BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
A. I am in a region of abundant fruit-bloom, but I never had a pound of surplus from it. It is all used up in rearing brood. If it came in the middle of June I should probably have had tons o; honey from it. Yet I wouldn't for many dollars have it in June. The bees reared from fruit-bloom are what gather the surplus later on, and so fruit-bloom is of the highest value. In this region apple is worth all the rest put together, for it lasts two to four weeks, there being that difference between the earliest and latest varieties.
**Gentle Bees.--Q**. What strain or race of bees do you consider most gentle and easy to handle?
A. The Caucasians are claimed to be gentlest of all, but reports do not all agree. Italians are good.
**German Bee-Papers.--Q**. Is there a German bee-paper published, either here or in foreign countries?
A. No German bee-paper is published in this country, but a number across the water, among them Schweizerische Bienenzeitung, Praktischer Wegweiser, Leipziger Bienenzeitung, Bienenen-Vater, Deutsche Imker aus Boehmen. Names and addresses of German papers can probably be obtained by addressing request to the office of the American Bee Journal.
**Giant Bee of India.--Q**. Do you think the giant East Indian honeybee will ever be imported to this country?
A. No; and I don't believe it would be of any value if it were brought here.
**Glass for Super-Covers.--Q**. I have noticed two or three times in the American Bee Journal beekeepers using a sheet of glass for a super cover. I would like to adopt it myself if it would be advisable, but before deciding would like to have your opinion for and against it.
A. Some have reported success in using glass over the brood chamber, especially in England, while others object to it. I'm not sure what the objection is, but suppose there would be trouble with vapor condensing on the glass and dropping down upon the bees. The advantage is that you can see through the glass, yet there is not so very much to be seen without lifting out anything. You will probably be wise not to try it on a very large scale, at first.
**Gloves.-Q.** What kind of gloves do you think best for handling bees? Will bees sting through kid gloves?
A. Bees will sting through anything as thin as kid gloves. Buckskin does better, but is not always proof against stings. Rubber gloves are good, but uncomfortable. Pigskin is probably as good as anything, and not expensive. It has a disagreeable smell. especially when new. Oiled cotton gloves are in common, use, and do very well.
**Glucose.-Q.** Is syrup that contains 95 per cent glucose and 5 per cent sorghum good to feed to bees?
A. No; commercial glucose is not fit stuff for man or bee. Don't think of giving bees glucose in any proportion whatever, any time.
**Goldenrod.-Q.** Does the goldenrod yield honey, that is, does it yield enough for a surplus?
A. Yes; in many sections of the central west and of the east, goldenrod is a surplus producer. In other localities it only helps in the fall flow. Its honey is said to be of a golden color and of a rather strong taste. There are many varieties and some do not yield honey anywhere.
**Grading Rules.-Q.** By what standard is honey (comb and extracted) graded for the market?
A. The Colorado grading rules, as adopted by the Colorado Honey Producers' Association, come as near being the standard as any. They are as follows:
COMB HONEY
Fancy--Sections to be well filled, combs firmly attached on all sides and evenly capped, except the outside row next to the wood. Honey, comb and cappings white, or slightly off color. Combs not projecting beyond the wood, sections to be well cleaned. No section in this grade to weigh less than 12% ounces net or 13% ounces gross. The top of each section in this grade must be stamped, "Net weight not less than 12% ounces."
The front sections in each case must be of uniform color and finish, and shall be a true representation of the contents of the case.
No. 1.-Sections to be well filled, combs firmly attached, not projecting beyond the wood, and entirely capped, except the outside row, next to the wood. Honey, comb and cappings from white to light amber in color. Sections to be cleaned. No section in this grade to weigh less than 11 ounces net or 12 ounces gross. The top of each section in this grade must be stamped, "Net weight not less than 11 ounces." The front sections in each case must be of uniform color and finish, and shall be a true representation of the contents of the case.
