MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

152 DR. MILLER SMold in Hives.—Q. What can be done with a colony that hasmoldy combs when the whole entrance is open? I bored twoholes, one on each side of the back part of the cover, about halfan inch in diameter, and tacked some screen-wire over the_ holes,then I placed a telescope cover (of my own make) over it, andpacked around it dry moss. Will it work? The bees are in agood shed. They were dying off before I gave them the top ventilation.Now they seem to be doing fine.A. "The proof of the pudding is the eating of it." If your beesare doing well since you made the change, that is pretty goodproof that it is all right. Of course, there must not be too muchventilation, lest the bees be too cold, but ventilation in some formmust be sufficient to prevent dampness and mold.Q. What can I do with moldy comb? Is there any special wayto clean comb in which brood and bees have died?A. Nothing is needed to be done with either moldy combs orthose in which bees have died except to give them in care of thebees. They will clean them out in short order. A good way isto put a hive full of such combs under the hive of a strong colony.Then let the bees take their time to clean them.Morning Glory—Q. Does morning glory make nice honey?We have hundreds, yes thousands, of acres here, and the beesseem to work on it some; also carpet-grass. The honey I have extractedis light amber.A. I have read that it is of fair quality.Moving Bees.—Q. Will it be safe to move a colony now on ahigh stand facing the east to a low stand six feet away and facingthe southeast? Will many of the bees get lost when they fly out?A. Something depends upon the weather. If, after moving,the weather is cold enough to confine the bees to the hive for afew days, or if the bees have not been flying for a few days—saya week or so—there will be little trouble about moving bees anydistance, great or small.In the particular case you mention therewill be no trouble, even if the bees are flying every day, providedno other colony stands within six feet of where the colony inquestion now stands. Put a slanting board in front of the entrance,so that when they issue they may know that somethinghas been changed in their location. They will then examine theirposition more carefully before leaving.Q. Can hives be moved from their original place, say SO or100 feet, without confusing the bees? Are there any special rulesto be observed?A. If you move them before they have had a spring flight