MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

DR. MILLER'S THOUSAND ANSWERSAbsconding (See also Desertion, Swarms Leaving.)—Q. I hiveda swarm, and the next day it sailed off to parts unknown. Whatshall I do to prevent such a thing in the future?A. The most frequent cause of such desertion is heat. A hiveunshaded standing out in the boiling sun with a very small entranceand all the rest closed up tight, is a pretty warm place toset up housekeeping, and one can hardly blame the newly settledfamily for moving out.The remedy is not difficult to imagine. If possible, let the hivebe in a cool, shady place. A temporary shade, and sprinkling withwater will serve a good turn. Give plenty of chance for air.Some practice leaving the covers of the hives raised an inch orso for two or three days. Some give two stories to the swarm,taking away the lower story after two or three days. Either ofthese plans provides to some extent against an overheated dwelling.Some practice giving a frame of brood to the swarm, withthe idea that the bees will feel that they cannot afford to abandonso valuable a piece of property.In any case, if all laying queens are clipped no prime swarmcan abscond unless it joins, or is joined, by some other swarmhaving a queen with whole wings. The queen with clipped wingmay be lost, but it is better to lose the queen alone than to loseboth queen and swarm.Swarms may abscond, also, if they are secondary or afterswarmsand the queen has not mated. When she goes out for herthe swarm may follow her.wedding flight,Absorbents.—Q. Which is the better way to fix bees for winteringout-of-doors, with a tight-fitting cover on the hive, or withchaff cushions, or some other porous absorbent material?Is there any way to keep the moisture from the bees, and fromcondensing in the hives? If so, how?A. If a plain board cover be directly over the bees the- moisturewill condense on it and fall on the cluster; but the moisture willnot condense so readily on wool, chaff or something of that kind;so that it is preferable to the close-fitting board cover.Adel Bees.—Q. Is the Adel bee a sort of Carniolan bee, and