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UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 3 1924 062 873 090 
 
 ALBERT R. MANN 
 LIBRARY 
 
 New York State Colleges 
 
 OF 
 
 Agriculture and Home Economics 
 
 AT 
 
 Cornell University 
 
 EVERETT FRANKLIN PHILLIPS 
 BEEKEEPING LIBRARY 
 
Bee Keeping in Maryland. 
 
 1 
 
 BULLETIN No. 154 
 
 OF THE . 
 
 Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station 
 
 COLLEae PARK, MD. 
 
 JUNE, 1911. 
 
The Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station.] 
 
 CORPORATION. 
 
 ) — . 
 
 The Board of Trustees of the Maryland ^^ricultural College. 
 
 Agricultural (Station) Committee of the Board of Trustees. 
 
 GovEENOE A. L. Cbothees, L.L. D. (Ex-Officio) Annapolis. 
 
 Chas. a. Councilman (Chairman) Glyndon. 
 
 David Seibebt. Clear Spring. 
 
 F. Cabeoll Goldsbobough Baston. 
 
 EoBEBT Ceain , Baltimore. 
 
 J. Habold Walsh Upper Falls. 
 
 E. GiTTiNGS Meeeyman Cockeysville 
 
 STATION 0FFICEE8 AND STAFF. 
 
 Haeey J. Patteeson, B. S Director and, Chemist. 
 
 Samuel S. Buoklet, M. S., D. V. S Animal Pathologist. 
 
 3. B. S. NOETON, M. S Botanist and. Pathologist. 
 
 •Thos. B. Symons, M. S Entomologist. 
 
 C. P. Close, M. S Horticulturist. 
 
 N. ScHMiTZ, iM. S Agronomist. 
 
 E. H. Bbinkley Farm Superintendent. 
 
 Thos. H. White Gardener. 
 
 Geo. Edwaed Gage, Ph. D Biologist. 
 
 Chas. O. Appleman, Ph. D Physiologist. 
 
 A. B. Gahan, M. S. Associate Entomologist. 
 
 Roy H. Waite, B. S Associate Poultryman. 
 
 W. R. Ballaed, B. S Assistant Borticulturist. 
 
 L. B. Beoughton, B. S Assistant Chemist. 
 
 *E. N. CoEY, B. S Assistant Entomologist. 
 
 *0. G. Baboock, B. S Assistant Entomologist. 
 
 I R. S. Allen , Assistant Dairyman. 
 
 L. B. Kimble Stenographer. 
 
 Roy C. Towles Clerk. 
 
 H. FoBD : Treasurer. 
 
 *0n State Horticultural Department Work. 
 
 The Station is located on the B. & O. R. R. and City and Suburban Electric 
 Car Line, eight miles north of Washington, D. C 
 Bell Telephone— I^attsville Exchange. 
 
 Visitors will be welcomed at all times, and will be given evefy oonor- 
 tumty to inspect the work of the Station in all of its departments. 
 
 The Bulletins and Reports of the Station will be mailed regularly f-eP 
 of charge, to all residents of the State who request it. <=eui<*riy, nee 
 
 ADDRESS: 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, 
 
 College, Park, Md. 
 
THE MARYLAND 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 BULLETIN 154. JUNE, IPU. 
 
 BEE KEEPING IN MARYLAND. 
 
 i. the status of bee keeping in the state. 
 
 By T. B. Symons. 
 
 Introduction. 
 
 The keeping of bees for profit is in its infancy in Maryland. Those 
 who gain their entire Hvelihood from this business are few, but there 
 are thousands who keep bees as a side issue to their regular business for 
 either profit or pleasure. There is no industry in whose progress and 
 protection the farming class as a whole should be more interested than 
 in apiculture. It does not follow from this statement that all farmers 
 should be bee keepers, for it is not the aim of the friends of apiculture 
 to greatly increase the number of persons keeping bees, but to make 
 better bee keepers of those already in the business. In the light of 
 comparatively recent discoveries of the existence of serious communi- 
 cable diseases among bees, it is specially urged that only those who 
 are prepared to give the apiary proper attention, should undertake to 
 keep bees even if only for pleasure. 
 
 The honey bee is an important factor as a poUenizing agentj, es- 
 pecially in cross-pollinating the blossoms of many of our fruits. It 
 has long been known that the blossoms of many varieties of fruit, as 
 well as other plants, require cross pollination to set a full cropi It is , 
 probable that no other insect is superior to the honey bee in performing 
 this service. Many practical fruit growers keep bee« for this purf 
 pose, and the growers of the vegetables under glass, regularly irftrto'-' 
 duce bees into their green houses to pollinate cucumbeSrs and othey 
 flowers. Probably this useful insect can be given credit for causing- 
 some of our best varieties that have originated from seedlings. , As 
 the people of this state become more and more interested in horticul- 
 ture, they must at the same time, bear in mind the protection of the 
 honey bee, which aids them in producing full crops. 
 I Aside from the great service rendered by the honey bee in cross 
 jfjollinating the flowers of fruit trees and grains, its ability to manii- 
 lacture the nectar into a most palatable food, which otherwise would 
 I, 
 
228 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 undoubtedly be lost to man, makes this insect a subject of unusual 
 interest to the general public. It may not be out of place to comment 
 here that notwithstanding the great increase in recent years in the 
 manufacture of , adulterated foods, no one has yet devised a method 
 to manufacture comb honey. Moreover, with the passage of the Pure 
 Food Law by Congress, inferior substitutes for extracted honey can 
 no longer lawfully be sold under the name honey. 
 
 While the State of Maryland ofifers abundant opportunity for suc- 
 cessful bee keeping, there are comparatively few progressive bee 
 keepers in the state. There are however, thousands who keep a few 
 colonies. These are too often kept under conditions, which are a 
 menace to the industry. 
 
 While Maryland has not been prominent as a honey producing 
 state, yet she has furnished some distinguished bee keepers. . For sev- 
 eral years Rev. L. L. Langstroth, who may be justly called the father 
 of American apiculture, resided in Baltimore. His perfection of the 
 movable frame hive revolutionized the industry in this country. Prob- 
 ably no improvement has been so universally adopted by the trade as 
 the Langstroth's hive, and his writings on bee keeping speak for his 
 ■genius. One of the hives originally owned by Mr. Langstroth was 
 exhibited by Mr. Chas. H. Lake, a venerable and enthusiastic bee 
 keeper of the state, at the 1909 meeting of the Maryland State Bee 
 Keepers Association. Richard Colvin, who was one of the first to in- 
 troduce the Italian bee to the United States, also lived in Baltimore. 
 No doubt the enthusiasm and knowledge of the business of these men 
 'were a great incentive to Maryland bee keepers at that time. 
 
 The first work taken up at this Institution was conducted by Mr. 
 T!!has. H. Lake, now of Baltimore. Mr. Lake is a practical bee keeper, 
 and a keen observer of the bees and their activities. He successfully 
 conducted a large apiary at the College from 1896 to 1899. During 
 these years he did much to educate the bee keepers of the state, by 
 making exhibits and otherwise giving information regarding bee 
 keeping. 
 
 Prior to the fall of 1910, practically nothing had been done by this 
 department to aid bee keeping. At this time, through the efforts of 
 the department, a State Bee Keepers Association was formed for the 
 purpose of bringing the bee keepers of the state together, so that a 
 general exchange of ideas would aid in bettering the conditions in the 
 State. At the same time there was inaugurated some cooperative 
 work with the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of 
 Agriculture, which made possible a limited investigation of the status 
 of the industry in the State. A preliminary report of this investiga- 
 tion by the writer, together with a discussion of the management of the 
 apiary by A. H. McCray, Apicultural Assistant, U. S. Department of 
 Agriculture, is here given with the hope that suggestions made will 
 be helpful to the bee keepers. 
 
bee keeping in maryland. 22'j 
 
 The Needs of Such an Investigation, .;. . ,.,": '-., 
 
 As pointed out ajbove, prior to 1908, very little had been doiie iri tHs 
 Stjfte to promote scientific apiculture. The only information available 
 concerning the industry in the State was that given ])y the tensus of 
 1900. It was there stated that 5,098 farmers in Maryland had reported 
 28,013 colonies. These bees produced in 1899, 306,788 pounds of 
 honey and 7,860 pounds of wax, valued at $38,857. Few people are 
 aware that the industry amounted even to this much, as it had not 
 been promoted in any organized manner, and even the few individual 
 expert bee keepers had not properly advertised their business. 
 
 While brood diseases of bees had been reported from Maryland by 
 the Bureau of Entomology United States Department of Agriculture, 
 no extensive attempt had been made to ascertain the distribution of 
 these diseases, or to prevent their spread by the education of the bee 
 .■keeper in the best method of treatment and prevention. No attempt 
 had been made to increase the demand for pure honey in our markets, 
 and thus curtail the sale of the cheap manufactured syrup compounds. 
 The bee keepers who were in the business, were working independ- 
 ently and not cooperatively, and those who desired to improve their 
 apiaries had no opportunity to exchange views with their associates 
 in the business, and few were aware of the sources for up-to-date in- 
 formation concerning the business. 
 
 Results of Cooperative Work. 
 
 At the outset, this limited investigation in cooperation with the Bu- 
 reau of Entomology, it was necessary to secure the names of as many 
 bee keepers in the state as possible, in order to communicate with them 
 and thereby learn the status of the industry at that time. A report 
 blank asking various questions concerning the apiary, was sent to each 
 bee keeper, whose name could be secured. A list of the publications 
 of the Bureau was also inclosed so that the bee keeper might indicate 
 in which he was especially interested. By this means valuable 
 information was secured, and made possible, a preliminary study of 
 the needs and possibilities of the industry. The desire of the bee 
 keepers for information, was indicated by their request for one or 
 all of the publications of the Bureau of Entomology on Apiculture. 
 
 Distribution of Bees in the State. 
 
 From information at hand, it would seem that about 80% of the bees 
 in Maryland are kept on the Western Shore. Of this, 80% on the 
 Western Shore, about 74% are kept in the Northern and West coun- 
 ties. No explanation can be given for this condition, as bees would 
 probably do better in the Eastern and Southern parts of the State, 
 than in other regions. However, this distribution indicates the need 
 of development of the industry and the education of the people to the 
 
230 MARYLAND AGRICDLTDEAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 opportunities for bee keeping in other sections. Thus far, Montgom- 
 ery County is the banner county for the bee industry, with Frederick,. 
 Garret and Baltimore counties closely following. The distribution in 
 the Western counties is about equal. This distribution explains in 
 part, the occurrence of disease. The Eastern Shore, as far as known, 
 is free of brood diseases, as is likewise Southern Maryland. This is 
 no doubt due in part to the scarcity of bees in those regions. 
 
 Increase and Loss of Colonies. 
 
