BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
Wax. Beeswax is an important by-product in the apiary, if the cappings cut off at extracting, scraps, and broken combs are rendered to wax. This by-product will perhaps pay for most of the bee supplies. Wax extractors and presses of various types are on the market. A simple method of extracting small quantities of wax is by the use of a shallow pan or dripping pan. A hole is made in one end of this pan, the wax is placed at the other end, and the pan is placed in the oven so that the hole in the pan is outside of the oven over some other vessel containing a small amount of water. The other end of the pan should be raised an inch or two so that the molten wax will drain thru the hole at the other end and drip into the water:
Wax rendered in solar extractors has a better color than when rendered as described above. A solar extractor may be bought from dealers in beekeepers' supplies for a reasonable price. It can easily be made out of two small dry goods boxes, a sheet of tin, and a piece of window glass. One objection to the solar extractor is that much of the wax remains in the combs after heating. This is especially true when old combs taken from diseased colonies are being rendered to wax.
Queen Rearing. If done on a large scale and for the purpose of supplying the trade this requires special training and experience. Several texts are available for those interested in the subject.
Italianizing. The beekeeper who has an apiary of black bees and can spare money more readily than time will perhaps do best to purchase Italian queens (untested) one for each col any, and to introduce these at any time except in winter. (For methods of introducing queens see page 25). In this case untested queens are recommended for several reasons. In the first place they are cheaper than tested queens, and in buying a number of them quite a saving can be made. Furthermore, if the queens are purchased from reliable breeders; they will almost always be as represented and produce only pure stock. Worthy of consideration is also the fact that tested queens are more likely to be injured while being shipped, than are untested queens \(
rac{1}{10}\) untested queen is one that has mated and has begun to lay. A tested queen is one that is kept by the breeder for a little more than three weeks after she has begun to lay, when he is able to determine by the color of her worker offspring whether she is purely mated or not.
If the beekeeper has plenty of time he may Italianize his colonies by another method involving very little expense. By purchasing three or four tested Italian queens and introducing them in the most prosperous colonies, these will be italianized in about six weeks. After the main honey flow is over one or several of these colonies are selected for queen rearing. By making a colony queenless, the workers will be induced to rear queens. By examining such a colony about ten days after the queen has been removed often as many as ten or twelve queen cells can be found. When the queen cells have been sealed up they are carefully removed with a sharp knife from the combs, and one queen cell is then given to each colony to be requeened. Each of these colonies must be made queenless about 12 hours before the queen cells are introduced, otherwise the bees may not accept them. The cells are inserted in the combs by cutting out a place just large enuf to receive them and hold them in the
Figure 3: A. Unsealed queen cell, B. Inserted cell, C. Unfinished cell, D. Cell just begun. (Electrotype furnished by Dadant and Sons.)
natural position (see Fig. 3.) The queen cells must be handled with great care, for the young larvae are easily injured. If all these virgin queens should mate with Italian drones the whole apiary would be italianized in a short time. However, even if, as is likely to happen, some of the queens mate with black drones, all the drones from the virgin queens will be Italian. Therefore, all that remains to be done to complete the italianization is to repeat the above procedure, preferably the following year. If by the use of a drone trap or removal of all drone comb, all the black drones are eliminated before the young queens emerge the requeening need not be repeated the second year.
**Introducing Queens.** One method, that of inserting mature queen cells has already been discussed. If it is preferred, the beekeeper may allow such queens to emerge before introduction, protecting each cell by a wire protector so that the one emerging first is prevented from killing all the others. A disadvantage of this method is that the introduction of virgin queens is a difficult matter and should not be practiced by beginners.
The most common method of introducing queens shipped thru the mails is to insert the mailing oage, between the combs following closely the directions accompanying the cage. This method usually is successful.
