UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 
 
 CIRCULAR 297 
 
 October, 1925 
 
 A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 G. H. VANSELL 
 
 AND 
 
 THE HONEYBEE AS A POLLINIZER 
 
 E. E. DeONG 
 
 A study of apiculture in the state of California has been made in 
 order to determine the present conditions, possibilities, and needs of 
 the business of beekeeping, with special reference to the problems 
 confronting the beekeeper at the present time. This circidar is 
 intended to summarize the status of the industry in this state for the 
 guidance of the beginner or of the beekeeper from outside the state. 
 
 PRESENT CONDITIONS 
 
 The diversity of the climatic conditions of California renders it 
 impossible to make satisfactory general statements regarding honey 
 production in the state. Some localities are entirely unsuited to bee- 
 keeping. Others, such as parts of Inyo and Modoc counties, have a 
 long season of nectar flow and produce a white honey, while still 
 others, such as the San Francisco Bay Region, have a comparatively 
 short season and the honey is more colored. There are marked local 
 variations in the season of nectar flow which have been utilized by 
 Californian beekeepers, who have introduced a migratory form of 
 the industry entirely new to most beekeepers of the eastern and 
 southern United States. 
 
 As the state has developed, certain factors have changed radically 
 the established system of beekeeping. The increase of introduced 
 plants such as the orange, alfalfa, and eucalyptus has added materially 
 to the nectar flow ; some native sources of nectar have been reduced ; 
 and the advent and wide dissemination of bee diseases have so increased 
 
2 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 the time required for the care of bees that honey production is no 
 longer a profitable side issue for the fruit grower or general farmer 
 but has become the single enterprise of a specialist. 
 
 California has perhaps more "one-crop farmers" than any other 
 state. This affords an excellent opportunity to the beekeeper who 
 wishes to rent his bees to the orchardist, gardener or seed grower. 
 The problem of wintering bees, which is one of much difficulty in 
 most states, is not very serious in California, for the winter climate 
 in the valley floors and foothills is milder than that of most states. 
 Also the consumption of stores (loss in weight) during the winter is 
 but slight in most parts of the state. During January and February, 
 the major part of the so-called winter season, eucalyptus, manzanita, 
 and other plants yield nectar, which the bees are able to gather in 
 favored spots. 
 
 PRESENT STATUS OF HONEY PRODUCTION 
 
 Although California generally produces more honey than any other 
 state, this is to be accounted for in part by her great size. The follow- 
 ing table lists a few of the states with the area, number of colonies, 
 and honey production of each in a single year, arranged in order of 
 production per square mile of area. The recorded production for 
 California varies from 16,000,000 pounds (1916) to 1,000,000 pounds 
 (1904).* 
 
 New York. 
 
 Iowa 
 
 Wisconsin 
 Tennessee.. 
 Kentucky... 
 California.. 
 
 Texas 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Colorado... 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Michigan... 
 
 Honey pro- 
 duced 1919 
 or 1920 
 
 3,223,323 
 2,840,025 
 2,676,683 
 1,969,425 
 1,604,519 
 5,501,236 
 5,041,236 
 
 835,894 
 2,483,950 
 1,220,611 
 
 416,959 
 
 Number 
 
 
 Pounds 
 
 of 
 
 Area in 
 
 per 
 
 colonies 
 
 sq. miles 
 
 colony t 
 
 127,858 
 
 47,620 
 
 25 
 
 138,419 
 
 55,620 
 
 20 
 
 107,646 
 
 54,450 
 
 20 
 
 191,098 
 
 41,750 
 
 10 
 
 156,889 
 
 40,000 
 
 10 
 
 180,719 
 
 155,980 
 
 30 
 
 232,195 
 
 262,290 
 
 21 
 
 105,675 
 
 40,760 
 
 7 
 
 63,253 
 
 103,645 
 
 30 
 
 157,678 
 
 68,735 
 
 8 
 
 93,348 
 
 58,915 
 
 4 
 
 Pounds 
 
 per 
 sq. mile 
 
 (17 
 51 
 49 
 40 
 40 
 35 
 26 
 25 
 24 
 17 
 7 
 
 * The recorded production probably represents less than 50 per cent of the 
 actual. 
 
 t The average production per colony for the United States as a whole during 
 the years 1899 to 1909 (U.S. Census) was 10 pounds. 
 
