ALBERT R. MANN
LIBRARY

NEW YorK STATE COLLEGES
OF
AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS

AT

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

EVERETT FRANKLIN PHILLIPS

BEEKEEPING LIBRARY

Vor. XVI. DECEMBER, 1918. No. 4.

BULLETIN say
| Sa

or THE M2

GES

Department of Agriculture

BEE CULTURE IN MAINE

Issued quarterly from the Office of the Commissioner of
Agriculture, Augusta, Maine
JOHN A. ROBERTS, Commissioner

Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for
in section 1103; Act of October 3, 1917, authorized Septem-

ber 19, 1918

Entered April 6, 1903, at Augusta, Maine, as second-class
matter, under Act of Congress of June 6, 1900

Cornell University

Library

The original of this book is in
the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003223330

Vou. XVII. DECEMBER, I918. No. 4.

BULLETIN

OF THE

Department of Agriculture

BEE CULTURE IN MAINE
ee )

Pe gle a.

Sere

Issued quarterly from the Office of the Commissioner of
Agriculture, Augusta, Maine
JOHN A. ROBERTS, Commissioner

Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for
in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized Septem-
ber 19, 1918

Entered April 6, 1903, at Augusta, Maine, as second-class
matter, under Act of Congress of June 6, 1900

WATERVILLE
SENTINEL PUBLISHING COMPANY
1918
wy

INTRODUCTION.

In preparing this bulletin, I have endeavored to treat the
subject of bee-keeping in a general way and in terms which may
be understood with little study and care even by those who have
a limited knowledge of bees or honey production.

A number of bulletins are issued by the Department of Agri-
culture at Washington, by authors expert im their profession,
which treat of bees and their diseases, the different methods of
honey production, wintering, and other problems. Most of
these may be obtained free of the Secretary of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C. Others are available at small cost. This
work is not intended to cover the ground so thoroughly, but to
treat the subject from the standpoint of Maine conditions par-
ticularly, and from the author’s own experience, covering over
twenty-five years of study, and the care of from a few colonies
to one hundred and one hundred and fifty each season.

This is submitted with the hope that it may be the means of
creating an interest in this somewhat neglected profession, in
the minds of the reader which will lead to a more thorough
study of the subject, and the ownership of at least a few colo-
nies of bees which in turn, it is hoped may bring to their owners
a measure of the happiness and profit, which my years and
labors with these most interesting little creatures have brought
me.

I desire to acknowledge the assistance given me by the A. I.
Root Co., and others in preparing this bulletin.

Maine Department of Agriculture
, QUARTERLY BULLETIN

Vou. XVII. DECEMBER, 1918. No. PY

BEE CULTURE IN MAINE
—
By O. B. Grirrin, Caribou, Maine
psineanse

Nearly everyone whose early years have been spent in the
country has, at some time in their youth, learned the taste of
honey. Perhaps their first knowledge of the most wholesome
of nature’s sweets may have come from robbing and destroying
a nest of bumblebees of their hard earned treasures, or it may
have been purchased at considerable cost in pain and facial dis-
figurement, but who has not felt well repaid after the battle
was over and the victory won, and who has not resolved after
an acquaintance with the beautiful solid combs of honey of thé
honeybee (Apis Mellifica), that as soon as possible they would
own some bees and produce their own honey. If they did
not make such a resolve, it was because they were deterred
only by the fear of their stings. ,

With flowers everywhere during the spring and summer
months, many of which secrete nectar, it is really a pity that
so few have honey as a part of their bill of fare, or even know
of its real value as food.

Until recent years many physicians had very little knowledge
of honey as an article of food, especially for patients who
perhaps could not partake of cane or beet sugars or much solid
food. There are some who cannot eat honey, but only a very
few. Such people are presumably affected by the small trace
of poison contained in the honey since a small piece will
make them very sick. There are also a few people to whom
the sting of the bee will cause serious trouble, while a few
stings would undoubtedly cause death, but such cases are rare.
Those who like honey but cannot eat it clear, are able to eat

4

it freely if taken with a glass of milk, or cream eaten on it.
The two appear to be associated: The ancient Isrealites trav-
eled many years to reach the “ Promised Land, a land said to
be flowing with milk and honey.” In other words, it was a
great grazing country with flowers and wild bees abundant.

While Maine is not a bee-keeper’s paradise, much can be
accomplished with bees if the proper care and housing is given
them. As honey is a valuable food, as well as a waste product
without the aid of the bees, people should be encouraged to
save and use it. Honey is not the most valuable product of the
bees. As an agent in the distribution of pollen, the fertilizing
property of flowers, the value of the bees in increased fruit
production and in better fruit, is hard to estimate.

The Maine winters are nearly always severe and the springs
fickle. Wild bees, bumblebees, etc., which would be of great
value if present in large numbers, often perish during the win-
ter and cannot be depended on. The fruit grower has it largely
within his power to so protect the honeybee that he can have
them present in his orchards in the desired numbers when he
needs them. There seems to be little question that there are
years in which the apple crops are nearly a failure, or a light
crop, in certain localities, when, had the bees had access to the
trees, there would have been a profitable yield. Nearly all the
tree fruits and berries need the bees to insure a profitable crop.
Some strawberry growers do not think the bees are needed in
the strawberry bed, as the winds are supposed to do the work
of pollination satisfactorily, but I am satisfied, from my own
observation and the evidence of others that even in the straw-
berry patch it pays to have the bees.

_When the expenses of maintaining a few colonies of bees is
slight, or nothing at all, and often a crop of honey is secured
that pays for all labor and expense, it would seem to be the
part of wisdom to see that bees are provided wherever fruit is
grown.

.An apiary of fifty or one hundred colonies of bees, in ordi-
nary localities, would care for the bloom of orchards within a
mile or a mile and a half of the yard, but it is better to have
a few colonies located in or near the orchards.

5

Bees will naturally fly to a distance of one-fourth to one-
half mile, almost as readily as they will work the bloom of the
tree standing near the hive, therefore in a regiom where fruit —
trees are grown on most farms, it would be better if all kept a
few colonies to insure cross-fertilization of the bloom.

Elsewhere I have described methods of honey production,
and the fruit grower will have to decide for himself which
method best suits him.

Anyone who has reached their teens and who are not seriously
effected by their stings may learn to care for and handle bees,
and produce honey. However, I would not advise anyone who
did not have a real interest in the bees themselves to undertake
the care of them, except in a limited way. Without a real
interest in the bees and their labors, and a love for the work,
neglect will follow, which means not only a loss to the owners
but endangers the bees of others for miles away bringing loss
to those who are helpless to prevent it. If one is not willing
to give the bees the necessary care which will protect them from
starvation, natural enemies, cold and bee diseases, they owe it
to the industry and themselves not to undertake it. It will be
much better for them to do something in which they are inter-
ested and encourage others already engaged in the pursuit to
increase the number of colonies which they keep by buying
their honey of them. It is better that there be a half dozen
well kept apiaries within a radius of about a mile than three
times the number of colonies kept under neglected conditions.

The average Maine farmer who manages a farm and carries
on mixed farming is almost certain to neglect some branch of
the work at times. If he undertakes to keep and care for bees
he cannot expect to get the results that the specialist will, for
there will be times when the pressure of other farm work will
prevent his giving the bees the care and attention that they
require, and for which they will repay in an increased amount
of surplus honey. Under these conditions, the bees may not
produce more than half the crop of honey they otherwise would,
had proper care been given at the right time. However, the
rcturns from the bees may have been enough to pay for all
labor and supplies and a fair profit on the investment. If the
care given has been sufficient to prevent wholesale robbing, kept

6

the bee moth from increasing and foul brood or other diseases
from getting a foothold in the apiary, the bee-keeper has not
in any way been a menace to others. The amount of honey
secured has been that much of an otherwise waste-product
saved and has become a valuable and pleasant food for human
consumption. The bees have also performed a great function
for which they were undoubtedly created,—the better fertiliza-
tion of fruit bloom and flowers, thereby increasing the amount
of fruit which has become a natural and valuable food for
human use.

How to Get Startep With BEEs

“When one’s interest and desire to undertake the care of bees
and production of honey has been aroused, if only to supply
their own table, one is often troubled as to just how to go
about it.

ML OT: =

Fig. 1.—A good smoker, an indispensable tool in the apiary

“There are some things which every beginner should possess
as soon as they become the owner of a colony of bees, which
are named in the order of their importance.

A bee-smoker (see Fig. 1) and veil, a pair of gloves which
will protect the hands and wrists from stings, which may all be

7

obtained from any of the dealers in bee-keeper’s supplies; a
textbook on bees or the bulletins furnished by the Department
of Agriculture at Washington (both if possible), and at least
one of the bee journals. The gloves are worn by few experi-
enced bee-keepers, and many do not use a veil but it is good
judgment for the novice to wear a veil until accustomed to being
around bees. The gloves are not a necessity but will be needed
and if kept handy may be worn when it is necessary. A good
smoker is shown in accompanying cut. Equipped with these,
the beginner could have one or a few colonies of bees which
may be obtained in different ways at any time from spring to
early winter. The start could better be made in the spring,
when the bees are safely through the winter, about the time of
fruit bloom. If there is a reliable bee-keeper near you, have
him select one or two of his best colonies, in modern hives, (see
Fig. 2) and if a reasonable man, pay him his price. If bees
cannot be secured near-by, they can be purchased at a distance
of even several hundred miles, and shipped by express. Unless
purchased of an experienced bee-keeper they should be cau-

Fig. 2—A modern hive complete.
Cut away to show arrangement of
brood chamber and super arrange-
ment

ie

Fig. 83—The Buckeye or Root dou-
ble wall hive

Fig 4.—A hive tool, almost a necessity

Bahl: 3
Fig. 5—A bee brush, for brushing
bees off the combs or off a post, ete.

tioned to use extreme care in preparing for shipment, and in
delivering to the express company, being careful to provide
ventilation in proportion to the size of the colony and the
weather. If warm weather, and bees are to be confined more
than twenty-four hours, water should be provided. A simple
way is to saturate a clean cloth or sponge with what water it
will hold and lay it on the bottom board under the frames. If
possible, avoid shipping when combs are too heavy with brood.
About the time of apple bloom in spring or during September
is a better time than the intervening months. If they cannot
be obtained in modern frame hives without too much expense
and trouble, they may be secured in any sort of hive and the
new swarms hived as they issue in modern frame hives.

Bees should not be moved any distance in the fall unless one
is sure they could have a good cleansing flight before going
into winter quarters. I would much prefer that the weather
be warm enough for a good flight soon after they were moved.