 From figures received it seems that during 1908, there was an in- 
 crease of 33% in the number of colonies, while during 1909 only 165?; 
 increase was reported, making an average of 24.5% each year. Prac- 
 tically no difference in figures of increase of colonies can be noted in 
 relation to territory where the bees are kept. The reported winter loss- 
 also does not seem to differ in the different sctions. From data re- 
 ceived, it is believed that most of the winter loss in this State is due 
 to lack of attention, and, in many cases, to ignorance on the part of the 
 bee keepers as to the proper care of a colony prior to wintering. Often- 
 too great a quantity of honey is removed, and artificial feeding is sel- 
 dom practised to make up for the loss. Thus the colony is weakened 
 by a meager food supply, the vitality of the bees becomes greatly di- 
 minished and, they are therefore, much more susceptible to cold and 
 dampness during the winter. 
 
 This condition is no doubt, also largely responsible for complaints 
 against the wax moth that have been made by so many bee keepers,, 
 who have cooperated by giving information concerning their apiaries. 
 It is known that this moth is able to gain a foothold only in those in- 
 stances where the colony has been so depleted as to render it incapable 
 of overcoming the attack. Moreover, winter loss is often really due- 
 to disease having previously weakened the coloiiy. The large number 
 of complaints of heavy winter loss and moth depredation, would in- 
 dicate that brood diseases are more generally spread in the State than- 
 we even now know. 
 
 Production of Honey and Wax. 
 
 Calculating the average pounds of comb and extracted honey 
 per bee keeper of those who have reported, and applying this average 
 to the probable number in the State, the approximate annual pro- 
 duction of honey is about 500,000 pounds, of which only about 15% is 
 extracted. This amount does not nearly approximate the quantity of" 
 honey used in the State annually, ■ even at the present limited demand 
 in the markets of, our cities and towns. , 
 
 As pointed, out previously, this product has not been advertised, 
 directing attention to its usefulness and adaptability to the diet of 
 every day life. It is believed that a larger per cent of honey should' 
 be extracted and put on the market in convenient sized bottles, jars- 
 and larger containers, such as quarts, gallons, e,tc..,,,I/ndoubtedly much, 
 of the honey produced 'n M.aryls^nd, is- toq, dark :, to,, make first class- 
 
BEE KEEPING IN MARYLAND. 231 
 
 comb honey, and the honey flows are slow, which is also not favorable 
 for comb honey production. 
 
 As far as known, little or no honey is exported from Maryland. 
 On the other hand, we have definite information from wholesale 
 dealers that quantities of honey are imported into the State from the 
 northern and western states. Even under the present demand, there is 
 great opportunity for the promotion of the industry in the State from 
 the point of view of strict business possibilities alone. Moreover, the 
 total approximated crop of 500,000 pounds in the State is very meager 
 when it is considered that single apiaries in western states often pro- 
 duce from 50 to 100 tons in a year, in locations that are little better 
 for keeping bees than are many parts of Maryland. 
 
 The production of bees wax is correspondingly low in the State. 
 Based on an estimate similar to that for honey, the total crop woidd 
 amount to about 10,000 pounds per year. The common practise 
 of bee keepers to make wax only from old comb, makes the annual 
 production variable. Outbreaks of disease or severe winter losses ordi- 
 narily cause an increase in wax output the following year. The com- 
 mercial value of this product is an additional incentive for increasing 
 the industry in the State. 
 
 Sources of Honey. 
 
 Every bee keeper should familiarize himself with the bee flora of his 
 locality. While it is sometimes very difficult to learn the sources from 
 which bees secure their products, yet every effort should be made to 
 ascertain the principal nectar yielding plants of a neighborhood, and 
 the approximate dates of beginning and ending of each important 
 honey flow. 
 
 Clovers are considered by far the most important honey. plants in 
 Maryland. Of all those reported, the clovers are placed as the princi- 
 pal surplus plants. White clover is the most useful where it occurs 
 in large areas, and the honey secured from this plant ranks high in 
 color and flavor. Alsike clover, which is an excellent nectar yielding 
 plant, is now being grown quite generally in the State. A common 
 practice among farmers in sowing clover for forage, is to mix the 
 different clovers which increases the value of such fields to the bee 
 keeper. Many reports have been received, giving crimson clover as 
 an excellent surplus plant. It is also being more generally grown in 
 the eastern, southern and central parts of the State. While red clover 
 is most commonly grown by farmers and has more or less continuous 
 bloom, it is ordinarily not useful to the honey bee. Sweet clover, which 
 some consider a weed is common along the roadsides in many parts of 
 Maryland, and is an excellent honey plant. Inasmuch as this plant is 
 useful, being a legume, it is worthy of; more attention in this State. 
 
 Fruit Bloom. The, bloom of app^le; peach, pear and cherry, is given 
 in the reports as next in importance as honey producing plants. These 
 fruits are 'Common throughout most parts of the State. No surplus 
 
232 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 honey is secured from fruit bloom as a rtile, but the colonies are stimu- 
 lated by such early bloom to early brood-rearing. 
 
 Buckwheat. This Plant ranks third, according to information re- 
 ceived as a surplus plant. This crop is not generally grown except in 
 the western counties. 
 
 Locust and Ba^swood. The black locust ranks high as a yielder of 
 nectar. It is a hardy tree and found commonly over the State. In 
 some sections basswood is still a prominent source of surplus. Like 
 tulip poplar, however, these trees are being largely cut from our wood- 
 lands. 
 
 Miscellaneous. Goldenrod and asters are reported as important in 
 providing surplus for wintering, while the bloom of sumac, wild rasp- 
 berry and blackberry are among the more important wild plants that 
 abound throughout the State, that are abundant honey producers. 
 The maples are usually considered as valuable for bees, principally for 
 pollen. 
 
 As a rule, too little attention is given by the bee keeper to the honey 
 plants of the locality. A bee keeper should know the principal honey 
 plants of the vicinity, when they come into bloom, so as to manipulate 
 the colonies to obtain the maximum surplus. 
 
 The following list of plants constitutes a partial list of the bee flora 
 of Maryland, and their general distribution. Mounted specimens of 
 these plants with dates giving their approximate value as honey plants 
 in northeastern sections of the State, were exhibited at the State Bee 
 Keepers Association in Baltimore, November 30 and December i, 1910, 
 by Mr. J. Ford Sempers, of Aiken, Md., to whom the writer is greatly 
 indebted. The data given on these specimens has been supplemented 
 by data concerning their range in the State, and their usefulness in 
 other sections. 
 
BEE KEEPING IN MARYLAND. 
 
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BEE KEEPING IN MARYLAND. 
 
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236 maeyland agricultural experiment station. 
 
 Average Experience of Bee Keepers, Hives and Kind of Bees. 
 
 The average length of time during which the bee keepers who ans- 
 wered inquiries, had itept bees is 12 years. Of those reporting 38% 
 had Icept bees less than 5 years. This would indicate that we have 
 a number of amateurs in the business. The great majority reported 8 
 and 10 years- experience, while many reported keeping bees for 15 to 
 20 years. Of those reporting 68% kept Italian bees, which is a good 
 sign, as it is believed that this is the most profitable and satisfactory 
 race of bees to keep for Maryland conditions. It is not believed that 
 all reporting Italian bees meant to report pure stock, but it shows a 
 large per cent of good conditions. Moreover from this data it is found 
 that about 80% of the bee keepers are using up-to-date frame hives. 
 These conditions account for the good average of 30 pounds of honey 
 per colony per year that these records show. 
 
 Bee Diseases in the State. 
 
 While funds have not been available to conduct a thorough inves- 
 tigation into the conditions of the apiaries of the State, yet through the 
 cooperation of the Bureau of Entomology, we have been able to learn 
 that the two diseases, European and American foul brood exist in 
 several counties in the State. While these diseases will be discussed 
 later on in this bulletin, it may be stated that these infectious diseases, 
 where established, are disastrous to the apiary if steps are not taken 
 to eradicate them. 
 
 There is no more dangerous menace to the industry than neglected 
 apiaries infected by these diseases in a neighborhood where healthy 
 bees are kept. Moreover, unless measures are adopted to prevent their 
 spread, ignorance or neglect on the part of the owners, of apairies will 
 certainly reduce, and perhaps annihilate an already neglected industry 
 of the State. 
 
 The Needs or the Industry in Maryland. 
 
 Briefly it may be said that the majority of Maryland bee keepers 
 need education in up-to-date methods of bee keeping. The remaining 
 old box hives must be replaced by movable frame hives. The apiaries 
 of the State should be inspected for the presence of infectious dis- 
 eases and those keeping neglected hives should either be made to abol- 
 ish them, or to give the bees attention and keep them in a healthy con- 
 dition. Funds should be provided for instruction, investigation, and 
 extension work by the State institutions, and legislation should be 
 enacted such as now exists in twenty-six other states and territories 
 for the protection and the promotion of the industry. 
 
 Maryland offers excellent natural advantages for the development 
 of the beekeeping industry and it only remains for the beekeepers them- 
 selves to practise more up to date and scientific methods in the con- 
 duct of their apiaries and to secure the adoption of Droner leeislative 
 measures to insure the State a more prominent rank in the production 
 of bee products. 
 
BEE KEEPING IN THE STATE. 23T 
 
 BEE KEEPING IN MARYLAND. 
 II. THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 By Arthur H. McCray, D. V. M. 
 
 Apicultural Assistant, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department of 
 
 Agriculture. 
 
 Beekeeping for profit has within comparatively recent years assumed 
 such exactness of methods compared with former times, that discus- 
 sions of methods and appliances used in commercial bee keeping have 
 followed quite naturally and are always in order for additional en- 
 lightenment. It is not the aim of this paper to discuss the merits of 
 any particular system of management but to give simple working di- 
 rections for the establishment and maintenance of a comparatively 
 small apiary. 
 
 The methods to be used in bee keeping are determined to a certain 
 extent by locality, and consequently vary for dififerent sections of the 
 country. While it is doubtless true that the importance of locality has 
 been somewhat overestimated, it should not be ignored. This bulletin 
 has been prepared particularly for the bee keepers of Maryland and 
 the aim has been to make the directions and discussions herein giver, 
 particularly applicable to Maryland conditions. 
 
 As a rule, one should not start bee keeping except in a small way. 
 The uncertaintities of securing a honey crop are many and varied. As 
 examples of the causes of failure, the following may be cited : the 
 failure of the honey flora to secrete nectar ; the inability of the bees 
 to gather the nectar when secreted, owing to unfavorable weather con- 
 ditions; the failure of the beginner to do the right thing at the right 
 time ; and last but not least the danger of losses from disease. 
 
 From the above it will not be surprising to learn that many disasters 
 have occurred with beginners in bee keeping. It is, of course, all the 
 more deplorable if the first investment has been too large. The begin- 
 ner with a moderate investment, is more apt to, recover from his early 
 failures, than is one who has had too much at stake. Four or five 
 hives are generally sufficient for the first season. These can be in- 
 creased when the returns from the honey and wax are sufficient to pay 
 , for additional empty hives and other equipment. It is a good plan for 
 the beginner to make the bees pay for the increased equipment, and 
 produce some profit in addition. Probably nine out of ten, who make 
 a failure of bee keeping, try to manage too many colonies without pre- 
 vious experience or knowledge. 
 
 From the small bee keeper develops very often the specialist bee 
 keeper, and the aim should be to make better bee keepers of those 
 already engaged in the industry rather than to increase the number. 
 There is no reason, however, why every intelligent farmer should not 
 keep a sufficient number of colonies of bees to furnish honey for his 
 own use. 
 
