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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



W^ltli Replies thereto. 



[It is quite useless to ask for answers to 

 Queries In tliis Department in less time 

 than one month. They have to wait their 

 turn, be put in type, and sent in about a 

 dozen at a time to each of those who answer 

 them ; get them returned, and then find 

 ■pace for them in the Journal. If you are 

 In a "hurry" for replies, do not ask for 

 them to be inserted here.— En.l 



Bee-Space alioye tlie Sections. 



Query, No. 400.— 1. Will bees work in 

 the sections as well with a toee-space abovp as 

 with a close cover? 2. Would a bee-space prevent 

 the use of so mueh propolis above the sections ?— 

 W. J., Tenn. 



1. Nearly if not quite as well. 2. 

 It will help greatly in my locality.— C. 

 C. Miller. 



1. I think so. 2. The bee-space 

 does protect against propolization. — 

 A. J. Cook. 



1. Yes, they will work better. 2. 

 Certainly, it prevents so much pro- 

 polizing.— James IIeddon. 



l..No. 2. The difference is small 

 in either case.— C. \V. Dayton. 



'-1. I prefer the close cover. 2. It 

 does with me.— G. M. Doolittle. 



Quite as well, but it would not les- 

 sen the amount of propolis. — J. P. H. 

 Brown. 



I prefer no bee-space above the sec- 

 tions, and I get no propolis on the 

 tops of them.— H. D. Cutting. 



Yes, bees will work just as well 

 with a bee-space between the sections 

 and the cover, and the space will 

 prevent propolis being placed upon 

 the top-bars of the sections.— W. Z. 

 Hutchinson. 



I hardly think that it has anything 

 to do with the working of the bees in 

 the sections, but I could not be in- 

 duced to have the bees crawling all 

 over the bottoms of my hive covers 

 when I lift them off. I shut the bees 

 down at the tops of the cases with 

 cotton or enameled cloth. This keeps 

 the tops of the sections clean, and 

 enables me during oppressively hot 

 weather to wedge up the covers and 

 admit air between the cloth and the 

 cover, thus cooling the bees without 

 permitting them to leave the apart- 

 ments of the hive.— G. W. Demaree. 



1. This is a question on which there 

 is much dispute. I prefer continuous 

 passage-ways ; others do not, so every 

 one must test for himself. In an- 

 swering this question, I assume that 

 it does not mean just what it says; 

 for so far as I know, space above is 

 only used when tiering. 2. I do not 

 think any difference will be found.— 

 J. E. Pond. 



1. Yes. 2. No; if you desire to 

 keep the sections quite free from pro- 



golis you should use wide frames to 

 old 4 sections. "With a suitable case 



they are the easiest to manipulate, 

 and the most satisfactory in all re- 

 spects. The first cost is a little more, 

 but the saving of labor in the apiary 

 by their use will soon over-balance 

 their extra cost ten to one. It is my 

 belief that we shall look in vain for a 

 better system to handle sections.— G. 

 L. Tinker. 



There is probably but little differ- 

 ence, but that little is in favor of a 

 bee-space.— The Editor. 



Amonnt af Honey Dsecl liy Bees, 



Query, No. 401.— Do bees consume more 

 honey when they have an occasional flight, than 

 they do in continued cold weather-on the summer 

 stands ?— Arnold. 



Yes, decidedly.— C. W. Dayton. 



They do not in this locality.— G. M. 

 Doolittle. 



They consume the most in cold 

 weather, unless occasional flights in- 

 duce them to breed.— DADANT& Son. 



Theoretically, no ; for if it is warm 

 enough to fly they do not consume 

 as much to keep up animal heat.— H. 

 D. Cutting. 



My experience is that they do con- 

 sume more honey when they have 

 frequent flights during an open, mild 

 winter.— J. P. H.Brown. 



It depends upon how cold the 

 weather may be, and also how much 

 protection the bees may have. Well 

 protected bees consume far less honey 

 in confinement.— G. L. Tinker. 



