12 



DR. MILLER S 



Q. Does the Porter bee-escape ever get clogged up with bees 

 trying to carry out dead bees, larvae, etc? 



A. Yes, although there is not much chance for it. Dead bees 

 are not likely to be in supers, neither is brood often present. 



Q. Will queens and drones pass easily through the Porter bee- 

 escapes ? 



A. Not nearly so easily as the workers. 



Bee-Houses.— Q. I propose to build a bee-house in the spring, 

 for protection against too hot summers and the cold months of 

 winter. Our summers are not long, but sometimes very hot; the 

 winters short and not very cold, occasionally in winter the ther- 

 mometer will fall as low as IS degrees above zero. Kindly give 

 your advice on this question, also the advantage or disadvantage. 



A. Bee-houses, such as you contemplate, were more or less in 

 use some j^ears ago, but have been mostly abandoned. They have 

 the advantage that when the bees are handled in summer they 

 will not sting so much as out doors, and they are safer from 

 thieves. But they are hot and inconvenient for the beekeeper. 

 In spite of the fact one does not generally relish advice against 

 one's own inventions, I advise you to let the bee-houses alone. 



Bee Hunting. — Q. How can I find bees out in the woods? 



A. Set your bait and watch the direction the bees go when 

 they leave it. Then move your bait in that direction, and try 

 again. Keep on till you find that the bees go back in the oppo- 

 site direction, and then you'll know you've passed the right place, 

 and you can bait back nearer to it; all the while keep close watch 

 on the trees to see or hear the bees flying in or out. Another way 

 is to cross-line. After watching the direction the bees take, in- 

 stead of moving directly in that line, move at right angles to it 

 and watch the line the bees make. Now guess about where the 

 point would be where these two lines cross, and try accordingly. 



Q. (a) What kind of bait is the best for lining bees in the 

 woods? 



(b) How can I set it so the bees will scent it? 



A. (a) Honey diluted with water, perhaps half and half. Some 

 make a smudge by burning, and some flavor the bait with anise. 

 Some make a smudge by burning old combs. 



(b) Set it out in the open in the woods where the bees are 

 prospecting. 



Q. (a) What is a good way to hive a large swarm of bees 

 from a bee-tree? The small entrance is about 20 feet from the 

 ground, and the tree is too valuable to be cut. 