 Bee keeping is usually carried on in conjunction with some other 
 
238 
 
 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 (business. There is no reason, however, why it should not be made the 
 sole means of livelihood. There are in the United States today, many 
 men who devote all of their time to their bees, and find it a remun- 
 erative business. 
 
 With the improvement of the modern movable frame hive, together 
 with the perfecting of systems of management, and a sufficient knowl- 
 edge of the business, gained by study and experience, the opportuni- 
 ties of the specialist bee keeper, were never better than they are today. 
 
 The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. E. F. 
 Phillips, in charge of Apiculture, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. 
 of Agriculture, for valuable suggestions in the preparation of this 
 bulletin and for the privilege of using many of the illustrations from 
 Farmer's Bulletin, No. 447. Acknowledgements are also made to the 
 A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio, for the use of cuts for figures 6, 12, 21, 
 and 23. 
 
 BEE BEHAVIOR. 
 
 Every normal colony of bees in the active season consists of three 
 kinds of individuals, (fig. i.) the queen, a variable number of drones, 
 and several thousand workers. The queen is the only fully developed ' 
 female in the hive, and is the mother of all of the other bees. The 
 
 Fig. 1. — Worker, queen and drone. 
 
 drones often number several hundred and are present in the hive at 
 or near swarming time in largest number. Their sole function is to 
 mate with the virgin queen. Towards fall the drones are destroyed by 
 the workers, usually by being forced from the hive, where they die of 
 starvation. The workers constitute the largest part of the colony, and 
 in a good sized colony number 40,000 to 70,000. 
 
 The workers are sexually undeveloped females. They perform all 
 the labor of secreting wax and building comb, feeding the young, pro- 
 tecting and cleaning the hive and gathering and storing honey and 
 pollen. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 239 
 
 The honey comb (fig. 2.) in which all honey and pollen is stored, 
 and the young brood reared, is built by the worker bee from wax which 
 is secreted from the under side o^ its abdomen, in the form of very 
 small thin flakes. These flakes are manipulated by the mandibles, of 
 the bee and moulded into the various forms required in building, the. 
 comb. The comb consists of hexagonal cells arranged on the two sides 
 of a vertical septum, or mid-rib. 
 
 Fig. 2. — Comb architecture. 
 
 Two sizes of cells are easily recognizable, viz. that in which the 
 worker bees are reared, which is 1/5 inch in diameter, and that in 
 which the drones are reared, which is 1/4 inch in diameter. There 
 are also irregular transition cells where these two sizes merge into 
 each other. Any of the cells may be used for storage. 
 
240 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 The eggs (fig. 3.) as laid by the queen are deposited on end at the 
 bottom of the cell. In about three days the larvae (fig. 3.) hatch, and 
 are fed by being surrounded with liquid nourishment for about six 
 days, when the cells are sealed over and the larvae spin a cocoon and 
 undergo a metamorphosis in which they are transformed into the 
 adult bees, which emerge in about 21 days from the time the eggs are 
 laid. The time of emergence varies for queens and drones. The 
 
 ^•sSS?" 
 
 - -Wu|ir,|lili 
 
 Ifig. 3. — Egg larvae and pupae. 
 
 period of the former is about 16 days, and of the latter about 24 days. 
 The greatest number of eggs are laid by the queen during the season 
 when nectar is being brought in, when all bee activity is at its height. 
 Towards fall the queen lays fewer and fewer eggs, until in the months 
 of September or October, often few eggs or little brood can be found 
 in the combs. After a more or less inactive condition, including di- 
 minished brood-rearing through the cold of winter, the bees begin 
 preparation for spring activity. Just at what time the queen begins 
 active laying in the spring, varies considerably according to strength of 
 colony, amount of stores, protection of the hive, etc. 
 
 With the advent of the warm days of spring, and the opening of 
 fruit bloom and other flowers, the colony rapidly increases in number 
 of inhabitants, until the hive will no longer accommodate the increase 
 and swarming is the result. The first swarm of the season, is accom- 
 panied by the old queen and a share of the worker bees. Previous to 
 swarming, preparations are made by the bees for a new queen for the 
 parent colony. This provision for the old parent colony consists in build- 
 ing queen cells, (fig. 4.) These are developed from young female larvss 
 by feeding them a specially prepared food. Normally the young queen 
 does not emerge for several days after the swarm has issued with the 
 old queen. If, however, the weather should be unfavorable, the young 
 queen may emerg:e from the cell before the swarm with the old queen 
 issues. Besides this first swarm accompanied by the old queen, there are 
 often several smaller swarms, which issue after the first one. These after 
 swarms are accompanied ' by one or more of the young virgin queens. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OP BEES. 241 
 
 On or after the emerging of the first queen, the remainiftg queen cells 
 are usually destroyed. This is not always done, however, and hence 
 the issuing of several small swarms (after swarms), subsequent to the 
 first or prirne swarm results. The swarm after issuing, if not taken 
 care of by the bee keeper, seeks a home in some hollow tree or else- 
 where. The parent colony acquires strength from the brood left by 
 the old queen, and later from the progeny of the yOung queen, which 
 emerges from one of the queens cells built under the swarming im- 
 pulse. The young or virgin queen, before she becomes the mother of 
 the colony, must first meet the drone or male bee and become mated. 
 This takes place outside of the hive, and in flight and probably occurs 
 only once in the lifetime of the queen. After m£(ting, the young queen 
 returns to the hive and in a few days takes up her duties as the mother 
 
 Fig. 4, — Queen cells. 
 
 of the colony. Eggs from which drones are hatched are not fertilized 
 by the queen, i. e., they do not receive any spermatozoa, or male sex 
 cells, as do the worker eggs. This is what is known as partheno- 
 genetic development. A young queen on failing to mate with the drone 
 will sometimes start egg laying. These hatch only drones. Sometimes 
 when a colony is deprived of a queen for a long time, the worker bees, 
 being undeveloped females, will start egg laying. Such eggs also 
 hatch out drones. An old queen will sometimes lay eggs, which hatch 
 drones only probably because of exhaustion of her supply of sperma- 
 tozoa. _ , 
 
 This is only a very brief outline of some of the activities of the hive. 
 A knowledge of bee behavior is essential to the successful handling of 
 bees, and the bee keeper gradually acquires a few principles, which Ije 
 unconsciously applies in working with the bees. Far too little is 
 
242 
 
 MABTLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 known of this subject and its application in the manipulations of the 
 ' apiary. 
 
 EQUIPMENT OF THE APIARY. 
 
 Hives. 
 
 The kind, of hive, providing it is of simple construction -with mova- 
 ble frames, is not so important as is the method of handling it. Most 
 of the honey produced in the country today, is taken from hives, 
 that embody the main features of the Langstroth hive invented in 1851. 
 This consists of a plain wooden box, holding eight or more frames 
 
 Fig. 5. — Ten frame hive with comb honey super, excluder and perforated zinc queen. 
 
 hung from a rabbet cut in the inside of the wall of the hive near the 
 top. The Langstroth frame is g}i x 17^ inches. The modern hive 
 is an improvement in that the wooden box has been much strengthened 
 by the dovetail or interlocking corners (fig. 5.) Further improvement 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 24a 
 
 is secured by the use of a metal rabbet, which lessens the area of con-, 
 tact with the frames and so reduces the amount of, propolis deposited 
 between frame and rabbet. The eight and ten frame hives are in gen- 
 eral use. Some use larger hives of twelve or fourteen frames, claim- 
 ing that swarming is thereby reduced. Such hives are however, un- 
 wieldy to handle, and there are other efficient methods of controlling 
 swarming. 
 
 Some bee keepers are advocating the use of a frame of about half 
 the depth of the Langstroth. These are to be used as supers for the 
 storing of the surplus, as well as for the brood chamber for the rear- 
 ing of the young bees. Two or more bodies are required for the use 
 of the queen as a brood chamber. The use of such shallow frames per- 
 mits, to a large extent, of the handling of bodies rather than frames. 
 The queen can often be found by smoking the bees from these shal- 
 low bodies, after which the operator can look up between the frames 
 from the bottom and see the condition of the brood chambers as to 
 stores and brood, (fig. 6.) It is believed that bee keepers can profita- 
 
 SiJ^ftMBA A,\ 
 
 *"ig. 6. — Looking up between frames. 
 
 bly try this style of hive. Whatever style of hive is used, the bottom 
 board and cover should be detachable and not nailed fast to the hive 
 body. Much information concerning hives and fixtures can be se- 
 cured from catalogues of dealers in bee supplies. 
 
 Hive Stands. 
 
 All hives should be raised from the ground far enough to keep them 
 from rotting. This may be accomplished by setting them on bricks, 
 flat stones, etc. Six-sided hard burned tile (fig. 5.) placed crosswise 
 
244 
 
 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 at the front and rear of the hive have been found efficient. A cheap 
 hive stand can be secured by hewing round sticks of wood on one or 
 two sides, and using them in the same manner as the tile. 
 
 Tools and Other Apparatus. 
 
 Among the necessities of any apiary, large or small, are a good 
 smoker (fig. 7.) to subdue the bees, and a veil, (fig. 8.), of some light 
 material to protect the face. Some sort of tool for separating bodies 
 
 Fig. 8.— Veil. 
 
 and frames, and for scraping propolis and bits of wax from hives and 
 fixtures is desirable. The ones figured have been found satisfactory 
 (fig. 9.). Queen cages of which there are many kinds in use, will be 
 found indispensable. Foundation fasteners, feeders, (figs. 16, 17, 18, 
 
THE MANAGEMKNT OF BEISS. 
 
 245 
 
 19,) drone traps, (fig. 20.) and honey boards of perforated zinc 
 (fig. 24.) ^re almost equally as indispensable, not to mention such 
 other desirable apparatus as division boards, swarm catchers, bee 
 
 - D) 
 
 Pig. 9.— Tools. 
 
 brushes, (fig. 10.), wax extractors, etc., etc. All of this apparatus' is 
 amply described and figured in catalogues of supply dealers. ' 
 
 Honey House and Shop. 
 
 The honey house should be quite near to the apiary for convenience 
 in handling supers full of honey when taking off the crop. It is not 
 desired to say a great deal concerning a honey house, except to urge 
 
 Fig. 10. — Bee brush. 
 
 the desirability of every bee keeper, providing some such place where 
 empty hive bodies and supers and all other tools and apparatus can 
 be kept and easily found when wanted. The section honey must be 
 scraped free of propolis and packed, and the extracted honey thrown 
 from the combs, and it is better to have a small building especially for 
 this purpose. The honey house need not be expensive, and it will cer- 
 tainly facilitate the work of the apiary. A shop where hives and fix- 
 tures can be put together, and where other work requiring the use of 
 tools can be performed, is indispensable. The honey house can be made 
 large enough for this purpose. 
 
246 maryland agricultural experiment station. 
 
 Bees. 
 
