surplus within 14 or 16 pounds; and, 

 besides, such hives cost more, and it is much harder work to 

 handle them. 



I do not think the locality makes much difference to the 

 specialist about the right size of hive. Of course, it might 

 make a difference as to the time, and amount to be fed. I be- 

 lieve I can make more in any locality with frames in the 8- 

 frame hive than I can with the same number of frames in 

 larger ones ; for my evperieuce has been that, as a general 

 thing, S frames are enough for the best queens we can get at 

 the present time. In saying " the best queens," I do not 

 mean those that are the most prolific. I have had queens 

 that would keep 10, and in a few cases even 12, frames full 

 of brood ; but these queens needed to be prolific, for their bees 

 were so short-lived that these colonies could not store as much 

 surplus as others whose queens did not keep 8 frames full. 



Again, I have had very prolific queens whose bees lived 

 long enough ; but they were worthless so far as surplus honey 

 was concerned, for their entire time and attention seemed to 

 be devoted to rearing bees, and swarming. 



Sometimes we see reports of queens that will keep 12, or 

 even 14, frames full of brood, and their bees store a large 

 surplus. I have had two or three such queens ; but they are 

 very rare, and hard to get; and if we could get them, would 

 they be any better? Suppose we had queens that would lay 

 as much as two of the very best ones we now have : could we 

 get any more surplus for the same number of workers, or per 

 frame, than we now do ? I do not believe wc could, from my 

 experience. I believe that, after a colony gets to a certain 

 strength — a strength with the right kind of queen — the 8- 

 frame hive gives ample room to develop, and they will store as 

 much or more for the same number of workers as one much 

 larger : and I had much rather produce 200 pounds of honey 

 in two 8-frame hives than I would in one 16-frame hive. 



Some of the advocates of large hives tell us that bees in 

 such hives will rear a good many more bees during the latter 

 part of the season, and thus have more bees for winter ; and 

 that, such being the case, they will winter better and build up 

 faster in the spring. I will admit that colonies in large hives 

 of 12 or 14 frames will rear more bees at a time when there is 

 nothing for them to do. This is why colonies in big hives do 

 not store as much surplus. It takes a good deal of honey to 

 rear and keep these extra bees over winter — enough so that, 

 in large apiaries, it would amount to .SlOO or more; and with 

 me they generally die off in the spring before they have done 

 much if any good. But I winter in cellars altogether. In 

 out-door wintering it may be quite different, and the same 

 may be true of deep frames. I have better success in winter- 

 ing with bees on the standard frames than I do on those that 

 are deeper. 



The past winter was, for certain reasons, very hard on 

 bees in this locality, whether they were in cellars or out-doors; 

 and at present some of the strongest colonies that I have are 

 in S-frame dovetailed hives ; audi have colonies in hives of 

 many shapes, styles, and sizes — many more than I shall next 

 year, if the present season proves a good one. — Gleanings. 



Southern Minnesota. 



California Prospects— Bee-Paralysis, Etc. 



BY H. F. JOHANNING. 



It seems to me the bee-keepers of Southern California 

 must have had all the whim and enthusiasm taken out of 

 them the last two or three years, or else that " stiff upper 

 lip," which is generally predominant in California, is begin- 

 ning to quiver, or possibly some of us are being somewhat 

 cured of the old California style, which is— If you can't report 

 grand achievements or glorious prospects for the future, keep 

 quiet, don't say a word. Some of us, through sad experience, 

 have found that it is better not to be too previous in heralding 

 the glad tidings of future anticipations and prospects, al- 

 though everything be favorable so far as we can see, for even 

 in California, where any one can forecast the weather, there 

 might be a change (as is the case this year) in the regular 

 order of the atmosphere. 



