1918 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



171 



THIS APIARY OF 62 COLONIES BELONGS tf) PROF. J. H. DIEBEL. HIGH SCHOOL 

 PRINCIPAL AT COLUMBUS. OHIO. THE BEES ARE AT HICKSVILLE, OHIO, 150 

 MILKS FROM COLUMBUS. 



Catching Swarms 



Enclosed I send you a picture of my bee- 

 yard. There are 62 colonies— the view is 

 through the center. I started with 38 in the 

 spring and I intended to keep them from 

 swarming to a considerable extent. I didn't 

 exactly set any definite limit on the number 

 of new swarms I intended to have. They 

 were nearly all large swarms by the first of 

 June. The season being late, no new swarms 

 appeared until July 1. Just when I was sure 

 that I had the swarming impulse well in hand 

 (with plenty of supers, etc.) the fun began. 

 Before it was over every colony in the yard 

 had swarmed. I am well located and in spite 

 of this and the unfavorable season, I got 1.500 

 sections of fine honey. I have much dande- 

 lion, 100 acres of raspberry within easy 

 reach, alsike clover, white clover and bass- 

 wood. The grove that you see in the back- 

 er, mnd of the picture is nearly all basswood. 

 White sweet clover is becoming abundant. 



This is all very fine, but what worries me is 

 that this pesky swarming is going to cover 

 the whole plantation with bee hives. I am 

 revolving in my head all sorts of fancy no- 

 tions as to how I am going to steal a march 

 on those bees next summer. I have a notion 

 to try out a decoy to catch swarms. Would a 

 device shaped like a cone, covered with wire 

 cloth and hung in a tree attract a swarm? 

 The device could be so arranged that it could 

 be handled like a Manum catcher. 



I have noticed that a dark spot formed by a 

 cluster of leaves or branches will attract a 

 swarm. Obviously the flying bees take it for 

 a forming cluster. Two or three of these de- 

 coys could be placed in different parts of the 

 yard. They could be suspended in such a 

 manner as to make the manipulation very easy. 

 Has this idea been tried? I am sure you will 

 laugh at this foolish notion. But I want to 

 assure you that this notion is not a bit more 

 foolish than a goodly number of other notions 

 I have originated. I must not forget to say 

 that I spent a very pleasant vacation with 

 these insects and I am already waiting for the 

 time to come when I will return to them. You 

 understand, I think, that these bee- are at 

 Hicksville, 150 miles from Columbus. 



OHIO. 



Answer. — If I understand correctly, what 

 you are after is something that will offer an 

 inducement to a swarm to settle where it may 

 be easily secured. Yes. something of that 

 kind has been tried, and with considerable 

 success. Years ago a good deal was said about 

 such things. By some a bunch of dried mul- 

 lein tops was suspended on the top of a pole 

 set in a convenient place. Others used strings 

 of dead bees. Your cone-shaped device hung 

 ■in a tree might work all right, and I suspect 

 it might work better away from any tree, in 

 full view. A piece of old black comb in it 



likely to settle where some previous 

 has settled. At one time my assistant 

 ! a craze for keeping empty hives in or 

 r the apiary, as decoys, each hive contain- 

 one or more old combs. Occasionally she 

 ght a swarm, generally a wanderer from 



way. 

 Thanks to 



the 



picture. 



Comb Foundation — Diarrhoea 



1. I enclose a sample of comb-foundation 

 which I bought last summer and did not use, 

 as it doesn't look yellow in color like the rest 

 I've used. I don't think the bees will work on 

 it. What do you say? 



2. One of my colonies was left weak last 

 fall. I fed them sealed white clover honey. 

 Upon examining them later I found every- 

 thing dark brown all over the frames and 



.re all alive. What disease 



tin 



II. 



MINNESOTA. 

 Answers. — 1. I should call it a sample of 

 e color of foundation 

 vax from which it is 

 than your sample and 

 ker, and the bees will 

 1 as the brighter yel- 



11m. 



excellent foundation 

 varies according to 

 made. It may be lighte 

 it may be very much d 

 probably like this as w 

 low. 



■2- The trouble i- probablj 

 cure is to allow the bees 

 practicable. 



flight 



and the 



Transferring from a Tree 



1 found a swarm of ii Ce s this winter located 

 in a large dead tree stub in the woods. They 

 are in the lower part of the tree; do you think 

 it is possible for me to transfer this swarm to 

 a hive' What method would you advise, and 

 at what time of the year would you think it 

 best to do it? NEW YORK. 



....Answer. — A good time to operate is when 

 fruit blossoms open. Cut down the tree; cut 

 it off above and below where the bees are. and 

 split open the trunk, then vou can cut out 

 the combs of brood and tie them into the 

 frames, upon which the bees can settle after 

 you have put them n the hive, when you can 

 take the bees home. Better not take them 

 home till all bees are in the hives in the 



Increase 



I am an amateur in the bee business and 

 want to increase. Which method do you rec- 

 ommend, natural swarming or dividing' 



CALIFORNIA. 



Answer.— One who is well up in the busi- 

 ness will do better to take the matter of in- 

 crease into his own hands. One with very 

 little experience may do well to let the bees 

 take their own course. Not entirely, how- 

 ever; for it is seldom desirable to allow each 

 colony to swarm more than once, and it is a 

 rather simple matter for the most inexperi- 

 enced to prevent all after-swarming. When a 

 swarm is hived, put the swarm on the old 

 stand and set the c'd hive close up to it, fac- 

 ing the same way. A week later move the old 

 hive to a new place 10 feet or more away. 

 That's all. There is little chance that there 



■ill be 



anj 



ond 



Diseased Combs — Shallow Frames 

 Versus Full Depth 



!. Would it be safe to use combs on which 

 b^es have died of foulbrood for extracted 

 honey above a queen excluder? 



2. Which do you prefer for extracted honev, 

 shallow or full depth frames? 



VIRGINIA. 



Answers. — 1. So far as the honey is con- 

 cerned, it would be all right. But if combs 

 affected with American foulbrood were used 

 there would be danger to the bees in the 

 brood-chamber below. With European foul- 

 brood there would not be much danger. Yet 

 if your apiary is entirely free from both kinds 

 of fou.orood I should advise you to take no 



vhate 



2,. Best 

 the shallo 



.ills 



111 



to 



; probably obtained 

 although many pre 

 s on account of the con 



; same kind in any story 



light be an 



nprovemen 



"Practical Queen-Rearing" 



Is the title of the new bee book, cloth bound, 100 pages, which has just 

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You have this in the new book which is just out. Send for your copy 

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(Canadian orders IS cents extra.) 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, Hamilton, Illinois 