A very simple introducing cage can be constructed out of a small piece of screen wire. This is cut and bent in the form of a small tray, about three inches long, two inches wide, and three-fourths of an inch deep. The queen to be introduced is placed in this tray and covered with a thin piece of cardboard. a frame containing brood, eggs, and honey, or cells with pollen and honey is then broth into the house. The tray with the queen is put on the comb with the cardboard next to it where she is supplied with honey and pollen or brood. The cardboard is then drawn out and the edges of the tray are pushed into the comb for about a quarter of an inch. This is known as the push-into-comb method. The bees liberate the queen in 24-48 hours by tunneling thru the comb.
## Bee Diseases
### American Foul Brood
Of the five diseases commonly known to affect bees, this is by far the most destructive. When it once gets into an apiary and is allowed to proceed unchecked it may in a few years destroy all the colonies. It is highly infectious and because of the tendency that bees have of robbing weak colonies, it often spreads rapidly from colony to colony and from one-apiary to another.
American foul brood is caused by a pathogenic organism known as Bacillus larvae. It attacks the larvae (or young bees) in the cells when they are full grown. It is practically con fined to worker larvae, very rarely attacking drone larvae or queen larvae. The larvae when attacked by the disease loose their waxy white color and gradually assume a brown or coffee color. They usually die after the cells have been capped over. When the larvae fail to emerge the workers either remove the
cappings or puncture them.
These punctures in the cell cappings, the large number of uncapped cells, the brown color of the larvae, and an odor sonewhat like burnt glue, are indications of American Foul Brood. By inserting a toothpick in one of the dead larvae and drawing it out the material will often string out for an inch or more. This is known as ropiess. Roppiness is not present at an early stage of the disease; it develops after the larva has been dead for some time and has dried down to some extent.
American foul brood unlike European foul brood attacks all the different races and strains of bees.
**Treatment.** When proceeding to treat colonies for foul brood two things should be borne in mind. One is that the organism causing the disease is very difficult to kill. It takes 30 minutes to kill it in boiling water. In the combs the disease cannot be treated with disinfectants. The other thing is that all honey gathered while the disease is present in the colony is contaminated.
Therefore, the only treatment is to take all the infected
Figure 4. American Foul Brood (Notice the sunken and scattered cap pin;s) (Electrotype furnished by Dadant and Sons)
material from the bees and give them a new start, proceeding as follows: The hive with the infected colony is placed a little to one side, and in its place is put a clean or new hive with frames and full sheets of foundation. An extra hive body with cover is placed conveniently nearby. From the infected hive the frames are now removed one by one and the bees shaken off on a large sheet of newspaper placed in front of the new hive. This paper is burned up immediately after completing the shaking. Some care must be exercised to see that the queen enters the new hive. All infected material must be kept covered as much as possible. When shaking is completed all the infected material, hive bodies, combs, etc., is taken into the house where the bees cannot get at it. The honey may be squeezed out or extracted, remembering, of course, that it is infected and will contaminate everything with which it comes in contact. The combs may be rendered to wax. The hive bodies can be disinfected by scorching them to a uniform brown color with a plumber's torch. The frames if in good condition may be treated in a similar way after all the wax and propolis are scraped off, if it seems worth while; usually it will be found cheaper to burn them and get new frames.
Colonies should not be treated for foul brood unless some honey is coming in; even then it will be well to feed them on the first evening. If a strong flow is on it is not entirely safe to put the bees on full sheets of foundation as indicated above; it may be better to put them on starters for a day and then give them full sheets of foundation, altho this is generally regarded as unnecessary.
**European Foul Brood.** This is caused by a pathogenic organism known as Bacillus pluton. While it has caused as much trouble as has American foul brood, it is by many beekeepers not regarded as serious as that. The reason why it may cause very heavy losses is that it spreads very rapidly thru an apiary, often also thru a whole neighborhood. It is unlike American foul brood in this respect; the latter may spread quite slowly.
European foul brood attacks the larvae earlier in their development when they are still curled up in the cell. The diseased larvae take on a yellowish color. Later as the larvae begin to decay they assume a greyish color and a melted appearance.