The weather had been very favorable until about April 

 20, this season ; the early rains and the invigorating rays of 

 our old friend Sol, started everything growing at least a month 

 earlier than usual. I have lived in California nearly 12 years, 

 and I have never seen a greater profusion and variety of 



flowers from about the middle of January up to date (May 2) 

 than this year. The ground has been literally covered ever 

 since — when one kind begins to fade and die another takes its 

 place. It has been as the girl said, " Beautiful, grand, sub- 

 lime." The rains and sunshine were so evenly distributed 

 that had we ordered it so, it could not have been better, until 

 the last two weeks it has been so foggy and rainy (scarcely 

 giving the bees a chance to work or take a flight), and there is 

 no telling when it is going to let up, for it is letting (yes, 

 almost pouring) down at present. If it continues this way 

 much longer, we won't be " in It" at all for honey. We are 

 losing nearly all of the wild alfalfa honey, and the white sage 

 is blossoming now, too (about a month earlier than usual) ; 

 the black (or button) sage is past, and yielded a good flow 

 where it abounds (very little in this locality), but the worst of 

 all is that the bees are suffering severely (the stronger colo- 

 nies) from what we formerly called the " trembles," because 

 they come out of the hive (when the weather permits), stand 

 around awhile, shake and tremble, then whir! around a few 

 times, turn upside down, and — well, they don't tremble any 

 longer. But we now call It "bee-paralysis," because all the 

 bee-papers seem to adopt that name for the disease. Although 

 we bee-keepers adopt the name, I for one do not adopt the 

 causes and cures given by the bee-papers (or by their contribu- 

 tors). 



I wish to say right here that I am not writing for fame, 

 neither to dispute what any one has written on this subject ; 

 everybody has (or ought to have) an opinion of his or her own, 

 and no one need take what I have to say on the subject for 

 more than it was intended — an idea, a suggestion. I am no 

 authority, only a novice in bee-keeping. I think there are 

 several probable causes of this bee-paralysis, and those causes 

 combined institute the trouble. Improper ventilation, un- 

 favorable weather, scarcity of honey, too much pollen, etc.; 

 the latter is the principal or chief cause, I think. When the 

 hive gets chock-full of bees, and no more ventilation is given, 

 the air will be more or less contaminated, and the bees will 

 begin to feel badly. The weather being disagreeable, the bees 

 can't get out, and a scarcity of unsealed honey may induce 

 them to eat (or feed to the young bees) more pollen than is 

 good for their welfare ; and the next thing will be a griping — 

 no, not that, but constipation. Now. may be Drs. Miller and 

 Brown can help us out of the dilemma, and give us a prescrip- 

 tion, and about the amount for a dose per colony, and I think 

 the trouble will soon end, any way in this locality, for one 

 doctor has tried such a remedy with good results. 



I have observed such sick bees for two seasons previous, 

 have never lost but one colony with the disease, and am satis- 

 fied that pollen is the chief cause. I have never (to my 

 knowledge) found a colony that had plenty of ventilation and 

 uncapped honey, and a comparatively small amount of pollen, 

 sick with that disease ; neither have I found any of my colo- 

 nies sick, that had swarmed early, and I always find that the 

 sick colonies consume nearly all the pollen brought in ; yet I 

 may be mistaken, and do not wish to dispute what others have 

 to say on the subject. It does not, however, always take a 

 great and wise man to stumble over a straw. 



I use the S-frame Langstroth hive, and think its capacity 

 aboutright for this locality, and to my idea, but for extract- 

 ing I prefer a frame about three inches shorter, about the 

 same depth, and then about 10 frames would make it good. 



I have 70 colonies in pretty good condition, and about 10 

 weak ones. I don't care for increase, and would give a large 

 button if I could entirely prevent it, and still keep them in 

 working trim, but I can't do it; they'll either swarm or else 

 loaf around the hive more or less. 



I find that by spacing close, I prevent (or at least I think 

 I do) braces between the combs. 



I fully agree with Mr. Wallenmeyer, of Evansville, Ind., 

 on the question of full sheets of foundation, and it Isn't be- 

 cause I am an old Hoosler, either (when only a boy I was in 

 an Indiana drug-store), but because I get nice, straight, full 

 worker-combs, and not one-third drone. I had to pay for my 

 experience, too. Etiwanda, Calif. 



[Why not give the remedy for bee-paralysis a trial as sug- 

 gested by Messrs. Alderman & Roberts, on page 364 ? It 

 may be the very thing. Try it, and then report results. — Ed.] 



Xlisit I%eM' Song: — " Queenie Jeanette" — which is being 

 sung everywhere, we can send you for 40 cents, postpaid, or club 

 it with the American Bee Journal for one year— both for only 

 Jil.lO. Or, send us one new subscriber for a year (with $1.00), and 

 we will mail you a copy of the song free. 



