182 



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miES f Replies, 



DISTIJRBIIVG THE CLUSTER 

 OF BEES. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



Query 525.— In looking into a hive on a 

 cool morning in early epring, by raising the 

 hive from the bottom-board and peering up, 

 or by raising the honey-board and looliing 

 down, where do the bees show the most 

 activity, at the bottom or at the top of the 

 cluster ?— New York. 



At the bottom, always. — G. M. Doo- 



LITTLE. 



At the top. — Mrs. L. Harrison. 



Other things being equal, at the 

 bottom. — A. J. Cook. 



I never take time for this particular 

 investigation. — H. D. Cutting. 



I give it up ; however, as heat rises, 

 I would say, at the top. — J. M. Ham- 



BAUGH. 



At the bottom, usually. Why ? — 

 James Heddon. 



At the top, I think. I never have 

 tested the matter. — M. Mahin. 



I have never seen any difference. — 



C. H. DiBBERN. 



On a really cool morning in early 

 spring there would be no perceptible 

 difiference. — R. L. Taylor. 



Probably at the top ; but this is one 

 of the important things which I never 

 thought of. — Eugene Secor. 



The bottoms to my hives are nailed 

 on tight, except Heddon's and Arm- 

 strong's ; and having used them but' 

 one seasnn, I do not know ; but in the 

 cellar this winter the most activity is 

 at the bottom. — A. B. Mason. 



I do not know. Sudden admission 

 of light is apt to disturb the bees at 

 either the top or the bottom. As far 

 as my observation goes, there is no 

 difl'erence. — J. M. Shuck. 



Invariably at the top — taking for 

 granted that it is too cool for them to 

 fly out ; as the top is always the 

 wai-mest. — P. L. Viallon. 



If the querist has a practical object 

 in view, in asking such a question, will 

 he please state it ? I give it up. — G. L. 

 Tinker. 



That depends. When undistui-bed 

 they would be more active at the top 

 of the cluster. You cannot raise the 

 honey-board nor lift from the bottom- 

 board without some disturbance of the 

 bees and signs of activity. — J. P. H. 

 Brown. 



I have not often looked at the clus- 

 ter from below. I should think that 

 the "activity" would show more 

 where the disturbance was the great- 

 est, and you cannot look at the clus- 



ter from below with as little cause of 

 disturbance as you can look at them 

 from above. Every thing else being 

 equal, the cluster should show the 

 greatest activity at the top of the clus- 

 ter, as the greatest warmth of the hive 

 is at the top of the combs, and here is 

 where the iirst white tips of the length- 

 ened cells appear in the early spring. 

 — G. W. Demaree. 



At a guess I should saj' below, if 

 there is any difference ; but I do not 

 know. Make observations and you 

 can determine, but I am not sure that 

 the knowledge will be of any value. — 

 C. C. Miller. 



I do not think that it will make any 

 dift'erence ; that is to say, the most ac- 

 tivity will be sliown first where the 

 bees are first opened to. But why 

 open the hive at the bottom at all, if 

 properly packed ? or why disturb the 

 bees at all, anyhow ? I can see no 

 good reason for so doing. — J. E. Pond. 



In the first place we would advise 

 the author of the query not to open 

 the hive on a " cool morning," unless 

 absolutely necessaiy either to prove 

 some scientific point or repair the ef- 

 fects of some dire calamity. In cool 

 weather the warmest place is at the 

 top of the frames, and there the bees 

 will usually be clustered. The admis- 

 sion of light and air suddenly, will 

 cause activity among the bees, whether 

 it be at the top or bottom. — The 

 Editor. 



DESTROYIIVC; DRONE-BROOD 

 IN THE SPRINCJ. 



Written Sor the American Bee Journal 



Qncry 526.— 1. How will it do to kill all 

 drone-brood as it may be capped over in the 

 spring? 2. Will it prevent swarming to any 

 extent ? 3. Will it tend to make the bees 

 cross ? 4. Have you tried this method ?— 

 Ravenna. 



1. I should not advise (Joing it. 2. 

 It will not. 3. It will. 4. To some 

 extent. — Mrs. L. Harrison. 



1. If you do not want drones, what 

 do you rear them for ? Kill them if 

 j'ou want to, and then rear more, and 

 kill them, and so on, etc. 2. No. 3. 

 No. 4. Yes, but I do not intend to do 

 so any more. — A. B. Mason. 



It will pay you better, and be more 

 quickly done, to cut out the drone- 

 comb and rejjlace with worker-comb. 

 — Dadant & Son. 



1. It will do well. 2. To no great 

 extent. 3. In most cases it does so. 4. 

 I have, hundreds of times. — J. P. H. 

 BuowN. 



1 and 2. I do not think that it would 

 pay for the trouble, or that it would 

 prevent swarming. 3. I do not know. 



4. No. — C. H. DiBBERN. 



1. It is better not to have drone- 

 brood. If killed, the queen will im. 

 mediately laj' eggs in the combs, and 

 other drones will be produced. 2. No. 



3. No. 4. No. — M. Mahin. 



1. It might do to cut out all drone- 

 comb in the spring. 2. Many drones 

 incite to swarming when there is much 

 honey coming in. 3. Yes. 4. Yes. — 

 G. L. Tinker. 



1. Yes, it will do, but it is not pro- 

 fitable to rear brood to kill. Why not 

 rear worker-brood instead of the 

 drone-brood ? 2. I think not. 3. No. 



4. Yes, years ago. — R. L. Taylor. 



1. It will do better than to let them 

 hatch out. 2. No. 3. No. 4. I have 

 uncapped considerable drone-brood. — 

 C. C. Miller. 



I have to use this method nearly 

 every spring on account of queen- 

 rearing, to prevent having drones from 

 hybrids or inferior queens, and I never 

 noticed that it made any difference 

 with the bees. — P. L. Viallon. 



1. It would be better to keep the 

 drone-comb out. 2. No. 3. No. 4. 

 Yes, often, both by pruning out all 

 drone-comb and cutting off' the heads 

 of the drones. The first method is the 

 best, by far. — A. J. Cook. 



1. I have not tried the plan for the 

 purpose you speak. I do not think it 

 will do to practice. 2. As to prevents 

 ing the bees from swarming, I cannot 

 say, but I do know that it will make 

 them cross. Cut out the drone-comb 

 and replace with worker-comb, before 

 the bees occupy it. — J. M. Hambaugh. 



1. It is far better to get rid of the 

 drone-comb, so as to prevent the rear- 

 ing and feeding of this brood. 2. No. 

 3. No, not unless you make them so by 

 j'our careless handling. 4. I used to 

 practice decapitating drone-brood, but 

 I prefer not to rear such, of late years. 



G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



1. I would not advise it. 2. I do 

 not believe that it would. 3. I cannot 

 say. 4. No. It is too much trouble, 

 even if it should be successful. It is 

 too much like cutting queen-cells to ' 

 prevent swarming — more work than 

 the honey-producer can well afford. — 

 Eugene Secor. 



1. It is better to cut out the drone- 

 comb before it contains eggs. It would 

 be better still to use full sheets of foun- 

 dation, and thus avoid drone-comb. 2. 

 and 3. It will not prevent swarming, 

 nor make the bees cross. — James 

 Heddon. 



1. It is not advisable to do so, un- 

 less there is likely to be a great num- 

 ber of them to play the part of worth- 

 less consumers. The best way is to 

 remove the drone-comb from the 

 brood-nest, and supply its place with 

 worker-comb, 2. No, it has no ^ect 