No. 2.-This grade is composed of sections that are entirely capped, except row next to the wood, weighing not less than 10 ounces net or 11 ounces gross. Also of such sections that weigh 11 ounces net or 12 ounces gross, or more, and have not more than 50 uncapped cells altogether, which must be filled with honey. Honey, comb and cappings from white to amber in color. Sections to be well cleaned. The top of each section in this grade must be stamped, "Net weight not less than 10 ounces." The front sections in each case must be of uniform color and finish, and shall be a true representation of the contents of the case.
Honey that is not permitted in shipping grades is as follows: Honey packed in second-hand cases.
Honey in badly stained or mildewed sections.
Honey showing signs of granulation.
Leaking, injured or patched up sections.
Sections containing honeydew.
Sections with more than 50 uncapped cells or a less number of empty cells.
Sections weighing less than the minimum weight.
All such honey should be disposed of in the home market.
EXTRACTED HONEY
Extracted honey is classed as white, light amber and amber; the letters "W," "L, A," "A." should be used in designating color, and these letters should be stamped on top of each can. Extracted honey for shipping must be packed in new, substantial cases of proper size.
Extracted honey should be thoroughly ripened, weighing not less than 12 pounds per gallon. It must be well strained and packed in new cans; 60 pounds shall be packed in each 5-gallon can, and the top of each 5-gallon can shall be stamped or labeled, "Net weight not less than 60 pounds."
Strained honey must be well ripened, weighing not less than 12 pounds per gallon. It must be well strained, and if packed in 5-gallon can each small contain 60 pounds. The top of each 5-gallon can shall be stamped or labeled "Net weight not less than 60 pounds." Bright, clean cans that previously contained honey may be used for strained honey.
Honey not permitted in shipping grades is as follows:
Extracted honey packed in second-hand cans.
Unripe or fermenting honey, weighing less than 12 pounds per gallon.
Honey contaminated by excessive use of smoke.
Honey not properly strained.
Honey contaminated by honeydew.
**Granulation of Honey.-\(Q\).** What causes the granulation of honey? Is there any way to prevent it? I sold some to a man this fall. He says it was granulated in the combs and he will not buy any more. Does it make any difference when the honey is gathered from different flowers as to its "sugaring"?
A. The granulation of honey is caused, or at least hastened, by cold. Some honey, however, granulates readily without being reduced to a low temperature, since the honey from some plants granulates very readily, while the honey from some other plants scarcely granulates at all. Frequent changes from warm to cold favor granulation more than a steady continuance of cold. Stirring honey hastens granulation. If honey is heated as much as it will stand without injuring the aroma or flavor, say somewhere below 160 degrees, and sealed up while hot, it will continue liquid.
Your inquiry, however, is more particularly about comb honey. While honey in the comb is slower about granulation than extracted honey, we are more helpless about preventing granulation or reducing it to a liquid state after it is once granulated. To be sure some have reported melting comb honey--or bringing it again to a liquid state--without injuring the comb, yet it must be a rather ticklish job. I think that honey left a considerable time on the hive is less inclined to granulate than that which is removed just as soon as it is sealed, but here you meet the trouble that leaving it on the hive too long darkens the comb. Perhaps the best you can do is to leave your sections on as long as you can without having the combs darkened, and then keep them in as warm a place as you can until sold.
Q. Under what conditions can extracted honey be most quickly granulated, or candied, so that it can be sold in paper packages? I am not engaged in bekeeping, and haven't much literature on the subject.
A. In Europe, where there is more desire to have honey granulate than here, they stir the honey occasionally. Mixing a little granulated honey with the liquid also helps. There is a great difference in the kinds of honey. Some honey begins to
**Grapes.--Q**. In central California the grapes are sorn (not much sugar) and my bees have gathered some of this juice, consequently the honey has a somewhat sour taste. Is this good winter feed for the bees or for consumption? (California.)
A. My guess is that it will not be good for winter stores. It will be all right for consumption if the taste is not objectionable, and of that you can judge better than I. The same may be said of all fruit juices.
**Guards (See Entrance Guards.)**
**Handling Bees.--Q**. How warm should it be by the thermometer when it is safe to handle bees in ordinary manipulation?
A. About 70 degrees. Instead of going by the thermometer, it may be better to say, don't handle bees any time when they are not flying freely. But if you merely lift out a frame and quickly return it, as when you want to know in the spring whether brood is present, then it may be safe at 55 degrees or less.