Circ. 297] 
 
 A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 THE DISTRIBUTION OF HIVE BEES IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 Bees are to be found, at least in favored spots, in every county in 
 California. The United States Census records for 1920 give the 
 number of colonies in the state as 180,719. The accompanying map 
 indicates the distribution by counties irrespective of locations in the 
 counties, and shows only the comparative distribution in the state. 
 It is well known that there are many more colonies than those recorded. 
 
 County 
 
 Alameda 
 
 Alpine 
 
 Amador 
 
 Colonies 
 
 586 
 
 2 
 
 374 
 
 Butte o 789 
 
 Calaveras '. 418 
 
 Colusa 1,324 
 
 Contra Costa 725 
 
 Del Norte 147 
 
 Eldorado 881 
 
 Fresno 11,064 
 
 Glenn 1,397 
 
 Humboldt 1,688 
 
 Imperial 14,998 
 
 Inyo 4,602 
 
 Kern 4,583 
 
 Kings 3,883 
 
 Lake 424 
 
 Lassen 1,058 
 
 Los Angeles 18,817 
 
 Madera 919 
 
 Marin 75 
 
 Mariposa 67 
 
 Mendocino 1,068 
 
 Merced 6,568 
 
 Modoc 1,069 
 
 Mono 100 
 
 Monterey 3,224 
 
 Napa 544 
 
 Nevada 199 
 
 County Colonies 
 
 Orange 5,447 
 
 Placer 896 
 
 Plumas 47 
 
 Riverside 17,014 
 
 Sacramento 1,827 
 
 San Benito 539 
 
 San Bernardino 13,186 
 
 San Diego 19,012 
 
 San Francisco 
 
 San Joaquin 3,177 
 
 San Luis Obispo 1,694 
 
 San Mateo 161 
 
 Santa Barbara 1,039 
 
 Santa Clara 3,275 
 
 Santa Cruz 506 
 
 Shasta 1,182 
 
 Sierra 118 
 
 Siskiyou 2,353 
 
 Solano 787 
 
 Sonoma 964 
 
 Stanislaus 3,485 
 
 Sutter 1,397 
 
 Tehama 1,655 
 
 Trinity 163 
 
 Tulare 6,342 
 
 Tuolumne 280 
 
 Ventura 7,272 
 
 Yolo 3,168 
 
 Yuba 140 
 
 Data from Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920, Vol. VI, part 3, 
 pp. 350-355. 
 
 The six leading honey producing counties in the state, to judge 
 from the reported production in 1919, are: Imperial (667,676 
 pounds), San Bernardino (536,937), Los Angeles (519,019), San 
 Diego (480,165), Riverside (480,016), and Fresno (217,370). Area 
 being considered, Orange County ranks near the top of the list some 
 years, which means that Orange County has a very high yield to the 
 colony when conditions are favorable. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 (JOEL NORTE I 
 
 \ •^-•v. \S ( S K I V O U 
 
 _j 
 
 MODOC J 
 I 
 
 /J <£ J s Js H A S T A i •• * 
 
 V-J-I ' T E 
 
 i- 1 
 
 2- \G 
 
 o v.. 
 
 
 
 
 \ <rS /*Lt iu LAR E J 
 V#& j\£M| — — — »\ ^ 
 
 X 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 • • °<s\ K e R N 
 
 w 
 
 \ 
 
 SAN BERNARDINO 
 
 SI#T E R S « D E [ 
 ••• # ' 
 
 ties km 
 
 Tliis map indicates the distribution of bees in California. Each dot represents 
 one thousand colonies or a fraction thereof. 
 
