The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-07-15
The Farmer
DEATH OF THE BEES.

porors for 1913, and lately IN Inc Boston CultIvdtor
,,,hp,es the extensive fatality among bees in 1923
IA deficiency of pollen in the flowers. We copy
few paragraphs from the Cutivator -
The question is this, "What is the cause of the
almost universal death of the honey bees in the sum-
mo orls42 and winter loowing?" This intorroga-
,o,y comes from Georgia to Maine The complaint
eus to be almost universal in all the State even
The missionaries among the Western Indians tell sad
news about the bees
Ycttherc are many small districts all the land
where bees did ordinarily well and many lived
lhroagh the winter of 1928,
his believed that individuals of this tribe of in
sect, ate rarely found living after eight or nine
mnhs from their birth, as individuals in the family
Of man, are, after the age of 20 years A great pro-
poron Of the bees that are batched in the spring
months die in infancy and youth, in the family of
man. Bees that are born in August and September
usually die Of old age in the spring months, and those
that are hatchtd'in April and May rarely live to see
he end Of October after Hence we infer that the
HE Ofhe hive through the winter cannot DO depend
ed upon with much confidence unless good young
brood, bees IRE raised in August and September.
10 August and Sept. AZ very few young bees were
raised, and the apiarian was compelled to depend
principally on July bees for his winter stock, and
these could not live beyond the common age Of bee
hood under any circumstances could place them
Want pollen or farina in the flowers the
'Ohe general overthrow of the apiary that year. II
undiscovered as early the month of May that
yeathat bees carried no pollen bee-bread on their
LEGS into the hiYe, and the drones niassacred,
which ALWAYS shows that the breeding department of
hsheh on the wane ;-swarming delayed If not
AAatY Nepented for the season. On examining the
bowers BY the use of the microscope, from time to
LuFhme season of 1912, | discovered that there
WIS too scauy Weld Of this article Of bee food from
AeIOth of May until after the 10Th Of June TO sus-
lain and raise Young broods Of bees, and from the
dsl Of August during tie whole season following very
lew swarms came cut that season, and those few
that did come, were unable to raise sufficient NUM-
bHOIyOung for winter stock in August aud Septem-
her, and many of these late Matched bees were Of
NnNsd gowth and came forth without any s,ings.
Young bees are raised principally, if not entirely
pollen or arna of flowers, and water, and when pol
len Is scarce in the blossoms Of plants in August and
September, barenness to the apiary may be expect
ed the spring following. Thousands and tens of
thousands o(hivcs Of bees lost in the United
States in the spring and summer months Of 1912 for
want OPoen to raise young bees 10 supply the pla-
ces oil the old ones which were constantly dying Off
OyOd age; every month Except JULY from \ pri to
November, told their number less, so hai the spring
following, in many large districts no bees were living
@lS45 correspondent in Georgia says, ''The
SEED oil bees can scarcely be found in all this re-
s"n 'nl' spring. 1913, where they were album |
can't last yem," In large territory of country of |
"Oe IMAM 100 miles length, west of the Green Noun
ds 10 vermont more than 1850 of the bees died the
summer oil 1912 and the winter following; not by the
"'Oa Ou', want of pollen to raise young, and honey
", ''a" 'ne IuIl grown insect or perfect bees Bees
NJ" Ou'par''y well in many small districts in 1912,
"u''e 'cY could find evergreen plants, and blossoms
NJ an aromatic nature, which are usually found on
F"'" pine lands and at the base of mountains. 1t /
W" 50 IN Vermont, New York, and other places
." ~" and evergreen plants more hardy and
"" '"uure The chilly night airs with less deeterous
N','" man the plants which grow on our less billy !
warm rich lands. In short, the evergrcens will |
!IO PO'en and honey when the weather is too
w O'ner plants to emit honey in their blossoms.
Inc spring of ls43,I could hear of no living bees
s'p' "nere they had been supplied with aromatic
s'een plants, or were located where the dense
w. VI some lake or pond, or large stream of water
,s, 'O'e0ed the chilly night air so that the plants
l.. ''''e'epoIen Blossoms sually yield both poll
a., N"u money when either is to be found but not
So For instance, this year, 1874, very little
"'4'y found in any of the flowers have examined,
pV Ut, Is abundant in all; and the bees are re-.
NAV w. forward with their young land early swarms
,.'u expected IN case the weather should be ia
orM" '" the secretion ofhoney in the plants Most !
Il. "'' modern European writers on bees, agree that
len s oees are fed chiefly ifnot entirely on pol
re,av 0'0 bread until they fully grown, and are
,a 1! @Wnd themselves in cocoons to transform to
ps., winged insect Most OF them too, ex-
hs ;, 10 '"e'r opinion that no working bees ever
r' !" exceed eight months. sOme,thinl the term of
,h,, ~ Tue bees except the queen is much shorter
IL. ,s ' MIR Hunter says 'sthat he has examined
all hn, Vi the arva of bees, and found pollen in
Bee, 49,. w money" vigorous healthy swarm of
Til. r'u'a'ne an incaculabe quantity of POLLEN
''' - OBVIOUS to every locker on. No one can