 Usually the cheapest way for the beginner to acquire bees for the 
 apiary, is to purchase a few colonies near home. There are often 
 black bees near at hand in box hives, or antiquated frame hives, which 
 can usually be purchased at small cost. These can be bought in the 
 fall and wintered. It is better however, to purchase in the spring, and 
 reduce chances of winter loss. These are to be transferred when 
 fruit bloom opens. The race of bees purchased matters little as the 
 bee keeper can introduce a queen of whatever race o^f bees he desires 
 in the spring, and soon the whole colony will consist of the offspring 
 of the newly introduced queen. 
 
 This is due to the fact that during the height of the honey gather- 
 ing season, the tasks of the worker bees are so arduous that their life 
 period is quite short, and as they die their place is taken by the progeny 
 of the recently introduced queen. If bees cannot be secured near at 
 hand then one or more nuclei (small colonies) of two or three frames 
 each can be purchased of a dealer. These can sometimes be increased 
 to several full sized colonies during the course of the season. 
 
 Of the several races of bees maintained by bee keepers at the present 
 time, the beginner will probably find the Italians most satisfactory. 
 This race is the equal of any in nectar gathering ability and actively 
 resists the ravages of wax moths. Italian bees are gentle and easily 
 handled, and they have received far more attention from breeders 
 than any other race. This is not saying however, that other races 
 are not worthy of equal attention with a view to improvement. There 
 are on the market today so called Red Clover queens, whose progeny 
 are supposed by some to possess tongues of sufficient length to reach 
 the nectar in the blossom of the red clover plant. While these bees 
 are usually good honey gatherers, the results secured by their use, 
 would scarcely warrant such a descriptive term as "long tongued" or 
 "Red Clover" bees. The Italian race of bees has also been bred for 
 color, so that three, four, and five, yellow-banded strains are now in 
 use. It must be borne in mind, however, that color marking is of sec- 
 ondary importance, and that honey gathering proclivity is the first con- 
 sideration. Utility should not be sacrificed for ornament. 
 
 Caucasians have been used to some extent, perliaps largely because 
 of their gentleness and ease of handling. They are good honey gath- 
 erers and quite prolific. The queens are however dark and sometimes 
 small, and hence difficult to locate on the combs. This race also col- 
 lects great quantities of propolis, and builds a large amount of brace 
 and burr combs, factors which are not conducive to easy and rapid 
 handling of frames. 
 
 The Cyprians have been almost universally ruled out because of their 
 fierce stinging proclivities. 
 
 The Carniolians are very gentle, but swarm excessively and are not 
 much used. 
 
 Other known but little used races are the Banat, "Holy land," Egyp- 
 tian and Punic. Of these four last named, the Banat is most used and 
 is looked upon with favor by some breeders and honey producers. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 247 
 
 The black or German bee was the first race introduced into this 
 country, and is still abundant usually as a cross with other races. The 
 black bee is not desirable and is being gradually supplanted by other 
 and more desirable races. 
 
 THE APIARY: ITS LOCATION AND SIZE. 
 
 While there are certain ideal sites for. the location of the apiary, 
 which should be utilized if possible, yet bees can be kept in a great 
 many places which do not conform to ideal surroundings. A slope 
 gently inclining to the south and east is very desirable, although any 
 plot of ground that has good drainage, so that water does not stand 
 on it, is good. The slope to the south and east secures protection 
 against cold winds from the north and west, although this advantage 
 can be as well and even better attained, sometimes, by other barriers, 
 such as a grove or fruit orchard. Buildings of some kind can often be 
 made to serve this purpose, as the honey house and shop. 
 
 The hives should not be too near walks or drives, owing to danger 
 from stings. This is particularly applicable if horses that are per- 
 spiring are likely to be brought near such driveways. 
 
 It is considered best to face the entrance of the hives south or east, 
 or somewhere between these, two directions. This will give the bees 
 the early morning sun and start them gathering nectar early in the day. 
 While it is desirable to have a certain amount of sun, particularly in 
 the early part of the day, this may be a source of discomfort and actual 
 loss if hives are unshaded at the hottest part of the day. The midday 
 and afternoon sun when beating down on unprotected hives may be 
 so severe as to melt down the combs within the hive. The result of 
 such a disaster is obvious. Perhaps the ideal location as far as pro- 
 viding shade is concerned, is under trees that have the branches high 
 enough not to interfere with easy movements of the operator when 
 attending to the hives. The comfort of the bee keeper is to be con- 
 sidered as well as the welfare of the bees. One is more apt to give the 
 bees the attention they need, if the work can be done in the shade, 
 rather than under the rays of the sun at the most heated part of the day. 
 
 The hives should be level from side to side in order that the combs 
 may be built straight. If the hives were inclined to one side, it would 
 result in the newly drawn comb, being swung from the top bar of one 
 frame and attached to the bottom bar of the frame adjacent, since 
 comb building progresses from above dovvnward. The hives should, 
 however, slope downward from the rear to the front. This will cause 
 any rain, which may beat in and any moisture which may condense 
 on the inside of the hive to run out at the entrance. 
 
 The hives can be arranged to suit the convenience of the operator in 
 manipulation. Ample space should be allowed for ease of movement. 
 A good arrangement consists in setting the hives in rows. (fig. ii.) 
 A line may be used to get the rows straight. 
 
 As to the covering of the ground, whether bare or sod, it is believed 
 that grass is much more preferable as it facilitates the ease and pleas- 
 ure of working in the apiary. No grass or weeds, however, should be 
 
248 
 
 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL BXPEEIMBNT STATION. 
 
 allowed to grow up at the entrance of the hive. A lawn mower can be 
 used to good advantage in keeping the grounds in and around the 
 apiary in good condition. 
 
 As before said, the above are more or less ideal conditions. Bees 
 can be kept in a great many places with profit that are far from con- 
 forming to the above condition^. City people even manage to keep 
 bees by setting them out on the roof or a back porch where the line 
 of flight is clear so that there is no danger of interfering with neigh- 
 bors. 
 
 The size of the apaiary will depend on various factors, chief among 
 which will be the time and inclination of the bee keeper, and the natural 
 flora present, from which the bees may gather nectar. The number 
 
 V«- 
 
 ~^f^.,_ 
 
 .^-^A 
 
 
 
 '^^^^ f^!^^^KS. 
 
 Fig. 11. — An apiary in Maryland. 
 
 of colonies of bees which a given locality will support will vary, and the 
 beginner as he gradually increases his colonies from year to year, must 
 determine the point at which he must cease increasing at the home 
 yard and begin the establishment of out apiaries. 
 
 It is believed that it is best to err on the side of too few colonies, 
 rather than too many, although there is some reason for believing 
 that the number of colonies which may be kept in one apiary has often 
 been underestimated. 
 
 If the bee keeper is not yet willing to give all of his time to the bees, 
 then the home yard may be crowded so that loo or 125 colonies may 
 be maintained there under Maryland conditions. But if practically 
 all of the time is to be devoted to the bees, it might often be better 
 to establish out apiaries maintaining only about 50 colonies in a yard. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 249 
 
 The distance to which bees will fly for nectar has been variously esti- 
 mated at from i to 3 miles depending on the amount of nectar near 
 at hand, or limitation of range due to some natural barrier as a body 
 of water, mountain, etc. 
 
 The keeping of bees all in one large apiary has the advantage and 
 certainly is to be practiced whenever the resources of the surround- 
 ing country will warrant it. With only one yard, there is economy in 
 providing honey houses, tools, and often in transporting the crop after 
 harvesting. 
 
 TRANSFERRING: GENERAL MANIPULATIONS. 
 
 The first attempt in the handling of bees will probably be the trans- 
 ferring of the colony or colonies purchased in the old box or anti- 
 quated frame hives to modern movable frame hives. It will be assumed 
 in giving directions for transferring, that little or nothing is known 
 of the handling of bees and directions for general manipulations will 
 be incorporated in the directions for transferring rather than devoting 
 a separate paragraph to this subject. 
 
 Beginners should always protect the fact with a veil and have the 
 smoker within easy reach. The old hive from which the bees are to 
 be transferred is lifted from the stand and the new hive body with 
 frames, containing full sheets of foundation is set in its place. Full 
 sheets of foundation of worker size cell base will insure straight even 
 frames of worker cells. This shouldbe strengthened by wiring. Avoid 
 rough handling, and quick movemerits, especially if the bees have not 
 been subdued by the use of the smoker. After bees have been partly 
 subdued by the smoke, the hive may sometimes be jarred about to ad- 
 vantage causing the bees to further gorge themselves with honey until 
 they become quite tractable. If the old hive is a plain box without 
 f rarnes, it must be inverted. If the bottom is nailed fast, it or one 
 side must be removed. Set a tightly fitting box over the exposed side, 
 and by beating on the old hive, (fig. 12.), the bees are rhade to enter 
 the empty box, after which it can be removed and the bees shaken out 
 at the entrance of the new hive. The bees should not be shaken on 
 the ground, but provided with a runway consisting of a board the 
 width of the hive or greater. This should slope gently upward from 
 'the ground to the hive entrance. As the bees are shaken onto this 
 board, the queen can often be seen entering with the other bees. The 
 operation will not be successful unless the queen enters the new hive, 
 since the bees will not remain without the queen even though they all 
 pass into the new hive. The bees must be repeatedly drummed from 
 the old hive until the queen is secured. The bees will not remain longer 
 than a half hour or so in the new hive without the queen and this will 
 serve as an indication to the operator whether he will need to repeat the 
 drumming. The cover should now be lifted from the new hive to note 
 whether the frames are properly spaced.. This only appHes to frames 
 without a self-spacing device. It is probably better for the inexper- 
 ienced bee keeper to have frames which will space themselves when 
 forced together one against the other. These are termed self-spacing 
 S. frames. 
 
230 
 
 MABYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 The old hive should now be turned right side up and moved 
 some distance away. Allow it to remain here for 21 days, 
 when all of the brood will have hatched and emerged as young 
 bees. These are to be drummed as before and united with the new 
 hive, first, thoroughly smoking both hives to prevent fighting. If the 
 first or old queen is the one desired, the entrance of the new hive 
 should have a piece of queen excluding zinc fastened at the entrance 
 
 . Pig. 12. — Drumming bees from old liive. 
 
 to exclude the young queens. The plan generally followed, however, 
 is to disregard the young queens, by allowing them to enter and the 
 bees to determine the choice of queen. Old combs will usually be 
 found to be so crooked, or so old and black, that they are fit only to be 
 cut out and rendered into wax. They can be saved, however, by cut- 
 ting out the more regular portions and fitting them into empty frames, 
 securing them by passing cord or rubber bands around the frame, after 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 251 
 
 which they may be used for hiving swarms or for the storage of honey 
 for extracting. Also the old combs with brood and stores is some- 
 times cut out and fitted into frames as above described, at the time of 
 the first transferring, instead of setting the old box hive away for 21 
 days. These frames are then set in the new hive, the bees are shaken 
 in and the transferring is completed at one operation. It is believed 
 that the first described method will prove most satisfactory. 
 
 The opening of fruit bloom in the spring is the best time of the year 
 for transferring, although it can be done at any time that nectar 
 is being gathered. It can even be done when there is nothing coming 
 in from the field, provided the bees are fed daily after transferring. 
 