ClRC. 297] A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 5 
 
 EACES OF BEES 
 
 All common hive bees in the United States belong to a single species 
 Apis mellifica. There are, however, several varieties of this species 
 which are commonly spoken of as races. They interbreed freely, and 
 it is the exception to find a race of bees which is not somewhat crossed 
 with another. All our hive bees have been imported from other 
 countries. The commonest races of honey bees present in North 
 America today are the following :* Italian, German or black, 
 Carniolan, Cyprian, and Caucasian. 
 
 Among beekeepers there are ardent supporters of all these varieties. 
 Most beekeepers, however, prefer the Italian bees, of which there are 
 several types. The Carniolans perhaps rank second in popularity. 
 The following brief statements indicate the colors and characteristics 
 of the five races named. 
 
 Italian. — The Italian strains were imported from Italy. The 
 various types of Italian bees are rather distinctive in color, which 
 is the basis of differentiation between the leather colored three banded, 
 the five banded, etc. This color variation character is quite noticeable 
 in the several parts of Italy. Roughly, the color becomes progressively 
 lighter toward the south. The bees of Sicily are decidedly light yellow 
 in color. The most popular strain in the United States today is the 
 three-banded or leather-colored. The Goldens are very pretty and 
 are usually gentle, but the experience of many beekeepers tends to 
 show that they are often not such good producers of honey as some of 
 the other strains. 
 
 The Italians in general are fairly prolific and are quite resistant 
 to European foulbrood. They winter well, are good producers, and 
 are gentler than many races. 
 
 Carniolan. — The Carniolans came originally from Carniola, in 
 Austria. They are large, blackish bees with bands of silver white 
 hairs on the hind margins of the abdominal segments. This combin- 
 ation makes them appear gray. They are very gentle, extremely 
 prolific, and winter well. The rapidity with which they increase 
 leads to excessive swarming when abundant room for brood and 
 storage is not provided during the swarming season. 
 
 A heavy demand for queens of a Carniolan-Italian cross has been 
 manifested in recent years. Many of these queens are sold to Nevada 
 beekeepers and others at high altitudes where the wintering problem 
 is somewhat difficult and the spring is late. 
 
 * It is no longer permissible under ordinary circumstances to bring in foreign 
 bees. United States quarantine laws were enacted to prevent the introduction 
 of Isle of Wight disease. 
 
b UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 German. — The German bees are small and black. The "Spanish 
 Bee ' ' of California is thought to be this same old German type which 
 was brought into the state in early days by the Spanish Fathers. 
 These bees are often vicious with both sting and mandibles. They are 
 more susceptible to injury by the wax moth than the Italians. The 
 "blacks" are particularly subject to the European foulbrood disease. 
 Most beekeepers have attempted to abandon this race, yet traces of 
 them are still prevalent in many parts of the state. The German- 
 Italian hybrid is a very good combination, having enough spirit to 
 protect the colony effectively against tramps or marauding skunks, 
 etc. 
 
 Cyprian. — Cyprians are of a bright orange tinge, smaller in size 
 than the Italians, and with a pointed abdomen, the forward part of 
 which is decidedly yellowish orange. They are not readily subdued 
 by smoke and sting viciously. American beekeepers have tried these 
 bees thoroughly. Their working ability is not questioned and they 
 are very prolific, but they are being abandoned on account of the 
 difficulty of handling them. 
 
 Caucasian. — The Caucasians, introduced into America from the 
 northern parts of the Caucasus, are largely of the gray type. Some 
 of them are yellowish, resembling the Italian. These bees are very 
 gentle, although they protect their hives well against robber bees. 
 They are very prolific, and in the main good bees. The tendency to 
 gather and use propolis lavishly and to build burr combs is quite 
 noticeable. Their susceptibility to European foulbrood is a very bad 
 feature which tends to limit their use in California. Despite these 
 two drawbacks, many of them are in use todaj^, especially in the south- 
 eastern United States. 
 
 Other races of hive bees not used in California that may be men- 
 tioned in passing are the Syrian, Egyptian, Grecian, and African. 
 
