MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

THOUSAND ANSWERS 29This swarm I caught late in August, so it did not have time to procurestores for the winter.A. A good colony wintered outdoors will be likely to rearbrood before February is over, if it has pollen. If no pollen ispresent, you need not expect brood till pollen can be gathered.Q. Will bees rear brood sooner in spring when wintered inthe cellar or on the summer stands?A. They begin rearing brood, as a rule, sooner outdoors thanin cellar. Even in the north, brood-rearing outdoors begins often,if not generally, in February, and in the cellar generally not tillMarch.Q. What is the most satisfactory way of stimulating broodrearingin the spring?A. The most satisfactory way for me is to see that the beeshave plenty, yes, more than plenty—abundance—of stores; keepthem well closed up, and then let them entirely alone. If yourqueens are not so good at laying as to do their best without thelash, or if your locality is such that you have good flying weatherwithout any pasturage, then it may pay you to feed half a poundof diluted honey every other evening, or to change end for endthe outside comb on each side.Brood Scattered.—Q. When you find little patches of brooddeposited here and there in the combs, what does it indicate?A. Probably a failing queen.Brood, Spreading.—Q. What are the indications when it issafe and profitable to spread the brood, i. e., place an empty combin the center?A. For some years I have been of the opinion that for methere is no time when it is profitable to spread brood. Early inthe season, at the time when we want bees to build up asfast aspossible, the bees of their own accord have all the brood they cancover. In that case, if brood is spread it can result only in chilledbrood, thus hindering instead of helping the building up. I don'tknow whether the bees of others are different or not. If at anytime your bees are covering combs that have no brood or eggs atthe outer part of the cluster, it ought then to be safe and profitableto spread. But be sure you're right before you go ahead.Brood Uneven.—Q. I have one colony of bees whose cells areuneven on top—some tall and some low. What is this? Some ofthe brood looks pink, but does not smell. I have a virgin queenin the hive. Could she be a drone-layer only, or not purelymated?