"jmw jciviERiiCJEPf WMW jQumnmi^. 



293 



Arc the Zinc Queen-Excluders a 

 Disadvantage '{ 



Written /or the American Bee Juumal 



i 



Huery 538.— Have you demonstrated iu 

 practice, that the zinc queen-excluder is a 

 hindrance to the free passage of the bees from 

 the brood-ehainber to the supers ? In other 

 words, have you found any difference in the 

 quantity of honey stored where such were 

 used V— Mo. 



No. — Mrs. L. Harrison. 



No, to both questions. — ^A. B. Mason. 



I never used a queen-excluder. — M. 

 Maiiin. 



I do not think that it is any hin- 

 drance. — A. J. Cook. 



I have seen no difference in the 

 amount of honey stored, bj' its use. — 

 Eugene Secor. 



I have not had experience enough 

 to give a decided answer. — C. H. Dib- 



BEHN. 



It has seemed to me that there was a 

 difference, though 1 have not experi- 

 mented largely in this direction. — J. 

 M. Hambaugh. 



I do not think that the zinc makes 

 any difference in the amount of honey 

 stored. If it does, I have not been 

 able to discover it. — G. M. Doolittle. 



Summing up the advantages and 

 disadvantages in its use, I find the 

 latter over-balance the former ; and I 

 believe that I can get more honey 

 when it is not used.— J. P. H. Brown. 



I have used the zinc queen-excluder 

 so little that I cannot answer. The 

 slat honey-board serves me for a 

 queen-excluder. — C. C. Miller. 



I have demonstrated by the use of 

 several hundred of them, and for three 

 years, that the}' are not a hindrance. — 

 James Heddon. 



No. During the last sea.son I had 

 several colonies with queen-excluding 

 honey-boards that stored more surplus 

 than anv' colonies that did not have 

 them ; still I hardly think that the 

 queen-excluder is to be credited with 

 the difference. — R. L. Taylor. 



I have testeil zinc queen-excluders 

 sufficiently to satisfy myself that they 

 are a great advantage. I do not tind 

 that less stores are secured when they 

 are used. — J. E. Pond. 



I have found no difference in the 

 quantity of honey when using the per- 

 forated horizontal honey-boards. I 

 have no doubt, however, that many 

 persons fail to get the full Ijenefit of 

 the zinc excluders, for the want of the 

 knowledge of the proper way to make 

 and use them. Tliere is practicallj- no 

 difference between the wood-and-zinc 



horizontal honey-board, and those 

 made out of plain sheets of zinc, if 

 tlie latter are rightly made, and all the 

 departments of the hive are rightly 

 made and adjusted. The difference 

 is one of cost only. The perforated 

 excluder is a success. — G.W.Uemaree. 

 The zinc queen-excluders are no 

 hindrance to the bees. — The Editor. 



What and How to Feed Bees 

 in. the Spring. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



Query 539.— 1. When feeding bees in the 

 spring, what kind of sugar is best for syrup? 

 Should the syrup be thick or thin? 2. When 

 an inside feeder Is used, should it not be re- 

 moved from the hive every morninfr, and left 

 on only at night ? Would it not raise a dis- 

 turbance among the bees to leave it on dur- 

 ing the day ? .1. Should the feeder be removed 

 from the hive for re-fltling, or should the 

 syrup be poured into the feeder without re- 

 moving the latter ?— New York. 



1. Standard "C " sugar made into a 

 thin syrup. 2. No. 3. Let it remain. 

 The less you disturb a colony, the bet- 

 ter. — Mrs. L. Harrison. 



1. Coffee A or granulated sugar 

 made into rather thin syrup. 2. No. 

 3. It depends upon circumstances, and 

 the style of feeder used. — Dadant & 

 Son. 



1. Granulated. 2. I would not re- 

 move it. 3. I would not use a feeder 

 that had to be removed every time you 

 filled it.— J. P. H. Brown. 



