42 



MANAGEMENT OF OUT-APIARIES 



doolittle's candy method or intbodtjcing. 



I now look after the nine colonies made at the last visit, and an exam- 

 ination shows that all have laying queens but one, so I have two of the 

 three brought, to carry back home. To the one having lost its queen a 

 frame of young brood is given, taken from one of the others, and one of 

 the three queens I have in cages is given to it. The removable stopper 

 in this cage is one I call a "candy cork," which is made by boring a five- 

 sixteenth hole through a piece of an old broom-handle one inch long, or 

 some other piece of wood that will fit into a round wire-cloth queen-cage, 

 the cage being made by rolling a piece of wire cloth, 14 or 16 mesh to 

 the inch, around said broom-handle or the finger, and locking the edges 

 so it will retain the size wanted. This "cork," made from the broom- 

 handle, has the hole filled with "queen-cage candy," made by stirring and 

 kneading powdered sugar and honey together till a stiff dough is formed, 

 as is described in all of our late literature on beekeeping. This inch in 

 length of hole is filled with queen candy, so the bees can liberate the queen 

 at a time when she will be likely to be accepted by the bees, and at the same 

 time not require my coming to the out-apiary to look after the matter, as 

 would be necessary by other ways of introduction. As a rule it will take 



DOOLITTLE'S HOME-MADE INTRODUCING-CAGE; 



the bees about 24 hours to eat the candy out of an inch in length in the 

 flve-sixteenths-inch hole, which is about the right length of time in this 

 case to warrant safe introduction. 



Having the queen all ready for the hive, a center frame is removed, 

 and, after shaking the bees off, the cage is crowded between the bottom 

 of the comb and the bottom-bar of the frame, seeing that' there is nothing 

 in the way of the bees having free access to the candy end of the cage, when 

 the frame as thus prepared is set back in the hive and the hive closed. 



Owing to the length of time between visits, the above, and the giving 

 of qneen-eells, is about the only way that queens can be successfully sup- 

 plied to queenless colonies at out-apiaries. If I think any of these new 

 colonies, or those having upper stories of brood, will be apt to need more 

 room than they have, I now put on at the top a hive containing wired 

 frames filled with foundation, so that they can draw them out suitable for 

 more reserve combs, and fill them with honey, should an extra good yield 

 follow. In this way all are prepared for whatever may come, be the same 

 wet or dry, cold or hot, a rich or a poor season, without feeling that I 

 must go to the out-apiary with any change of weather that may occur. 



I next look after the "dooryards" in front of all the colonies, making 

 sure that none will be bothered in their flight by grass or weeds, as well as 

 to look after any little odds and ends that may need my attention before 

 leaving. This keeping of grass and weeds down in front of the hives is 