I have found that it is brood-rear- 

 ing that requires large consumption 

 of honey. My bees always come 

 through in the best condition if they 

 can fly out often, and I have never 

 discovered that their stores are af- 

 fected by frequent flights.— G. W. 

 Demaree. 



It depends something upon how 

 cold. In steady weather, just cold 

 enough to keep them from flying, they 

 will consume less, probably, than in 

 weather warm enough for them to fly, 

 or than in very cold weather.- C. C. 

 Miller. 



It depends. If the temperature is 

 mild, but just so as to keep the bees 

 quiet, yes. If subject to great ex- 

 tremes then it might be otherwise. I 

 find when I keep my cellar at just 

 about 45° Fahr., the bees eat the 

 least.— A. J. Cook. 



With me, bees have consumed the 

 most honey in a long, cold winter. If 

 there should be frequent flights, as 

 the result of continued warm weather, 

 there perhaps would be less stores 

 consumed; but if it should be ex- 

 tremely cold between the flights, it 

 might be otherwise.— W. Z. Hutch- 

 inson. 



Repeated experiments in my own 

 apiary (where I always winter the 

 bees on the summer stands) prove 

 that the warmer the winter the more 

 stores there are consumed. The rea- 

 son is obvious. Increased activity 

 caused by heat, when great enough to 

 induce flight, will of course cause a 

 greater consumption of stores, than 



when quietude caused by cold pre- 

 vails.— J. E. Pond. 



No, sir, if none is consumed in 

 breeding, and these flights are not too 

 frequent and extended. When bees 

 exercise they live largely on bee- 

 bread. Bees consume less honey in 

 moderate winters of even tempera- 

 ture. Very low temperature arouses 

 the bees to activity and increased con- 

 sumption of honey, and later bee- 

 bread, and then bee-diarrhea follows. 

 —James Heddon. 



No ; unless they are breeding, when 

 it is warm enough,for the " occasional 

 flights."— The Editor. 



Bflilding np Colonies in tlie Spring. 



Query, No. 402.— What is the' best and 

 most feasible method for •* building up " colonies- 

 in the sprinc in time for the white Clover honey 

 harvest ?-E. B., Ills. 



By wintering them perfectly. — 

 James Heddon. 



By using warm packing.— C. W. 

 Dayton. 



Peed enough to keep up breeding 

 and keep the hive warm. Reduce or 

 expand the brood-nest to suit the 

 needs of the colony.— Dadant & Son. 



Pack them up snugly so as to re- 

 tain the warmth ; see that there is 

 food in abundance ; " only this and 

 nothing more. "—W. Z. Hutchinson. 



This is too large a matter for this 

 place, but I think it has been fully 

 treated in back numbers by G. M. 

 Doolittle and others ; also in the va- 

 rious books.- C. C. Miller. 



Slight stimulative feeding, Heddon^ 

 notwithstanding, or to please Bro. 

 Clarke, "in my opinion." Then 

 equalize and get all colonies strong. — 

 A. J. Cook. 



If any bees go into winter withi 

 hives full of honey, so as to have 

 plenty of stores in the spring, they 

 will build themselves up if they are 

 packed warm at the top of the brood- 

 nest.— G. W. Demaree. 



By systematic feeding, and giving 

 frames of clean worker comb as fast 

 as the number of bees will justify. — 

 J. P. H. Brown. 



By the reversing of the brood-nest . 

 and spreading of the brood, as I have 

 often given in the Bee Journal. 

 Experience is needed, however, in 

 this matter to be successful. — G. M. 

 Doolittle. 



It will require more data than is 

 given, to tell. It will depend upon 

 the size of the colony to start with. 

 Some could not be built up so soon. 

 My own plan is to draw frames of 

 brood from strong colonies and give 

 to the weak, as fast as they can be 

 spared and cared for, being careful tO' 

 see that all have plenty of stores both- 

 for consumption and tor brood. I do 

 not know ;of any better building-up 

 process for any state of affairs.— J. E. 

 Pond. 



See that they have sufficient food 

 and are kept warm.— The Editor. 



