146 DR. miller's 



colony start work in a section that will not begin on a bait, there 

 is no such way. You may force them to go into the super by put- 

 ting some brood in it, but that will not force them to store there 

 if there is plenty of room to store in the brood-chamber. 



Legs of Bees. — Q. I think I have something new this season. 

 My bees have great long thongs dangling about their feet, and 

 when they alight these thongs lie on the alighting-board to one 

 side of the bees' feet. They are about one-eighth of an inch long, 

 and just as red as can be. What are those false thongs on my 

 bees' feet? Are they natural or not? 



A. I think what you call "false thongs" must be the pollen 

 masses from milkweed. In some cases it gets so bad that the bees 

 can hardly climb upon the combs, and I have seen the other bees 

 drive them out of the hive. Sometimes the bees are fastened upon 

 the blossoms, not being able to tear away, and if you examine the 

 milkweed blossoms in your vicinity you may find some dead bees 

 upon them. But these plants are good honey-plants, and perhaps 

 in this way pay for the injury done to the bees. 



Leaves for Cushions. — Q. Are dry forest leaves as good as 

 anything for the absorbent cushion? 



A. Nothing could be much better, unless it be cork chips. 



Lemon Juice. — Q. One man says to put lemon juice in sugar 

 syrup and it is as good as honey for the bees. What do you think 

 of it? 



A. It would be better witliout the lemon juice, unless it be 

 just enough to keep the syrup from granulating. 



Lettering in Comb Honey. — Q. How is the lettering or spelling 

 in raised letters on comb honey done? Please explain. 



A. I know little about it practically. Usually this is done by 

 inserting in the section or comb the letters in wood, then place 

 these over a very strong colony to draw out and seal. 



Lice. — Q. There is a spider-like insect that clings to the backs 

 of my bees, in some cases covering the fore part of queens all 

 over; of a reddish color, about the size of a pinhead. Is this the 

 Italian bee-louse? It makes no difference whether the colony is 

 strong or weak. Is there any way of getting rid of these? The 

 temperature gets very high here in summer, ^^'ould the heat 

 breed these things? (British Columbia.) 



A. Yes, it may be braula coeca, or the blind louse, although 

 I don't remember to have heard of such a case this side of the 

 ocean. It is said smoking with tobacco will make the louse loose 

 its hold. Fortunately, it is not so very dangerous. Please send 

 a sample to Dr. E. F. Phillips, Washington, D. C. 



