THOUSAND ANSWERS 149 



two miles — distance counts for a good deal, and if your source of 

 supply is beyond that there will no doubt be a gain to move 

 the bees accordingly. 



Lumber for Hives. — Q. Is there any special lumber which 

 should not be used in hives? 



A. Basswood is bad, owing to its tendency to twist and warp. 

 White pine is generally used, and also redwood, cypress and 

 cedar. 



Maples.— Q. What do you think of a locality from 1,000 to 

 2,000 feet above sea level, where there is a large quantity of maple 

 sugar produced every year? Would you consider it a good lo- 

 cality for beekeeping? 



A. The maple is a valuable honey-tree. It comes early, how- 

 ever, and the honey secured from it is mostly used in brood-rear- 

 ing. The field-force is not yet strong enough to gather much 

 more than will supply the daily needs of the colony. So while it 

 is of value in securing a strong force of bees, the question 

 whether the locality is a good one depends upon what comes 

 later. If there are plenty of later sources the maple will be a 

 great help; if nothing comes after, there is little prospect of 

 surplus. 



Q. Do bees get much pollen from the "sugar" or hard maple? 

 What color is it? 



A. They do in this locality It might be called light yellowish, 

 with a tinge of green in it; possibly more green than yellow. 



Q. How would it do to draw sap from maple trees in buckets 

 and feed to the bees in early spring to start brood-rearing? 

 Would this not be better than sugar syrup? 



A. I don't know that maple-sugar syrup is any -better than 

 cane-sugar syrup. Likely, however, it is just as good. Care 

 should be taken about feeding it when it is not warm enough for 

 bees to fly. 



Q. I have some maple sugar that has been damp so it is unfit 

 for market. Would this make good food for .bees? 



A. It may be profitably fed next spring after bees are flying, 

 to be used up in rearing brood; but don't give it to the bees for 

 winter food. 



Martins (See Bee Martins.) 



May Disease. — Q. I have one colony of Italian bees in my yard 

 that is dying from some cause. The adult bees are dying by the 

 hundreds. They come dragging out of the hive, and sometimes 

 crawl part way up the front; others fall off the runboard. They 