 It is best to select a warm, bright day when the bees are flying freely 
 as they can be much more easily handled then. On cool, cloudy days 
 and early and late in the day, bees are usually much more difficult to 
 handle, and are more inclined to sting. 
 
 The bees in the new hive should be examined from time to time to 
 determine progress made in comb-building, and in the laying of eggs 
 and rearing of brood. 
 
 One should learn from the first how to open a hive and examine 
 frames without unduly exciting the bees. Always stand at one side, 
 out of the line of flight of the bees, (never in front of the hive). First 
 use the smoker at the entrance, then quietly remove the cover, so that 
 it does not come away with a jar. As the cover is lifted, gently blow 
 some smoke over the tops of the frames, after which they can be re- 
 
 Fig. 13. — Handling frame 1st position. 
 
 moved one at a time. If at any time the bees show an inclination to 
 sting while the colony is being manipulated, more smoke may be blown 
 down between the frames. In examining frames, always hold the comb 
 in a vertical position, otherwise it is apt to be broken from its attach- 
 ments owing to the weight of honey and brood. As the frame is lifted 
 from the hive by the ends of the top bar, one side will be exposed to 
 view. To observe the ppposite side, lift the frame as shown by the 
 illustration, until the long instead of the short axis is perpendicular, 
 (fig. 13.) and rotate the frame as a dqor is swung on its hinges, using 
 the top bar as the axis (fig. 14.) The frame can then be lowered 
 with the top bar below, (fig. 15.) This whole manipulation is easily 
 acquired and if the precaution above mentioned of preserving the face 
 of the comb perpendicular instead of flat wise to the ground is observed, 
 no danger of the comb breaking in the middle will result. As the 
 frames are being removed from the hive, the first one or two can be 
 
252 
 
 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 leaned against the outside of the hive. This will permit of space for 
 easy movement in handling the remaining frames, which can be placed 
 to one side as they are examined in succession. After the last frame 
 has been examined, the frames can be lifted over to position and the 
 one or two leaning against the outside of the hive returned to their 
 place. 
 
 Fig. 14. — Handling frame 2na position. 
 
 Fie. 15. — Handling frame 3rd position. 
 
 Uniting. 
 
 It will be desirable at times to unite colonies for various reasons. 
 While some of these reasons are suiifiicient to justify the operation, yet 
 owing to the difficulty of successful uniting it should usually be re- 
 sorted to only when the weakened colony can not be built up by feed- 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OP BEES. 253 
 
 ing. Colonies that are queenless quite early in spring or late in fall 
 can be profitably united. Uniting can be done by setting the colony 
 to be united over the one to which it is to be united. Another method 
 is to lift the frames out separately and shake the bees at the entrance 
 of the colony selected to receive them. In all uniting operations smoke 
 all colonies thoroughly, and cage the queen to be saved for two or three 
 days ^afterwards, to prevent her being killed by the strange bees. 
 
 SPRING MANAGEMENT. 
 
 In order to secure the available nectar from the flowers it is neces- 
 sary to have a large force of bees of the right age in the colony when 
 the honey flow begins. Colonies with bees in sufficient number and 
 of proper age are assured only when given proper attention by the bee 
 keeper. Various factors operate to reduce the strength of the colony 
 through the winter and early spring. So called "spring dwindling", 
 results when the bees are allowed to pass through the winter with 
 too large a force of old bees. These die very rapidly in the spring so 
 that the brood does not emerge rapidly enough to maintain the colony 
 strength. An induced prolongation of brood rearing in the fall will 
 often prevent this trouble. The amount and kind of stores which are 
 available to the bees, through the winter and early spring months, 
 determine largely their condition for the honey harvest. The stores 
 collected in the fall are not always suitable for maintaining the bees 
 in the best of condition during the winter. The secretions deposited 
 by plant lice on foliage and collected by bees is unfit for winter food. 
 This is popularly known as honey dew honey. Other products such as 
 juice from various fruits, or thin improperly ripened nectar, to the 
 exclusion of good well ripened honey, may result in positive injury 
 to the bees, causing what is known as "dysentery." This disease is 
 manifested by the bees spotting the outside and inside of the hives 
 including combs, with a yellow discharge. This trouble usually dis- 
 appears after a day sufficiently warm to permit of a cleansing flight 
 by the bees. 
 
 Feeding. 
 
 Enough stores may be provided in the fall to maintain the bees until 
 the beginning of the honey flow without giving them additional sup- 
 plies. 
 
 Very often, however, gbod results are secured by stimulative feed- 
 ing, in the spring. This consists in giving each colony daily a small 
 quantity of feed. This feed may be made by mixing granulated sugar 
 and water, using about two or three parts water to one part sugar. 
 This seems to act much as a flow when honey is daily brought into 
 the hive. This results in fearly brood-rearing, securing the large field 
 force required to gather the nectar when the flow begins. Of the feed- 
 ers used for early spring feeding the division board feeder (fig. i6.) 
 will probably be most satisfactory, as it is lowered into the hive .just 
 as a frame, and consequently receives warmth from the cluster. The 
 
254 
 
 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 Fig. 16. — Division beard feeder. 
 
 Fig. 17. — .\lexar.der feeder. 
 
 Fig. 18. — Pepper-box feeder. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 255 
 
 Alexander feeder fitted in a wooden collar at the rear of the hive may 
 be used. (fig. 17.) This has the advantage of not requiring exposure 
 of the colony in replenishing the feeder. The pepper box feeder con- 
 sists of a metal cylindrical box, with a perforated cover and is in- 
 verted over the frames in an empty super, (fig. 18.) This can be 
 used for spring feeding if the super is packed with a chaff cushion or 
 blankets. A good feeder can be made by setting a pan filled with 
 syrup in an empty super, (fig. 19.) Stimulative feeding in the spring 
 will usually yield large dividends in added returns at the time of har- 
 vesting. The best time in the day for feeding is towards evening, 
 when the bees will not have time to start robbing, which often results 
 after feeding, particularly if syrup has been carelessly scattered about. 
 
 ^ 
 
 Fig. 19. — Pan feeder. 
 
 There will always be colonies that contain a large amount of brood 
 compared with otliers. Frames of brood can be taken from these 
 strong colonies, to aid the weaker ones. By judicious manipulation of 
 frames in this manner, all colonies can often be increased to about uni- 
 form strength for the honey harvest. 
 
 Colonies can also often be advantageously stimulated to increased 
 brood-rearing by resorting to what is termed "spreading the brood." 
 This consists in inserting an empty comb between two frames already 
 containing brood. The bees attempt to cover the brood thus enlarging 
 the cluster, and the queen will lay in the empty frame. This procedure 
 should not be undertaken while the weather is unsettled, because a few 
 cold days following a warm period will result in the bees contracting 
 the cluster and the brood which has been lifted to one side is left out- 
 side of the cluster where it perishes. 
 
 There will always be colonies that appear in the apiary in spring in 
 a weakened condition. Such colonies should be carefully fed and 
 contracted so that they will not be forced to attempt to keep a whole 
 brood chamber warm. Such contraction of the brood chamber can 
 
256 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 be accomplished by leaving only a sufficient number of frames as will 
 dilable the bees to form a compact cluster, filling the whole available 
 ^f)ace. The space at the side of the hive should be filled in with a chafif 
 cushion, or a dummy packed with sawdust or some similar materials. 
 The entrance also should be sufficiently contracted. 
 
 It is believed that weak colonies are best taken care of by being 
 built up to strong colonies by feeding and contracting. However, if 
 for any reason this is not desirable, the weak colony may be united to 
 a stronger colony by being set over it. Smoke both colonies first, and 
 cage the queen desired, if each colony has a queen. This plan can be 
 used to save a colony that is queenless in early spring. 
 
 SWARMING. 
 
 Stimulative feeding and other operations for increasing the strength 
 of colonies tend to bring on swarming as the season progresses. Other 
 factors influencing the time of swarming are locality and seasonal 
 variation. The causes operating to induce swarming, are not suffi- 
 ciently known. Reasons that seem to be sufficient to explain swarming 
 at one time are insufficient at other times. It would seem that if the 
 bees increase to such an extent that the colony becomes crowded and 
 overheated swarming is very often apt to result particularly if a honey 
 flow is on. 
 
 Reference has been made previously to the use of large hives as a 
 means of controlling swarming. Lack of sufficient ventilation as a 
 natural accompaniment of an overcrowded condition of the colony, 
 may be partly responsible for the issuance of a swarm. Swarming can 
 be controlled, but cannot be prevented. 
 
 Swarming may be profitable by yielding returns in an increase in the 
 number of colonies if this is desired. On the other hand it may be a 
 means of actual loss to the bee keeper, in reducing the honey yield. 
 This will be understood when it is realized that a colony that divides 
 its force by swarming in the height of the honey flow, can be made to 
 yield only a part of what it would have, had it not swarmed. More- 
 over there is the additional labor required in taking care of the swarm 
 which is a considerable item. 
 
 Care of Swarms. 
 
 One of the first steps to be taken in swarm management is that of 
 clipping the wings of the queen. This can be done by holding the 
 queen between the thumb and the index finger of the left hand, and 
 cutting off the wings of one side with a sharp pair of scissors. Some 
 think that the queen is better able to maintain her balance on the 
 combs if the wings are cut on both sides. When the swarm issues, 
 the queen being unable to fly is left behind, and is usually found crawl- 
 ing around near the hive entrance. Because nf the absence of the nneen, 
 the beas will return in a few minutes, unless by chance they have a 
 virgin queen. The old hive is now moved to one side and a new one 
 containing full sheets of foundation is put in its place. The queen is 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 2ri7 
 
 put in a wire cloth cage and placed at the entrance. As the bees re- 
 turn on finding the queen absent from the cluster, the cage is opened 
 and the queen allowed to enter with the other bees. The returning field 
 bees from the old hive which has been set to one side will also return 
 in greater number to the new hive on the old stand. If there were 
 any surplus honey supers or extracting frames on the old hive they 
 should now be transferred to the new hive, putting a piece of queen 
 excluding zinc, (fig. 24.) between brood chamber and surplus honey 
 to keep the queen below. 
 
 If it is not desired to clip the wings of the queen an Alley's queen 
 and drone trap may be placed at the entrance, (fig. 20.) As the swarm 
 
 Fig. 20. — Alley's queen anfl drone trap. 
 
 issues the queen is engaged in the trap where she may be found anfl 
 the swarm is disposed of as above described. 
 
 When the swarm is allowed to issue without securing the queen it 
 usually clusters on a branch of a tree near at hand, where it remains 
 for a varying period of time. In this case the branch can be cut away 
 and the bees carried where they are wanted, or the hive can be brought 
 and held under the branch, which is then jarred, causing the bees to 
 fall into the hive held to receive them. 
 
 Swarm Control. 
 
 While the clipping of the queen's wings, and other methods of pre- 
 venting the queen from joining the swarm are means of controlling 
 the swarm after it issues, they are not attempts to curb the swarming 
 impulse. The need of ventilation and addition of supers, etc., in pre- 
 venting overcrowding have been mentioned. A large force of bees 
 is only desirable as the rush of the honey flow comes on, for after 
 this they- become consumers, not producers. Moreover it is possible 
 that if eggs are laid and brood reared, up to and including the time 
 of the honey harvest, excessive swarming may result where otherwise 
 it might have been lessened and largely prevented by restraint of the 
 queen. This can be done either by removing or by caging the queen 
 for a time. As a rule, however, the queen should not be too much 
 restrained, and the excess of brood in the hive can often be used to 
 advantage in strengthening weak colonies. 
 
