742 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Wavelets of News. 



Pollen for Spring Use. 



The brood-combs in reserve that have 

 the most pollen in them should be the 

 ones first given to the colonies in the 

 Spring. These are the ones among 

 which the moths work first, and make 

 the most havoc, and the pollen they con- 

 tain is just what the bees need when 

 new pollen is not plenty, or they are pre- 

 vented from collecting it by long con- 

 tinued storms. — Farm mid Home. 



Spring" Dwindling-. 



This has been one of the most disas- 

 trous years ever passed through in this 

 vicinity. Many small bee-keepers (hav- 

 ing 5 to 15 colonies) have lost all, and 

 of my home lot, the loss will amount to 

 at least 4(3 per cent., although but few 

 died in the cellar ; but in all ray experi- 

 ence I never saw so bad a case of Spring 

 dwindling. What were fairly good colo- 

 nies when set out, are now no more, 

 and queens, too, disappear every time 

 I look them over. 



I have an interest in another lot of 

 bees ten miles from here, which came 

 out in good condition ; and what I never 

 had occur before, stored quite a quantity 

 of honey from hard-maple bloom; in 

 fact, counting the strength of the colo- 

 nies, and the shortness of the days, I 

 think they stored it as fast as during 

 basswood time. But when will we again 

 get weather just right, at just the right 

 time ? 



Bees are now revelling in fruit-bloom, 

 and I hope it will put a stop to dwind- 

 ling. — C. A. Hatch, in the Wisconsin 

 Farmer. 



Is Colorado a Honey Country? 



To this question I will emphatically 

 answer yes. 



Take the country between the South 

 Platte River and the highest foot-hills 

 from Denver and GTolden to north of Ft. 

 Collins, you will find it one of ,the best 

 settled and cultivated and productive 

 regions of the State. See the thousands 

 of happy homes, surrounded by all sorts 

 of grain, fruits and flowers, both wild 

 and cultivated. Why should not this be 

 the happy honey-ground for the beauti- 

 ful golden-banded bees, in this Ameri- 

 can Italian climate ? A strong proof of 

 profit and success, is the number of 



persons engaged in the business, and the 

 numerous carloads of hive stuff and bee- 

 fixtures sold here. Also the tons of first- 

 class honey shipped out. 



In the little town of Longmont there 

 are about 500 colonies of bees, and 

 within a radius of ten miles 3,000. 

 From what I can learn Loveland and Ft. 

 Collins are coming to the front with their 

 proportion. Though this was not a full 

 honey year, and many colonies stored 

 but little surplus, yet some apiaries aver- 

 aged 70 pounds to the hive, Spring 

 count. A great loss was in the bee- 

 keeper's own neglect or mismanage- 

 ment. 



The foot-hills, canyons and little 

 streams coming out of the mountains, 

 furnish a field for the working bees. 

 Mrs. Taylor, of Winona, near the Big 

 Thompson canyon, says the wild fruits 

 and flowers alone furnish a splendid bee- 

 pasturage. — D. R. Emeey, in Colorado 

 Fainiei'. 



Remedy for Black Ants. 



My hives were covered with ants, but 

 now I do not see them at all. The bot- 

 toms of ray chaff hives are painted with 

 coal tar. It costs 10 cents a gallon. 

 One quart warmed and spread on quite 

 thickly, with a brush-broom, will paint 

 the bottoms of ten hives. The mice do 

 not trouble them either. It is cheaper 

 than tarred paper ; it also preserves the 

 wood. — R. A. ToBEY, in Buckeye Faimer. 



Warm Water for Bees. 



I have just been out to empty the 

 bees' watering trough — it froze hard 

 last night ; and if left for the sun to 

 thaw out, the result would be many 

 chilled and drowned bees. In a few 

 moments, just before the bees come out, 

 I shall fill the trough with quite hot 

 water. It is very shallow, and will 

 need re-filling every hour with the warm 

 water. It is placed a few yards from 

 the hives, and just_^ south of the eight- 

 foot, tight-board fence, north of the 

 apiary. Bees would otherwise go half a 

 mile north, in the chilling wind, for cold 

 water instead of warm, and many would 

 be chilled and lost. 



It was indeed a beautiful sight yester- 

 day, such a swarming over the water ! 

 The day before had been too cold for 

 flight; thus they came in double num- 

 bers. 



I sat down in the midst of them, and 

 they swarmed all over me, warming 

 themselves in the bright morning sun- 



