MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

ODR. MILLER Swill be the better one, and sometimes the south. In cool daysthe southern exposure will generally be better, and in the hottestdays the northern. In winter there will be days when >oft snowis on the ground and the sun shining brightly to entice the beesout to a chilly tomb, and on such days the northern aspect willbe better. There will be other days in winter when the weatherand all conditions are favorable for a cleansing flight, and thenthe southern slope will be better. That cleansing flight is a matterof such importance that on the whole it is better to have thesouthern slope for wintering. This refers, of course, to locationsfar enough north to make a winter flight an infrequent occurrence.If your bees arc wintered in the cellar, it will probablybe a toss up which way is better.Apifuge.—Q. I read in my bee-book about apifuge. What isit? Will it really keep bees from stinging?A. Apifuge is the name of some combination of drugs, whichcombination is not made public, and is made, advertised and soldin England. I don't remember its being advertised or used onthis side. It probably helps to prevent stings. I have seen itclaimed that oil of wintergreen rubbed on the hands would preventstinging.Associations, Bee.—Q. Where is my nearest bee-association,and what are the annual dues?A. The secretaries of associations change nearly everjr year.Write the publishers of your bee journal for information.Baits.—Q. What do you mean by baiting to get the bees towork? Do you put in sections partly filled with honey?A. Sections that are only partly filled are emptied of theirhoney by the bees in the fall, and the next year one or more ofthese are put into the first super to start the bees. Such sectionsare called bait-sections, or baits.Q. In putting bait-sections, or sections partly filled with comb,into supers when you put them on at the beginning of the season,wouldn't the super be filled better, that is, wouldn't all of the sectionsbe more likely to be completed at the same time, if the baitsectionswere put at the outside of the super? Wouldn't it bejust as effective in getting the bees to go up and begin storinghoney in the super? Or, one might have one bait-section in themiddle and the rest on the outside.A. Your views are all right. Bees will start soonest on a centralbait; bvit if more than one in a super, put them in the corners,or at least outside.