258 maryland agricultural experiment station. 
 
 Artificial Swarming. 
 
 Instead of waiting for the bees to swarm of their own accord, the 
 bee keeper may practice artificial swarming or what is termed "shook 
 swarming." When properly done, this may be made an efficient means 
 of controlling natural swarming. The procedure is as follows : Watch, 
 all colonies for the first preparations for swarming as manifested by 
 the starting of queen cells. As soon as this is noticed, shake most of 
 the bees from the combs into a new hive which has been placed on the 
 old stand. The new hive may be provided with either starters or full 
 sheets of foundation as desired. The full sheets are probably better 
 as a greater amount of worker comb is insured, while if starters are 
 used there is in a great many cases more or less undesirable drone 
 comb built. After shaking, the old hive with brood and the few bees 
 that remain is moved to a new location, and allowed to increase again 
 to a full colony or the bees may be later added to the shaken swarm. 
 Bees thus shaken into a new hive sometimes leave. This can be pre- 
 vented by placing a trap at the entrance to retain the queen. Artificial 
 swarming should not be practiced too early as the bees are apt to 
 swarm naturally later. 
 
 SECURING THE HARVEST. 
 Preparation. 
 
 Emphasis has been laid on the necessity of securing a large 
 force of bees ready to gather the nectar, when the flow comes 
 on. It is no doubt true, that for a varying period after emerging, 
 the young bees engage in duties on the inside of the hive before going 
 into the field. This period is usually about two weeks. By adding this 
 time to the three weeks required for the development from egg to the 
 emerged insect, it would seem that it requires usually about five weeks 
 to develop a field bee. For most of the State of Maryland the fruit bloom 
 and other early flowers is usually sufficient to be of decided aid in 
 stimulating brood rearing for the harvest to be secured later from 
 white clover. Stimulative feeding will no doubt prove profitable es- 
 pecially in those years when fruit bloom honey is scarce or entirely 
 lacking. 
 
 Extracted Honey. 
 
 Honey may be secured either as extracted or comb honey. It is 
 doubtless true that the bee keepers of Maryland, have given far too 
 little attention in the past to the production of extracted honey. It is 
 not intended to include under the term extracted honey, the product 
 secured by mashing combs, honey, pollen and perhaps an occasional 
 cell containing brood into one mass and straining the whole through 
 cloth. 
 
 Extracted honey is secured from frames of comb that have been 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 259 
 
 allowed to remain on the hive long enough to properly ripen. The 
 cappings are removed from the comb by a sharp knife, after which 
 the frame is put in an extractor (fig. 21.) and revolved rapidly enough 
 
 Fig. 21. — Extractor. 
 
 to throw the honey from the cells. The frames of comb are then 
 returned to the hive to be filled again by the bees. The bees consume 
 honey in order to be able to secrete wax for comb building. The 
 amount of honey thus required has been variously estimated. It has 
 been stated that for every pound of wax secreted the bees consume 15 
 to 20 pounds of honey. Certainly there is economy indicated in the 
 production of extracted honey where the combs are used over and over 
 again. 
 
 In extracting, the cappings are removed with knives especially made 
 for this purpose. (Fig. 22.) A butcher's knife is used by some and 
 
 Fig. 22. — Uncapping knives. 
 
 found to be satisfactory. Two or more knives are needed, the one not 
 in immediate use being immersed in hot water to keep it clean and 
 warm. 
 
 Care must be taken that the honey is properly ripened in the hive 
 before extracting, otherwise it may ferment. The care of honey after 
 extracting cannot be given in detail here, but sufifice it to say that it is 
 
260 
 
 MARYLAND AGRICULTUKAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 not usually bottled or otherwise sealed at once. The receptacles in 
 which it is to be marketed may be left uncovered, and placed in a ves- 
 sel containing hot water, using care that the flavor is not destroyed by 
 too high a temperature. A temperature of i6o degrees F. but not 
 higher should be maintained for some time, after which the receptacles 
 are sealed at once, before the honey cools. Extracted honey that has 
 granulated may be liquified in the same way using the same care in 
 avoiding a temperature above i6o degrees F. 
 
 Frames that are of the same dimensions as the brood chamber are 
 usually used as extracting frames. An eight or ten frame body of such 
 frames filled solid with honey is, however, rather unwieldy, and it is 
 
 
 
 Fig. 23.^-Uncapping can. 
 
 believed that a frame not so deep can be used to good advantage owing 
 to ease pf handling when the honey is removed for extracting. 
 
 Comb Honey. 
 
 Not every locality presents conditions suitable for the produc- 
 tion of comb honey. This product of the hive must he .stored 
 rapidly to produce an article which will command a good price on the 
 market. Comb honey stored during a honey flow of several weeks is 
 usually travel stained, propolized and otherwise soiled and the combs 
 are often irregular so that it is no longer an attractive article. The 
 long honey flow is more suitable for the production of extracted honey. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OP BEES. 
 
 261 
 
 Localities in which the flora yields only a more or less 4^rk grade of 
 honey are not suitable for the production of comb honey, since the ap- 
 piearance of comb honey is an important factor in its prpptable market- 
 ing. Pound for pound the best grade of comb honey Ss worth about 
 five cents more than the best grade of extracted. It should be borne in 
 mind, however, that the yield per colony of comb honey is less than the 
 yield of extracted honey. The demands of the available market will, 
 however, be an important factor in determining the kind of product. 
 The important thing to know, however, is that any locality that will 
 yield nectar at all is adapted to extracted honey production, while the 
 profitable production of comb honey requires peculiar conditions and 
 unless these are present it certainly will not be wjse to attempt it.' 
 
 Comb honey is produced and marketed in small wooden frames 
 known as sections. The sections which are in use vary somewhat as to 
 dimensions, but all approximate more or less closely a pound in weight 
 when filled. Sections are arranged in rows in the super and fit very 
 closely in order not to leave open space for the depositing of propolis. 
 The rows of sections are separated by a wooden slat or separator of 
 which there are several kinds in use. The bees are enabled to pass 
 from the brood chamber to the sections by one of two methods. Either 
 the edges of the section are cut away to provide space between it and 
 the separator, or the separator may hjive cleats attached, which coin- 
 
 24. — Zinc excluder. 
 
 cide with the edge of the section. In addition the separator may be 
 made up of separate slats much after the manner of a board fence, 
 allowing passage for the bees from section to section. 
 
 Either narrow strips or full sheets of foundation may be used in the 
 sections. Sections should be folded, foundation put in, and supers ar- 
 ranged with sections in advance of the season in order that there may 
 be no delay in getting the surplus receptacles on the hives when the 
 rush of the honey flow comes on. Perhaps the largest amount of comb 
 honey produced in Maryland comes from the white clover flow which 
 
262 
 
 MARYLAND AGRICULTUEAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 sometimes lasts only a short time. From this it will be understood how 
 imperative it is to have a large force of worker bees at the right time. 
 The queen should be kept below by the use of a sheet of perforated 
 zinc. (Fig. 24.). The treatment of swarms has been described under 
 the topic "swarming." Add supers as they are needed, so that crowd- 
 ing does not result. After the first super is about half filled with honey, 
 lift it up and put the second super under it. This insures comb build- 
 ing in the sections, which can later be filled with honey. It takes abund- 
 ant nectar secretion for the bees to secrete wax, hence the comb in the 
 
 Fig. 25. — Spring bee escape. 
 
 Fig. 20. — Bee escape in board. 
 
 sections should be started early in the flow. If there is prospect of the 
 honey flow coming to an end soon, it may be necessary to change su- 
 pers again, in order to get the first sections filled out in first class con- 
 dition. It may be desirable even to remove some of the supers at this 
 time or a little later as the flow draws to a close. 
 
 Comb honey production requires skillful manipulation of supers 
 which' the bee keeper acquires only by study and practice. Sections 
 not filled and capped sufficiently for the market, should be retained for 
 use as "bait" sections, for next year. These are put at the sides of the 
 super where owing to the low temperature the bees are slow to build 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 263 
 
 comb and store honey. Comb honey should not be allowed to remain 
 in the hive long after capping owing to liability of the bees soiling the 
 face of the section with propolis and old wax. Sections soiled by the 
 bees in this manner are described as "travel stained." Comb honey is 
 easily removed by the use of a bee escape which clears the super of 
 bees. (Figs. 25 and 26.) 
 
 MARKETING THE CROP. 
 
 Judicious marketing of the crop may often largely measure the pro- 
 fits of the bee keeper. The securing of a crop of honey is only partly 
 indicative of the success to be attained. Many bee keepers, especially 
 those who keep only a few colonies, are too often inclined to sell at too 
 low a figure. The aggregate of the output, often of an inferior quality, 
 of such indifferent bee keepers, frequently makes it impossible for 
 others to profitably market a good article. It is the duty of the State 
 and County Bee Keepers Association to institute and maintain a vig- 
 orous campaign for the education of the bee keepers of the State in 
 profitable methods of marketing. 
 
 Carefully grade all honey so that each lot is of uniform quality; do 
 not attempt to mix a few soiled sections with a No. i article on the 
 assumption that the first class article will aid the sale of a second or 
 third grade. Carefully scrape the wood of sectibns free of propolis 
 and bits of wax, and pack in the regulation shipping case. Grading 
 rules for comb honey are published in all of the bee journals. The 
 style and size of package for extracted honey will depend on the de- 
 mands of the market in which the bee keeper disposes of his product. 
 A fancy article in a neatly labeled glass package will more than repay 
 the extra cost, in added sales and increased price obtained. 
 
 THE PRODUCTION OF WAX. 
 
 The saving of the wax that accumulates about the apiary may add 
 not a little to the income of the bee keeper. This is especially true if 
 much extracted honey is produced owing to the accumulated cappings 
 and scrapings from the frames. There are a number of wax presses 
 of varying degrees of efficiency for sale by supply dealers. The various 
 apparatus and methods used in wax extraction are described in books 
 and journals relating to bee keeping. The subject is too extensive to 
 be discussed in the limited space of this bulletin. 
 
 WINTERING. 
 
 The wintering of bees in Maryland presents so few difficulties that a 
 discussion of this subject does not seem justifiable. Colonies that go 
 into winter quarters strong in bees and with properly ripened and suf- 
 ficient stores, will usually pass through the winter in good condition. 
 
ii64 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 DISEASES. 
 
 Of the diseases which attack bees the greatest losses arise from the 
 two infectious diseases of the young brood, viz., American Foul Brood 
 and European Foul Brood. 
 
