The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-11-15
Disappointed Bees.

In the early part of the season the
prospects were bright for a large yield
of honey this year in this vicinity. ALI
the blossoms of the rose family were
very abundant and well filled with nee
tar. The best honey is made from
Eastwood, and the bees did well in this.
The season up to the middle of June
had been very encouraging, and the
bees had made extravaganza arrange
ments for their seasons work. They
had built comb and made cells for bees
and queens in the most reckless man
ner, evidently anticipating a season of
unusual productiveness in saccharine
matter. During June and July so
rapidly did they swarm. that it vas al
most impossible for apiarists t. 9provide
hives for the colonists as fast as they
came out. Their swarming was even
extended into August, Notwithstanding
that queens were killed and measures
~resorted to to checkithe great produc-
ton of bees. ,a-t- ian ss! !.
In connection with this circumstance
Mr.. T. L.. Babcock, of this county, re-
ports a remarkable discovery. He had
destroyed all the queen cells in one of
his hives, but on examining the same
some time afterward found queens in
cells that had been originally prepared
for neuters. He is positive of this, and
also that the eggs had been laid in
these cells for neuters. He now thinks
that the sex depends not upon the egg,
but upon the cell formation.
The bees worked vigorously on the
early flowers, the composites, roses,
lindens, buttercups and SO forth, all
being rich in sweetness. In June,
when the white clover came, from
which the second best honey is made,
rains became more frequent, and they
continued until late in July. When
the drought began the clover had passed
away. Buckwheat and golden rod fol-
lowed, but the drought worked as dis
astrously as the too frequent rains, and
the bees could get little honey from
these plants. The drought continued
into September, and as a consequence
the bees have had little to work on since
June.
They've done nothin' but loaf
around the hives or fight an rob their
neighbors for the past two months, ="
remarked an old bee-raiser. stAnd
they're as ugly and hateful as all tar
nation. We dassent touch a skip to
take cut any honey, cause the robbers
III be out in a jify, and they'll fight
and kill each other by the hundred.
Do you see that little critter there buzz
zin' round that hive? Well, that's an
Italian, and he's a robber. And there
comes a Cyprian bee, too. Both mean
mischief. They can whip the native
bee any time in a fair stand-up fight.
They're constantly Robin the native
bee, but a good many get killed for
their pains.
"Why are theyrobbin' of each other?
It's cause they've nothin' else to do.
When flowers is plenty you don't see
much of SIGH work. Then they're hum
min and singin' round as happy and
contented as an oyster, but now the
deuce's to pay with 'em. Take that,
will you'll" and the man struck down a
Cyprian that was buzzing and dipping
around in front of a hive and threaten
ing to enter at the first opportunity.
"There's a weak swarm in that there
hive that I guess I'll have to stick a
match under to save it. Queer, amt
it? KILN 'em to save 'em! But it's
got IT, be did. 'Twon't pay to keep 'em
and feed EN- fifteen or twenty pounds
of honey this winter, and then mebbe
not pull 'em through to spring. There's
several SIGH colonies. They swarmed
late, and some on 'em haven't made a
pound of honey since. They made a
mighty poor beginnin' in the world and
might better ever sot up housekeepin'
| on their own hook at all. "-DeckertosDn
# ut No., nj U VLI .#