The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-20
MASTERS OF THE BUSY BEE.
They Meet to Exchange Experiences in
Handling the Little Honey-Makers.g
A Man Who Produces Several Thousand
Pounds of Honey Annually in the Midst
of Large City-Habits of Bees. %

| o'clock at the agricultural rooms of the new
| Statehouse yesterday. In the last year the
association has become somewhat disorganzed,
/ and the usual number was not present Still
| there are few in the association whose annual
| appearance can always be relied upon. and
| among the number g. T. Muth, of Cincin-
natl, and T. S. Bull, Of Valparaiso. Mr.. Bull
| has been managing bees for more than forty
| years. and began, he stated, in effort to
| make bumbebees honey producers.
Mr. Muth has perhaps more extensive ex-
perience in bee culture than any other mem Der
of the association. He began thirty-four years
ago. and for twenty-eeyen years successfully
reared bees and honey in the midst of the city
of Cincinnati. He built large doubleroofed
house for the purpose and the annual produc-
ton of honey from his apiary ranged from six
to eleven thousand pounds. Bees, he stated,
will go five miles for honey-producing plants,
and the fact that their hive is in the city is i'm
material 1t is common impression, he says,
that bees seek out sugar and molasses barrels.
but this is only true when the supply OF sweets
in plants is scarce.
The afternoon session was oscupied in consid-
ering matters pertaining to the temporary or
ganlZatlon and in rambling talks on suo1ecIs
which happened to arise. In the absence Oh
Frank 5. Daueherty. the president DR.. ooilns'
of Mattsville Hamilton county. was made tenn
porary chairman. Mrs. c. Robbins and MesSrs
Mason and Bull were appointed to prepare a
programme for the remainder OF the session.
and the meeting was opened for discussion.
On the question of why bees swarm MT
Muth stated that he thought it was due to the
annual growth of the hive which rendered IL
necessary for part of the family to move out.
The first swarm is the natural result OF growth.
After swarms are due to other causes. Ihere Is
never ou: one queen bee In hive Wnen tns
queen at swarming leaves she takes with her all
the old bees remaining in the hive. upon ner
departure the young bees prepare queen cei!s.
The queen which matches out goes to the
other cells. killing the remaining queen bees. IL
sometimes happens that some OF the cells are IN
a stage of growth to prevent this. and the
young queen, after trying unsuccessfully for
twenty-four hours, will abandon the task and
fly away with another small swarm. The same
thing may be repeated after her departure, thus
causing several after Mr.. Russel
thought afterswarming due to kind OF mania.
An interesting question came UP as to whether
bees send out scouts to seek cut Location 1or
the new swarm Owing to the fact that swarms
settle for few hours near the hive before de-
parting, this thought probable by some OF
the members. Mr.. Muth, however, spoke of
swarm that renamed for three days in the vi
cinity of his barn, and for that reason he deemed
the scout theory largely matter of conjecture
The evening session, like the afternoon. was
occupied with impromptu talks. The question Oh
whether bees puncture grapes and other fruits,
when ripe. was raised; the general opinion seemed
to be that they did. Mr.. Muth cited an 1llustra-
ton of having once placed on the bottom board
of hive several clusters of ripe grapes and
some ripe pears. While the bees were busy for
day walking over them and apparently searching
for means to get at the juice, none OF the frul
was injured. But after it had been artifclaly
punctured the bees within two hours had ex-
tracted all the pulp The innocence OF bees In
regard to destroying fruit Is apparently due to
inability rather than lack of desire Their
mandlbles, while being strong and admirably
adapted to tearing away what can be seized be-
tween them, are totally untitled for piercing.
The question of shipping bees arose IN the
course of the evening, and the experience OF
those who had been successful was that it is al
ways best to allow the old bees to escape prevl-
to Shipment. The young bees will cling to
ths comb, but the ole, in effort to get out.
cause such agitation as to engender degree of
heat that will melt the comb and otherwise
prove disastrous to the colony.
Dysentary among bees during the winter
season also came up. Mr.. Muth stated that he
had formerly had trouble IN this particular, but
after learning the he experienced no
further difficulty. During the very cold weather
of the winter season, the bees, in order to keep
warm, huddled together, and by continually
shaking them, generate high degree of heat,
and at the same time they inhale
great deal of moisture. This moisture
is the cause of the disease, if al
lowed to condense and remain in the hive,
when the weather moderates it evaporates max
ing great deal of mostcre which sours the
honey making impure food for the bees and re-
sulting in dysentery. The remedy is very
simple The hive should be freely inclined TO
allow the condensed exhalations to off as
soon as formed. Sufficient ventilation also
should be afforded to permit the outside air to
dry off the moist combs
The association will be in session again to-day.