AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



13 



Hueries and Replies. 



Clippinir tlie Wings of Qneeiis. 



QuEKY 746. — Please give your method of 

 clipping the wings of queen-bees. — Lewis. 



I let them be. — J. M. Hambaugh. 



I clip all queen's wings in my mind. — 

 H. D. Cutting. 



I do not clip the wings of queen-bees. 

 —J. P. H. Bkown. 



We do not clip the queen's wings, but 

 if it is thought necessary? clip the tip of 

 both wings. — Dadant & Son. 



my! I always have the "buck 

 ague " when I attempt it. Ask some one 

 else. — Mrs. L. Harrison. 



1 catch the queen by the wings with 

 the right hand, then with the left by the 

 upper portion of the body and clip three- 

 fourths of one of the large wings. — P. L. 



VlALLON. 



My way of clipping a queen's wings is 

 not to clip them at all. The queen and 

 drone trap has made this a proceeding 

 worse than useless. — C. H. Dibbern. 



Catch the queen by the wings, hold her 

 by the head and thorax, between the 

 thumb and fingers of the left hand, and 

 cut off both wings on the left side with a 

 pair of lace scissors. — C. C. Miller. 



"With scissors in one hand take the 

 queen by the thorax with the other, 

 picking her up "head first" and then 

 "clip." To catch her in a piece of net- 

 ting is also a good way, as her wings will 

 come through. — James Heddon. 



I never clip queens' wings, so I have 

 no method ; but if I w^anted to clip them, 

 I should just do it, and let it go at that, 

 using a pair of sharp scissors. — J. E. 

 Pond. 



Take the wings between the thumb 

 and forefinger of the left hand, place 

 the blade of the knife (held in the right 

 hand) on the wings, lower both hands 

 close to the tops of the frames, and draw 

 the knife until the queen falls. Have 

 the blade of the knife very sharp. There 

 will be no danger of cutting your fingers 

 if you stop as soon as the queen falls. 

 — G. M. Doolittle. 



I hold one wing between the thumb 

 and forefinger of my left hand, let the 

 queen cling to the end of my middle 

 finger, and with a pair of pocket-scissors 



clip off about one-half of the large or 

 front wing on the opposite side. I then 

 put the queen on the comb whence it was 

 taken, and return it to the hive. — M. 

 Mahin. 



I catch the queen by the wings with 

 the left hand. Then place her so that 

 she rests on something with her feet, 

 then by the use of the right hand clip 

 her wings. I sometimes clip her wings 

 as she walks on ihe comb, but it takes 

 more time than to catch her, and I never 

 lose queens when I catch them. The 

 bees receive them all right when re-, 

 turned. — A. J. Cook. 



Of late I hold the frame with the 

 queen on in one hand, or rest one corner 

 on something, and with the other hand 

 (using a small pair of sharp pointed 

 scissors) follow the queen as she walks 

 over the comb, gently slipping one point 

 under a wing, and clip it off without 

 touching her with my fingers. If your 

 hand is steady it is easily done. — Eugene 

 Secor. 



Take the queen up from the comb by 

 the wings with the right hand. Then 

 transfer to the left hand, placing the 

 chest of the queen between the thumb 

 and forefinger. With a pair of sharp 

 pointed scissors clip one of the large 

 wings lengthwise, taking off a little 

 more than one-half of the feather edge. 

 I regard the clipping off of one or both 

 wings to mere stumps,as not only brutal, 

 but decidedly bungling. — G. L. Tinker. 



I seize the queen by the wings with 

 the forefinger and thumb of my right 

 hand, and sitting down I let her lay hold 

 of the knee of my trousers with her feet, 

 when I hold her gently by the thorax 

 with the forefinger and thumb of my 

 left hand, keeping her on my knee, and 

 clip with my right hand, with a small 

 scissors. — R. L. Taylor. 



I clip the wings of my queens as early 

 in the Spring as the weather will admit 

 of the bees gathering pollen. Equipped 

 with a revoling frame-holder and a small 

 pair of scissors I proceed as follows : 

 After the hive is opened, and the queen 

 is discovered, the frame on which she is 

 found is hung on the revolving frame- 

 holder, so as to have both hands free. 

 The queen is picked from the comb by 

 clasping her wings between the right 

 thumb and forefinger. She is now shifted 

 to the thumb and forefinger of the left 

 hand, where her legs are gently, but 

 firmly held fast, now wait a minute for 

 her to stop her fluttering, then with the 

 scissors clip off half of one pair of her 

 wings. Now release her on the comb 



