MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

220 DR. miller'sA. Il o largely a matter of convenience. Any old thing thatwill burn is likely to answer all right, provided it is easily obtainable.Probably nothing is better than dry hardwood chips. Afavorite with some is a greasy cotton waste that is thrown awayafter being used in machine shops or on automobiles or locomotives.Then there is bark, planer chips, cowdung, etc.Q. So far as using a bee-smoker is concerned, I am a novicein the business, and with poor success so far. I have tried newspaper,excelsior, and cobs broken up, but by the time I have thecover off and begin to raise the inside cover over the hive, orsections, the fire is out. What is best to use to make smoke?How should I use the smoker to keep the fire from going out?A. Try old rags of any kind of cotton cloth. First put a littleloosely in the smoker; light it and let it blaze up; put a little moreon and keep blowing till it gets a good start; then fill up and itwill not be likely to go out till it burns out. When the smoker isnot in use it will burn better to stand upright. Almost anythingis better than newspapers.Q. Explain how you prepare saltpeter rags for smoker-fuel.A. I take a 2-gallon stone crock, perhaps half full of water,put in it half a pound or less of saltpeter, fill up with cotton rags,lift the rags out and let the water drain back into the crockthrough a colander or leaky pan; spread the rags out on the grassfor the sun to dry, and they're ready to use. I use them only tostart the fire, filling up the smoker with hardwood chips oi someother fuel.Snow.—Q. Can I put snow over the entrances of the beehiveswhen the coldest, windy days come?A. It will be all right if the snow is dry. If the snow is wetand packs together it may smother the bees.Q. Is it necessary to keep snow and ice swept away from theentrance of hive ?A. As long as it remains dry and hard, a little snow at theentrance is not likely to do any harm. But if it becomes wet andsoft, filling the entrance and then freezing, it may do harm, soit should be cleared away before it has a chance to freeze. Notthat there is special harm from the freezing, only that it allowsthe entrance to remain closed.Q. My colonies are buried under the snow. Will they smother?I have planer shavings on top to let the air through.A. Enough air works in through the snow so there's no dan-