12 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



January 



Experience With Package 

 Bees 1917 



By C W. Aeppler. 



THE spring of 1917 was a very 

 trying one to beekeepers in 

 most parts of the United 

 States. The pound package men in 

 the South experienced great difficul- 

 ties in filling orders for package bees. 

 On account of the late, cold spring, 

 the colonies did not build up nor- 

 mally, necessitating a delay in filling 

 orders. As a result, many packages 

 were received in the north too late to 

 yield a surplus, or even enough for 

 stores to winter on. 



Our packages were ordered to ar- 

 rive not later than a certain date. 

 However, on account of the weather 

 conditions it was impossible for the 

 shippers to fill orders when promised. 

 Consequently, packages were re- 

 ceived all the way from April 20 to 

 June 18. Packages that arrived early 

 were received in good condition. 

 Those that arrived after May IS ar- 

 rived with a high percentage of dead 

 bees. Warm weather en route was 

 undoubtedly responsible. 



As soon as the packages were re- 

 ceived, they were taken into the cel- 

 lar and the cages thoroughly painted 

 with thick sugar syrup. The bees 

 took this up readily and were there- 

 fore in good condition to release onto 

 drawn combs. . 



All hives had been prepared in ad- 

 vance. Each hive contained ten 

 frames, some of which contained 

 honey and pollen. The latter is as 

 important as the former, since little 

 pollen is available as early as the 

 middle of April in this part of Min- 

 nesota. These combs of pollen and 

 honey saved from the previous sea- 

 son, serve as a r.egular bonanza in 

 getting packages built up. A great 

 deal of fussing with sugar syrup is 

 eliminated and a more balanced ra- 

 tion is available for larval develop- 

 ment than where sugar syrup is pro- 

 vided and the chance taken by the 

 beekeeper that pollen may be avail- 

 able when his pound packages arrive. 



In releasing the bees onto the 

 combs, the following method was em- 

 ployed : An empty deep super was 

 placed over the brood-chamber. One 

 side of the package was opened 

 where the wires came together. The 

 directions that come with the pack- 

 age usually do not advocate this 

 method, but it was found thai the 

 bees left the cages more readily, es- 

 pecially early in the spring. Some- 

 times it happens that the bees begin 

 to build comb within the package and 

 several were found where the queen 

 had begun to lay en route. In the 

 latter case it is invariably true that 

 the bees will not desert the package 

 and go below It is then necessary to 



haki thi 1 nt of the package 



onto thi i ombs. This should be doni 

 late in the day. as the excitement may 

 bring on robbing in the apiary. Pack- 

 age bees received early in the i 

 are not nearly so apt to build comb 

 enroute as those received later in 

 ason. The empty supers can 

 usually be removed within 24 hours. 



It is unwise to examine the bees to 

 make sure that queens are present 

 until they have had time to lay. Lit- 

 tle is gained and the bees are more 

 quiet on the combs after two or three 

 days' rest. If any queens are found 

 missing, the shipper should be noti- 

 fied immediately and they will be re- 

 placed free of charge. It is unwise to 

 purchase packages without queens. 

 The bees are restless en route and 

 in every case arrive in poorer condi- 

 tion than when queens are present. 



Shipments of two-pound packages 

 were received on the following dates : 

 April 20, May IS, May 30 and June 

 18. The following results were 

 achieved with these packages. The 



results given are averages of the 

 packages in terms of surplus ex- 

 tracted honey: 



Date Received. Surplus Honey. 



April 20 75 pounds 



May 15 30 pounds 



May 30 10 pounds 



June 18 pounds 



Those received June 18 gave no sur- 

 plus, and in every case not enough 

 was stored to winter on. As there 

 was no fall flow this year in this 

 part of Minnesota, these colonies 

 had to be fed to prevent their starv- 

 ing in September and enable fall 

 brood rearing to go on. These last 

 packages also did not build up to 



Mrs. Aeppler beside a big swarm which issued Aug. 7, from a two-pound package bough 

 on April 20. 