Larvae that have died as a result of American foul brood are very adhesive, stick tightly to the cell; those affected with European foul brood are not so adhesive. This is important in treating diseased colonies. A slight ropiess is sometimes found in larvae affected with European foul brood. As long as no decay is present, they are practically odorless; as decay sets in, an odor of fermentation may be observed.
European foul brood attacks drone larvae and queen larvae as well as worker larvae. It is a disease that generally attacks weak or failing colonies. Some races of bees, such as the three-banded Italian, are able to resist the disease; others are not. The black, or German, bees are known to succumb very readily to the disease. It has been claimed that Carnidans are as resistant as Italians; apparently this statement needs further proof.
Treatment of European foul brood. Since this disease attacks weak colonies and especially certain races of bees, the building up of strong colonies consisting of resistant strains is recommended for treating as well as for preventing European foul brood.
It is suggested therefore, that colonies infected with European foul brood be united so as to make strong colonies, and requeened with good Italian stock.
Other Broed Diseases. Sachrood. When affected with this disease the larvae die at about the time of sealing. The color of the dead larvae varies from yellow to brown or even black. The body is distended and the contents are watery during a certain period of the decay. There is no ropiess, and no characteristic odor. The disease seldom causes any very serious losses in the apiary, and as a rule the colonies recover without any treatment. The important consideration in regard to sachrood therefore is that it is easily mistaken for American foul brood and the treatment is administered when it is entirely unnecessary.
Young bee larvae may die from other causes. If in the spring the honey flow suddenly gives out some of the brood may starve. If the beekeeper manipulates the combs carelessly and spreads the brood too much early in the season some of the brood may get chilled and the dead larvae will bear some resemblance to those affected with foul brood. Chilling the brood may also take place when the frames are handled on cold and windy days during early spring.
**Diseases of Adult Bees.** Dysentery is the only common trouble affecting adult bees. It appears generally in winter or early spring in those colonies that have winter stores consisting of honey dew or other such material which the bees cannot digest well.
ENEMIES OF BEES
**Wax Mob.** This is often known as "moths." The caterpillars or "worms" of these moths are commonly found in combs of weak colonies and combs that have been stored away. The damage caused by the "worm" consists in tunneling thru the combs and destroying the brood that may be in the way. The full grown caterpillar is about an inch long and yellowish white in color. When mature these caterpillars spin a silken cocoon in some crevice or corner of the hive and after about ten weeks the adult moth appears. The adult is grayish-brown in color. It deposits eggs on the combs, or in cracks for a succeeding generation.
The wax moth, altho a pest, is at the same time an indicator of poor bekeeping. The progressive beekeeper who maintains _string_ Italian colonies in modern hives with movable frames is _never_ troubled with wax moths.
If stored combs become infested with the wax moths they should be fumigated with carbon disulfide. This can be done by placing the infested combs in hive bodies, stacking these up and covering them with an oilcloth or blanket, making the whole, as nearly airtight as possible. The carbon disulfide, about a half cupfull to 6-7 hive bodies, is poured in a saucer placed on top of the frames. Carbon disulfide is highly inflammable and all danger of fire must be carefully avoided.
**Ants.** Various species of ants sometimes cause more or less trouble in apiaries, stealing honey, and sometimes killing brood. Strong colonies of bees will resist attacks by ants excepting the Argentine ant, which probably does not as yet occur in Arkansas. With the exception of this species, ants may easily be exterminated by use of carbon disulfide. A hole is made in the ants' nest by driving a stick into the ground. A small amount of carbon disulfide is poured into the hole, and it is quickly closed up by tramping down the soil to confine the gas as much as possible.
HONEY PLANTS
The white or silver maple (Acer saccharum) is probably the earliest source for honey in Arkansas. This year these maples came into bloom in the northwestern part of the state about February 1. The maples yield an abundant source of pollen and considerable nectar. Elms furnish a good source for pollen.