\

S Was

SS ASA Y

\

Fig. 7—Eiscape board, used to re-
move bees from supers

The hives for the new swarms should be secured well in
advance of the swarming season to avoid delay and loss. The
same is true of other supplies needed. Many delay until
needed and it is often impossible for the supply dealers to fill
the orders for a long time after they are received, and delays
in transit are not uncommon. I would strongly advise the
average person not to undertake to make their own hives until
they know by experience that they can do so. If one is to
keep many colonies, it is important that all hive parts should
be interchangeable and fit exact. Unless one is handy with
tools, this requires extreme care. Hives and hive parts may
be bought of the supply manufacturers or large dealers in the
flat or knock-down, nailed and painted, without much
trouble even by one inexperienced. It is advisable to order
one hive complete and ready as a pattern.

Io

For Maine conditions I advise a beginner to select a ten
frame hive taking the standard Langstroth frame (see Fig. 8).
These may be fitted with the style super desired, either for sec-
tion honey, taking different styles of sections, or for full or half
depth supers, if it is to be run for extracted honey (see Fig. 9).

Fig. 9—Half depth
extracting super and
frame with starter

Fig. 8—Standard Langstrothe frame
with starters in place

Honey in sections and in frames may be secured from the same
hives during the same season if desired, provided the season
is favorable. This style of hive may be provided with outer
cases for outdoor wintering, or wintered in cellar.

If bees are purchased at a distance, get them as soon as pos-
sible to the location where they are to remain and let them fly
out at will.

Srrnes

Many are deterred from undertaking the care of bees because
of the fear of their stings. Very few people are seriously
effected by the sting of the honeybee. Many suffer consider-
able pain and much swelling from the stings, while others
suffer considerable pain for the first few minutes but experi-
ence no ill effects afterwards, not much more than a sharp
pin prick. Where one is seriously effected they should not
handle bees, as serious, even fatal results may follow. As a
rule one becomes somewhat immune to the poison, and the
effects are felt less and less. Much can be dane tm accatcl the

II

effects of the sting by instantly removing the sting, by scraping
it out with the finger nail, the edge of some sharp instrument
such as a knife blade, or rubbing it out on the clothing. Do
not attempt to pull it out as the poison sack at the end of. the
sting is torn away from the bee’s body and the adhering muscles
automatically force the contents of the sack into the object
stung. In pulling the sting out with the fingers, the contents
of the poison sack are injected into the system and the effects
are much more marked. One can also do much to avoid stings
by being careful not to anger the bees. Always move carefully
about the hives. Do not breathe directly on the bees as all
animal odors seem objectionable. Avoid handling them when
perspiring freely. Do not jar the hives, rip off the cover or
yank out the frames. Always avoid opening hives when the
weather is very cool. The warmer the day the less the bees
resent having the hive opened. For this reason all-manipula-
tions of the colonies should be during the warmest part of the
day.

There are few remedies that are of much good. Moist earth
or crushed plant leaf seem to relieve the sting when first applied.
Liniments as used about the home help but little. If the parts
are bathed with hot water, the pain is relieved but the swelling
is increased. If ice can be applied immediately after the sting,
it will draw the poison out but will pain intensively while it is
being applied.

Wuat Constitutes A CoLony oF BEEs?

A normal colony of bees, at the opening of spring or when
first put into winter quarters, consists of several thousand
bees, varying from five thousand to perhaps five times that
number, and a queen or mother bee (see Fig. 10). Later in
the season, from May 15 to June 1 in this State, the drones or
male bees (see Fig. 11) begin to appear, and during the sum-
mer months some colonies may have as many as several thou-
sand. The colony may have their dwelling place in a modern
hive or some later modification of this, a straw skep, or a
hollow tree in the woods. From the cuts here shown, one
should be able to easily distinguish the different members of the

I2

colony. The queen is not often seen without opening the hive,
and even then it is not easy for the novice to locate her.

SW

11.—Drone Bee Fig. 12.—Worker Bee

Fig. 10.—Queen Bee Fig.

FUNCTIONS OF THE BEES

The worker bees (see Fig. 12) are females which are not
fully developed, and structurally modified in some ways from
the queen, the fully developed female.

The queen’s eggs which produce the natural worker bees in
twenty-one days, may produce a queen in sixteen days. The
size of cell in which the baby queen is cradeled and the quan-
tity and quality of food fed her apparently changes the destiny
of the common worker, one of thousands to be the mother bee
of the colony, at times the mother of every bee in the hive except
herself. The functions of the worker bees are varied and many.
They build combs from the wax secreted by their own bodies,
gather nectar from the flowers of trees and plants, carry it
to the hives and deposit it in the combs to ripen it, largely by
their own efforts until it becomes honey when they cap it over
or seal it as the housewife does her canned fruits until the time
of need. They also gather pollen, the fecundating dust of the
anthers of flowers, in the pollen baskets with which nature has
provided them and store it in the combs for future use as food
for the adults and baby bees. They bring home quantities of
water, clean house in the spring, keep it clean during the sum-
mer or active season, guard the entrance to the home and, if
need be, defend it with their lives. They feed and care for the
young bees, protect so far as they are able the mother or queen,

13

search out new sources of honey and a new home when this
becomes necessary for the colony to cast a new swarm—nature’s
way of increasing.

The queen is the mother bee and her sole function is to lay
eggs. After hatching, she will take several short flights going
a little farther from the hive as she gains strength, the weather.
having much to do with this, when she takes what is called her
bridal flight, and, if successful, meets the drone or male -bee
and mates while on the wing. By this act she becomes fertile
for life, at least continuing to lay eggs for several seasons which
produce workers, queens and drones without again mating.
Some investigators claim that in some rare instances the queen
mates more than once. A young queen rarely attains her best
in the first season but does in her second and fails quite rapidly,
after this. Some undoubtedly live until the fourth season and
may have done good work in the third.

Many progressive bee-keepers practice superceding all queen
bees at the close of the second season, putting in their place
young mated queens of selected stock, unless it be some queen
whose record and ancestry warrants giving them another sea=
son of life. The young queen before mating is called a virgin
queen, and usually begins laying in two or three days after a
successful mating flight. When a queen bee begins to fail, if
allowed to live, she may lay eggs which produce only drones.
and is known as a drone laying queen. The colony will then
soon dwindle out and be lost unless requeened at once or united
with a colony having a laying fertile queen. In a queenless
colony, a worker sometimes develops the ability to lay eggs.
Such a colony is worthless until united with one having a queen:
If the virgin queen of one race mates with a drone of another,
her progeny will be queens and workers half-breed of each
race,—sometimes improperly called hybrids. The drones are
not apparently effected by the mating and are pure blood of
the race of the mother. The drone is the male bee and so far
as we know, his sole function in life is to meet and fertilize the
young queens. In this respect we see a wonderful provision
of nature. Thousands of drones are in the air at the time the
virgin queen takes her bridal flight. Her wing powers are
such that only the swiftest and strongest can overtake her-

14

Thus the wing power of the species is kept up. The mating
of the queen is almost beyond the control of man.

Something may be accomplished, however, by encouraging
the production of drones in one or more of the best colonies,
the workers of which are known to possess the desired quali-
ties, and by restricting to the least number practical in the unde-
sirable colonies. Even then, if other bees are within two or
three miles, either domestic or in hollow trees in the woods,
a large part of the queens may mate with these. The produc-
tion of drones should be kept down as much as possible in all
other colonies. This is best accomplished by using full sheets
of foundation in the brood frames when hiving new swarms,
and by replacing drone comb with worker comb. Drones
pass off the stage of action at the close of the honey harvest.
So long as nectar is coming in freely they are allowed to live
but when it fails to a certain point, they are dragged outside
by the workers and not allowed to enter, where once they were
welcomed or at least tolerated boarders. They soon perish of
starvation and cold. The presence of drones in a colony late
in the season is an indication that they are queenless, or have
a worthless queen. In such cases, a queen should be given
them at once or the colony united with a normal one.

TABLE SHOWING DEVELOPMENT OF EGG TO THE ADULT BEE

Queen Worker Drone
is No, days No. days No, days
EGE sciis seawekes Baas 3 3 3
PATA, ca, coi tsces sardasasdaheasde asada 54 6 64
Pupal oxy suse ees genk 74 12 144

16 21 24

LOCATION OF AN APIARY

Care shouldd be taken in the selection of the place where
the bees are to be kept. They should not be located near a
place where people or animals must frequently pass. If it
must be done, a tight board fence should be erected between
the street, road or path and the bee yard high enough so that

15

the flight of bees will be well above the heads of the passers-by.
Neither should they be located too near the premises of an-
other. This may be done in some cases where care and wisdom
are used,

Bees are often kept in town or city even on the flat roofs of
buildings. From a shelf built on the side of a tenement
block where the bees were cared for through the window, a
woman provided her table with honey gathered by her own bees,
even though secured under some difficulties. Where one has
the will to keep a few bees, a way can usually be found.

A sheltered location is desirable where the hives shall be pro-
tected from the wind, especially from the north wind. If no
natural shelter is present, a board fence can be made to serve
the purpose. Evergreen trees make a fine shelter and, when
once established, need little attention. If trees are large and
near the bees, it is sometimes troublsome to secure the swarms
which cluster on them. If the location is so much sheltered
that the sun warms it to a point where bees are enticed outside
in weather that is not suitable for a safe flight, the bees will drop
and perish especially in the fickle weather of our Maine springs,
and much harm is done. The yard should not be located too
near a body of water since heavy laden bees will drop into the
water and be lost as they return to the hive. If twenty-five
rods away from the water, losses will be much less than if
located within that many feet.

Sources oF Honry and RANGE OF FLIGHT

If only a few colonies of bees are to be kept, there need be
no worry about pasturage as in nearly any location in Maine
a few colonies will find enough nectar-secreting flowers within
their range of flight.

With limited numbers, it may be possible to plant or have
planted those crops which will furnish nectar and still provide
a crop such as alsike clover or buckwheat, usually a paying
proposition alone.

Bees fly naturally, under normal conditions, a distance of.
from one to one and one-half miles in quest of nectar, even
with acres of flowers near the bee yard. There is reliable evi-

16

dence to show that bees have gathered and stored nectar in the
supers at a distance of over five miles. This is very rare.
However, a distance of three miles is quite a common range of
flight when the conditions are favorable. The sources from
which bees obtain nectar in this State are of interest to all bee-
keepers. In most localities, especially where many colonies are
kept, the need of early blooming nectar-secreting flowers is of
great importance. Most of the forest trees furnish either pol-
len or nectar and sometimes both. Some years, the weather
is so unreasonable that the forest bloom is largely lost. Pussy-
willow is one of the most dependable soyrces. It rarely fails
to furnish both pollen and nectar at a time when most needed
to start brood rearing in earnest, and in favorable years, strong
colonies often store some willow honey in the supers. Poplar
is the first to bloom as a rule and the pussywillow a close second.
There is often quite a space from this to fruit bloom especially
the years in which the forest bloom is either very light or a
failure.

Cherry, plum, apple and pear, in yeats when the weather is
favorable, give the bees the much needed stores of pollen and
honey to keep up brood rearing and, with the aid of different
spring blooming wild flowers, carry the bees to clover bloom.

