692 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



AVltli Replies thereto. 



lit Is quite useless to ask for answers to 

 Queries In this Department In less time 

 tban one montb. 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 

 apaoe for them in the Journal. If you are 

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

 them to be inserted here. — Ed.] 



Water for Bees wlien SMping. 



Query 489.— 1. In shipping: bees in hives, 

 is it necesaary to provide water for a conllnement 

 of from one to two weeks ? 2. What is the best way 

 to provide the water ?— W.. Tennessee. 



It is not, if they have honey or 

 " Good candy " for food .—A. J. Cook. 



I have never provided any water 

 for the colony when shipping bees, 

 and I have been fairly successful.— G. 



M. DOOLITTLE. 



1. If the weather is cool, water is 

 not necessary. 2. A tin can with two 

 compartments with a small perfora- 

 tion at each end.— J. P. H. BitoWN. 



Not unless they have a very large 

 amount of brood, and it is alwajfs best 

 not to ship them at such a time.— 

 Dad ANT & Son. 



1. Yes. 2. Directions should be 

 given to Express Messengers to 

 slightly sprinkle the bees witn water 

 every 24 hours. In shipping bees 500 

 miles by Express, no water is neces- 

 sary.— G. L. Tinker. 



1. Yes. 2. Sponges or cloths kept 

 well wetted are good. If any empty 

 combs are in the hive, they might be 

 Blled with water by pouring from a 

 watering can at a height of 3 or 4 feet. 

 — C. C. Miller. 



Yes, if there is unsealed brood in 

 the hive, and you wish to preserve 

 the life of that brood. I have accom- 

 plished it by fastening in the hive a 

 sponge, or roll of rags, saturated with 

 all the water it would hold without 

 dripping.— James Heddon. 



' Yes, it is much better. Cloths or 

 sponges wet in water will be of some 

 help, but I should think that a bottle 

 filled with water, its mouth stopped 

 with a sponge, and turned upside 

 down, would be better. — W. Z. 

 Hutchinson. 



1. Giving my experience, it is. 2. 

 A pad made of cotton cloth and tilled 

 with fine sawdust, well soaked in water 

 will hold moisture for a long time. and 

 is the best plan I have any knowledge 

 of. When shipping bees by the 

 pound, etc., I have tested the sawdust 

 pad thoroughly, and it has stood the 

 severest trials, holding the moisture 

 till the bees reached the end of their 

 journey, be it long or short. — G. W. 

 Demaree. 



1. Unless the weather is very hot, 

 I do not think there is any need of a 

 supply of water, if the bees are pmp 

 erly packed. 2. 1 should, if giving 

 moisture at all, use cotton waste or 



something absorbent in its nature, in 

 one end of the shipping-box, protected 

 b^ coarse wire-netting and saturated 

 with water. A card could be tacked 

 on the end where the absorbent is 

 placed, asking the Express Messenger 

 to pour in a little water daily.— J. E. 

 Pond. 



If bees were to be confined for two 

 weeks in a shipping condition, they 

 would need water. If you had only 

 said whether some one was going in 

 charge of the bees, it would be so 

 easy to say how to provide the water. 

 — H.D. Cutting. 



Water is often necessary for brood- 

 rearing, etc. A wet sponge will sup- 

 ply it, or an empty comb may be filled 

 with water.- The Editor. 



Preparing Hives for SMpping Bees. 



Query 490.— 1. What Is the best way to 

 prepare the hives for shipping bees ? 2. Uow 

 much space should be given above and below the 

 f rames y 3. How much wire-cloth should be used 

 in giving ventilation, and in what manner is it 

 used ?— 0., Tennessee. 



1. Fasten the frames securely. 2. I 

 shall in the future use 2 inches above 

 the frames. 3. The whole size of the 

 top of the hive.— G. M. Doolittle. 



Nail the ends of the top- bars to the 

 hive. Have the combs stand parallel 

 with the track, if on a railroad. Have 

 a wire-cloth both above and below the 

 hive, with a space of 3 inches between 

 it and the frames. — W. Z. Hutchin- 

 son. 



1. Plenty of room and ventilation, 

 with a notched strip to hold the 

 frames at the bottom. 2. A half inch 

 below, and from 1 to 2 inches above. 

