DEVOTDEO TO BEIEH A.IS t> HO^VEV, AND IIOMX:: ITVTEni^fesTH. 



Vol. VI. 



AUG 1, 1878. 



No. 8. 



A. I. ROOT, 



Pi blisher and Proprietor. 

 Medina, O. 



Published Monthly. rXFKMS: «1 .OO Ter Anuiuii in Ari- 



i vancc; 3 Copies for «2.oO; S/or feS.I.'; 



JI2slaT>l i^lierl in 1 S7.'l. Cl O o? more, 60c. each. Single Number, i Or. 



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MY EXPERIENCE. NO. 



CLIPPING queen's wings. 



LHEX a queen arrived I renio\-ecl the wire 

 cloth from the eajre, and with a pair of 

 small scissors cut otf half or two thirds of 

 one of the queen's wing-s. Some of the bees, and 

 sometimes the queen, would crawl out of the cnge; 

 but by exercising- a little patience I alwaj's succeed- 

 ed. This operation was alwaj'S performed in a close 

 room, before a window. 



UNQUEENING. 



To find the queen, T open the hive cavefullv, take 

 out one of the central frames and scan it closely; 

 if the queen is not found, I set it in an empty hive 

 jsnd take another. I proceed in 1 his manner until I 

 have removed all lhe combs. I look the combs over 

 as I put them back into the hive, and if I do not find 

 the queen I close the hive, wiiit until the bees g-et 

 quiet, and then try aj^ain. When the queen is 

 found. I cape her with plentv rf bees and food, 

 and keep her until I have a laying queen in her 

 place. One quecTi had to lie retm-ned twice, he- 

 cause 2 queens ordered died before they reached me. 

 I always unqueen a swarm a day or two before I 

 expect a queen. 



INTRODUCING. 



As soon as a queen arrived her wing was clipped, 

 and then the cage containing her was placed in a 

 (lueenless colony. In 24 hours I cut out the qiieen 

 cells that were started. Jn 24 hours more, if the 

 lipcs seemed friendly to the qu^en, she was released. 

 AVhen I released the fiueen, 1 daubed her with un- 

 sealed honey taken from the hive into which she 

 was to be introduced, and then allowed her to crawl 

 upon a brood comb. As soon as the bees gathered 

 around her, and commenced cleaning off the honey, 

 the frames were carefully replaced and the hive 

 closed. 



Every queen, with (mc exception, was introduced 

 without any trouble. I mentioned this exception 

 when I was writinsr about artificial swarming. When 

 the queen was released the bees seemed friendly to 

 her, but in a few hours 1 always found her "balled." 

 1 do not know why this colony acted as it did ; it had 

 no queen or fertile workers, as they continued to 

 build queen cells as fast as I tore them down; I 

 think— but never mind what I think, let me tell you 

 how T finally managed it. 



One frame of brood and two frames of honey 

 were removed, the bees brushed from them, and 

 then they were pvit into a new hive and placed on 

 the old stand, while the old hive was carried to a 

 new location. The qr.een was left c:igcd in the old 

 swarm. In two days most of the old bees had re- 

 turned to their old stand, leaving a small swarm of 

 young bees among which to liberatethe queen. She 

 was released as usual, and the next day was laying 

 nicelv. I now exchanged places with the hives, put- 

 Ting the hive containing the queen back on the old 

 stand. In a dny or two most of the bees were back 

 ut the old stand, and the queen still continued to 

 lay. The three frames that were removed were 

 now brought ba<,-k and placed in the old hive. After 

 this the bees "behaved" themselves, the qu^en laid 

 finely, and I was happy. I am aware that the abo^e 



was considerable trouble, but I was hmnul to sue" 

 ceed. \v. Z. Hutchinson. 



Ilogersville, Genesee Co., Mich. 



I fully endorse all that our friend say.s 

 about introducing, and I would particularlv 

 emphasize the importance of carefully sav- 

 ing the old queens, until you are sure the 

 new one is safely introduced and laying. 



A queen can be introduced to almost any 

 colony, if you will take the necessary pains. 

 Bear in mind that good behavior at the start, 

 is not always a sure indication of success. 

 Read what this friend says: 



I introduced one of the queens into a eolonj' for 

 one of my neighbors. She was accepted and is now 

 laying. Mine, the rascals received with smiles and 

 carrcsses, but afterwards despatched her, I suppose, 

 as I cannot find her and there are no eggs. 



Pittsburgh, Iowa. July I'Jth. 18"S. 



K. H. Thompson. 



.^^.-♦.ffi^ <& .■ 



rs KONtY E^EAL,T2JY, ETC. 



fHAVE had the dyspepsia for several years, and 

 when I commenced transferring bees this spring 

 — I ate from one-half to three-fourths pounds of 

 honey every day, until transferring time was over. 

 Now I am perfectly well and weigh ten pounds moi e 

 than I did the first of April. My wife was aftiicied 

 with a sore throat, which the doctor said would ter- 

 minate in consumption if not properly cared for, 

 and that it would require three months' treatment 

 with great care to cure her. She commenced eat- 

 ing a little honey every day, and in three weeks her 

 throat was as well as ever. It is easy medicine to 

 take; try it. 



I will challenge any one man on transferring the 

 greatest nvmiber of swarms this spring. I have 

 transferred J40, and use the Gallup hive. In trans- 

 I ferring so many, I lost only one swarm, and it left 

 in two days, leaving the hive full of honey and 

 brood. AVhat is the cause of that? 



That $1.50 queen which I got from you proved to 

 be a good one; her j'oung all have three yellow 

 bands. 



There has been much blowing through Gleanings 

 about the Italians— that they can be handled like so 

 many flies; but my experience is that they are the 

 crossest things I ever saw in the shape of" bees. If 

 any one, without any protection, were to uncover 

 them and take out a frame, they would sting him to 

 death in five minutes; while I can handle mv blacks 

 with perfect ease and snfety. Still I like the little 

 yellow fellows. I have 34 black colonies and S Ital- 

 ians, all in good condition. M. D. Tyler. 



Manchester, O., July 22, 1878. 



Well, I have never had the dyspepsia, but 

 I have had— a fashion of eatinggreen apples 

 when they first come, a little in excess, and 

 after such indiscretion, a little wisdom in 

 diet is needed. I have found that a gener- 

 ous allowance of clover Inniey, well ripened, 

 a loaf of nice bread, good nice yellow butter, 