Q. I have a colony of bees that I have left outside with a box cover packed with leaves. They have nothing over the brood frames, but are wintering finely. Does it hurt the bees much to open the hive in cold weather?
A. Sometimes it does a great deal of harm, even to the death of the colony, to open the hive and disturb the bees when it is too cold for them to fly. When it is warm enough for them to fly, it may do little or no harm; but when very cold, better not disturb them unless there is danger of starvation.
**Hanging Out of Bees.--Q**. My bees have been hanging from the top of the hive to the ground. They fly around the hive and then cluster. Only a few seem to work. They have been doing this for two weeks. Are they getting ready to swarm?
A. I don't know enough about the conditions to answer. If no nectar is to be had, that may be a sufficient reason for their idleness. If there is a good flow of nectar, hanging out might be a sign they are getting ready to swarm, and yet they would hardlykeep that up for two weeks. So, on the whole, it looks more as if there is nothing for them to do, yet that may not be the case at all. **Give them more room, more ventilation and more shade.**
**Hatching.-Q. My attention has been called to the word "hatch." Do bees hatch more than once? Would it not be better to have the bees hatch once and emerge to come into existence?**
**A. You are quite right; it would be better to say that the larva "hatches" from the egg, and the young bee "emerges" from the cell. Indeed, you will find that quite often the word "emerges" is used in that way, although generally it is said that the young bee hatches out of the cell.**
Figure 19: A colony "hanging out" all over its live; caused by lack of room, lack of shade, and insufficient ventilation.
Q. How long is it from an egg to a bee? I mean how long after the egg is laid till it is a full-grown bee?
A. For a queen, 15 or 16 days; for a worker, 21 days; for a drone, 24 days.
**Heartsease.--Q.** My bees have done well in this part of Southern Kansas this season. There is no trouble in wintering here, as they have a flight nearly every week. I expect to move to south-central Iowa this fall. Will my bees winter successfully there on heartsease honey, or would it be better to extract the honey from the brood-nest and feed sugar syrup? In 1905, some of my bees died of dysentery wintering on heartsease honey and not being able to take a flight for about six weeks on account of the severe weather.
A. It is possible that heartsease honey was not to blame for the trouble of 1905. Surely thousands of colonies have wintered on it, and it has not had the name of being bad for winter food. My bees wintered well last winter, and I think a good share of their honey was heartsease.
**Hive-Stand.--Q.** Which is better, a hive-stand a couple of feet high, or one a few inches high, with the entrance-board slanting, so that in case the clipped queen went out to swarm she could crawl back in the hive again and thus not be lost?
A. For you it may be better to have the hive quite low. Where certain kinds of ants are bad (generally in the south), it is well to have the hive on legs so that by means of dishes of oil or water the ants may be prevented from getting into hives.
**Hives.--Q.** I would like to know if there is a book on making hives?
A. I know of no such book.
Q. I am not a young man in years, but am young in the knowledge of bees. I keep bees only for the honey I can get. What use is there for me to use patent hives when I know nothing about them? Why is not my old-fashioned gum with a good, big, plain box-cap just as good for getting the same amount of honey in a season as the patent hives?
A. Let me say, first, that most of the hives in use now by practical beekeepers have no patent on them, the patent on the Langstroth movable frame having expired many years ago. So your question probably is: What advantage is there for you in movable-frame hives over common box-hives? Perhaps there is no advantage. It depends upon circumstances. The movable-frame hive is no better for the bees than a box-hive; in general not so good. It has really only one advantage over a box-hive,but sometimes a single advantage counts for much. A man with his head on has the single advantage over the one with his head cut off that he still has his head on; but that is a considerable advantage. The one advantage that the movable-frame hive has over the box-hive is that the frames can be taken out and put back again. But that advantage is of no value to those beekeepers who never lift out the frames from one year's end to the other. If I had no notion of ever lifting out a frame I would prefer box-hives.