Among the plants, the dandelion is of great value. While a
fickle plant, and depending greatly on weather conditions as to
the amount of nectar secured, it never fails to bloom and fur-
nish pollen so much needed at this season of the year, and at
least some nectar. In favorable years, strong colonies will
often fill every available space in the brood frames and a super
besides. In some states the dandelion is counted of little use
as a honey yielding plant, but for Maine it is valuable. Straw-
berries furnish pollen but probably very little nectar. Wild
raspberry is one of the plants to give a surplus in the northern
part of the State. White clover begins blooming about the same
time, while alsike also blooms before the raspberry has gone by.
Alsike clover is the main source of the surplus flow in Aroos-
took county where almost every farmer sows two or more
pounds of alsike seed per acre in seeding down. Two to five
pounds per acre in favorable soils, and it thrives in most soils,

17

will give excellent pasturage and the flavor of the honey is
superior.

Fireweed is the last wild flower of real value to bloom with
the exception of goldenrod. In Aroostook, when the county
was being cleared of the virgin forest growth, fireweed sprang
up everywhere and was one of the main sources of supplies
and much appreciated by early pioneer bee-keepers. The
honey is very clear, almost transparent, and of mild flavor, but
granulates quite quickly if not carefully kept.

Goldenrod, of which there are several varieties, is not a
dependable plant in the northern part of the State. It blooms
too late in the season when the nights are too cold for nectar
to secrete freely. About one year in four, the flow will be
fairly good and contributes largely towards the winter stores
and the keeping up of the late brood. This is highly desirable
in a locality where the winter confinement often continues for
five or six months without a flight. In the southern part of
the State, goldenrod is often valued highly. In localities where
buckwheat is grown in any quantity, it is of much value in late
summer both as a source for winter store and surplus. In
Aroostook, the rough buckwheat, sometimes called India wheat,
is almost wholly grown and is of no real value to the bees
though producing an excellent flour.

The Japanese varieties do not produce nearly as satisfactory
yields of grain without the aid of the bees, while the rough
buckwheat does not need their assistance.

Following is an incomplete list of trees, shrubs and plants
which are valuable to honey bees, as sources of pollen, honey,
or both, listed in nearly the order of blooming. A detailed list
tnay be found on page 54 under the subject ‘“‘ The Honey Flora
of Maine,” by John H. Lovell, one of the best known botanists
in Maine.

18

NAMES YIELDS COLOR QUALITY
Poplar Pollen

Pussy willow Poller and honey Dark Poor
Wild flowers Mostly pollen

Forest bloom
Beech, maple and elm Pollen (Some years considerable honey)
enough to tide the bees over to fruit bloom.

English willow Pollen and honey
Dandelion Pollen and honey Amber Good
Strawberry (Wild) Pollen
(Cultivated) Pollen and perhaps a little honey
Fruit trees Pollen and honey Amber Fair
White wood (Alternate years)
(Soft maple bushes) Pollen and honey Dark Good
Sorrel Pollen (Possibly a little honey)
Wild raspberry Honey and some
pollen Light amber Excellent
Cultivated bush fruits Pollen and honey
(Need the bees)
White clover Pollen and honey = Light Good
Alsike Pollen and honey Light Excellent
(Main source of surplus in Aroostook)
Wild mustard Pollen and honey Light amber Good
(Wild mustard bloom from early grains to the late planted
potatoes )
Fireweed Some pollen and = Light Good
(Milkweed family) honey
Buckweat Pollen and honey Dark Good

(Japanese, Silver hulled, etc.)
Thistles, smart weed

and some other

weeds Pollen, honey, or both
Goldenrod Pollen and honey Amber Good
Squash, pumpkin,

cucumber and

melons Pollen and honey

19
SWARMING

Swarming is the result of a prosperous condition at the
proper season of year. With the warm days of spring, the
queen begins laying and, as natural pollen and nectar increases,
the queen increases the number of eggs from a few hundred to
as many as three thousand in twenty-four hou1s. While only
the better queens attain the higher number, probably many
queens reach nearly two thousand.

The brood combs soon become filled with honey, pollen and
brood in all stages of development, and the queen is restricted
for room to lay at a time when nature prompts her to do her
best. (Plenty of super room given at this time and the removal
of combs of hatching brood to be replaced with full sheets of
foundation, a few at a time, does much to prevent swarming).

The bees start queen cells, the queen deposits eggs in them
and in eight or nine days, sealed queen cells are present. If
the weather is favorable, the swarm issues. At first, only a few
bees appear marching out of the entrance, apparently with
minds and hearts fixed on some one thing. These are followed
rapidly by ever increasing numbers until it looks like a stam-
pede. Thousands are in the air and still they come as though
the last bee meant to leave the parent hive for good and all.
In a few minutes they begin to cluster and settle down on the
branch or trunk of a tree, a fence rail, or almost any nearby
place which may appeal to them. If trees are near, a branch
is most often selected and this is the most desirable place for
the bee-keeper. Soon, all is still and the cluster hangs quiet,
like some strange fruit which may have grown over night.
From five to fifteen minutes may pass before the cluster is
quiet. The cluster should then be shook down and hived as
soon as possible since they sometimes break clusters and leave
for parts unknown in half an hour. Usually they will remain
for an hour and sometimes longer but they are apt to depart
any time after one hour. Safety lies in not leaving them too
long. Ten to fifteen minutes after they settle down and are
quiet, they should be hived. For this reason, the hive for the
new swarm should always be ready and near at hand.

While one may use starters in brood frames, it pays to use
full sheets of foundation well wired in. The foundation should

20

be medium and heavy. Light brood may be used but is liable
to sag or break down if a heavy swarm is hived on it unless it
has first been given to a strong colony as a super to draw out
and fasten securely. This is a safe practice in any case where
swarms are united, though there will be little trouble where
heavy brood foundation is used if securely fastened and wired
in frames.

To the novice who takes down his first swarm, it is usually
an experience filled with considerable misgiving and doubt but
it is really a simple process if the cluster has settled on the
branch of a tree and can be easily reached.

First, place the prepared empty hive on the ground near where
it is to remain, block up the front end off the bottom board
with one or two inch blocks, lay a board on the ground in front
of the hive and level with the bottom board. Then use a light
shallow box six inches deep in which to catch the swarm. This
may have a handle fastened to the bottom. It will be safer for
one to wear a veil, and the novice should also wear gloves. The
smoker should be lighted and ready to give off a good volume
of smoke if needed,—it is not often used but it should always
be at hand. If the swarm is cross and the bees leave the cluster
and attempt to sting, which is rare, blow a few puffs of smoke
into the cluster. In most cases they will be found to be gentle
and may even be taken in the bare hands if care is used not to
jam them. When all is in readiness, hold the box close up
under the cluster and give the limb a quick jar. Another quick
snap and most of the bees will be in the box. Carry them
quickly to the hive and pour gently out in front. Those
left in the box may be jarred out with a quick shake. Enough
may go back so that the operation may need to be repeated.
The bees will soon enter the new hive and can be set on a per-
manent stand. If a strong colony, they should be given one or
more supers at once owing to the time of season. When the
prime swarm issues the old queen comes with them. From a
few to perhaps twenty queen cells are left. With the emerging
of the first young queen, the old colony is apt to cast a second
swarm, usually about the eighth to tenth day. If the bees
decide to swarm no more, the remaining queen cells are
destroyed and, when the young queen mates, which will be in
about a week, the colony settles down again to normal condi-

21

tions. If a third swarm is thrown, it usually issues in wbout
one to three days after the second.

For taking swarms down from tall trees, a swarm catcher
(see Fig. 13) is a very convenient thing. This may be attached
to a long pole. The pole may be in sections but needs to be
strong and securely put together.

Fig. 13—A swarm
catcher. With this a
swarm may be takeu
down from a tall tree

Races oF BgkEs

There are several races of bees in the United States all of
which, without doubt, were at some time imported from Euro-
pean countries. The common Black or German bee was the
one first known in America and was imported into Florida
about the year 1763.by the Spaniards. There may have been
and probably were later importations. Bees evidently found
conditions more favorable to colonization than those who im-
ported them, for they appeared in Kentucky in 1780, in New
York in 1793, and west of the Mississippi in 1797, and can now
be found in every state in the union. They were familiarly
known to the Indians as “ The White Man’s Fly,” “ The Sting-
ing Fly,” and “ The Honey Making Fly.” Some authoratives
claim they were introduced into New England (probably from
England) as early as 1638. Harbison took one hundred and
sixty colonies (with a loss of only six) from Pennsylvania to
California by the way of Panama in 1857. The same year the

22

first bees were shipped from San Jose to Hawaii. The three
best known of the races in the United States are the Italians, the
Black or German, and the Carniolians. In recent years the
Caucasian breeders are claiming good qualities, for this race
especially that of gentleness. Among other races are the Egyp-
tian, Syrian and Cyprian.

The Carniolians are natives of Austria and resemble the Black
or German bees closely in appearance. They show somewhat
more distinct bands and are rather a grey bee. Their friends
claim for them gentleness and prolificness of queens, good comb
builders and honey gatherers, that they winter well and build
up early in spring under adverse climatic conditions, all of
which claims I consider well founded from my own experience.
Their tendency to swarm is even stronger than with the Blacks,
and I find it rather more difficult to unite swarms of this race
than either Italians or Blacks. The only real objection I can
offer to Carniolians and their crosses between Black and Italian
is that they swarm badly in comb honey production.

No other bee is so largely bred and kept for honey produc-
tion in the United States by progressive bee-keepers as Italians.
The first living Italian bees were landed in this country in 1859,
and since then many importations have been made. They vary
in color from ‘bright golden to a very dark shade known as
leather colored. In disposition, they are gentler and more easily
handled than Blacks though none claim they lack ability to
sting if thoroughly angered. They are generally considered
better honey gatherers than the Blacks but hardly as good comb
builders. Some comb honey producers prefer the Blacks or an
Italian. cross as they, as a rule, cap the honey so as to give it a
whiter appearance, though there are some strains of Italians
that excel others in this respect of producing white honey. For
the production of extracted honey, it is very doubtful if there
is any bee superior to them, especially in a climate where the
season is a little longer than ours and where the bloom of
flowers is a little later in the season.

In justice to the Blacks, I wish to say that so far as my own
observation and experience goes, in Aroostook county, they’
have not proven superior to our common bees. I have tried
in a limited way the Golden, three banded and leather colored

24

Italians from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas,
and in each instance, they were a disappointment. They did
not winter so well nor build up as readily in spring as the Blacks
and they swarmed quite as much. In all of these qualities, they
are supposed to be superior to our native bees.

My own experience has been the common one of all who have
tried them in Aroostook, so far as I am able to learn. I am
mot able to say what results have been obtanied in the other
counties of Maine. There have been both favorable and
unfavorable reports.