The blossoms of peach, cherry, and apple cone late in March and early in April. In many parts of the state fruit bloom furnishes a large portion of the nectar supply. Dandelions (Taraxicum officionale) are in bloom at the same time and deserve to be mentioned among honey plants. Service-berry or shadbush (Amelanchier canadensis) is quite common in the woods; it cones into bloom late in March and furnishes a limited amount of nectar. During the middle of April the guns are in bloom. The sour gun or Tupelo, (Nyssa sylvatica) yields honey of excellent quality. The tree is fairly common in the southern part of the state. The sweet gum (Liquidambar Styracifua) yields mostly propolisis.
White clover (Trifolium repens) occurs over a large part of the state, but only in the northeastern section is it in sufficient abundance to make comb honey profitable. It comes into bloom about the middle of May. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) begins to bloom at this time. In the eastern part of Arkansas alfalfa perhaps produces little or no nectar, but in the western part it is believed to be an important honey plant. About this time holly (Ilex opaca) comes into bloom. It forms an excellent and abundant source of nectar in the southern part of the state. Persimmon, (Diospyros virginiana) common almost over the entire state, blooms during the latter part of May and early June. It is a valuable source of nectar supply. Black locust, tho not very common in some localities, furnishes a considerable supply of nectar during this time. Rattan vine (Berchenica scandens) locally very abundant especially in the central part of the state yields honey of rather dark color. It blooms early in May.
Sweet clover (Melilotus alba) begins to bloom early in June and often continues for a month or more. It is a very important source of nectar. Since it does well in Arkansas, and is a good forage crop the planting of it deserves very much to be encouraged.
Hairy Vetch blooms during May and June. It is grown as a forage crop to a limited extent. As a source of nectar it is well worth mentioning.
Cotton comes in bloom on about the middle of July and continues till frost. Since it yields a very considerable amount of nectar, and blooms when wild flowers and other honey plants are somewhat scarce, it forms perhaps the most important source for nectar in Arkansas. Cotton, as is probably well known, yields nectar not only thru the flowers but also thru the leaves. Nectar secretion in cotton depends on several factors. When grown on rich alluvial soil it yields large quantities, on thin land it may not yield any appreciable amount. It secretes rapidly in the early hours of the morning, late in the evening, and on cloudy days. The honey is of a light color. The flavor compares well with other good grades of honey.
Among the wild flowers of mid-summer the various species of Eupatorium (Thoroughwort) are in many localities of considerable importance. However, more so is Heartsease (Persicaria persicaria) which comes in bloom about the first of August. It yields honey of a fairly good quality, but of a rather strong flavor.
In the matter of fall flowers Arkansas is very fortunate. Beginning about September first, the fields and roadsides are covered with a tall yellow flowering weed, locally known as Spanish needles (Bidens involucrata). This weed yields a large amount of nectar. The honey is of bright yellow color, of good flavor, and entirely satisfactory for winter stores.
I am greatly indebted to Dr. J. H. Merrill, State Apparist of Kansas, and to Dr. J. C. Jordan, University of Arkansas, for reading of the manuscript and numerous helpful suggestions and valuable criticisms. To Mr. J. V. Ormond, formerly bee specialist for the Extension Division, I am indebted for valuable information is regard to the honey flora in different parts of the state.
## 2 Bekeeping in Colorado
Colorado has over one hundred thousand colonies of bees and produces annually between five and six million pounds of honey. These facts emphasize the importance of the beekeeping industry.
This alfalfa region is entirely different from any other in that we have almost ideal conditions to keep bees in. In the spring the colonies have a long period before the honey flow to build up in. The honey flow lasts until fall and during this time, they have a chance to rear a large number of young bees to go through the winter. Nevertheless, our winter loss averages 10 percent.
