SOo 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



SErT. 



DO SNAKES EAT BEES? 



One of mv ncig-hbirs has a hive of bees with black 

 qiieeii, nearlv dcp )pulatcd. He thinks the trouble 

 is due to striped snakes. He htis found them sev- 

 eral times ciiled on the alisjhtinjr board, but has not 

 as yet seen them eatch bees, though they will catch 

 flies and bug^s. N. A. Mosely. 



Cambridire. N. V., Aug-. lOth, 1978. 



I should tliink it ver\' likely that snakes, 

 as well as toads, frogs, skunks, birds, itc, 

 have a natural longing tor the sweet morsel 

 cMutained in a heavily laden bee. and, al- 

 though all snakes inaynot have learned the 

 trick, it would be wisdom to destroy all 

 snakes found near the apiary. AVho is to 

 l»e the next culprit? 



HOW TO MAKE BEES SWARM. 



Now. Mr. Novice, I would like you to walk 

 around the stair way, and tell me how to make my 

 be^s swarm naturally; for I have had bees for 5 

 ye.irs, and have never had a natur-al swarm yet. I 

 found a bee-tree in 1S69, transferred the bees into a 

 hive, and kept them three years, and never had the 

 tirst swarm from them. Last winter I purchased 

 one hive of black bees and this spring two hi^es, 

 one of Italians, and one of hybrids. Now, swarming 

 time is nearly gone, and not the first swarm yet. I 

 «ec in Gleaxi."«09 that nearly all bee-keepers have 

 bees swarming and that is what I don't understand. 

 You may say I take too much honc.v: I do not think 

 that the cause, for from the best colony I have only 

 taken a little. I know it has plenty of honey, for I 

 can lift 200 lbs. easily, and it takes me at my best to 

 raise the hive. 



Now, Mr. Novice, I would like to have my bees in- 

 creased, but don't wish to increase them by artificial 

 swarming, until I study Gleanings a little longer. 



W. S. Canthen. 



Pleasant Hill. S. C, June 10th, 1878. 



It seems to me, my friend, yon would bet- 

 ter go and help some of the ' brothers, aye, 

 and sisters too, that cannot keep their bees 

 from swarming. Your experience is a little 

 .singular, and I am sure it cannot continue 

 thus very long ; but still it is a very doubt- 

 ful way of building up an apiai-j'. to Avait for 

 natural swarms, when artihciarones can be 

 made so easily. Perliaps your hives are too 

 large : if yoii get a hive so fnll of bees that 

 they can hardly get inside, then contract the 

 iiive. and feed if they are not getting honey, 

 they will l)e pretty sure to swann veiy soon, 

 or at least such has been my experience. 



MOVING BEES SHOUT DISTANCES; A NOVEL MOI>E OF 

 PREVENTING LOSS. 



A neighbor of mine had twenty-five stands of bees 

 which he wished to move about twenty rods. He 

 moved the bees and placed shingles and bushes in 

 such a way that it bothered the bees to get out, and, 

 of course they stopped to see what was the matter. 

 The bees were moved all at one time, except one 

 swarm, which was moved a few nights before the 

 rest. Not a half pint of bees returned to the okl 

 place. 1 think the best time to move bees is th(! 

 last of July, if it is dry so that bees are getting n;> 

 boner; then but few bees are living. F. P. Clahk. 



Nelson. O., Aug. 10th, 1878. 



This i>lan may answer invariably, but I 

 am inclined to doubt it. During a dearth of 

 lioney, in July or Aug., would, I think, be a 

 good time to move bees, if they must be 

 moved during the summer time. Will those 

 who have bees to move as above, please te.st 

 the plan and report. Please accept thanks, 

 friend C, for both suggestions. 



BEE CONVENTION. 



Our annual convention meets in this city, Tues- 

 day, the 1st of Oct. ne.xt, at 10 a. m. I would like to 

 ' make it known through Gleanings. 



I W. WILLI.4MSON, 



i Sec'y of Central Bee-Keeper's Association. 



' Lexington, Ky., Aug. 7th, 1878. 



"OLD MAID" QUEENS. 



I asked your opinion last fall about a queen t-hat 



did not lay till after 20 days old. She has now the 



' strongest stock of bees in my yard, and has given 



' the nibst honey, 120 lbs. The upper and lower story 



■ are quite full at present. She is a hybrid queen. 



D.\NiEL Wright. 

 Violet P. O., Ont., Can., July 29th, 1878. 



The above illustrates what I have often 

 told you ; do not get out of patience, even it: 

 a queen does not lay when 10 days old. Ti-y 

 her until 20, and. if she is a fine looking one, 



'■ even until 30 days old, before you destroy 



I her. 



Enclosed is fl.OO, for which please send me a 

 smoker. I have a colony that has got past my "nav- 

 igation." H. P. Brown. 



Clinton, Mo., Aug. 7th, 1878. 



CANDY FOR WINTERING, 



Now, what I want to know most is, if I had a good 

 sized swarm Oct. 1st. with good combs and no honej-, 

 in what way should I plice the candy and conib 

 frames to have them do well? 



Elmer S. Goodrich. 



Lebanon Springs, N. Y., Aug. 6th, 1878. 



I would contract the space they occupy, 

 with chaff division boards, until they cover 

 all the combs ; I would then remove two of 

 the central ones, and substitute candy 

 frames, having a frame of nice, empty, 

 worker comb, between the candy frames. 

 Now, these two frames of candy would last 

 almost any colony all winter, and, with a 

 winter like last winter, they would rear 

 brood and get stronger from month to month; 

 but I would think it safest to look at them, 

 as often as once a month, if the weather fa- 

 vored. If the weather is cold, comb mav 

 not be built in ])lace of the candy; and iia 

 such a case, I would remove "the candv 

 frames, wiien thev are nearlv emptv, and 

 substil u e the combs. Never allow a vacant 

 space in a hive, during very cold weather. 



QUEENS BY M.4IL. 



There is one thing which we hope all the bee- 

 papers will take hold of, and all the agricultural 

 papers, and as many of the political papers as we 

 can get; that is, queens by mail. Of course, it is a 

 great injustice to exclude them, and is done for the 

 benefit of the express companies; but nothing but a 

 combined and detet mined effort will help us. Bring 

 the matter up in the ne.xt issue. Now is the time to 

 work. The election comes off this fall, and the bee- 

 keepers have become quite a power in the land, and 

 have numerous friends. If we can do nothing with 

 the present congress, we can have a voice in the 

 ne.xt one, if we tn*. J. C. & H. P. S.\yles. 



Hartford, Wis., Aug 4th, 1878. 



BUYING "PATENTED" HI\'B9. 



I am a new hand in this business, and, of course, 

 have a patented, anti-swarming, moth-proof stand, 

 in consequence. 1 have no queen and but few l»ee«, 

 but plenty of moths in my hive. I think it possible 

 to save it yet, if you can send me immediately n 

 good queen, f<ir which I enclose $1.2.i. I got the 

 stand before I read your Gleanings; that's my 

 onlv excuse. Please make haste and oblige 



Clinton, Mo., July 31st, '78. J. W. Keil. 



QUEENS BY MAIL. 



I have .iust this morning received August GLE.ix- 

 ings, and note the destruction of our queen rearing 

 business. I shipped you several days ago, 14 

 queens; do what you think right about tliem. I had 

 promised myself to mail you 100 this month, but 

 alas! "The best laid schemes of mice and men, &c , 

 &c." Certainly, if all the bee-keepers in the land 

 move in the matter, they can bring enough influ- 