 American Foul Brood is characterized by a ropiness of the affected 
 brood, manifested by thrusting a wooden splinter into the dead brood 
 and removing it. In some cases the ropy mass can be drawn out to 
 the extent of 3 or 4 or more inches. Later this ropy mass dries and 
 forms a dark brown scale on the lower cell wall usually adhering 
 tightly. The color of this decayed mass in the earlier stages before 
 drying down is a light brown. The dead brood may be either capped 
 or uncapped and the cappings are often sunken and perforated. The 
 odor in American Foul Brood is usually marked and perhaps more 
 noticeable after the mass has dried down to form the scale. This 
 odor is not always unpleasant. It has been likened to that of a glue 
 pot, which perhaps is as descriptive a comparison as can be made. 
 This disease rarely attacks drone larvse. 
 
 In European Foul Brood there is not the tendency toward ropiness, 
 as in American Foul Brood, although a slight degree of ropiness does 
 sometimes occur. The scale that forms in this disease does not adhere 
 as a rule very closely to the cell wall and is more usually found at the 
 base of the cell. These scales often show lines running around the 
 dead grub, marking it off into divisions. The color of the scales is a 
 yellowish brown or gray, sometimes quite dark brown. In the earlier 
 stages before drying down the larva is of a yellowish or gray color and 
 has what might be called a "melting" appearance, by which it is under- 
 stood that the larva becomes a moist collapsed mass. The brood in this 
 disease is not so often capped as it is in American Foul Brood, since 
 it is the younger larva that are more often attacked. The disease at- 
 tacks queen and drone larvje as well as worker brood. 
 
 The adult bees of a colony affected with either of these diseases do 
 not seem to work with their usual activity, and the bee keeper will 
 prdbably note a general listlessness about the hive. Owing to the large 
 amount of brood dying, the colony constantly dwindles in strength, 
 often becoming so weak that robbers enter and spread the infection to 
 other hives in the apiary. 
 
 In these two diseases there is great variation, so that it is not a sim- 
 ple matter to give a general description applicable in every detail to all 
 cases. Variation occurs in both of these diseases, and they may be- 
 come so much alike in appearance that in some cases the distinguishing 
 of the one from the other requires considerable care. In case there is 
 any doubt in the mind of the bee keeper about diagnosis the Bureau of 
 Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, 
 D. C, is always willing to aid the bee keeper by examining samples of 
 brood suspected of being diseased. Neither of these diseases can be 
 diagnosed from empty comb, honey, or dead adult bees. Hence, in sus- 
 pected cases larvae of the age at which the disease has been described as 
 attacking the brood should be sent. A piece of comb four or five 
 inches square is sufficient. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 203 
 
 If a honey flow is on so that there is no danger from the spread of 
 the infection by robbing, the diseased colony or colonies should be 
 at once by shaking. This is done in the fo lowing manner : 
 Prepare a clean hive containing new fra:mes with strips of foundation 
 about % inch wide. Set this hive on the old stand, having previously 
 moved the old hive away a foot or two to one side so that it is within 
 easy reach. If the bees are to be shaken directly into the new hive 
 from the top, some of the central frames with starters should be taken 
 out to make a clear space into which the old frames covered with bees 
 can be lowered. Each frame from the old hive is to be taken out 
 separately, lowered into the new hive as above stated and given several 
 vigorous up and down shakes to dislodge all of the bees. A third 
 empty hive body should be near at hand to receive the old frames as 
 fast as the bees have been dislodged. Both the old hive from which 
 frames with bees are being taken, and the third hive body into which 
 they are placed after shaking should be provided with close fitting 
 covers and bottoms, and closed entrances so that no robber bees may 
 enter to carry away infected material. After all the bees are shaken 
 into the new hive, put in the remaining new frames previously removed 
 to make space for shaking. Close the hive and put a queen trap at the 
 entrance to prevent the colony from swarming out. Bees on being 
 shaken into a hive provided only with starters without comb, eggs or 
 brood sometimes leave. The excluder is intended to prevent this. 
 Alley's queen and drone trap (Fig. 20) is suitable for this purpose. The 
 bees are not to be given any food for 48 hours and not even then if 
 honey is coming in from the field. 
 
 There is nearly always a little unsealed honey in the combs, a part of 
 which will be shaken out into the hive. This can be left, as it is con- 
 cealed from would-be-robbers when the hive is closed at the end of the 
 , shaking. A slight modification may be suggested here. If the honey 
 flow is heavy so that a large amount of honey is shaken out it is better 
 to shake the bees at the entrance on a run-way board inclined at a gen- 
 tle slope. This may be covered with paper and the soiled paper de- 
 stroyed later. 
 
 If there is considerable brood' in the old infected combs it can be 
 saved by placing the frames over a weak diseased colony. This allows 
 the young bees which emerge to go below, thus strengtheiiing the 
 colon v, which later is treated also, as just described. In case it is not 
 desirable to save the brood, all of the old infected combs can be car- 
 ried to the honey house and rendered into wax as soon as possible. 
 This can be done by thoroughly boiling in hot water. To secure all of 
 the wax the slumgum or debris remaining after boiling should after- 
 wards be run through a wax press. 
 
 It is rarely advisable to try to savd the honey yet if this is desired it 
 should first be extracted. Honey thus obtained from old infected 
 combs must be diluted with about an equal amount of water, and boiled 
 in a closed vessel directly over the flame for one hour. Heating in one 
 receptacle set inside of another containing boiling water is not safe as 
 the spores will not be killed. It will be readily understood that this 
 honey can be used for no other purpose than feeding back to the bees 
 
266 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 at some future time, as it is almost certain to be somewhat scorched. 
 It should never be used for winter stores. 
 
 The old frames should be burned as they are not worth saving. Old 
 hive bodies should be scorched until the wood is slightly charred. A 
 painter's torch can be used to good advantage for this purpose, and in 
 case this is not available a little gasoline may be poured in on straw and 
 ignited. Caution must be exercised in using such inflammable 
 material. 
 
 As before said, the shaking treatment is to be recommended only 
 when a honey flow is on, in order to prevent robbers carrying the in- 
 fection to other hives in the apiary. If there is a dearth of nectar, it 
 is better to wait for a flow unless the colony is too weak to make this 
 safe. The entrance of all infected and weak colonies should be con- 
 tracted to reduce chance of robbers entering. If there is no prospect 
 of another honey flow, then a tent made of mosquito netting supported 
 on a light wooden frame can be used. This should be large enough to 
 permit the easy movement of the operator in manipulating. 
 
 Another disease attacking the brood late in the larval stage is the 
 so-called "pickle brood." The cause of this disease is not known. It 
 usually disappears of its own accord and no treatment is recommended. 
 
 Dysentery has been mentioned in another part of this bulletin. 
 
 "Paralysis" is a malady in which the bees are described as (being 
 seized with a peculiar trembling. No treatment can be recommended. 
 
 INSECT ENEMIES. 
 
 Of the other enemies which attack bees the two wax moths are the 
 most important. There are two species of these, the large wax moth 
 (Galleria mellonella L.) and the lesser wax moth (Achroia grisella 
 Fab.). The larvse of these moths hatch from eggs that have been de- 
 posited on the combs and on bits of wax about the hive. They do much 
 damage even destroying completely whole frames of comb. No trou- 
 ble will be experienced if the colonies are kept strong with bees. 
 
 To destroy the larvae of the wax moth in combs outside of the hive, 
 tier the bodies and place a quantity of carbon bisulphid in a saucer 
 in an empty super placed at the top of the tier. The gas is heavier 
 than the air and sinks down through all of the hive bodies. Care 
 should be used not to bring a flame near the tiers of hives as the gas 
 is highly inflammable. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
 
 Hive Records. 
 
 The bee keeper should keep a record to be preserved in permanent 
 form of each and every colony in the apiary. The hives should be num- 
 bered and entries made in book or card form for each hive. By re- 
 ferring to this written record from time to time, the manipulation of 
 the colonies can be undertaken with more certainty of intelligent ac- 
 tion. This is particularly applicable to an apiary of considerable size. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 28T 
 
 Thus by making note of the time whennhoney begins to be stored in the 
 supers, and later of the time of cessation of the flow, an idea can be 
 attained of the length of the honey flows, which as before mentioned 
 is particularly important for the producer of comb honey. Records 
 will also be desired of the date of introduction of new queens, and of 
 their activity after being introduced, and of many other items of in- 
 formation too numerous to mention. 
 
 The numbering device should be detachable so that it can be easily 
 put in place and as easily removed. This will be appreciated when it 
 is_ remembered that the old hive body will often be removed and a new 
 hive body bearing the old number put in its place on the old stand, as 
 in swarming and numerous other manipulations. 
 
 Numbering devices can be of wood or metal. Pieces of section with 
 black figures stenciled against a white background are a cheap and sat- 
 isfactory device. These can be slid in and out between three staples 
 as shown on previous cuts in this bulletin. Some arrangement whereby 
 the numbering tag would be flush with the hive body instead of pro- 
 jecting as the piece of section mentioned, would be an improvement. 
 Circular metal tags, countersunk by means of an auger, would fulfill 
 this requirement. 
 
 Literature on Bee Keeping. 
 
 Books and Journals. The bee keeper will find at least one good 
 journal and one or more books relating to apiculture to be indispensa- 
 ble. Of the journals, Gleanings in Bee Culture, published at Medina, 
 Ohio; The American Bee Journal, published at Chicago, Illinois, and 
 the Bee Keepers' Review, published at Flint, Michigan, are the three 
 publications issued in this country. 
 
 Of the books on bee keeping there are many from which to select. 
 The following will be found valuable : 
 
 ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture, A. I. Root, Co., Medina, Ohio. 
 
 Langstroth on the Hive and Honey Bee, C. P. Dadant, Hamilton, 
 111. 
 
 Manual of the Apiary, A. J. Cook, Claremont, California. 
 
 Tk. Miller's Forty Years Among the Bees, Geo. W. York, 117 N. 
 Jefferson St., Chicago, 111. 
 
 Avanced Bee Culture, W. Z. Hutchinson, Flint, Michigan. 
 
 The literature should include catalogues of manufacturers of hives, 
 and other bee supplies. These will be found to contain much valuable 
 information. 
 
 Government Publications. There are several publications of the De- 
 partmentof Agriculture which are of interest to bee keepers and new 
 ones are added from time to time in regard to the' different' lines of 
 investigation. 
 
 The following publications relating to bee culture, are for free dis- 
 tribution and may be obtained by addressing the Secretary of Agri- 
 culture, Washington, D. C. 
 
 This list is taken from Farmers' Bulletin 447. 
 
268 maryland agricultural experiment station. 
 
 Bureau of Entomology. 
 
 Farmers' Bulletin No. 447, "Bees." By E. F. Phillips, Ph. D. 191 1. 48 
 pp., 25 figs. 
 
 A general account of the management of bees. 
 
 Farmers' Bulletin No. 442, "The Treatment of Bee Diseases." By E. 
 F. Phillips, Ph. D. 191 1. 22 pp., 7 figs. 
 
 Tills publication gives briefly the symptoms of the various bee diseases, with 
 directions for treatment. 
 
 Circular No. 94, "The Cause of American Foul Brood." By G. F. 
 White, Ph. D. 1907. 4 pp. 
 
 This publication contains a brief account of the investigations which demon- 
 strated for the first time the cause of one of the brood diseases of bees, Americai> 
 foul brood. 
 