Swarm ContTROL

In comb honey production, the bees have to be crowded to get
the best results in the super. In other words, they do not enter
a comb honey super as quickly, separated as it is in smaller com-
partments. In consequence, it requires greater care in the con-
trol of these colonies to prevent swarming.

As the weather gets very warm, the entrance must be enlarged
to full width. This can be done gradually as the strength of
the colonies increases. Some use an entrance two inches in
depth, others practice raising the hives on inch blocks. This
provides excellent ventilation but has the objection of compel-
ling the bee-keeper to work in front of the entrance regardless
of which side he is on. Again, when the hive is dropped back
at the close of the flow, there is some confusion among the bees
for sometime. Neither are serious objections. Some bee-keepers
practice clipping the wings of the queens. This prevents the
prime or first swarm from leaving, or the loss of valuable
queens. Since the queen cells have been built and sealed at
the time the first swarm issues, it will only be a few days until
the swarm will issue with one or more virgin queens present
and the liability of loss of swarm has only been delayed by
clipping. In case a queen is valuable as a breeder, she should
be clipped, care being taken not to clip a virgin queen as she
would then have no value. The process of clipping is simple.
Pick the queen up between the thumb and forefinger and, with
a fine pair of scissors, cut off one wing. ‘Care should be taken
not to jamb the queen. By having all clipped queens, one is
able to keep track of them better, as an unclipped laying queen,

24

where a clipped one has been, would indicate that the bees had
for some reason replaced her, an action called supercedure.

One may go through each colony carefully about every eight
days after the swarming season is on and cut out all queen cells,
but this requires considerable time and care. If cells are over-
looked, a swarm is apt to be lost. It should be remembered,
that a swarm rarely issues with a young queen in her first laying
season,

Our Mrtuop 1n Coms Honrty Propuction

We feel that our own method is a fairly good one for the busy
man who can be in the yard during the swarming period. We
practice giving plenty of super room at all times until near the
close of the flow, giving bottom ventilation and enlarging the
entrance. The bees are then allowed to swarm. We plan to
be in or near the yard through the middle of the day when the
swarms are expected. As they issue, we hive two strong colo-
nies together, more if second or small swarms, removing the
least desirable queens and pinching off their heads. The hive
is then placed on the stand of the queen that has been killed
and the old hive is placed on the hive of the colony whose
queen has been saved. By this method we have a strong colony
of field bees in the new swarm ready for the harvest,

As supers on the hives from which the swarms issued are
usually partly filled, these are placed on the new swarm with
an empty one underneath or on top, as the season and flow may
influence us.

The old colonies, being united, are not as apt to swarm again,
as they have twice the room but if they do swarm, which we
rather count on, we have one swarm of double strength where
we would have had two to unite. Three or four are often
tiered in this way. These united colonies give results in the
supers if there is any honey to be had.

In an apiary of about thirty colonies, this plan can be followed
with success and particularly so where it is desired to keep
down the number of colonies in the yard. Often several colo-
nies unite themselves at swarming time. These should be hived
as one unless increase is desired and, as soon as possible after
the cluster settles down, as they are more apt to leave than a

25

swarm with their own queen alone. If too many swarms unite,
it is better to divide them, as too heavy a swarm does not take
kindly to this condition.

We do not try to secure the first early flow of honey in the
supers, as in our location, it is apt to be dark in color, and does
not command as high a price as the later flow. (ne practice is
to give all colonies, which need super room before the white
honey flows, an extra brood chamber. Dark honey can be
stored in this and later used to give colonies which may be short
of stores. The brood in combs may be given to weak colonies
and supers then given the colony at the opening of the white
honey flow. As the colony is apt to be heavy with brood at
this time, if increase is not desired, it is best to remove a few
frames of sealed brood and give frame filled with full sheets of
foundation.

If working the bees for extracted honey, the early flow or
any flow which is dark may be extracted or sold by itself,

UNITING

It is not a difficult feat to unite swarms or colonies when nec-
tar is coming freely, but at other times one has to be extemely
careful. In springtime, two colonies to be united may be
handled somewhat differently. One method is to carry the
weaker colony to the stand of the stronger one, first smoking
them a little. Smoke each colony enough to cause them to fill
the honey sacks so that they will remain quietly on the combs.
Find the queen least desirable and dispose of her, then remove
from the other colony the frames which do not contain brood,
take from the colony whose queen has been disposed of, one
at a time, the frames of brood and bees and place in the other
hive, alternating them first one of Colony No. 1, then one from
Colony No. 2. If any space is left, replace combs containing
new honey and pollen, then sealed stores and cover frames with
quilt or board and smoke at entrance a few good puffs. Close
hive for a few hours or over night if done late in the day.
When hive is opened, a board should be leaned against entrance
for a day or so to help the bees of the moved colony locate
their new home.

26

Another method is to smoke both colonies gently, then set
the weaker colony over the other with two thicknesses of news-
paper between, through which a small hole may be punched
the size of a pencil. There should be no way of exit except
through the lower hive if one queen is to be destroyed. Ina
few days, or more, proceed as in the first case except that less
smoke need to be used. If one wishes, after forty-eight hours,
the upper colony may be provided with a separate entrance and
allowed to keep their queen until the opening of the surplus
flow when the two colonies may be united and the extra brood
given to the weaker colonies. A weak colony will build up
much faster when placed over a stronger one. This should be
done at a time when no bees are flying or many may be lost,
and care should be used that they mark the new location. Bees
will hang around the old location when a colony has been care-
lessly moved until many or all perish.

Closing the hive for twenty-four hours or a less time, if a
board or small obstruction is placed in front of entrance at an
angle, will cause them to mark the new location and return
though some may fly about the old one for a few days.

Each colony is supposed to have its own colony odor by which
they are enabled to distinguish their own members from others,
or to quickly tell their own queen from another. The odor of
queens is apparently stronger than that of the workers.

If bees are to be united late in the fall, I prefer to leave them
until they are put in che cellar when I place the colony having
the least stores of honey at the bottom and the heavier ones on
top with only a sheet of paper between having a small hole in
the center perhaps one inch in diameter. Ii spring all can be
shook into one hive and treated as one colony. If queens are
of equal value, I do not trouble to look for either but let the
bees decide for themselves which shall live.

Sprinc MANAGEMENT

When bees are moved from cellar to summer stands, care
should be taken to move them as quietly as possible and assist
them in housecleaning by removing the bottom board (which
should be loose) and brushing out all dead bees and other waste

27

material between the combs as far as practical. If care is
taken one may not need to use any smoke in this task.

It is best to place bees on the same stands that they occupied
the summer before, though many bee-keepers do not take this
trouble.

As soon as possible after the bees have had a good cleansing
flight, if in single wall hives, they should be given some protec-
tion. This may be done by wrapping old papers about them
being sure to have several thicknesses over the top, under the
cover. If no more than he top is thus protected, it pays. Any
protection from our inclement spring weather, that helps to
conserve the heat of the colony, pays. Especially do the worker
colonies need this protection.

In about a week after bees have been placed on summer
stands, they should be looked over carefully to ascertain their
condition. ‘One must have a warm day for this, as the hives
should be opened and the brood may be chilled. I like to have
the temperature at seventy degrees but sometims the work has
to be done at a lower temperature. If no brood or eggs are
present, the colony is presumably queenless, and should be
united with a strong colony, unless a queen can be supplied
within a few days.

The bees cf weak colonies should be crowded together onto
what combs they can cover by using dummy board in place of
comb and filling space with some good packing material such as
dry leaves, paper, old cloth or excelsior. As the weather gets
warmer and more room is needed the combs must be replaced.
It is better to have all colonies in the yard of nearly equal
strength at the opening of the surplus flow and the bee-keeper
should work to this end. When the weather is warm and set-
tled, the weaker colonies may be greatly helped by giving them
a frame of hatching brood and bees from the strong colonies,
being certain that the queen is not removed. If a little smoke
is used and the colonies disturbed as little as possible, no fight-
ing will result. All grass and weeds should be kept down in
front of the entrance of the hives throughout the season. A
bottom board projecting in front of the hive a few inches to
form an alighting place, helps. A short board resting on the
ground and against the bottom board at an angle looks unsightly

28

but it is a big help to the heavy laden bees that otherwise drop
in the grass or on the ground. Hives should rest on stands off
from the ground about one foot.

In a climate such as we have in Maine, the bee-keeper should
endeavor from the start to build up his colonies from the open-
ing of spring as rapidly as possible. Bees must be supplied with
plenty of stores to keep up brood rearing, unless nectar is being
brought in or there are plenty of stores in the hive. Only a
limited number of eggs will be laid by the queen unless the bee-
keeper supplies this need.

Full combs of honey are the ideal food for this purpose but,
unless saved carefully from ihe previous season, are not usually
available except when spared from other colonies. Granulated
sugar dissolved in an equal volume of water and fed within the
hive in some sort of feeder (see Figs. 14 and 15) is the next best
source. This should be fed to the bees warm, and preferably at
night. Some feed what they think will be required at one time
while others practice feeding a small quantity each day, called

Fig. 14.--Simplicity feeder, used for
stimulative feeding

Wig 1s The Miller
feeder, for feeding bees
liquid honey or syrup

stimulative feeding. The novice will be on the safe side to
feed all at one time, that is, on successive days until the desired
amount has been fed. Caution should be used not to feed more

29

than will be used by the bees in brood rearing. Ifa large quan-
tity is fed, it might later be stored in the supers and sold. Under
the pure food laws, honey is defined as “ The nectar of flowers
gathered by the bees and stored in their combs.” The chemist
can distinguish between cane and beet sugar and the nectar of
flowers, and the bee-keeper would thus become liable to prose-
cution even though he intended no violation of the law.

The bee-keeper may further help the bees by supplying arti-
ficial pollen, if hives are out of doors, sometime before natural
pollen is available. Rye or wheat flour mixed with bran or
some other coarse material makes a substitute that the bees will
use freely until the natural pollen can be found.

Bees also use a large amount of water, and if this is supplied
at all times in some sheltered spot where it is warm, it will save
the lives of many.

The bees which live through the winter die very rapidly in
spring, especially in a changeable climate like Maine, living
only long enough for the young bees to mature and take their
places. With bad wintering, they dwiidie so rapidly that the-
colony is often lost outright or only succeeds in building up to
full strength, and the honey crop is lost.

Nothing is gained by uniting very weak colonies early in the
spring. They had better be united with strong colonies, or
tucked in snug and left until the weather is warm and settled,
and both are gaining. At the opening of the surplus harvest,
they may be united with profit if honey is the object sought,
or left alone. if increase is desired. Let it be borne’ in mind
that the bees that gather the surplus crop must be about forty
days old from the egg when the flow opens, if we are to secure
the best results. The young worker bee emerges from the cell
at twenty-one days, and for the next three weeks performs the
work of the hive, acting as nurse bee, preparing the food, feed-
ing the young larva, sealing them in their cells, building combs,
and, at times, receiving the nectar from the field bees and stor-
ing it in the combs. They take daily flights when the weather
is suitable marking their location carefully, and going farther
as they grow stronger, until about the fortieth day from the egg
when they become field workers. In the rush of the season,
they wear themselves out in about one month. Were it not for

30

the fact that the queen was laying from several hundred to two
thousand eggs a day at this time, the colony would soon be
depleted.

