_Buffalo Grove, Iowa_, June 20.
[For the American Bee Journal.]
The Honey Season in Jasper County, Iowa.
MR. EDITOR:--This has been a somewhat poor honey season in this
locality, owing to the dry weather. The month of March was pleasant and
warm for the season. At the close of the month there was brood in the
combs in most colonies. April was less favorable. The month was cold,
and at its close there was less brood in many colonies, than there was
at its commencement. May was warmer again, and the bees commenced
gathering pollen early in the month. Breeding was extensively resumed,
and towards the last of the month, the bees stored some honey. Most of
the hives were strong and apparently in good condition to be divided;
yet a division at this time, or in fact at any time during the season,
would have proved injurious to many, if not entirely ruinous to some of
the divided colonies. Honey gathering ceased with the failure of the
fruit blossoms. No more honey was gathered until the last of June.
Through the middle of that month most stocks were nearly destitute of
honey, and the drones in most colonies were killed off. The slaughter
was pretty general. About the last of June the bees commenced gathering
honey again, and for nearly three weeks it was stored quite freely.
Towards the end of July the honey harvest ceased, and from that time
till within the last few days bees gathered no honey.
As a whole, the season has been a poor one. Very few stocks
swarmed--especially of natives. The Italians have done better, those at
least that were rightly managed. In the spring I placed twenty-eight
(28) colonies on their stands, all of which had been wintered in a dark
cellar. These I have doubled by artificial swarming, except three
natural ones.
I drew and started up twenty-five (25) nuclei, for queen raising
purposes, and _kept them up_. This I have done, while my neighbors did
not get either swarms or honey; yet I do not think I have any colonies
but what will be in good condition for wintering, at the close of the
season.
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