Possibly you may want to know what advantage there is in being able to lift out frames. For one thing, you can tell by lifting out the frames whether a colony is queenless or not, and if it is queenless you can remedy it. With a box-hive it is practically impossible either to detect or to cure queenlessness. That one difference between the two kinds of hive is enough to decide in favor of the movable-frame kind, provided one intends to take advantage of the movable feature. It would be a pretty long story to tell all the things that can be done with a movable-frame hive that cannot be done with a box-hive, among which are examination for disease and treating for the same, introducing queens, strengthening weak colonies by giving frames of hatching-brood, etc.
Q. Please give me some advice on what kind of hives to use.
A. Opinions differ as to what is the best hive. Some are partial to this or that particular hive which the majority of beekeepers would hardly take as a gift. The greater number, however, perhaps nine out of every ten, would tell you to take the 10-frame dovetailed hive. You can hardly go amiss on that. But please remember that the hive does not make very much difference in the work of the bees. A good colony of bees will store just as much honey in an old-fashioned straw hive as it will in the most up-to-date hive. But it makes a big difference to the beekeeper whether the hive is such that he can easily get at the honey and perform the various manipulations that he may think necessary.
Q. What are the dimensions of an 8-frame Langstroth hive and super? Also the frames?
A. Some of the dimensions of the 8-frame hive have varied from time to time, but I'll give you what I think will generally be found today:
Length, inside measure, \(18^{n}_{+4}\) inches; width, \(12\%\); depth, \(9\%\);but, as the dryest lumber you are likely to get will shrink somewhat, it is better to make the depth 9%. The super has the same length and width as the hive. Its depth depends upon what it contains. If it is an extracting-super, it will be the same as the hive-body, provided the frames are to be the same as those in the brood-chamber. In any case, the depth of the extracting-super will be one-fourth inch more than the depth of the frame to be used in it, allowance to be made for shrinkage, if there is to be any shrinkage. The depth of the section-super must be such that there shall be one-fourth inch space left at the top of the super.
The frame is 17% by 9%, outside measure. Width of top-bar varies from 1% down to 3%; and the same may be said of end-bars and bottom-bar. Some have the same width as the top-bar, and some have them narrower. In any case, the frames are generally spaced so that the distance from center to center shall be 1%, although some prefer 1%. With the spacing 1%, there is plenty of room for a thin dummy or follower beside the frames.
Q. What are the exact measurements of a 10-frame hive, inside measure?
A. Unfortunately, there are no "exact measurements" that all makers have always used in making hives to take 10 frames of Langstroth size. The depth of the frames being 9% inches, if % inch be added to that to make a beospace, we would have 9% for the depth of the hive. But a very little shrinkage would make bad work, and to make sure against that, the hive is made 9% inches deep. The length of the frame is 17%, and if % inch be added at each end we would have 18% for the length of the hive. But that makes very close work, and bees are not much inclined to build at the ends of the hive, so the length is not less than 19%. For an 8-frame hive I think there is general agreement on 12% for the width. That allows 11 inches for the 8 frames spaced 1%, and 1% inches for 'dummy 3% thick, with a space each side of it. If we add twice 1%, or 2% inches, for two additional frames, we would have 14% for the width of a 10-frame hive. But for some reason that never seemed satisfactory to me, the dummy _is_ generally omitted in 10-frame hives, and they are made 14% inches wide. So I think we may say, as nearly as we can come to standard, that the inside measurements of the 10-frame hive are, 18%x14%x9%. As a side remark, I may say that I think some of the hives are not more than 9% deep, although I think they were 9% when new.
Q. Do you think the bees will gather more honey in a 10-frame hive than they will in an 8-frame?
A. Not necessarily. Of course, a stronger colony ought to get more honey, but just as strong a colony can be in an 8-frame hive as in a 10-frame, for two stories of the 8-frame can be used if need be. Of course this would be a 16-frame hive.
Q. I would like to ask a few questions concerning that large hive.
(a) When you take that second hive off, don't you have trouble with brood, or do you use an excluder?
(b) Do your bees go to work in the supers as readily as when only one hive-body was used?