Ssecurinc THE Honey Crop

If bees have wintered well, and have been properly cared for,
they should be strong and ready for the supers by the time white
clover begins to bloom. Some seasons, the supers would meed
to be put on earlier. There is no fixed rule or date, all depends
on the season, the strength of the colony and the nectar coming
in.

The super is the arrangement in which the surplus honey is
secured whether as section honey, chunk, or extracted honey.
When the colony has become so populous that they are crowded
in between all the combs and new wax can be seen along the

SECTION HONEY-BOXES

Fig. 16.—Standard bee-way section.
same put together ready for the foundation

top bars of brood frames, it is usually time for the supers to
be put on. Asa rule in this State, it is not far from the first
bloom of clover. Everything should be in readiness by this
time, so that supers may be put on as fast as needed.

Sections in which comb honey is usually secured, come in
hoxes containing five hundred in the flat (see Fig. 16). The
comb foundation is put up in boxes containing one to five
pounds. The different grades are known as heavy, medium
and light brood, and thin and extra thin supers.

31

For the sections which are easily set up even by the novice,
the foundation must be cut up in pieces of the desired size, and
fastened to the top of the section by a machine used for this
purpose called a foundation fastener. There are several styles
of which the daisy is the most popular. A cheaper one consists
of two blocks of wood, and the wax is fastened, while moder-
ately warm by pressure. If only one or two colonies are kept,
the wax may be fastened by warming a thin table knife to the
right temperature and running along the edge of the wax so as
to melt it and stick it secttrrely to the wood. The pieces of
foundation are then straightened up so as to hang penpendicu-
larly when in the hive. Care should be used to get this in the
center of the section. Some bee-keepers use full pieces in sec-
tions, some use only one inch strips as starters, others use both
top and bottom starters, while still others use a V shaped piece.
With a little experience each one will be able to decide for them-
selves what they like best.

On general principles, it is a good investment to use founda-
tions liberally in the sections, or extraction frames. If chunk
honey is to be produced, the extracting frames must not have
the foundation wired. If a good flow is on, the bees will need
a second super as soon as the first one is well under way. The
second one may be placed on top of the first one until the bees
have begun work in it when the position of the super may be
reversed. Other supers may be added as required keeping the
finished or nearly completed one on top and the empty one next
to the brood chamber. This requires care, good judgment and
some knowledge of the pasturage, so that the close of the sea-
son does not find the bee-keeper with a lot of unfinished sec-
tions on hand which are not marketable except at reduced
prices.

If extracted honey is to be produced, one does not have to be
quite so careful in this respect.

The producers of comb honey should have supers, sections
and foundations on hand to take care of any possible flow.
It is better to carry over some unused material to another sea-
son, than to have honey lost because of lack of these things.

32

One should decide as soon as possible whether they wish to
produce extracted, comb or chunk honey, or both comb and
extracted,

Fig. 17—Comb honey super taking
plain sections and fences

More extracted honey can be secured with the same number
of colonies of bees. When once the combs are built they can
be used for many years while, if comb or chunk honey is pro-
duced, the comb 1s sold with the honey.

Chunk honey is usually produced in half depth extracting
frames. If one can dispose of this in a local market, the

.

ve
\ Shallow Hoffman frames.
\

Fig. 18—Used in extracting super
or for choice honey production

cost of this method is small. It is a good method for the
busy man who has little time to devote to the bees, there will
be less tendency to swarming and more honey can be produced.
For home use or a neighborhood market much nay be said in
its favor. The honey may be sold in the frames or cut from
the frames and put in tin pails, which may be secured from
supply dealers. For the fruit grower who desires bees in the
orchard for the purpose of pollination and does not care to
spend much time with them, this method may appeal to him.

33

Plenty of supers should be provided either half or full depth.
The full depth means less care and attention. These are simply
extra hive bodies filled with brood frames, starters or full
sheets of foundation. If one desires to extract the honey from
these frames, heavier foundations will need to be used and the
foundation wired in the frames.

If the bees are given extra bodies or supers as needed, swarm-
ing may be kept down to a point where the losses or trouble
will be small.

It would be best to have clipped queens where this method
is used and to requeen with young, vigorous queens at the close
of each season.

| ——— —
a a ee
S225

Fig. 19—Queen excluder, used to
confine the queen in the brood cham-
ber in the production of extracted
honey

Fig. 20—Honey ex-
tractor, used to remove
honey from the combs
without destroying
them

ExtTrRAcTED HoNnEy

If extracted honey is to be produced one must have an
extractor (see Fig. 20).

These are made in different sizes, either hand or power.
There must also be cans, labels, carriers, jars or pails for market-
ing the honey. These add cost to the price of the honey when

34

it finally reaches the consumer. The small glass container is
the most expensive way. More pounds of honey can be pro-
duced by this method, practically double the quantity that can
be produced in one pound sections.

One may have enough supers so that they need not extract
until the close of the harvest, or the honey may be removed
from the combs as fast as it is ripened and capped by the bees.
If honey is extracted before this and put on the market without
being artificially ripened, the results will be unsatisfactory to
both consumer and producer.

The room in which the extracting is done will need to be kept
at a temperature of about 80 degrees F., for some time before
extracting, so the honey may be thoroughly warmed, or trouble
will follow in getting it from the combs without damage to the
combs.

Marxetinc Honey

\While there is not as much honey consumed as there would be
if people realized its food value, or were accustomed to its use,
still the demand is usually greater than the supply.

The bee-keeper or would be bee-keeper should carefully con-
sider the opportunities of his home market,—if there is already
a demand for honey, or if, with a reasonable effort, a demand
could be created. If honey can be disposed of in the locality
where it is produced, where it may be delivered to the dealer
or consumer direct, it is a great advantage over the producer
who must ship to a distant market and deal with those with
whom he has never met. Until the express companies are com-
pelled by a strong law to handle comb honey more carefully,
this means of conveyance between producer and consumer will
never be satisfactory.

Parcel post is comparatively a new mode and almost untried.
Small parcels less than eleven pounds have been shipped five
hundred miles with safety but at present there are too many
cases of breakage to justify dependence. I look for great
improvements in the parcel post system when times are again
normal. From my own experience freight shipments have been
the safest. Eight or ten cases of comb honey are packed care-
fully in a carrier (see Fig. 21) provided with handles which
has a layer of hay, straw or similar material at the bottom, of

35

sufficient depth to make a safe cushion to prevent breakage.
This makes a package weighing three hundred to three hundred
and fifty pounds which is too heavy to be thrown about.

Fig. 21—Carriers
made to take eight or
ten cases with a cush-
ion of hay, straw, or
excelsior at bottom

Regardless of how honey is shipped, it should always be
plainly marked with printed cards telling the contents, and ask-
ing that care be exercised.

For comb honey, or extracted in glass, more care must be
taken in packing than for extracted in tin cans. Even
this must be properly packed and crated to insure delivery in
safe condition. A card for comb honey should be similar to
the following:

COMB HONEY
FRAGILE

DESTINATION save. cct ceded wie Going Wan scene
HANDLE WITH CARE
DO NOT DROP IT
HAUL ONLY ON VEHICLES HAVING SPRINGS
KEEP DRY KEEP WARM

Cartons are valuable in handling comb honey (see Figs. 22

and 23). They protect it from dust, dirt and flies, lessen greatlY
the liability of breakage in transit and appeal to both the dealer

36
and consumer. Comb honey should be eaten just as it reaches

the home of the consumer. Every effort should be made on the
part of the producer to see that it is kept pure and clean.

~ Folding carton, printed.
Fig. 22—Carton to
hold one section of honey

ain

ae
ne y

ip

i Hh
: a

i

Fig. 23—Shipping case made to hold 24 sections.
May be used for shipping honey in cartons

Care of Honry

From the time honey is removed from the hives, care must
be taken by those who handle it, or much of its fine flavor will
be lost. To the producer of honey falls this first care, and, if
he neglects this important duty, no subsequent care can remedy
the matter. When removed from the hives, it should be placed
in a room that is warm and dry, preferably a sunny room. As
the weather reaches the freezing point, it is better that some
artificial heat be provided but it is important that the tempera-

37

ture does not vary greatly. Honey gathered during a hot, dry
season keeps much longer than if gathered during damp or cool
weather. All pure honey will become solid in time if kept at a
low temperature. I am quite certain that in a temperature that
varies greatly from cold to heat, granulation takes place almost
as quickly as in a room which is cold all the time. The room
should be a reasonably clean one and one in which no bad odors
are present. It should be so piled that dust and flies cannot
get to it.

When honey is sold, if to dealers, they should be instructed
as to its care. Asa rule the consumer buys in such small quan-
tities that it is used before much harm can come to it.

It is important however that the consumer does not place
honey in the cellar for many days before it is used, because
honey that has been kept in perfect condition may lose much
of its rich flavor even by a few days in such places. Keep
warm and dry until ready for use. A kitchen cupboard, if not
too near the range, is all right. By placing the honey in the
refrigerator a few hours before using, it is improved for most
people.

Removinc Honey From THE Hive

When one only keeps a few colonies, it is a good plan to leave
the surplus honey on the hives until the close of the season.
If a completed super is taken off and an empty. one put in its
place, the bees seem to resent it and do not readily enter the
empty one. By raising the nearly completed super and placing
the empty one under it, work begins without delay and con-
tinues in both supers. In a good season, if too many supers
have to be added, the top ones may be removed.

To remove the supers, lift off, put an escape board under-
neath and put supers back in place. In twenty-four to thirty-

meant

Fig. 24—Doolittle division-board
fonder ta he hiune in place of frames

38

six hours the supers will ordinarily be free of bees. In
some cases, there may be brood in the supers, especially drone
brood, and the brood will continue to hatch and some worker
bees will instinctively remain with the brood. In this, as in
all operations with bees, it is better to use a little smoke.
Where many colonies are kept, eight or ten supers may be
piled up with an escape underneath and another escape (see
Fig. 25) fixed in the cover. In this way one can get along with
less escape boards. Where one has no escapes, the supers may

Fig, 25.—Porter bee escape, used in
escape boards

be tiered up in the same manner over a strong colony, being
very careful that no cracks are left so that bees can enter or
leave except through the entrance. Some very cool morning,
the top supers may be taken off iree or nearly free of bees. If
weather is warm this method will not work out. Supers from
different colonies may be tiered in this way where a little smoke
is used without fighting, as the bees are confused and all pass,
a few at a time, down through the escape. On flying out, all
but the very young bees return to their own colonies. The
bottom super of the pile should be from the colony on which
the supers are placed and should be full of bees.

