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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15 



ceed to the methods of introduction, most of 

 which are based on the theory that the 

 queen to be introduced must first have ac- 

 quired the colony odor of her new subjects. 

 There are some methods of direct intro- 

 duction by which the queen can be released 

 without the process of caging; but in the 

 case of queens of any value they should not 

 be employed, and are, therefore, not given 

 in a work of this kind designed primarily 

 for the novice in bees. 



A SCORE OF COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS. 



We are constantly answering questions on 

 the subject of bees and bee culture. Some- 

 times one mail will bring the same question 

 asked several different times by as many 

 different bee-keepers. Of course, it would 

 not be possible to answer all of these in 

 Gleanings, as it would take up entirely too 

 much space, and many of them would be 

 simply repetitions. But we have decided to 

 publish at certain times of the year the ans- 

 wers to the questions that are asked the oft- 

 enest, in oi'der that a larger number of our 

 readers, and especially the beginners, may 

 be benefited. The ones which we give be- 

 low are those having to do especially with 

 the problems encountex'ed in wintering. 



1. Should supers be left on the hives dur- 

 ing the winter? 



No. not unless you wish to remove the in- 

 side fixtures and substitute packing material. 



2. Will it hurt the bees to open the hives 

 in cold weather? 



Yes. Ordinarily hives should not be open- 

 ed after the cold wea' her sets in, as it breaks 

 the propolis sealing and permits cold wind 

 to blow thi'ough the cracks. If it is absolute- 

 ly necessary, wait until a warm day. 



3. Which are better — fealed covers or ab- 

 sorbent cushions laid on the tops of the 

 frames ? 



Sealed covers. There was a time when it 

 was considered best to place cushions direct- 

 ly over the frames; but since they often get 

 wet from water of condensation, and freeze, 

 flat covers sealed down by the bees are now 

 recommended. 



4. Should queen-excluders be left on 

 through the winter? 



No. 



5. How can I tell whether there is enough 

 honey in the hives? 



By looking over the combs before cold 

 weather comes. There should be an average 

 of three or four pounds of sealed stores in 

 each comb. 



6. How much honey does it take to win- 

 ter a colony? 



From 20 to 30 pounds, depending upon the 

 size of the colony. Bees in a cellar usually 

 need less than those out of doors. 



7. How can I winter a weak colony? 



In a good bee-cellar. But it is generally 

 best to unite the weak ones before winter. 



8. Does it pay to give cellared bees a mid- 

 winter flight? 



Yes, if necessary. But the best way is to 

 manage so that they will not need such a 



flight. As long as bees are quiet, don't dis- 

 turb them. 



9. My cellar has a damp floor; will it do 

 for wintering bees? 



Yes, if the damp floor is the only objection. 

 If the atmosphere is dry, the air good, and 

 the temperature kept about 45°, there should 

 be no trouble. 



10. Is cork dust good for winter packing? 

 Yes, if you can get it cheaply. Usually it is 



pretty expensive. 



11. Shouldn't double-walled hives have 

 packing material under the bottom-boards? 



Not unless they are raised from the ground, 

 and in many cases it would not even be nec- 

 essary then. 



12. Why did four of my five colonies die 

 that I wintered out of doors? 



We don't know, as you haven't given us 

 all of the particulars. Any of the following 

 reasons might explain the trouble: Colony 

 too weak in the fall; bees too old; packing 

 insuflicient; location too much exposed; en- 

 trance too large or small; queen dead; poor 

 quality or too small quantity of stores; wet 

 packing. 



13. How large an entrance should I have 

 for my colonies in eight-frame hives winter- 

 ed out of doors? 



It depends upon the strength of the colo- 

 ny; but |X4 inches is probably not too small. 

 Smaller entrances are now considered better 

 than the larger ones advised several years 

 ago. 



14. One of my queens died in January. 

 What can be done? 



Introduce another queen if you are so for- 

 tunate as to have one. If not, unite the 

 queenlesscolonywith some otherweak colony. 



15. The packing-over my bees is wet. What 

 shall I do? 



You should have put on a super cover so 

 that the bees could seal it down. A dry 

 cushion can be placed over this if necessary. 



16. How can I keep my bees from flying 

 out when the sun shines, and dying on the 

 snow? 



Place a board in such a position that the 

 sun can not shine in at the entrance, thus j 

 luring the bees out when it is too cold for | 

 them to fly. ' 



17. Can I winter my bees in a building 

 above the ground? 



Yes, if the temperature can be kept uni- 

 form at 45 degrees. Otherwise you had bet- 

 ter not experiment. 



18. How can I feed my bees in the cellar? 

 Place an empty super on the hive, and ., 



partly fill it with moistened loaf sugar. ] 



19 How may I know whether my colonies ' 

 out of doors are short of stores? 



If necessary, open the hives and make an 

 examination on the first warm day. But it 

 would have been much better if you had 

 made sure that there were plenty of stores 

 in the fall. 



20. Why is sugar syrup preferable for win- 

 ter food to honey? | 



Because it is cheaper, less stimulating, and '' 

 always the same. Some kinds of honey are 

 not at all suitable for winter food. 



