mm CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE EVERETT FRANKLIN PHILLIPS BEEKEEPING LIBRARY """'"""""'""'' SF 523.M653t * 'jiofsand answers to beekeeping questio 3 1924 003 235 870 The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003235870 A Thousand Answers TO Beekeeping Questions BY DR. C. C. MILLER As answered by him in the columns of the American Bee Journal COMPILED BY MAURICE G. DADANT published by American Bee Journal Hamilton. Illinois 1917 Cotiyright 1917 h Maurice G. Dadani PREFACE IN 1895 there was begun, in the American Bee Journal, a department of "Questions and Answers," with Doctor C. C. Miller in charge, the object being to give information to readers on special subjects, perplexing to the beekeeper, and not specifically covered by the different bee literature. In the twenty-two years that Doctor Miller has answered these queries of subscribers (he is still conducting this department) almost every subject in beekeeping has been touched. His wide experience, his inimitable style, and the clearness with which he writes have made these answers invaluable. The present volume is a compilation of a thousand questions, culled out of many thou- sands and arranged in alphabetical order for convenience. Its object is not to supplant ex- isting text-books on beekeeping, but rather to supplement them. MAURICE G. DADANT. DR. MILLER'S THOUSAND ANSWERS Absconding (See also Desertion, Swarms Leaving.)—Q. I hived a swarm, and the next day it sailed off to parts unknown. What shall I do to prevent such a thing in the future? A. The most frequent cause of such desertion is heat. A hive unshaded standing out in the boiling sun with a very small en- trance and all the rest closed up tight, is a pretty warm place to set up housekeeping, and one can hardly blame the newly settled family for moving out. The remedy is not difficult to imagine. If possible, let the hive be in a cool, shady place. A temporary shade, and sprinkling with water will serve a good turn. Give plenty of chance for air. Some practice leaving the covers of the hives raised an inch or so for two or three days. Some give two stories to the swarm, taking away the lower story after two or three days. Either of these plans provides to some extent against an overheated dwell- ing. Some practice giving a frame of brood to the swarm, with the idea that the bees will feel that they cannot afford to abandon so valuable a piece of property. In any case, if all laying queens are clipped no prime swarm can abscond unless it joins, or is joined, by some other swarm having a queen with whole wings. The queen with clipped wing may be lost, but it is better to lose the queen alone than to lose both queen and swarm. Swarms may abscond, also, if they are secondary or after- swarms and the queen has not mated. When she goes out for her wedding flight, the swarm may follow her. Absorbents.—Q. Which is the better way to fix bees for winter- ing out-of-doors, with a tight-fitting cover on the hive, or with chaff cushions, or some other porous absorbent material? Is there any way to keep the moisture from the bees, and from condensing in the hives? If so, how? A. If a plain board cover be directly over the bees the- moisture will condense on it and fall on the cluster; but the moisture will not condense so readily on wool, chaff or something of that kind; so that it is preferable to the close-fitting board cover. Adel Bees.—Q. Is the Adel bee a sort of Carniolan bee, and I DR. MILLER S •>"" can it be kept in an 8-frame hive? What kind of a cross it be? is a Cjer- A. There is no such race as Adds. The word "Adel" noble man word which Germans spell "Edel," and the word means they or excellent. So anyone may call his bees Adels, whether if ap- are black or yellow; only, of course, it will be a misnomer Adels were a plied to poor bees. If I understand it correctly, strain of Italians first, so named by Henry Alley. Afterswarms.—Q. :Mv bees swarmed May 31. I put on a super that noon, and eleven days later they put off another swarm. What was the matter with them? They have not started to build in the super yet, and the new bees are still bringing in honey in the bottom. What is the reason? A. It is the usual thing for bees to send out the second swarm about eight days after the prime swarm, and it may be as much as sixteen days later. They may also send out a third, fourth swarm, or more, and even if they send out only one swarm they are not likely soon to do anything in the super, if at all. Q. Last spring I bought three colonies of bees from one of the neighbors and they all have crooked combs in the bro6d-chamber. He did not use starters, and they are so crooked that I cannot take them out of the frames. These same colonies have each swarmed three times. The first swarms were large. 1 hived them in new 10-frame hives. The next three swarms were smaller. I also hived them in 10-framc hives, and the last three were small. As I did not want any more bees, I killed the queens in the last three swarms and put them back in the parent hives. They did not swarm any more. As I don't want any more swarms, how can I prevent them from swarming? A. One way of preventing too much increase is to do as you did in one case, that is to return the swarm as often as one is- sues. But that may be more trouble than you like. Here's an easy way to prevent afterswarming: When the prime swarm is hived, set it on the stand of the old colony, setting the old hive close beside it, facing the same way. A week later move the old hive to a new stand 10 feet or more away. That's all; the bees will do the rest. For when the hive is moved to a new stand the bees will go to the fields just the same as if they had not been moved, but when they return, instead of going to their own hive they will return to the old stand and join the swarm. That will so weaken the mother colony that all thoughts of swarming will be given up, especially as no honey will be brought in for a day or two after the change of place. If you want to prevent all THOUSAND ANSWERS 3 swarming that's a more difficult matter. Inform yourself thor- oughly by means of such a book as Dadant's Langstroth, and you Fig. 1. Afterswarms many times are accompanied by several queens and cluster as above. will be in a better position to know what plan is best for you. My book, "Fifty Years Among the Bees," is especially full as to + DR. MILLER S tna the matter of hindering swarming. But I must confess satis all swarming to my entire have not been able to prevent ^ in getting tion. It may be some help to say that if you succeed laying, a young queen reared in a colony and get her to season. colony is practically certain not to swarm the same young swarm on Q. In preventing afterswarms, by placing the place, should the old stand and taking the old colony to a new at once.' all the queen-cells except the ripest one.be cut out A, That's one way. There's a better way. Set the swarm on the old stand, the old hive close beside it, without cutting out any queen-cells, and let stand for a week. Then move the old hive to a new stand, and the bees will do the rest. You see, when the old hive is moved at that time all the field-bees will leave it and join the swarm. That will weaken the old colony, and added to that is the fact that no honey will be coming in, so the bees will conclude they cannot afford to swarm, and all the extra queen- cells will be killed without your opening the hive. Q, Can an afterswarm be returned to the parent hive? If so, how shall I proceed? A. The easiest thing in the world. Just dump the swarm down in front of the hive and let them run in. It was the old- fashioned way of treating afterswarms, and there's no better way, if you don't mind the trouble. Just return the bees every time they swarm out, and when all the queens have emerged there will be only one left, and there will be no more swarming. Indeed, you may carry the plan still farther, returning the prime swarm and all the afterswarms. That will give you no increase, but the largest yield of honey, especially if your harvest is early. Hiving the swarm in an empty box and returning it to the parent colony the next day is still better, as the swarming excite- ment is over.