If only a few colonies are kept, a bee tight box could be used
by making a two inch hole at top over which fix a cone made
of wire screen with a hole at top just large enough for a bee to
pass out. ;

The cost of a good escape board is so small that one cannot
really afford to get along without them and, with good care,
they will last a lifetime.

39

DancER to Bers From SprayING

There is so little spraying done at the present time, while
fruit trees are in bloom, that it may not be necessary to sound
a warning against this practice,

I would hesitate to spray fruit trees while in bloom for fear
of injury to the tender functional organs of the blossom even
if there was no danger to the bees.

Nearly all fruit-growers of today appreciate the value of
bees in orchards and the important part they play ‘n the better
pollination of the blossoms and, consequently, increased quan-
tity and quality of fruit. Spraying just before the blossoms
open and after the petals have fallen serves every purpose
without danger of killing the bees or injuring them. Where
it becomes necessary to use a sweetened spray, every precaution
should be taken to guard against killing the bees.

They might be kept from poison spray by feeding a syrup
made of one part sugar to two parts water, or honey would be
even better. I{ fed in the open, one of sugar or honey to three
of water might serve the purpose. It would be better fed in
the open only for the liability of feeding other bees but I would
feed in an opposite direction from where the poison is being
used. It would help if bees were at work on prepared feed
before poison spray was applied.

VALUE of HongEy As A Foop

Few people know or appreciate the value of honey as a food
for human use. Few physicians have given the matter any
thought, and have little knowledge as to its real value in the
sick room. I have never talked with a physician who has
learned of its value who is not a warm advocate of its merit.

Honey is regarded by far too many people as a luxury. I
would estimate that not over five per cent of the homes in this
State use honey as a regular article of diet as they do sugar,
butter, eggs or fruit. AIl of these are necessary articles of
diet. Not enough uncooked fruit is used, but could honey
replace much of the cane and beet sugar used, it would be far
better for the health of those who consume it.

40

The craving of sweets by nearly all normal children is natural
and should be gratified in reasonable quantities. It is far
better for their health that they have honey, natures pure
wholesome sweet, than sugar and candy. It is not simply a
sweet, it is a food. Fourteen ounces of honey, about the net
quantity purchased when a section of honey is bought, is equal
in food value to one and a half pounds of beef steak, eleven
and one-fifth ounces of cream cheese, seventeen ounces of wal-
nuts, two quarts of ordinary milk, twenty eggs or nearly two
pounds of boneless codfish.

When compared with fruit, fourteen ounces of honey has a
nearly equal value of ten bananas or sixteen oranges of aver-
age size. Hon. W. B. Barney of the Iowa food and dairy
department, is responsible for these comparisons.

Dr. C. C. Miller of Marenge, IIL, says, “It would be greatly
for the health of the present generation, if honey could be at
least partially restored to its former place as a common article
of diet. The almost universal craving for sweets shows a real
need of the system in that direction but the excessive use of
sugar brings in its train a long list of ills.

“ Now in the wonderful laboratory of the bee, there is found
a sweet that needs no further digestion, having been prepared
fully by those wonderful chemists, the bees, for prompt assim-
ilation without taxing the stomach or kidneys.”

Dr, Miller at eighty-seven years of age, healthy and vigorous
for his years, eats honey every day in place of sugar, and
believes that it has contributed in part to his health and length
of days.

Prof. A. J. Cook, formerly State Horticultural Commis-
sioner for the state of California said, ‘‘ Physicians may be cor-
rect in asserting that the large consumption of cane or beet
sugar by the average Twentieth Century Man is harmful to
the great eliminators, the kidneys, and is a menace to the health
and long life.

“There can be no doubt that in eating honey our digestive
machinery is saved work that it would have to perform if we
ate cane sugar, and in case it is overtaxed and feeble, this may
be just the respite that will save it from a breakdown.”

41

When sugar is eaten it cannot be assimilated until it has
been changed into grape sugar. Very often the stomach fails
to do this work properly and the kidneys are taxed beyond their
strength to remove this excess sugar from the system. With
honey it is entirely different as it is already in the form of
grape sugar and is assimilated without any effort on the part
of the stomach and thus the kidneys and other organs are
relieved from any extra work.

Honey was a common article of food three thousand years
before the first sugar refinery was built. It is used in medi-
cines and is the base of many of the cough remedies and
salves. It may be used in many ways, in place of sugar on
rice, oatmeal or other cereals and breakfast foods. It is both
appetizing and nourishing on baked apples. It may be used
in cooking or in making candy. As a warm drink for children
or those who cannot use tea or coffee, it is a substitute of value.
Stir one or more teaspoonfuls of extracted ‘honey in a cup of
moderately hot water and add cream or milk as desired. In the
years just previous to 1915 about 80 pounds of sugar on an
average was consumed annually by every man, woman and chlid
in the United States. We know that many did not get this
amount, consequently some must have eaten much more.

The average consumption of sugar in my home in normal
times has been about three pounds per person a month, while
the amount of honey consumed is about four pounds per per-
son. No account is made of extra help or visitors, which
would reduce the individual quantity. In this one thing at
least we practice what we preach,—

“ Eat thou honey because it is good,” Prov. 24-13.

Every housekeeper should obtain and carefully read
Farmer’s Bulletin No. 653, “ Honey and its Uses in the Home.”
This can be secured by addressing the Secretary of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C.

REQUEENING AND INTRODUCING QUEENS

When an old queen begins to fail and her vitality is exhausted
to a certain point, the bees often replace her by rearing several
young queens in the same manner as when swarming. In fact,
this most often occurs during the swarming season. A new

42

swarm may result when the first young queen emerges from
her cell. Much depends on the season of the year and the
strength of colony.

It is better if the bee-keeper attends to requeening his yard
each autumn or late summer at the close of the honey flow,
replacing all poor queens and all queens which have passed
their second season, unless they are known to have sufficient
merit to warrant giving them another season. Queens may be
purchased from any breeders of queens, in different parts of the
country. Their advertisements may be found in any number
of “ The Bee Journals,” or they can be reared in the home yard
with a little experience and study. These should be reared
from the best stock in the yard and careful selection practiced.
If queens are purchased and the instructions for introducing,
which accompany each queen, is carefully followed, there will
be no trouble as a rule, though occasionally a queen may be
lost.

Fig. 26.—Miller queen introducing cage

When weather is cold, a safe way is to remove a few frames
of hatching brood from the colony to be requeened, brush all
bees off the combs, place combs in an upper story, find and
destroy the old queen, cover frames with a wire cloth and set
upper story over with brood frames in center, tucking in snug
and warm, after the new queen has been released on the comb
of brood in the upper story. In three or four days, a hole
should be made through center of screen disturbing the bees
as little as possible, and they will unite quietly. If weather
is warm enough so that the brood will not chill, the combs of
brood may be placed in an extra hive body, closing it so
that no bees can escape but letting in air enough so that the
bees will not smother and queen be released. On the third or
fourth day the hive entrance should be opened and bees allowed
to fly out.

43

Later combs or brood, or brood and young bees may be added
until colony has attained normal strength. Empty combs or
sheets of foundation may also be given. If bees are to be
treated in this way, care should be taken to gauge the size of
the entrance so as to prevent robbing.

Artificial increase may be made in this way, or the colony
may be divided, as the swarming season approaches, into two
or three parts and allowed to raise their own queens being
sure that each nucleus has bees in all stages,—at least eggs and
young larva should be present. The general opinion is that
the queens produced in nuclei are not as satisfactory as those
raised in full colonies.

The following is a copy of directions for introducing queens,
which will be found on the reverse side of address cards tacked
on all queen cages sent through the mails:

“Before giving this queen to the colony be sure that it is
queenless. A stock without a queen from twelve to sixteen
days—long enough so it may have one or more virgins—may
not accept a new queen, and bees that have nearly started queen
cells sometimes refuse to accept a new queen. It is usually
best, therefore, not to remove the old queen until the time of
introducing the new one, but if several days have elapsed, be
sure to remove every queen cell. To introduce, place the cage
on top or between frames; if on top put the wire cloth down
next to the bees. The bees should gnaw away the pasteboard,
eat out the candy left in the cage, and release the queen, but
sometimes they fail to gnaw the pasteboard. If they fail to
do so in twenty-four hours tear the pasteboard away and let
the bees out to eat candy. If the weather is cold, set the cage
right over the cluster of bees. Ordinarily, it is not best to
open the hive soon after introducing the queen, for the disturb-
ance may cause the bees to ball her. Should queen and attend-
ants arrive feeble, or daubed up, release at once among bees.
If they ball her after they clean her, return her to cage and
introduce her as explained. If she arrives dead, notify us and
we will replace. If your bees are or have been robbing, you
will not succeed in introducing. N. B—Queens just from the
mails usually look small and dark. After laying a few days
they will improve.”

44

WINTERING

The biggest problem for the bee-keeper in Maine is to carry
the colonies safely through the winter. There are other prob-
lems to solve which mean success or failure, but they are
minor ones more within the control of the bee-keeper.

A confinement of three months without flight is considered
a long, hard one in most parts of the country. In northern
Maine we cannot hope for less than five months and it some-
times means six. In the southern or central part of the State,
where outdoor wintering is practiced, in mild winters bees may
get suitable weather for one or more flights.

One must choose for himself which method seems best
adapted to his locality and condition. If there is a suitable
cellar under the dwelling house which can be used, the expense
of this method of wintering will be small. The quiet part of
the cellar which can be well ventilated and kept dark at all
times during the confinement of the bees and in which the tem-
perature can be evenly maintained between forty and fifty
degrees F., should be selected. It is best that the room be rat
and mouse proof as even one or two of these pests will worry
a colony to the point where they will be useless for honey
production during the honey season, if not killed outright. I
prefer a dry cellar, although some claim good results are
obtained from damp cellars.

Care should be taken that hives, when placed in the cellar,
do not come in contact with posts which support the floors
above, as the constant jar will be a serious disturbance.

I am satisfied that pure air contributes largely towards suc-
cessful wintering. This must be arranged for without lower-
ing the temperature too much. If a chimney reaches to the
bottom of the cellar, an opening can be made near the bottom
which will draw out the foul air, and the intake can be located
so it will not come directly on the hives. As the weather grows
warmer at the approach of spring a larger quantity of fresh
air will be needed to keep the bees quiet. Hives should not
be closed up with a screen or in anyway, but better be raised
from the bottom boards one or two inches, thus insuring a free
circulation of air. It is better that the bees which die during
the winter crawl outside the hive and die, and occasionally they

45

can be swept up and their decaying bodies will not pollute the
air. It is possible to carry bees safely through the winter in
an ordinary cellar without special provisions being made, but
it is far better to provide as nearly ideal conditions as one’s
circumstances will permit. They need not be expensive.