 Circular No. 138. "The Occurrence of Bee Diseases in the United 
 States. fPreliminary Report.)" By E. F.. Phillips, Ph. D. 1911. 
 25 pp. ■ t 
 
 A record of the localities from which samples of diseased brood were received 
 prior to March 1, 1911. 
 
 Bulletin No. 55, "The Rearing of Queen Bees." by E. F. Phillips, Ph. 
 
 D. 1905. 32 pp., 17 figs. 
 
 A general account of the methods used in queen rearing. Several methods are 
 given, so that the bee Iteeper may choose those best suited to his individual needs. 
 
 Bulletin No. 70, "Report of the Meeting of Inspectors of Apiaries, 
 San Antonio, Tex., November 12, 1906." 1907. 79 pp., i plate. 
 
 Contains a brief history of bee-disease investigations, an account of the rela- 
 tionship of bacteria to bee diseases, and a discussion of treatment by various In- 
 spectors of apiaries and other practical bee Iseepers who are familiar with dis- 
 eases of bees. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75, Part I, "Production and Care of Extracted Honey." 
 By E. F. Phillips, Ph. D. "Methods of Honey Testing for Bee Keep- 
 ers." By C. A. Browne, Ph. D. 1907. 18 pp. 
 
 The methods of producing extracted honey, with special reference to the care of 
 honey after it is taken from the bees, so that Its value may not be decreased by 
 Improper handling. The second portion of the publicaflon gives some simple tests 
 for adulteration. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75, Part H, "Wax Moths and American Foul Brood." By 
 
 E. F Phillips, Ph. D. 1907. Pp. 19-22, 3 plates. 
 
 An account of the behavior of the two species of wax moths on combs contain- 
 ing American foul brood, showing that moths do not destroy the disease-carrying 
 scales. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75, Part IH, "Bee Diseases in Massachusetts." By Burton 
 N. Gates. 1908. Pp. 23-32, map. 
 
 An account of the distribution of the brood diseases of bees In the State, with 
 brief directions for controlling them. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75, Part IV, "The Relation of the Etiology (Cause) of 
 Bee Diseases to the Treatment" By G. F. White, Ph. D. 1908. Pp. 
 33-42. 
 
THE MANAGEMENT OP BEES. 269- 
 
 The necessity for a knowledge of the cause of bee diseases before rational treat- 
 ment is possible Is pointd out. The present state of knowledge-of the causes of 
 disease is summarized. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75, Part V, "A Brief Survey of Hawaiian Bee Keeping." 
 By E. F. Phillips, Ph. D. 1909. Pp. 43-58, 6 plates. 
 
 An account of the beekeeping methods used in a tropical country and a com- 
 parison with mainland conditions. Some new manipulations are recommended. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75 Part VI, "The Status of Apiculture in the United 
 States." By E. F. Phillips, Ph. D. 1909. Pp. 59-80. 
 
 A survey of present-day beekeeping In the United States, with suggestions as to- 
 the work yet to be done before apiculture will have reached its fullest development. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75, Part VII. "Bee Keeping in Massachusetts." By Bur- 
 ton N. Gates. 1909. Pp. 81-109, 2 figs. 
 
 An account of a detailed study of the aplcultural conditions in Massachusetts. 
 The object of this paper Is to point out the actual conditions and needs of bee- 
 keeping In New England. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75, Contents and Index. 191 1. Pp. viii+iii-123. 
 
 Bulletin No. 75, Parts I-VII, complete with Contents and Index. 191 1. 
 Pp. VI11-I-123. 
 
 Bulletin No. 98, "Historical Notes on the Causes of Bee Diseases." By 
 E. F. Phillips, Ph. D., and G. F. White, Ph. D., M. D. (In press.) 
 
 A summary of the various investigations concerning the etiology (cause) of bee- 
 diseases. 
 
 Technical Series, No. 14, "The Bacteria of the Apiary, with Special 
 Reference to Bee Diseases." By G. F. White, Ph. D. 1906. 50 pp. 
 
 A study of the bacteria present in both the healthy and the diseased colony, with, 
 special reference to the diseases of bees. 
 
 Technical Series No. 18, "The Anatomy of the Honey Bee." By R. E. 
 Snodgrass. 1910. 162 pp., 57 figs. 
 
 An account of the structure of the bee, with technical terms omitted so far as- 
 possible. Practically all of the illustrations are new, and the various parts are in- 
 terpreted according to the best usage In comparative anatomy of insects. A brief 
 discussion of the physiology of the various organs is Included. 
 
 BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 
 
 Bulletin No. no, "Chemical Analysis and Composition of American 
 Honeys." By C. A. Browne. Including "A Microscopical Study of 
 Honey Pollen." By W. J. Young. 1908. 93 pp., i fig., 6 plates. 
 
 A comprehensive study of the chemical composition of American honeys. This 
 publication Is technical in nature and will perhaps be little used by practical bee 
 keepers, but It is an important contribution to aplcultural literature. By means^ 
 of this work the detection of honey adulteration is much aided. 
 
 HAWAII AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTAL STATION, HONOLULU, HAWAII. 
 
 Bulletin No. 17, "Hawaiian Honeys." By D. L. Van Dine and Alice 
 R. Thompson. 1908. 21 pp., i plate. 
 
 A study of the source and composition of the honeys of Hawaii. The peculiar- 
 conditions found on these islands are dealt with. 
 
PUBLICATIONS OF 
 
 The Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station 
 
 These Bnlletlns are sent free of charge to any address upon application. 
 
 Only the Bulletins named helow are avaUaVle for distribution. 
 
 Uetln No. 58, Aug., 
 
 1898, 
 
 " " 01, June, 
 
 1899, 
 
 " 73, April, 
 
 1901, 
 
 " " 75, June, 
 
 1901, 
 
 " 87, Nov., 
 
 1902, 
 
 " '* 89, June, 
 
 1003, 
 
 " " 102, May, 
 
 1905, 
 
 " " 103, June, 
 
 1905, 
 
 . " 104, July, 
 
 1905, 
 
 " " 110, gept.. 
 
 1906, 
 
 " " 119, July, 
 
 1907, 
 
 " 121, Sept., 
 
 1907, 
 
 " " 122, Oct., 
 
 1907, 
 
 " 123, Not., 
 
 1907, 
 
 " 124, Dec, 
 
 1907, 
 
 " 125, Feb.,- 
 
 1908, 
 
 " 126, April, 
 
 1908, 
 
 " 127, May, 
 
 1908, 
 
 " 128, June, 
 
 1908, 
 
 " 129, July, 
 
 1908, 
 
 " 130, Aug., 
 
 1908, 
 
 " 131, Nov., 
 
 1908, 
 
 " " 133, March 
 
 , 1909, 
 
 " " 134, April, 
 
 1909, 
 
 .;" , , " 135, May, 
 
 1909, 
 
 " 136, June, 
 
 1909, 
 
 " 137, July, 
 
 1909, 
 
 " 138, Aug., 
 
 1909, 
 
 " 141, Jan., 
 
 1910, 
 
 " 142, Feb., 
 
 1010, 
 
 " 143, Feb., 
 
 1910, 
 
 " 144, Feb., 
 
 1910, 
 
 " 145, June, 
 
 1910, 
 
 " 146, July, 
 
 1910, 
 
 " 147, Aug. 
 
 1910, 
 
 " 148, Nov. 
 
 1910, 
 
 " " 149, Dec, 
 
 1910, 
 
 " " 150, Jan., 
 
 1911, 
 
 " 151, Feb., 
 
 1011, 
 
 . " 152, Apr., 
 
 1911, 
 
 " 153, May, 
 
 1911, 
 
 " 154, June, 
 
 19il, 
 
 The Hessian Fly and Wheat Dlseasea 
 
 The Sugar Beet In Maryland. 
 
 Suggestions About Combatting the San Jose Scale. 
 
 The Effect of Hydrocyanlc-Acid Gas on Grains and 
 
 Seeds. 
 The Periodical Cicada or Seventeen-Year Locust. 
 Experiments with Potash Fertilizers. 
 The Leucocytes in Milk and Their Signlflcanee. 
 Methods of Tobacco Seed Selection. 
 Tests of Materials for Bedding Cdws. 
 Investigations on Liming Soils. 
 Greenhouse Pests in Maryland. 
 Beef Cattle Industry of Maryland. 
 Stable Manure Experiments. 
 The San Jose Scale and Peach- Lecanlum. 
 Strawberries. 
 
 Nut Growing in Maryland. 
 Manuring and Fertilizing Truck Crops. 
 MlsceHaneous Greenhouse Notes. , 
 The Effect of Animal Digestion and the Fermentation 
 
 of Manure on the ¥itallty of Seeds. 
 Silos and Silage in Maryland. 
 Nurseries and Nursery Inspection. 
 Treatment for San Jose Scale. 
 Cabbage Experiments and Culture. 
 Brown-Tall Moth, House Fly, Mosqultoe. 
 Butter-Making In Maryland. 
 Whipped Cream. 
 The Angoumols Grain-Moth. 
 The Poultry Industry in Maryland. 
 Corn, Variety Tests, Seed, Selection, Testing, and 
 
 Breeding. 
 The Codling Moth. 
 Plant Diseases and Spray Calendar. 
 Apple Culture. 
 Tuberculosis of Animals. 
 Poultry House Construetion. 
 Wheat — Variety Test, Smuts and Scab. 
 For the Control of San Jose Scale. 
 The Terrapin Scale. 
 Hog Feeding and Hog Houses. 
 Fertilizers for Asparagus. 
 Aphiaiinae of North America. 
 Bacteria and Animal Organisms Found in the Feces 
 
 of CUieJcens. 
 Bee Keeping in Maryland. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 BEEKEEPING IN MAEYLAND. 
 
 I. The Status of Beekeeping in the State. 
 
 By T. B. Symons. 
 
 t/ 
 
 Introduction .• ^ -. 227 
 
 The Needs of Such an Investigation •.'. ,. 229 
 
 The Distribution of Bees in the State. 223, 
 
 Increases and Loss of Colonies. , 230 
 
 Production of Honey and Wax \ 2^0 
 
 Sources of Honey 23,1 
 
 Average Experience of Beekeepers; Hives and Kind of Bees. .;. . T^ 
 
 Bee Diseases in the State 236I 
 
 The Needs of the Industry in Maryland ,•••■•■ 236 
 
 II. The Management of Bees. 
 By Arthur H. McCray. 
 
 Introduction 237; 
 
 Equipment of the Apiary 242 
 
 The Apiary, Its Location and Size 247 ' 
 
 Transfering, General Manipulations , 249 
 
 Spring Management 253 
 
 Swarming • 256 
 
 Securing the Harvest 258 
 
 ., Marketing the Crop 263 
 
 The Production of Wax 263 
 
 Wintering 26.5 
 
 Diseases ^ 2641' 
 
 Insect Enemies ....". 266 
 
 Miscellaneous Information 266 
 
Photomount 
 
 Pamphlet 
 
 Bind.er 
 
 Gajrlord Bros. 
 
 JSaMxta 
 Syracuse, N. Y. 
 
 Pn.J«l 21,1901