The independent-reporter., 1922-08-24
Largely Attended Meeting OF Those
interested In Bee lIusbandry
With an Entertaining
Program
Program

4 meeting of the Maine State Bee
Keeper Association held last week at
the home Of Fred E. Davis in Madi-
son WIS attended by some fifty or
sixty people. The program was ar
ranged as follows. Full management
of bees. r. W. Atkins; swarm CON
trol. Fred f.. Davis, address, George
Yeaton: American foul brood, II. w.
Mathews. work Of the association, F.
l.. Mason.
Mr. Davis has about 110 colonies
of bees ut his home place and his
address on the Swarm Control was in
part a follows.
Many theories have existed in re-
gard to the cause of bees swarming,
and the means of swarm prevention,
most if not All OF these theories have
proven false either in whole or part.
One of the first OF these ideas was
that by breeding from non swarming
stock. sWarming could be eliminated
or controlled, and no doubt something
has been gained along this line. An
other OF these ideas was that swarm
ing could be controlled by large
hives But Mr.. j. e. Crane of Mid
dlebury. Vt, says that when caring
for yards of bees for Mr. Poppleton
never saw more swarming than with
those hives. And so it goes down
through the list Now the wizard
of New England beekeepers. Allen La
than says he thinks ii Is the sixth in
stinet that causes sw<sming, and he
goes further and says he has proven
by actual experiment that II we ELI
inmate all the droneS or males we
will get little or no surplus honey.
So if we reduce this to human under
standng-it is a case Of the girls or
female worker bees shining up to
the boys or drones that causes them
to willingly work themselves to death
in so short a time Some women
are willing to die at the washboard
to support a worthless husband.
Sometimes it seems bees have more
wisdom than humans but it appears
not To be so. The bee is a shining
example of colony life, and always
seeks completeness in her work and
isn't it this rather than such fiirta-
tons as Mr.. Latham mentions that
she seeks?
And If we could remember, always,
this nature or instinct OF the bee and
never let the colony work become
complete or perfect, but always take
away a frame or two of brood or
something similar to hinder any final
Ompleteness of their work-swarm
control would become much easier to
most of us.
Mr.. Crane has very aptly brought
out that we should work to control
the swarming impulseIor instinct. ra-
ther than real swarm control which
takes very radical treatment. Here
f. very fine distinction which we
should understand.
Manipulation to control swarming
or the swarming impulse. There
is tendency among most progress
sive beekeepers toward larger hives
and many who do not use a larger
type of hive than the standard hive
are using the and 10 frame hives
with two brood chambers early in
the season, which will take our bees
safely through to the clover flow in
most cases When | believe 1t Is
usually advisable to confine the queen
to one story whether running for ex-
tracted or comb honey. With plenty
of drawn comb or even full sheets
of foundation one can usually manage
to get two stories of brood with a
good queen. But should add the
second story before the first one Is
crowded. | put this on the top and
usually take out one or more frames
of brood and place in the top story.
While this is not always necessary it
is good practice, and some expert
ments have given about 15 pounds
greater yield pd. colony by doing
this.
This method of handling our bees
will usually, take them safely thru to
the clover flow, when we must look
for the greater part of our surplus
honey.
Management after the honey flow
begins / usually look my bees over
very thoroughly at the beginning OF
clover, and If running for extracted
honey | have the queen in the lower
story. If an Italian queen she should
be easy to find and placed In this
story, or the queen excluder be plac-
ed between the two stories, and in
few days look for eggs, and place
whichever story the queen happens
to be In at the bottom.
tendency OF DeeS upward. Dr.
Phillips mentions this and as a fac
tor To be reckoned with in swarm
control. You note how easily bees
are enticed up. If we raise a partly
completed story of honey and place
an empty one beneath, which is the
best practice until the end of the hon
ey flow.
Now the methods have mentioned
of handling the bees are more proper
ly for the control of the swarming in
stnct before it develops into the 80
called swarming fever.
Absolute swarm prevention or con-
troll is possible only by removal Of
the brood or the queen for period
of 10 days to 16 days and then giving
young queen.
In this way you will see both con-
gestion in the brood chamber and SUI
procedure are taken care Of
Many successful beekeepers are
now requesting sometime during the
honey flow. preferably l think dur
IntA nt.t Nf I'D ha