## 3 Honey plants of Colorado
Sweet clover is found throughout the State and is a valuable honey plant in that it yields as well as alfalfa. Being mostly in waste places, it is not used as hay thereby helping considerably between alfalfa flows. Practically all surplus is secured from these two plants, with an occasional crop from Cleome. The rosin weed **(Grindelia squarrosa)** yields considerable honey of low grade, which often spoils the grade of the white honey by being mixed in the super. Parsley, prairie clover and **Narcissus** are prairie plants which bees work on freely. Soft maple, dandelion and fruit bloom are important for spring brood rearing. In the mountains are found several early blooming plants which are excellent for building up in the spring. In the Arkansas Valley cantaloupes yield some surplus. Oreocarya is a desert plant which yields surplus. Wild eurrant is found in the mountain anonymous. Loceo weeks are found in the foothills and yield some honey during May and June. Sunflowers add something to the sum total brought in by the bees.
## 4 Bekeeping regions in Colorado
? Very few bees are found in the non-irrigated sections of the State, therefore, divide the beekeeping part of Colorado into six regions. The territory drained by the Platte River; the territory drained by the Arkansas River; the San Luis Valley; the San Juan Basin; the territory drained by the Colorado River Basin; the territory in the northwestern section of Colorado, drained by the Bear River.
In the San Luis Valley there probably are numerous localities that would yield good returns in honey from alfalfa and sweet clover. The latter is grown considerably on waste and seep land. This region awaits the progressive beekeeper.
## 1.1. **Altitude and Next Sceretions**
It is an established fact that flowers at high elevations and high latitudes tend to secrete nectar more freely than in opposite situations. Dr. E. F. Phillips and Dr. J. H. Lovell have reported a great deal of evidence pointing to a more profuse nectar secretion at higher elevations. \(\Lambda\) beekeeper at Grand Junction reported to the author of the American Bee Journal in June, 1919, that while three of his apiaries were getting barely enough nectar to keep them alive, three others 1800 feet higher and 35 miles away had filled the suppers and he was extracting a good crop. Some of the largest crops in the State have been reported at elevations of 5,000 to 7,500 feet. In some of these locations over 300 colonies of bees have been kept in one apiary and a high average secured. \(\Lambda\)t the higher elevations we tend to get a lighter colored and a somewhat better quality honey.
## 1.2 Adaptations of Beekeeping Practice for This Region--Fall Preparation
We have nearly ideal conditions in the fall for the colonies to have plenty of young bees to go through the winter, in that we have a flow lasting to about September 15, and sometimes until the 1st of October. But in order to have the largest number of young bees for winter, the beekeepers should see that every colony has a vigorous young queen introduced about August 1st. The queen should have all the empty worker comb space she needs for egg laying throughout the fall. She should be capable of keeping one ten-frame Langstroth hive body at
Figure 1.A Well-Kept Colorado Apiary.
least nearly full of brood almost until frost. Many beekeepers, especially comb honey producers, make the mistake when they take off the supers before the end of the honey flow by not putting on hive bodies in place of the super. Their aim is to obtain plenty of honey in the brood chamber for winter stores, which is important, but no more than having a large force of young bees.
Young queens introduced in the fall greatly reduce the number of failing queeus in the spring, when a good queen is needed most.
**Provide Adequate Stores:** While rearing brood heavily in the apiary a colony will consume honey very rapidly. It is estimated that a colony of bees that has an equivalent of 12 Longstroth frames of brood in the hive by June 15th, will consume at least ninety pounds of honey from the time of the first killing frost in the fall to June 15th of the next year.
The weather during the spring is frequently unfavorable for bee flights for long periods of time, and also for nectar secretion. To make the bees independent of the weather, let's meet nature hair way and provide an extra hive body (about 45 pounds of honey) full of honey, to be placed on top of the brood chamber the previous fall.
In order to conserve the energy of the bees, we should provide protection in the fall at the time of the first killing frost. All honey coming into the hive stops, causing the colony to cease brood rearing. At this time the bees are the quietest of any period of the year. The disturbance ineilient to putting on insulation does not do them any harm. After this the beekeeper should have no oeeasion to open the hive until spring.