396 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 



ho said he could not send out any until the middle 

 of June; that will be too late; my bees will be done 

 swarming before that time. 



Mas. Nelson Kelley. 

 Ferndale, Whatcom Co., Wash. Ter., May 30, 1883. 



I confess, my friend, your name is quite 

 au apt one for bees when they get the swarm- 

 ing mania, and won't stay at honae at all, 

 but let the whole honey season pass by, 

 while they cut up in the way you have de- 

 scribed. I have once or twice seen small 

 swarms go out with nothing but one of 

 these small shiny-looking bees, which they 

 seemed to behave toward as if it were a 

 queen ; and the way I did was to pinch off 

 ttieir heads as soon as I could single them 

 out. Some of them had a sort of resemblance 

 to a queen, but they were no larger than 

 worker bees. It might be well to inquire 

 how it is that a colony comes to have such 

 queen- workers, but I am inclined to think 

 it is rather a demoralized state of the 

 workers, and that they select some bees and 

 hang around them until they get the shiny, 

 sneaking look they \isually bear. I have 

 wondered if these bees were not mostly made 

 up of those that spend their time buzzing 

 about hives, and trying to rob ? 



Since the above was written, the three 

 queens have come to hand, for queens they 

 are, I should say, even though they have a 

 queer look. The shape is rather short and 

 thick, something like a drone, and they are 

 sliiny black. I have mailed them to Prof, 

 ('ook, to see if their anatomy differed in any 

 way from ordinary virgin queens. 



TKIBULATIONS OE^ AN A B C SCHOLAR. 



1 feel assured you will not be annoyed with mo, 

 coming to you in my trouble; for I am about in the 

 condition of mind as the one represented in your A 

 BC book, on pDgc ~8i. Two years ago my mother, 

 hearing the noise of bees in the air, ran out and saw 

 them coming toward the house; and laying hold of 

 the bcll-wiro she succeeded, by vigorous jerking, in 

 making so loud a noise that the bees were confused, 

 and thought it best to wait until they could hear 

 their own voices before going- further, and so thej' 

 settled near the house, on a low tree; and with the 

 assistance of the hired hand, she succeeded in get- 

 ting them into an old box hive about 12 xl3 x254 ft., 

 and in the evening father carried them and put 

 them by the yard fence Gn a board, and you will 

 wonder if I tell you that we were all very proud of 

 our newly acquired treasure. By watching them 

 day b3' day we found them working nicely, apparent- 

 ly contented and happy, and succeeded in laying up 

 sufflcicnt store to take them through the winter; 

 and as we knew nothing of the wonders of modern 

 apiarists in handling the little busy-bodies, we were 

 content to let them stand in the box, without being 

 able to even sec what they were doing, until an 

 uncle came to see us, who had been working with 

 bees for several years, and reading your books. He 

 persuaded father to make two of your Simplicity 

 hives, and he tore the old box up and put the bees in 

 two new ones, dividing the colony, and making two 

 out of it. They worked nicely, and laid up consider- 

 able honey. During the honey season we took 

 about 100 lbs. of honey from them, and left them 

 enough to winter on. Wo put them in chaff hives 

 last winter; and although the winter was so bitter, 



they lived through nicely. We had some little 

 trouble with them this spring, and during the cold 

 weather wc had to feed them a few days. 



Then came swarming season, the saddest of all 

 seasons to me. My first swarm came out on Sunday, 

 as we were just starting for Sabbath-school. It was 

 3 o'clock p. M. We managed to get them settled on 

 a tree inside the yard. Mother and myself got them 

 started into the hive (father being absent), and 

 again started for S.ibbath-school. We got back 

 home about 5 o'clock. The bees were mostly in the 

 hive, a dozen or two Hying around the hive, seem- . 

 ing to like the outside better than the inside. We 

 then carried the hive about 13 or 15 ft. from where 

 they settled. I looked at them the next morning; 

 they had built 3 or 4 inches of comb on 4 of the 

 frames. They did not seem to be satisfied, however, 

 and father suggested that we give them a frame of 

 brood from the old hive. Wo did so; but about 1 

 o'clock they swarmed out. We got them settled, 

 and in the hive again, but we had just got into the 

 house when we heard the buzz of bees swarming. 

 On going to the door and looking out, we found the 

 other colony swarming. They settled on a tree 

 close to the house. Father sawed off the limb they 

 were on, and carried them to where we wanted them 

 to stand. They went to work building comb, and 

 seemed as if they meant businfess. Wc gave them a 

 frame of brood from the hive they came out of. 

 Both swarms soemed to be getting along nicely; but 

 the next day, about dinner-time, the first swarm 

 went out again. They had about all got out of the 

 hive when the second swarm commenced coming 

 out again. We got both swarms settled, by main 

 strength and awkwardness, you might say, for wo 

 all threw dirt and v.rater, and pounded tinware like 

 good fellows. 



We got them hived, but they seemed terribly con- 

 fused. We examined them, and found that both 

 swarms had a queen apiece. About 4 o'clock both 

 swarms came out again. Wc threw dirt and water, 

 and rattled pans as before, but with no good results 

 with the second swarm. They went oil in spite of 

 us. We succeeded in getting the first swarm settled, 

 and in the hive again. We all chased the swarm 

 that went off, but lost sight of them in a little 

 while. 



The first swarm stayed with us till next day about 

 11 o'clcck; they then came out and took their 

 flight in the same direction that the others wont. 

 Now, if you have .the patience to read my story 

 through, you will not wonder at my being down in 

 the mouth. As the bees were given me to handle, 

 you can readily see that reputation is at stake. If 

 you have the time (and I shall wonder if you do) to 

 read this, and answer this one question, 1 shall bo 

 greatly obliged: What made the bees go off? 



M.AGGIE A. BVRNS. 



Mt. Sterling, Brown Co., 111., June 11, 1883. 



Well, friend Maggie, you have had trouble, 

 sure enough. No Avonder you call the 

 swarming season the saddest of the year, 

 even if bee-men in general, and bee-women 

 too, if I am not mistaken, do unite in think- 

 ing it the happiest of the whole year. As 

 you state it, I can hardly see where you 

 were at fault, and I cant give any other 

 reason for the bees behaving as they did, 

 more than that they had got the swarming 

 mania, and had their trees picked out, and 

 were bound to go. I have had sbrae such 



