STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 89 



there long enough, and if the cold is severe enough, they are 

 going to stay there and they will freeze, and freeze to death. 

 That is what I think. Now Mr. Abbott thinks they starve. 

 Stop that cold at any time and let them warm up and start 

 in afresh. But I say, put it down cold enough and hold it 

 there and those bees are going to freeze. You don't call it 

 starvation with a single bee, why should you call it that with 

 the colony? I dOn't believe it makes a particle of difference 

 which way you believe. 



Mr. Abbott — They don't get 40 degrees below zero in the 

 cluster. 



Mr. Stuebing — I am an old bee-keeper — about 50 years 

 in the business. When bees are given honey they will never 

 freeze outdoors. 



Mr. Root — I don't know whether I agree with Dr. Miller 

 or Mr. Abbott. I am going to tell you something, and Mr. 

 Abbott can clap his hands to show us whether it hits his way 

 or not. We wintered bees for a good many years at Medina 

 outdoors. We winter a good portion indoors now. I noticed 

 that the bees that were dead on the comb would be circled 

 around as near a sphere as they could be; that on each comb 

 they would be in the form of a circle. If they were dead 

 there would be about two inches without any honey around 

 them at all. I never saw any bees that were dead that had 

 access to honey, no matter how cold it was, but every time 

 I found a cluster of bees dead I found they had eaten away 

 all the honey around them to the extent of three or four 

 inches. Seemingly they had got to the point where they 

 couldn't move ; whether they froze or starved Dr. Miller can 

 settle. 



ABSCONDING OF SHOOK SWARMS. 



"How to prevent absconding of shook swarms." 



Mr. Smith — I find hiving them on a frame of brood as a 

 rule would prevent that. 



Dr. Miller — May I ask Mr. Smith whether he finds in 

 hiving on a frame brood they start cells on that brood? 



Mr. Smith — Yes, I have found that also; not as a rule, 

 though. 



Dr. Miller — One of the writers says. Give them a frame 

 of brood and within two or three days take it away again 

 to prevent them starting queen-cells. 



Mr. Becker — If I have two swarms that come out at the 

 same time I hive them on a frame of brood, and I never 

 had one yet that left if I did that: and I always do it if I 

 have two swarms come together. 



Dr. Miller — Are you talking about natural or shaken 

 swarms ? 



Mr. Becker — Natural swarms. 



Mr. Snell — I never practised that very much, but when- 

 ever I have done so I have given the colony a frame of 

 brood, and as yet I have never had them desert. 



Mr. Whitney — I have practised shaking swarms and I 

 have never had the shaken swarm leave the hive. Some- 



