1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1079 



first, and have had their cleansing flight, be- 

 ing well located are in prime condition to 

 attack every colony that is taken out later, 

 and before they become located the bees 

 from those that were taken out first have full 



A BAD CASE OF ROBBING. — SEK PRECEDING 

 PAGE. 



swing at their less fortunate neighbors. In 

 order to prevent this costly and unpleasant 

 state of things, where you have to set out 

 your bees at difl'erent times, first contract 

 the entrance of every colony; then as soon as 

 you find a colony that is being robbed, even 

 though it is only just started, close it up and 

 keep it so for several days; then if they have 

 any brood, set them on top of a strong colo- 

 ny with a queen-excluder between. If they 

 have no brood, and still have a queen, give 

 them a comb containing bi'ood from some 

 other colony. 



In putting two colonies together in this 

 way don't disturb either of them any more 

 than you can help, especially the stronger 

 one. If you keep a close watch on your api- 

 ary, and treat them as above described, you 

 can save nearly all of your weak colonies 

 with but little trouble, and at the same time 

 prevent your apiary from getting into that 

 tlemoralized condition which they frequent- 

 ly do when they find several weak colonies 

 which they can overpower with but little 

 loss of bees. 



A CAUTION AGAINST MAKING INCREASE TOO 

 RAPIDLY. 



Then the desire for more bees is almost 

 sure to tempt the inexperienced to divide 

 his colonies to that extent that they are al- 

 most worthless, either for surplus or to try 

 to winter. So, don't make your increase too 

 fast. If you do, you will not only lose your 

 prospect of securing a fair surplus, but the 

 chances are that you will lose many colonies 

 during the following winter. 



KEEP GOOD BEES AND PRODUCE GOOD HONEY. 



Then don't be contented in keeping bees 

 that are not good honey-gatherers. This is 

 the principal thing we keep bees for; and if 

 they fail to give us a good surplus when they 



should, supersede their queens with queens 

 of a good honey-gathering strain. 



Then don't produce poor-looking comb 

 honey. You have no more excuse for pro- 

 ducing poor stuff than the dairyman has for 

 producing poor butter; but produce a quality 

 that you will take pride in stamping on every 

 package of it your name and address. 



SOME GOOD "DON'TS." 



Don't set your bees in a place where they 

 will annoy the public. Either keep them 

 where they will not disturb any one, or sell 

 them and go out of the business. 



Don't allow drone comb in any hive ex- 

 cept one or two, and see that these hives 

 have choice breeding queens. There is no 

 more profit in keeping a colony of bees where 

 a large per cent of their combs is drone comb 

 than thei'e would be in keeping a poultry- 

 yard of roosters. 



Don't allow king birds, skunks, toads, and 

 snakes to hang around your apiary. If you 

 do they will weaken the working force of 

 every colony. 



Don't think that bees will give you good 

 results in either increase or sui'plus honey if 

 you neglect them and fail to do your part. 

 The day is past when the word " kick" has 

 any bearing on bee-keeping. The man who 

 conducts his business in a careless slipshod 

 way, taking it for granted that this and that 

 will come out all right, is only fooling him- 

 self; and the sooner he realizes it to be a fact, 

 the better for all concerned. So, don't try 

 any thing of the kind, but look close to all 

 the minor parts; and when you have united 

 them into one fine method for practice you 

 will be well rewarded for your study and 

 perseverance. 



Don't spend any time in worrying over the 

 frequency of poor seasons, but spend your 



CURE 



FOR ROBBING 

 HOME. 



.^eA-Mi'KRING 



time in preparing your bees to make the 

 most they can of any kind of season that 

 comes, then you will be almost surpiised to 

 see how few poor seasons there are. We 

 have not had a really poor season in 35 years, 