A. (a) I use 8-frame hives which can hardiy be called "large hives," so I suppose you refer to my using two stories as brood chambers, making practically a 16-frame hive. I put on a second brood-story whenever the first becomes crowded, unless I take away some of the brood to use elsewhere. I reduce to one story at the time of putting on supers for surplus. There is so little trouble with brood in sections that I don't think it worth while to use excluders. But if I didn't fill the sections full of foundation, I should have to use excluders.
(b) Yes, perhaps more readily.
Q. What kind of a beehive do you prefer, without porch or with porch, and why?
A. The Langstroth hive was at first made with a portico. Latterly very few have the portico, perhaps chieflv because it furnishes such a nice refuge for spiders, causing the death of too many bees.
Q. Is a hive supposed to sit level?
A. It should slant a little to the front, the front end being an inch or two lower than the back end. It should be level from side to side.
Q. I have seven colonies of bees, four in 8-frame hives and three in 10-frame hives. At 1:30 today the bees of all the smaller hives were flying, while the others were not. I examined them, and found one of the colonies dead, though there was about 30 pounds of nice honey left. In the dead colony there was a double handful of bees and lots of drones.
I cannot account for this. It looks as if 8-frame hives were better for wintering in northern Iowa than the 10-frame. All the colonies had plenty of honey. (December 28, Iowa.)A. The number of colonies is rather small to deduce general rule; but even if you had a larger number it is not a dead open-and-shut affair that the smaller hives are better winters. As to that dead colony in the 10-frame hive, it's about certain that the size of the hive cuts no figure. They had no normal laying queen and had not had one for weeks, for the dead bees were few, and part of them were drones. We have left, then, the four 8-frame hives, and the two,10-frame, and you are evidently of the opinion that the bees in the latter two were in too poor condition to fly, while the bees in the smaller hives flew well. Well, as there were only two of them, it might just happen that those two were poorer than the others. But did it never occur to you that it might be that those two colonies did not fly because they were in too good condition to fly? That would be my guess. December 28 the bees had not been confined very long, and these two colonies were doing so well that they did not yet feel the need of a flight. At any rate, wait until spring, and then you can tell with more certainty which has done the better.
Q. Will bees go into old hives as well as into new ones when they have become damp inside several times, but have never been used before?
A. Yes, if the hives are sweet and clean.
Q. For a beginner, which would you recommend, the 8-frame Jumbo brood-chamber, or the 10-frame Langstroth?
A. The 10-frame Langstroth.
Q. The cuts showing how to nail dovetailed hives, nail only every other dovetail. Do you think that is the best way, or should every one be nailed?
A. At top and bottom nail at least two consecutive dovetails; it's not so important about the central ones. I have had pretty good success by driving a nail vertically at top, and one at bottom.
Q. Which hive do you recommend for a beginner, the Tri-State, Dovetailed, or Leahy telescope? Also which number of frame, 8 or 10? (I am located in northeast Missouri.)
A. These all have the regular Langstroth frame, 17%x9%, the size to be recommended, and aside from this the particular form of hive does not matter greatly. The dovetailed has the advantage that it is the one most generally in use. As to the number of frames, the 10-frame is decidedly better.
Q. Is it not easier to cut out queen-cells in the Danzenbaker hive than in the Langstroth? I am pretty badly smitten on the Danzenbaker hive, but I see you do not like it as well as the 8-frame Langstroth.
A. I know of no reason why it should be easier. If you take into account taking out and putting back frames, it is harder.
Q. I have been looking through the American Bee Journal for dimensions of the Dadant hive and frame about which I wrote
Mr. Dadant some months ago, but cannot find them. Will you kindly give them in the replies to queries? The expense of getting a sample hive here is too great.
A. The dimensions of the Dadant hive are not given in any previous number of the American Bee Journal; they are to be found only in the Langstroth-Dadant book and in Bertrand's "Conduite du Rucher" (Conduct of the Apiary), which has been published in eight different languages. The dimensions of the frame are about the same as those of the original Quinby movable frame. The hive is especially adapted to the production of extracted honey, and that is why it is very much more widely used in the countries where modern beekeepers can secure almost as much for extracted per