MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

28 DR. miller'stween. When I took the frames out of this top hive to hangthem in the basement for the winter, I found dead brood in "J^'I thought perhaps this brood was not properly taken care o* Dythe bees. There was no smell, the brood was not ropy, and tneunsealed brood was coffee colored, while the sealed was whiteand thin.A. Like enough the few bees deserted the brood and wentbelow, leaving the brood above to starve.Q. I have one colony that is carrying out brood in all stagesof development, some alive with wings almost developed. Canyou tell me what is wrong?A. One guess is that the larva; of the bee-moth, or waxworms,have mutilated the young bees with their galleries andthe bees carry them out. Another is that the bees are drivingout the drones and destroying the dron-e larvs, or they arestarving.Brood-Frames.—Q. Should the honey of the brood-frames beextracted, and can it be done without injuring the brood?A. Unless you are very careful you are likely to throw outbrood if any is in the comb; and it is not considered best to extracthoney from such combs.Brood-Rearing.—Q. If there is plenty of honey, at about whattime do bees quit rearing brood?A. Somewhere about October 1, some earlier and some later,depending upon age of queen, condition of colony, and part ofcountry. In the south, brood is reared practically the entire year.Q. I nuticc that late brood-rearing is recommended. Howwould you encourage it?A. \\'ith a fall flow of even moderate extent there is no needto do anything to keep up late brood-rearing, "^'oung queens, howe\er,are more reliable than old ones. If the flow stops early,breeding can be kept up by light feeding every other night.Q. Why do bees rear brood in December and January? Theyhave very little honey, (West Virginia.)A. It is nothing unusual for bees wintered outdoors to beginrearing brood in .February, especially as far south as \'irginia,and not very unusual in January. I think December is unusual,and I don't know why any of yours should begin so early. Possiblythere is something in their condition causing it.Q. Will a colony rear brood in February' or ^larch if it hasbeen given frames of sealed honey in the fall? I gave it outsideframes, which, I don't think, had any pollen in them, or beebread.