The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-03
The APlARY.
Tho General roundup" After swarriiiHe
Is Ovcr-Oueenless Colonies

Tho General 'Roundup" After swarniiHrs
Is Over-1Dueenless Colonies
After swarming is over aud tile flow
from white clover is passed in the inte-
rim following its blooming and that of
fall flowers, q general roundup" of the
apiary is in order, says Mrs. Harrison in
her bee notes prepared for The Prairie
Farmer. There is Il colony that has
swarmed itself to death. 1t has n LAYING
queen and about pint of bees while the
combs are full of honey and pollen. Here
Is swarm iyed upon combs mt nearly
the end of the honey flow. II has p,cnt,.
OF brood, but little honey, and if a comb
OF 1t Is exchanged for one of honey both
will be benefited. 1t may be wisdom to
extract the honey from some of the
combs of the colony that is depleted by
swarmins and exchange one of these
combs with Il populous colony for one of
sealed brood.
The queen of the populous colony will
soon fill the empty comb with eggs and
be no detriment to the colony, while the
young bees will soon cover the comb in
the other hive. Combs of brood should
not be given to the depleted colony fast
er than there are bees to, cover it. If
there arc eight combs in the hive, four
combs of sealed brood will be sufficient,
and as there is young, vigorous queen
and plenty of honey it will be in good
condition for the fall flow and for the
following winter.
The queen of an afterswarm is ALWAYS
young and unfertile. She does not 60
out for formulation until her rivals, if
any accompanied the swarm, which is
often the case, are destroyed. When she
is the acknowledged queen, she flies out
on her excursion. Occasionally she is
wrecked by some accident or devoured
by birds and fails to return. When a
queen is lost during the swarming, the
bees Immediately return to their old
home, but do not after they are estab-
lished and have acknowledged a Young
queen. When she does not return, the
bees sing a mournful dirge and hunt
around the entrance.
AT this juncture let queen enter the
hive, and no questions will be asked as
to whether she belongs to good family
or is capable of performing her duties,
but the band plays tune of welcome,
she is a1fectionately welcomed and royal
food given her. The cry, 1--WE are saved!
is heraldcd quickly through the colony,
and listless idlencss gives way to activi-
ty. and workers arc off OH the double
quick to bring honey, pollen and water
III eggs or Larvae are furnished such n
colony, the cry is hcralded. If no such
aid comes to their assistance, the colony
must eventually perish.
In this general roundup the operator
must depend largely upon his good judg-
ment as to what is best to do. If Il case
OF sections is discovered upon Il colony
where there are but few bees and only
partially completed, it should be trans
ferred to colony having plenty of work
ers to complete it during the fall flow.
Every effort should be made to have as
many sections completed as possible. as
those partially filed cannot be marketed
and to have every hive with plenty of bees
to stand the following winter.
1t does not pay to try to winter small
colony You may feed and tuck up, and
all you will have in the spring will be
the hives and empty combs, and those
could be had with less work and in far
better condition. Do not wait until the
honey season is past, but before the fall
flow unite afterswarms which contain
young vigorous queens with uueenless
ones, and if there arc any colonies of lit
tie blacks, not much larger than flies, re-
move their queen and unite them with
an afterswarm containing ayoung queen
Gnr,,