When bees are carefully put away for winter they should
not be disturbed until they are taken out in the spring, if pos-
sible to avoid it. For this reason it is best that all colonies
should be provided with an abundance of stores to carry them
safely throuh the winter and until the weather is warm and
settled in spring.

If natural stores and honey is not present. in thé hives in
sufficient quantities, the bees should be fed pure granulated
sugar dissolved in water until each colony has not less than
twenty-five pounds of stores and even forty would be better.
There are different styles of feeders on the market which can
be obtained through the bee supply dealers, or if one is inge-
nious a home arrangement can be provided.

As a substitute for honey, a syrup made from granulated
sugar is best. For spring feeding, a thin syrup even as dilute
as two parts of water (volume) to one of honey may be used.
Ordinarily equal parts are used. For supplying winter stores,
a thick syrup is better,—two to two and one-half parts of sugar
to one of water. To prevent granulation a teaspoonful of
tartatic acid should be added to each twenty pounds of sugar
while the syrup is being heated. This dissolves the sugar
crystals. In making the syrup, the greatest care must be used
to prevent scorching. It should be as clear as if made with
cold water. In this State, the feeding should be done not later
than the latter part of August. It would be better to feed in
September than for bees to go into winter quarters short of
stores. If feeding is done early while the weather is warm,
the honey is properly ripened and sealed over. The presence
of much unsealed’ honey or syrup in the combs is often fatal to
the beds in a long winter confinement.

With good stores of food and right conditions, bees do not
void the feces while in confinement, but on flying out of the
hive. Some dark honeys or honey-dew leave much waste in
the process of digestion. Bees cannot stand a long confinement

46

on it without dysentery results and, consequently, bad winter-
ing and spring dwindling if the colony is not lost outright.

There are many ways in which one might keep the bees
through a long Maine winter, but we have only space to con-
sider the two real methods applicable to our conditions, namely :
Outdoor or indoor wintering.

If bees are to be wintered outdoors and above ground, the
bee-keeper should so decide as early in his career as possible.
Hives may be purchased which are fairly safe in which to
winter bees on their summer stands, but for our Maine climate,
I feel that the single walled hives provided with proper outer
case and proper packing, are safer.

There are several methods of packing. One is to place four
colonies together in a group, two facing east and two west.
Then pack in a large case as one colony leaving space for eight
inches of dry leaves or planer shavings on all sides with foot
on top. Chaff is sometimes used but it is not quite as satisfac-
tory since it holds moisture and is apt to contain grain which
intices mice. Bees and mice do not winter well together.

Chaff division-board

Fig, 27

An entrance should be provided through the packing to
open air three-eighths of an inch in depth to six or eight
inches in width. A strong colony would be better off with a
large opening while a weaker one might be safe with less than
six inches. In extreme cold weather the entrance could be nearly
closed and opened when weather moderates unless snow covers
the hives. Some bottom protection should be given. This
could consist of some four inches of the same material as used
for sides and top, or it may be several thicknesses of good paper

47

between floor and bottom board. Packing material is better.
The whole must be roofed over so to keep out all rain and snow.
The group should also be protected from heavy winds by a
board fence, evergreen boughs, trees or some other convenient
way.

Colonies should be packed in much the same manner in a
row all facing south or each individual colony may be packed
on its summer stand, which is possibly a little more expensive
for material and labor.

I consider the individual system or packing in rows better
for Maine conditions. If bees are moved and placed together
as in the group system and later get a day suitable for flight,
there is almost sure to be a confusion and loss of bees. Packing
should ibe done early in season and left until the weather is
settled and warm in spring and the packing is no further pro-
tection against cold days and nights. If the group system,
known as the quadruple case is to be adopted, a platform should
be built of some lumber or other material which will stand the
weather, eight inches or a foot off the ground, and the four
colonies located there permanently. When time to pack, they
need be moved only a short distance, just snuggled up together
with no confusing results, as the entrances are changed only
a short distance. The four hives should be wrapped wtih paper
as one to prevent air currents. When unpacked, the packing
material should be dried and carefully saved for future use.

WHEN TO PUT BEES IN THE CELLAR

There is no definite date as to the right time to put bees in the
cellar. The day after they have had the last flight of the
season, they should be put in. There are not many days in
November in this State in which bees can fly freely, but there
are usually a few in which they may have a good flight. When
they have had that flight they should be put in unless it is the
very first of the month and the prospects are that they may
have several days of good weather ahead. The first real cool
day following a warm one in which the bees have been flying
freely, put them in the cellar.

48

PREPARATION FOR WINTER

Whether wintered in cellar or outdoors, the bees should
be put in condition for this trying ordeal earlier in the season.
One of the most important things in successful wintering is to
have plenty of young bees in the colony. If no nectar is com-
ing in, the queen stops laying early in the season and the best
results are not obtained. To remedy this, we may feed thin
honey or sugar syrup in small quantities each day, or every few
days, until the latter part of. September. This will insure a
good force of young bees for winter. We should also see that
all failing queens are replaced with young queens of stock
which have made satisfactory records in the sections. This is
the final test of a good queen, one whose bees give results in
the supers. Where single walled hives are used, it helps greatly
to cover the brood frames with several thicknesses of paper
with the coming of the first cold days of fall. This helps to
conserve the warmth of the colony and to keep up brood rear-
ing and tends to decrease the consumption of honey.

TIME TO TAKE BEES FROM THE CELLAR

The time when cellar wintered bees should be placed in the
open varies with the seasons. As a rule, if the bees are quiet
and have wintered well, they should not be taken out until near
the time when they can find natural pollen. If the spring is
warm and sunny, they had better go to summer location as
soon as the snow is gone and weather seems settled. Select for
this work a day that bids fair to be warm and -unny. A cloudy
day, if warm, is all right but not as dependable,

The temperature ought to be nearly sixty degrees F., and
seventy is even better. Begin in the morning as soon as warm
enough for bees to fly, usually about nine or ten o’clock. If
one could be certain of the day they could be taken out sooner.
Where a large number of colonies are to be taken out, one must
start quite early as it is best to have all go out the same day if
possible. If a windy day, or a breeze is blowing, bees are apt
to drift to quite an extent. In some cases colonies to windward
may have their numbers depleted to a point where they are
very weak, while colonies on the opposite side of the yard may

49

be very strong. There is always the tendency of bees of a weak
colony to enter the hives of a strong colony during the first
spring flight. If location of hives has some distinguishing
marks and the distance apart is five feet or more, no serious
results will follow.

ROBBING

One of the things that the bee-keeper should carefully guard
against is robbing. A strong colony will rob a weak one in
the same yard, or they may go a distance of some miles and do
the same thing. When once a yard becomes thoroughly started
at robbing it is a serious matter. Aside from the bad effects on
colonies robbed, the bees usually become very cross and are
apt to sting any living thing in sight at some little distance from
the disturbance. They do not settle down as a rule, unti!
another good flow of nectar and are apt to make trouble
throughout the season.

If only one colony is robbed, unless a valuable one, and the
affair is well under way, they should be allowed to complete the
job, taking care that all colonies in the yard have their entrance
closed enough so they can easily defend themselves against
robbers particularly those near the robbed ones. If robbing
has not progressed far, it may be stopped by closing the hive
entirely for twenty-four hours, providing ventilation, and when
opened, having entrance very small for a time.

Robbing usually starts through someone’s carelessness in leav-
ing a hive open or combs outside the hive. Supers may have
been carelessly tiered up when taken off so as to allow bees to
enter. The same thing might happen in adjusting the escape
board, or by dropping bits of comb containing honey about the
yard. Prevention is the best remedy.

When nectar is coming in freely, there is not so much danger
but in times of dearth it takes but little to start robbing. Hives
should not be opened any more than is absolutely necessary when
no nectar is coming in and then should not be kept open longer
than can be helped. If robbers start to make trouble, close the
hive quickly and narrow the entrance so that only a few can
pass at a time.

50

There is another sort of robbing that one has to meet in other
ways. A double barrel shotgun is a fairly good remedy for this.

Bre DIsEASES AND ENEMIES.

Among the diseases with which the bee-keeper has to contend,
the most serious is foul brood. There are two classifications
of this known as European and American foul brood. ,

It is an infectious disease which destroys the brood and event-
ually the colony. It is transmitted to healthy colonies by bees
robbing or by feeding honey from unknown sources, viz.: from
diseased colonies, by hiving new swarms in hives which have
contained foul brood and in other ways. The remedy is eter-
nal vigilance to prevent infection and if it gets into the yard,
prompt treatment.

Many states have foul brood laws and inspection and it is
hoped that Maine soon will have.

Every bee-keeper should have Farmers’ Bulletin 442, ‘“Treat-
ment of Bee Diseases,” which will be sent free on application
to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

Italian bees are said to be more resistant to Foul Brood than
our common black bees and also to defend themselves better
from the bee moths.

The principle enemies of the bees are, the bee moths, the
larger wax moths and the lesser wax moths. The moth gains
an entrance to weak colonies and deposits her eggs, where they
hatch and the larva does the damage. They burrow through
the combs constructing tunnels of silk as they go and the combs
are worthless if much progress is made. If discovered in time
the combs may be rid of larva and silk by removing the greater
part of both with some sharp pointed instrument or stick, and
the combs given to a strong colony. To guard against the
moth, have strong colonies if possible. Weak ones should have
entrance narrow to correspond to the strength of colony. Get
tid of old hives which are decayed and have new ones which
are tight. All empty hives should be carefully closed so that
no moths can enter. If combs, which are of little or no value
become infected, melt them at once and save wax. Good combs
are often kept in a tight airy room and hung in racks about an
inch apart.

SI

If combs are clean and free from pollen and granulated honey,
they are rarely attacked. All empty hives and combs should
be looked over often through warm weather and, if moths
and larva are found, they may be fumigated. Tier up several
hives and on the top bar of the upper one place a shallow dish
or saucer into which pour bisulphide of carbon. The gas caused
by the evaporation of the liquid is heavier than air and settles
down through the combs,

Extreme care must be taken that the fumes do not reach a
_ flame as the gas is highly inflammable. As the eggs are not
killed by the fumes, the process should be repeated every two
or three weeks in warm weather. Sulphur fumes may be used
in much the same way, except that one would need to have a
tight room or box in which combs or hives could be piled. An
iron kettle holding live coals may be used on which sulphur is
thrown. In either method, care must be used that the fumes
are not inhaled, or a fire started.

Rats and mice do damage in winter by entering hives and
destroying combs and causing the loss of colonies.

The King bird is accused of feeding on bees and doubtless
does to some extent but I am inclined to believe the number of
bees taken is not serious, unless birds are present in large num-
bers. I am of the opinion that drones are more often picked up
than workers. Of course, if a queen is taken, it is quite a loss. I
do not like to kill birds until quite sure they are doing more
harm than good. “ Be sure you are right then go ahead,” is a
safe rule in this case. The Purple Martin has also been accused
of the same crime, but I think unjustly so.

Toads are said to feed on bees but I think the harm done by
them is small, especially where hives are well off the ground.

