1318 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct 15 



are partly capped, the outside ones only 

 started. If they are left in this way a few 

 light-weight sections will be the result, and 

 perhaps those near the outside will be warp- 

 ed out of shape and fastened to the fence. 

 But suppose that about the middleof the flow 

 one of them swarms — what will be the result 

 when treated in the manner described? As 

 soon as they have been fixed, and the third 

 super given (I usually put this empty one 

 between the other two), work in all three 

 supers will be carried on with a rush, and 

 from three to four supers of extra-fine comb 

 honey will be the result, where, had they not 

 swarmed, but two supers of poor honey 

 would have been obtained. 



If they are inclined to tight when united I 

 smoke them a little. Now some will ask, 

 "Will not this cause the united colonies to 

 swarm?" I never had one do so, and I 

 have practiced this with several colonies a 

 year for four years. They all seem to work 

 with the vigor of any newly hived swarm. 

 If they should do so I would hive them with 

 a colony containing a young queen raised 

 the same year. I have never lost any bees 

 from fighting, nor have I ever lost a queen 

 when colonies were united in this way. 



HIVECOVERS. 



How the Alexander Super-covers are Made; 

 Retaining the Heat in the Spring. 



BY E. W. ALEXANDER. 



A subscriber wishes to know how the un- 

 der covers to our hives are made. I will say 

 that they have a rim | wide and | inch in 

 thickness, with a groove in the center J inch 

 wide. In this groove we slide a board J inch 

 thick, which leaves a J-inch space on each 

 side of the center board. 



The tops of our frames are flush with the 

 top of the hive, so when we lay this cover 

 on top of the hive and frames there is a J- 

 inch space between the under side of the 

 cover and top of frames. Then when our 

 outside telescope top is put on, which has a 

 2-inch rim all around on the under side, and 

 rests on top of this under cover, there is 

 another J^-inch space between the two cov- 

 ers. This, we find, makes an ideal top. It 

 is warm in cool weather and cool in warm 

 weather.. 



We also use, in addition to this under 

 cover, during spring and fall, a piece of 

 heavy duck No. 8, or, as some would call it, 

 a piece of light canvas, over the top of the 

 frames under the under cover. This helps 



much to retain the heat of the colony during 

 the spring, as it furnishes a perfect packing 

 around the top of the hive. 



The rims of these under covers are mor- 

 tised together at the corners, similar to a 

 wood-zinc queen-excluder, and then nailed. 



CONSTRUCTION OF THE ALEXANDER COVERS. 



They are strong and durable, and at the 

 same time light and handy to handle. With 

 the outside cover well painted, no water or 

 cold air can enter our hives from the top 

 during the spring season. 



We are all learning fast that it is very im- 

 portant to retain all the heat we can during 

 early spring. We also close the entrance 

 until it is so warm in the hive on a fair day 

 that the bees will fan the air at the entrance 

 as they usually do in mid-summer. This 

 causes the old candied honey to liquefy, and 

 prevents the bees from carrying it out of 

 their hives, where it is lost. 



Old candied honey in a weak colony in 

 the spring is of but little use, and I can not 

 see any more consistency in feeding bees in 

 September in order to induce spring breed- 

 ing than there would be in feeding our cows 

 in July to increase the flow of milk the fol- 

 lowing May. Do all you can to retain the 

 heat of the colony to its hive during about 

 nine months of the year, and you will find 

 your bees will be the better for it. 



Delanson, N. Y. 



TRUE WASPS OR HORNETS. 



BY PROF. A. J. COOK. 



I enclose a picture of some paper hives. I 

 would suggest that a few remarks from Prof. 

 Cook, to go with the picture, would be of in- 

 terest. A. E. WiLLCUTT. 



Swift River, Mass. 



[The above letter and the accompanying 

 photograph were sent to Prof. Cook, whose 

 interesting letter follows. — Ed.] 



The "paper hives" illustrated are the pa- 

 per nests of the common wasps or hornets. 

 These hymenopterous insects are of special 

 interest to bee-keepers, as they are nearest 

 to the bees in structure and habits, and are 

 peculiar in being the best paper-makers 

 among animals, ii we may except man him- 



