112 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



of frames, the combs which would prob- 

 ably remain in large part empty in the 

 Fall. They have need of the honey in 

 Winter, and the empty combs could be 

 of no service to them then. 



The most effectual means, however, 

 of arresting brood-rearing at this season 

 (unless the very amiable or learned 

 queens of the Doolittle stock are the 

 breeders), is found in the confinement of 

 the queen, or her entire removal, if she 

 be superanuated, so as to render it 

 doubtful whether she would survive the 

 Winter. In fact, as the expulsion of 

 the drones usually takes place in the 

 latter part of July or early in August, 

 this is the time for rearing young 

 queens, and the removal of those 2 or 3 

 years old, or which are less fertile than 

 a good queen should be. Reserve queens 

 reared in advance fpr this special pur- 

 pose, and kept in nuclei or small 

 colonies, may now be used with great 

 advantage in effecting the change, or 

 supplying colonies which have become 

 queenless after sending forth a swarm, 

 or from which a swarm has been 

 drummed out. 



Parent colonies from which swarms 

 have issued, should be examined 5 or 6 

 weeks after the old queen left, to 

 ascertain whether they contain worker 

 brood. If none can be seen, and no 

 young bees are observed, and no dispo- 

 sition is shown to expel the drones, such 

 colonies may be regarded as queenless, 

 and should be supplied with eggs and 

 larvae to enable them to remedy their 

 loss, though they will more speedily be 

 brought into good condition, if a fertile 

 queen be introduced. 



Weak and late swarms should be 

 strengthened by inserting combs contain- 

 ing sealed brood taken from the other 

 colonies, and supplying them also with 

 honey or sugar syrup. But brood should 

 be taken only from very populous colo- 

 nies. Instead of such management two 

 or more wea,k colonies should be united, 

 and the surplus combs preserved for use 

 next season. 



When pasturage begins to fail, the 

 bees, accustomed to honey gathering, 

 are prone to attack and rob other 

 colonies — especially such as are queen- 

 less. . If the population of these is 

 already n\uch reduced, the introduction 

 of even a fertile queen will often not be 

 of permanent advantage. They should, 

 rather, be forthwith united with some 

 other colony. 



In districts where buckwheat is ex- 

 tensively cultivated, or Fall pasturage 

 is abundant, it may do even as late as 

 August 15 to make artificial colonies; 



especially if the apiarist has fertile 

 queens in reserve to be used on such 

 occasions. The expediency of doing this 

 depends on the strength of the colonies, 

 and the extent and quality of the pas- 

 turage within their reach. Generally, 

 however, it is better to allow the bees to 

 avail themselves of the opportunity to 

 cram their hives thoroughly with sup- 

 plies for the Winter, rather than to 

 diminish their ability for efficient labor 

 by subdivision. 



In some districts, and in some years, 

 early swarms produce what are called 

 "virgin swarms." Whether these should 

 be preserved and treated as independent 

 colonies, or caused to return to the 

 parent hive by destroying the queen, 

 depends on the strength of the swarm, 

 the period at which it issues, and the 

 prospect that they may still be able to 

 provide for their wants in the coming 

 Winter. 



As most bee-keepers consider them- 

 selves peculiarly favored when virgin 

 swarms appear in their apiaries, and 

 flatter themselves that their bees will 

 prosper, there is a general disposition to 

 hive and preserve them : and it is hardly 

 likely that any counter suggestions 

 which I might make, would induce the 

 lucky bee-keeper to adopt a different 

 policy. 



Richford, N. Y. 



Selecting Pure Stores for Wintering. 



C. W. DAYTON. 



As the time is at hand to begin pre- 

 paring the bees for Winter, a few words 

 upon that subject may not be amiss. 



The part to be attended to now is to 

 see that the colonies store a sufficient 

 amount of the best honey in their hives 

 so as to escape removal as surplus. They 

 sometimes store nearly all the honey 

 gathered in the sections, and then the 

 bee-keeper depends upon their filling up 

 with Winter stores from the Fall harvest. 



But usually the Fall harvest is too 

 light, or nothing at all, and in conse- 

 quence the bees starve through the care- 

 lessness or negligence of the bee-keeper 

 in not giving the colonies abundant 

 stores of the honey that was gathered 

 early in the season. 



I read in the Bee Journal lately 

 that the most of the losses last Winter 

 were caused from "extracting from the 

 brood-charabers. " 



This may be true in some cases, and 

 in others it may not be true. Sometimes 