1. Granulated or coffee sugar. I 

 should use about 2 pounds of water to 

 1 pound of sugar. 2. No ; not if your 

 hive is bee-proof. 3. Fill the feeder 

 without removing it. — R. L. Taylor. 



1. Almost any kind will do, but I 

 use either granulated or coffee A, and 

 make it a little thinner than for win- 

 ter feed. 2. No, to both questions. 3. 

 I would not use a feeder that had to 

 be removed to fill it. — A. B. Mason. 



1. Granulated is best. I would make 

 the syrup much thinner than for win- 

 ter use. 2. No. It is best to leave it 

 where you will want it again. 3. No. 

 It will be empty. Poitrthe syrup into 

 it while on the hive, and save all this 

 extra work. — C. H. Dibbern. 



1. Granulated sugar, and tolerably 

 thick, if much is needed. 2. Leave it 

 on. 3. Pour it in the feeder on the 

 hive. Beginners need to proceed with 

 some caution about the whole business 

 of feeding. — C. C. Miller. 



1. Honey is better than any svigar 

 when bees can Jly freely. Granulated 

 sugar is the most apt to be pure. 2. 

 No ; it will be well to leave it on all 

 the time. 3. A properly made feeder 

 should not need to be removed to be 

 filled, and no contact with the bees is 

 necessary James Heddon. 



1. The purest is the best, but a good 

 article of C sugar is good enough. 2. 

 No. It will make no disturbance. 

 When bees become a little accustomed 

 to being fed, it produces no excitement 

 in tlie hive. 3. That depends upon 

 whether the feeder can be filled with- 

 out being removed. — M. Mahin. 



1. I have had limited experience. 

 I should not I)e particular if the bees 

 appeared to like it. I would have the 

 syrup about the consistency of honey. 



2. It would not be practical to remove 

 the feeder, if you were feeding many 

 colonies. 3. It ought to be refilled 

 without disturbing the colony. — 

 Eugene Secoii. 



1. Granulated sugar syrup ; though 

 any kind will an.s\ver for spring feed- 

 ing. 2. No ; not necessarily. Not at 

 all if it is the right kind of a feeder. 



3. That would be according to the 

 kind of feeder that you are using. One 

 of the Shuck pattern is my favorite, 

 which does not necessitate removal. — 

 J. M. Hambaugh. 



1. It makes little difference, but I 

 prefer granulated sugar at any time. 

 I have it rather thin, and I like to 

 have it a little warm. 2. I never move 

 it at all, until done feeding for the 

 season. 3. I would not like a feeder 

 that had to be removed. I prefer to 

 leave it in place, and to have it so 

 made that we can feed without dis- 

 turbing the bees at all. — A. J. Cook. 



I use diluted honey, or sugar syrup 

 of the best granulated sugar. I prefer 

 it tolerably thin. I feed at night, only 

 in quantity sufficient for the day's 

 needs, and leave the feeder on. It 

 causes no trouble with myself. 3. I 

 pour the syrup directly into the feeder 

 without removing it. I can see no 

 reason for taking the extra trouble 

 caused by removing to fill it. — J. E. 

 Pond. 



1. At all times of the year I use 

 granulated sugar for feeding bees, when 

 I use any. which is not veiy often. 

 However, for spring feeding, C sugar 

 will ^answer all purposes, and is pre- 

 ferred by some. Tliin .syrup is best. 

 2. Leave it in all the time, but feed 

 only what will be used during the 

 night. 3. Pour in the feed without 

 removing the feeder, as syrup will not 

 harm the bees if tlicy do not drown in 

 it. — G. M. Doolittle. 



1. I prefer tlie best unrefined New 

 Orleans sugar, flavored with honey ; 

 and coffee A as next choice. The 

 former excites breeding best of all, 

 when the weather is warm. Granu- 

 lated sugar is a good winter food for 

 old bees, but is nearly wortltless for 

 stimulative purposes, as nearly every 

 element in the sugar is destroyed by 

 poisonous acids. 2. Have the covers 

 tight, and leave the feeders on the 