Skunks are often seen about bee hives, but as mice like to
harbor under and about the stands, and also numerous grubs
and bugs on which they feed, I have never considered that they
do much harm.

RENDERING Wax

Where one has only a few old combs or a little waste to ren-
der into wax and does not feel that they can afford a wax
extractor (see Fig. 28) they may save the greater part of the

52

wax in them by crumbling them quite fine during cold weather
and putting to soak in cold water twenty hours or more before
rendering. All clean combs should be sorted and melted sepa-

Fig. 29.—Hatch Wax Press for get-
ting wax out of old combs

rately. An old wash boiler or kettle may be used in which the
combs may be melted and boiled a short time, being careful
that the mass does not boil over. Prepare a strong burlap
sack by sewing in a stick about two feet longer than the sack
is wide with another at the top leaving the sack open. Fill a
tub one-third full of warm water over which hold the sack
and into it dip the melted combs, being careful not to spill any
outside. A helper will be needed. When the bag is two-thirds
full, each taking a stick, by twisting in opposite directions, can
force out most of the wax. When through rendering, the tub
should be set in a warm place to cool slowly. The wax can
then be removed and the sediment scraped from the bottom,
tremelted in hot water and dipped off into molds to cool. Any
dealer in bee-keepers supplies will quote prices and there is
always a market for it.

53

CoNncCLUSION

The little things often neglected with the bees mean quite a
decided loss in time. In removing the supers and in other ways,
bits of wax may be saved with little trouble and at the close
of the season or when convenient, can be rendered into salable
condition. Many supers will have quite a bit of wax on the
bottom called burr combs. A box should be kept handy for
this purpose into which the bits of wax may be scraped. These
may be set on the stove and hot water poured on them, just
enough to melt and not burn. As there is often quite a bit of
honey in these, the water is bound to be very sweet, and, if too
much is not used may be given as a stimulative feed after it has
cooled so that the wax may be removed. All old combs which
has been removed from hives, drone comb and bits of comb
should be saved until sufficient quantity accumulates to be ren-
dered.

Every little help that we may give the bees, pays in honey
which means dollars.

Keeping down grass in the yard, destroying ant hills, adjust-
ing the entrance to the size of the colony, providing ventilation
at the right time, protecting colonies by wrapping with some
material during the cold days and nights of spring, are some of
the things that count when the returns for the season are all in.

THE HONEY FLORA OF MAINE
By Joun H. Lovett, Waldoboro, Maine

There are in Maine, including herbs, trees and shrubs, not
far from 1500 flowering plants. Only a small part of these are
valuable to the bee-keeper. Many are rare, others yield little
or no nectar, and still others are adapted to bumblebees, butter-
flies and moths. The northern part of the State, especially in
Aroostook county, is much better adapted to bee-keeping than
along the coast; white and alsike clover are abundant north-
ward and apiaries of large size occur, but in the southern sec-
tion the hills are covered with glacial debris, the ‘ground is
often bare in winter, sudden extremes of temperature follow
each other quickly, with the result that the flora is poor and
meager and it is seldom that more than a dozen hives are found
together. Unfortunately it is not profitable to cultivate any
plant for honey alone. The easiest way to improve the honey
flora of a locality is to sow alsike clover, which secretes nectar
fully as freely as white clover. Three or four acres of clover
or buckwheat are required for each hive of bees. Our climate
is rather too cold for sweet clover. The plants important to
the bee-keeper may be divided into groups; pollen plants, and
nectar or honey plants.

PoLLEN PLANTS

Many plants are devoid of nectar and furnish only pollen,
as the elms, hickories, roses and poppies. Not a few of these
have been listed as honey plants as the result of careless obser-
vation, or because honey-dew has been gathered from their
fioliage by bees. None of the plants in the following list ever
secrete floral nectar.

Alder (Alnus incana). This is the earliest shrub to bloom
in this State. It is wind-pollinated. On a warm day honey-
bees resort to the flowers for pollen.

55

Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia). Bees visit the large
white flowers for pollen.

Beech (Fagus). The small, greenish flowers are wind-polli-
nated. Honey-dew is sometimes found on the leaves.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). The handsome white
pollen flowers open in April and May. Bees visit the flowers
in large numbers and remove all the pollen.

Corn (Zea Mays). Bees in, great numbers gather pollen
from the “spindles,” or staminate flower-clusters of corn.
Corn is wind-pollinated and secretes no nectar. ‘Although a
bee-keeper occasionally declares that his bees gather honey from
corn, there is no such thing as corn honey. In view of the
great number of acres of corn, this is an important source of
pollen. :

‘Cone-trees (Coniferae). Fir, spruce, juniper and pine pro-
duce immense quantities of pollen. It is so resinous that I
have never seen bees collect it.

Elm (Ulmus americana). This familiar tree produces a
profusion of purple flowers in early spring. A great multitude
of bees have been reported at times tio gather the pollen.

Grasses (Gramineae). All of the grasses are wind-pollinated
except a faw self-pollinated species. They produce a large
amount of pollen.

Hazelnut (Corylus americana). Valuable for pollen in early
spring,

Hickory (Carya). Wind-pollinated flowers, which produce
tuch pollen. Hioney-dew is sometimes abundant on the leaves.

Oak (Quercus). Small greenish or reddish flowers, which
have been incorrectly reported to yield nectar. Honey-dew is
found on the foliage of many species.

Poppy (Papayer). Very large showy pollen flowers, from
which bees gather all the pollen. Poppy honey and its narcotic
effect is a myth.

Poplar (Populus). Aspens. Trees bloom very early and
bees are said to gather the pollen. Honey-dew is sometimes
found on the foliage. Wind-pollinated. These trees should
be distinguished from white poplar or tulip-tree (Liriodendron
Tulipifera).

56

Ragweed (Ambrosia). Valuable in the fall for their abund-
ant supply of pollen. Two common species are Roman worm-
wood and great ragweed. The pollen is regarded as a cause
of hay fever.

Roses (Rosa). The roses are common to both continents
and rose honey would be an ideal honey, but not a single ounce
of it has ever been produced. The roses yield much pollen
but no nectar; bees gather the pollen. Bee-keepers often
believe that bees find nectar, but careful study of the flowers
shows that they secrete none.

Nectar ork Honey PLANts

Strictly speaking flowers yield nectar and plants producing
it should be called nectar plants; but the term honey plants
is so widely used that I shall continue to use it in this list,
understanding by it plants which secrete nectar which the bees
convert into honey. A large number of plants produce both
pollen and nectar, but in Maine comparatively few yield a sur-
plus of honey—the most important being white clover, alsike
clover, fruit-bloom, raspberry, fire-weed and goldenrod.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). This forage plant so valuable in
the west yields no nectar in Maine.

Aster (Aster). The asters are of some value in this State,
and in late fall bees may be seen frequently on the flowers.
Aster paniculatus appears to be most important. In some local-
ities in the midcle states the ground is white with the blossoms
of field asters. Pure honey white or perhaps sometimes light
amber. It is gathered so late that often it may not be fully
ripened.

Apple (Pyrus Malus). Yields a small surplus occasionally
in this State. Honey of fine quality, light amber with aromatic
flavor.

Basswood (Tilia americana). So rare in this State as to be
of little importance.

Blackberry (Rubus). Yields little nectar in the northern
states; but a surplus’ is reported in Georgia and California.

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum). Visited by insects in
large numbers, but not common enough to yield a surplus.

57

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum). Not extensively
grown in Maine, but fields of it are cultivated in many localities.
A dark purplish honey.

Button-bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Common in
swamps but not important.

Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense). Not very abundant in
this State but more common westward. Honey light and well-
flavored.

Carrot (Daucus Carota). Naturalized from Europe, com-
mon in fields. ce

Clover, White (Trifolium repens). A fine white honey of
delicious flavor. Alsike clover (7. hybridum) is an equally
good honey plant, honey similar. Both are abundant in Maine,
especially northward. In dry seasons bees are able to gather
nectar from red clover, a bumblebee flower.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus). A good honey plant in the
neighborhood of pickle factories. Honey with flavor of the
fruit, but improves with age.

Currant (Ribes). The various species of currants and goose-
berries, both wild and cultivated, are of some importance.

Dandelion (Taraxicum officinale). More valuable for pollen
than nectar in this State. Honey golden yellow, thick, strong-
flavored, crystallizing in a few weeks.

Goldenrod (Solidago). A most valuable honey plant in New
England. In southern Maine never fails to give a large sur-
plus the main dependence of the bee-keeper for winter stores.
Honey golden yellow, fine flavored, candying with a coarse
grain in a few months. Solidago graminifolia and S. rugosa
are the most important species in this State.

Heartsease (Polygonum Persicaria). This plant so valuable
in Illinois and Nebraska is of no importance in Maine; a bee
is rarely seen on the flowers.

Horsechestnut (Aesculus Hippocastanum). Not common,
bees gather both nectar and pollen. Bumblebee flowers.

Locust, Black (Robinia Pseudo-Acacia). Yields a surplus
of white honey further south; but not abundant in Maine.
Often cultivated.

58

Maple (Acer saccharum). The rock maple blooms in spring
before the leaves appear and the flowers are visited by bees in
great numbers. The red maple also yields nectar.

Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Where the milkweed is
abundant it is a great help to the bee-keeper. In Michigan it
is increasing, and perhaps also in Maine. The honey is excel-
lent with a fruity flavor.

Mayweed (Anthemis Cotula). ‘Common by the roadside, a
bitter honey, apparently not important in this State.

‘Mustard (Brassica): Very abundant in grain fields, where
the flowers often present an unbroken sheet of yellow. Prob-
ably never yields a surplus in Maine.

Pear (Pyrus comimunis). Not of much importance, but has
been known to yield nectar very freely under suitable conditions.

Plums and ‘Cherries (Prunus). All the species secrete nec-
tar. The choke-cherry, which is common in, thickets, attracts
many insects.

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus, variety aculeatissimus). One of
the best honey plants, where the forest has been lumbered. A
splendid honey of the finest flavor, suggestive of the berry.

Sumac (Rhus typhina). This common shrub has the stami-
nate and pistillate flowers on different individual plants. Not
common enough in Maine to yield a surplus. Honey bright
amber, with a bitter flavor at first which later disappears.

Sweet Clover (Melilotus alba). Does not grow well on the
clay soil of this State, requires a limestone soil.

Willow (Salix). Valuable in spring for both pollen and
nectar, a great help in building up the colonies and bridging
over backward springs. The pussy willow (Salix discolor)
is most important. It could be planted to advantage in useless
wet land.

Willowherb (Epilobium augustifoluum). Also called fire-
weed since it springs up abundantly on land which has been
burnt over. An excellent honey plant; honey water white;
flowers red-purple.

Bee-keepers desiring further information about the honey
plants of this State are referred to John H. Lovell, Waldoboro,
Maine, botanist to the A. I. Root Company.