232 



GLEANmGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



July 



risky, unless the colony is watched several 

 liours afterward; for' they often discover 

 the difference and attack the queen, even 

 after she has been several hours well treated. 

 With further experience, I am more than 

 ever convinced that no plan of introducing 

 is sure, unless the bees are watched after 

 tlie queen is released. Waiting 24, 4S, 72 

 hours, or even a week, does not make the 

 matter sure, for we have colonies every lit- 

 tle while, that will not receive a queen at 

 all, in spite of all we can do ; and I have 

 thought the best way, many times, is to give 

 them brood, and let them rear queen cells. 

 There is no need of having a queen stung, 

 if we have our smoker in readiness, and 

 look after them, but it may require consid- 

 erable patience, and repeated trials. Tear- 

 ing down all their queen cells, I have 

 thought, sometimes seemed to make them 

 more respectful to the new queen, but I am 

 not clearly satisfied of this. As it is quite 

 an item to get the queen to laying just as 

 soon as possible, I would introduce them 

 immediately, Avhere it can be done. I 

 would not undertake it however, unless the 

 bees seem gentle ; for a hive of vicious 

 hybrids will sometimes attack a queen so 

 fiercely, that a new hand at the business 

 might be unable to rescue her before she 

 was stung. 



THE 1 LB. SECTIONS IN TEXAS. 



Here we are again, with our eyes almost smoked 

 out with rag smokers. We have been hiving-, rob- 

 bing-, driving-, and transferring- bees, ever since the 

 middle of March; and not one dollar have we had to 

 spare to buy a smoker until now. Saturday last, I 

 took to our little ^illag-e, Lancaster, K full frames of 

 nice honey in a Simplicity cap, i, e, the upper story; 

 I set it in my wagon just as it was lifted off, and 

 took it to market in that shape. Well, it just took 

 every body's eye that saw it. Thev had been buv- 

 ing honey at VZ^i cts. and I got 20 cts. for mine: so. 

 you see, my bees have enabled me to buv a smoker. 

 Enclosed find .«1.00, for which send by return mail a 

 Simplicity smoker, which I need very badlv with mv 

 now ;36 hives of all black bees. After burning up 

 the last rags this morning, my wife said I just had 

 to send for a smoker that was all. So vou see, I had 

 to do it. 



Bees are doing finely here this season, except that 

 they are swarming too much. Oh, how much I need- 

 ed a good lot of foundation and an extractor, but 

 money was lacking. 



I thought I would not say anj^hing about the 

 f^ample section box and Simplicity bee feeder you 

 sent me, until T had tried them. Well, I doo't know 

 whether I want any better feeder or not; it suits 

 me at present. The section box well filled with hon- 

 ey created a great deal of excitement round about 

 here; some say, men are in small business making 

 such, &c.; but I expect to try 1000 next season. 



Now remember to send the smoker "you prefer" 

 to E. J. Atchley. 



Lancaster, Texas, .Tune 10th, 1878. 



I have a queen that was hatched out in a 3 frame 

 nucleus hive. .3 weeks ago. I do not see any evi- 

 dence of her laying yet. and yesterday, my son told 

 me that he saw hrr o-o out at about }i past one; 

 he watched the hive for U of an hour and did 

 not see her return, but I found her there last night. 

 I might say that drones were filing very plentifully 

 during the day. I now wish to know whether, in 

 your opinion, she is too old or not for fertilization? 



I would also like to know if it is necessary, in tak- 

 ing a f-ome of brood from one hive to strengthen 

 anothr . to brush off every bee before you put the 

 frame ir+o the one to be strengthened? 



The bees I bought of you are doing well; but 

 there is no prospect yet of an increase. I therefore 

 wish to take some away from them to increase the 

 nucleus hive, and would like your answer by return 

 mail, so that I can govern mv'self bv them." If mv 

 queen does not tui-u ovit well, I shall have to send 



to you for one. All who have seen my bees praise 

 them up very much, for their good manners in being 

 peaceably inclined. Wm. Shtnton. 



Paterson, N. J., June 13th, 1878. 



It is somewhat doubtful, but I think I 

 would try her another week, and if she does 

 not lay at SO days old, you had better kill 

 her. Before wasting valuable time with 

 such a queen, I would toss her up in the air. 

 if she flies all right, let her remain ; but if 

 notj destroy her at once. This is a great 

 saving of time, with any queen whose wings 

 look at all doubtful. 



Dining a brisk yield of honey, I seldom 

 take the precaution to brush oft the bees 

 from a comb that I wish to give another col- 

 ony to strengthen it, yet it is always attend- 

 ed with some danger to the queen. If you 

 look at them after an hour or so, and if 

 there is any quarreling, give them a brisk 

 smoking, there is seldom any danger. You 

 need not hesitate if you are where you can 

 keep an eye on them. It is much like unit- 

 ing bees in the fall. 



I am very glad to hear that the bees please 

 you. ^ ^ 



DANGER FROM STARVED OUT SWARMS. 



Honey prospect is poor in this country; it is verj- 

 rainy and cold, and bees cannot fly more than half 

 of the time. On the 7th or 8th, in the morning, I 

 had a swarm of bees come into my bee yard and 

 light on two hives that had bees "in them. I saw 

 them about 8 o'clock, a. m. ; they were on the front 

 of the hives and were going in. and the bees of the 

 hives were killing them as fast as they could. I 

 opened the hives and gave them a smoking, and 

 then gave them a feed of honey, and left them until 

 noon. When I went to the hives, 1 found the queen 

 that belonged to one hive dead in front of the hive, 

 and found, in the hive, a ver3' small young queen 

 that came with the strange bees. Is this some new 

 thing? 



VERY YOUNG BEES SEALING QUEEN CELLS. 



I put a comb, with queen cells all sealed except 

 one, into my nursei-j'. Some working bees hatched 

 out first, and when they were less than 24 hours old, 

 thej- sealed the open qiieen cell over, the same as 

 old bees would have done. I took the young bees 

 out every morning, so I know that they were not 

 over 24 hours old. Now, do you think that they seal 

 brood in the hive when they are too young to fly? 

 I do. W. A. Eddy. 



Easton, Wis., June 10th, 1878. 



Such cases are not unusual, and where a 

 colony comes into your apiary in this way. 

 you should endeavor to prevent their going 

 into any of the hives, by moving such hive 

 away, and giving them a comb of brood and 

 honey, in an empty hive, in its stead. By 

 acting promptly, you can make excellent 

 swarms of these starved out fugitives, but 

 as they are usually found after the honey 

 season has closed, and generally come 

 empty of stores, they are almost siu-e to be 

 stung when they try to force an entrance. 



Young bees just "hatched will almost in- 

 variably proceed to rear queen cells, if there 

 are no others to do the work, and I have 

 raised as line queens in this way, as in any 

 other, but I should hardly wish" to recom- 

 mend it as a usual mode of proceeding. 



To-day. .Tune 7th. is the first day. so far this season, 

 that bees have gathered honey freely. They come 

 in now heavily loaded from the white clover, which 

 has been in bloom for some time; but the weather 

 has been so backward, cold, wet, and windy, that 

 bees could do nothing. The nights and mornings, 

 now. are so cool, that l)ees do not commence work 

 until about noon, when they should be out at sun 

 rit-e. I was about to apply for space in "Blasted 