 3. It depends upon the season and 

 size of the colony — better too much 

 than not enough.— J. P. H. Brown, 



1. Much depends upon how warm 

 it is. In hot weather a covering of 

 wire-cloth the full size of the top of 

 the hive is none too much. 2. An 

 open space of 4 inches between the 

 frames and the wire-cloth will do, 

 with no extra space below the frames, 

 or, if the hive admits it, part or all of 

 the open space may be provided at 

 the entrance.— C. C. Miller. 



All depends upon the season of 

 shipment. Bees can be sent in hives 

 entirely closed, during the cold 

 months. In summer they require 

 more or less ventilation; sometimes 

 it is best to give them 3 or 4 inches 

 above the combs, and to cover the en- 

 tire bottom and top with wire cloth. 

 Shipping bees requires judgment and 

 some practice.— Dadant & Son. 



If you had only said, by rail or 

 wagon, the distance, etc., then it 

 would be less difficult to give sugges- 

 tions. 2. Two inches above aod be- 

 low, with wire-screens over the en- 

 trance, and over the whole open top. 

 You can leave the hive on the bottom- 

 board or platform, but I prefer to cut 

 holes at least 4 inches square, and 

 cover them with wirecloth. Make a 

 frame two or more inches deep, and 

 fasten it on top of the brood-chamber, 

 and tack wirecloth on top, over all.— 

 H. D. Cutting. 



If the frames come level with the 

 top of the hive or brood-chamber, a 

 cleat may be nailed across each end 

 of the frames, that will hold them in 

 place. In the spring, a sheet of wire- 

 cloth to cover the frames and en- 

 trance is sufficient ; but if the weather 

 is very warm, a case 6 inches deep, 

 the full size of the hive, covered with 

 wire cloth should be put on top, with 

 wire-cloth over the entrance, or over 

 the bottom of the hive, if the colony 

 is very strong.— G. L. Tinker. 



Be sure that all is firmly nailed, 

 so that the bees cannot possibly get 

 out. Use old or wired combs, that 

 they may not break loose. Be sure 

 that the frames are secure, either 

 nailed at the rabbet, or so held by a 

 board that they cannot possibly move. 

 In hot weather cover entirely above 

 with wire-gauze, and also at the en- 

 trance. (See Dr. Miller's admirable 

 little book.) Less ventilation is re- 

 quired in cool weather than in warm. 

 —A. J. Cook. 



1 and 2. My way is to space the 

 frames evenly, using 6 frames in a 

 14>4 inch wide Langstroth hive ; giv- 

 ing, say 2 inches of open space at the 

 top. 3. I cover the whole top with 

 wire-cloth well protected; at each 

 corner of the bottom I tack a strip 3 

 or 4 inches long, and IH inches thick, 

 on which I screw the bottom-board, 

 covering the open space on the sides 

 and ends with wire-cloth. This gives 

 ample ventilation. Holes may be 

 bored in the bottom, but if the hive is 

 covered up with other freight they 

 may prove to be entirely useless. — J. 

 E. Pond. 



1. That is a matter that may be 

 varied considerably. 2. That depends 

 upon the size of the colony and the 

 season of the year in which they are 

 shipped. In the late fall, winter and 

 spring, the bees may be confined in 

 their ordinary breeding quarters by 

 means of a coarse cloth over the top 

 of the hive, and some strips of wire- 

 cloth over the entrance to the hive. 

 But in hot weather there should be a 

 space 3 or 4 inches above the tops of 

 the frames, which should be cov- 

 ered with wire-cloth the full size of 

 the top of the brood department.— G. 

 W. Demaree. 



I always close the entrance tight, 

 because I can nail a stick over it 

 quicker, stronger, and cheaper than 

 wirecloth. I cover the top with a 

 wood frame the full size of the top of 

 the hive, 2 inches deep, with wire- 

 cloth tacked over the entire surface. 

 This 2-inch space between the wire- 

 cloth and the irames is a great ad- 

 vantage. On top of the screen frame 

 I nail three pieces across the narrow 

 way, \%hy Yi inches, and as long as 

 the frame is wide ; one at each end, 

 and one across the middle. This pro- 

 tects the wire-cloih.and if the weather 

 is not too hot, one hive can be set on 

 top of the other in the cars. When 

 the weather is too warm, I put on 

 only one cleat, and that in the mid- 

 dle, and make it rounding so that 

 they cannot place one hive oo another. 

 I fasteu these screens to the hive with 

 ten-penny nails, driven edgewise 

 through the sides of the frame near 