 Dr. E. F. Phillips, formerly Apiculturist in the Bureau of 
 Entomology of the United States Department of Agriculture, says 
 concerning the best races of bees : ' ' The question is hard to answer. 
 For comb honey production the German, Carniolan, and Caucasian 
 races have the advantage of capping the honey white, but the German 
 bees are especially subject to European foulbrood, Carniolans swarm 
 excessively (especially in comb honey production), and Caucasians 
 propolize badly. Without going any further into the merits and 
 demerits of the various races, it may be well to give the almost unani- 
 mous verdict of American beekeepers, which is in favor of the Italian 
 race. It is probably true that the test cannot be considered as free 
 
ClRC. 297] A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 7 
 
 from prejudice, but the decision was made years ago and no special 
 reason has been presented for changing it. Since this race became 
 popular, it has been carefully bred, and it is easier to get good stock 
 of this race than of any other in the United States. It was the first 
 race brought into this country in the effort to improve on the early 
 introduced black bees, and proved so vastly superior that it soon took 
 a firm hold on American beekeepers. It is doubtful whether any other 
 race will be accepted as better, or even as good, by the majority of 
 beekeepers and certainly no markedly better race has been tried in 
 this country." 
 
 BEE AND QUEEN EAISING 
 
 There are over two hundred apiaries in the state which specialize 
 in queen rearing. Their total estimated output is more than half a 
 million queens annually. No figures are available for the production 
 of package bees but thousands of pounds of Italian and Carniolan 
 workers are marketed each year. These are sold to furnish nuclei 
 for new queens or to strengthen depleted colonies. Many queens and 
 bees are shipped to points outside of the state, going particularly to 
 Idaho, Nevada and Canada. Also many queens, mostly superior 
 breeding stock, are brought into California from other states each 
 year. The usual practice in queen rearing in California is to start 
 the queen cells above a strong "queen-right" colony (a normal colony 
 with an accepted queen) over a queen excluder. Both nuclei and full- 
 sized standard frame hives are used for mating queens. Very few 
 locations are ideally situated for queen rearing operations because 
 the production of good queens requires hot nights and a superabund- 
 ance of nectar and pollen over a long period. The absence of queen 
 enemies (dragon flies, king birds, fly catchers) is desirable. 
 
 CLASSES AND KINDS OF HONEY 
 
 Honey is sold largely according to color and body. The thick, 
 light-colored honeys command the highest prices as a rule. This 
 market condition has grown up through long years, but in many 
 ways the preference for light-colored honeys is unfortunate as these 
 honeys are by no means always of the best flavor. By far the greater 
 part of the commercial honey produced in California is extracted. 
 Water white, white, light amber, amber, and dark amber are the com^ 
 monest classes of extracted honey. Profitable comb honey production 
 in the United States is generally limited to areas where there is an 
 intense nectar flow, and where the flora is productive of a light-colored 
 
8 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 honey. In many countries the production of comb honey is not so 
 limited because of a preference for the darker honeys. Comb honey 
 grades are based upon such qualities as color, weight, size, and attrac- 
 tiveness. Chunk honey, which is so commonly marketed in the south- 
 eastern states, is rarely produced here. 
 
 A candied honey market is being developed rapidly. Certain 
 kinds of honeys, alfalfa, blue curl, etc., granulate to a suitable con- 
 sistence for slicing into bars, while others become semi-solid like 
 peanut butter. Storage with sharp temperature changes hastens 
 granulation. Honey in this form is used mainly to spread on bread 
 or crackers in making sandwiches. 
 
 Since this state produces more honey than it consumes, many 
 beekeepers fear overproduction, but the world demand for honey has 
 not yet been satisfied. The imports of honey to the United States 
 usually exceed the exports. The annual per capita consumption of 
 sweets in the United States is between 80 and 100 pounds, and is 
 increasing, while the average consumption of honey is but 2y 2 pounds. 
 Honey is a sugar and can be used in the place of granulated sugar for 
 cooking. It makes delicious candy, cookies, cakes, etc. The many 
 uses to which honey may be put have not been sufficiently impressed 
 upon the housewives of the country; in fact only a few use honey at 
 all. However, when once tried almost everybody likes it. Advertising 
 campaign of various sorts have proved to be of service in bringing 
 this food into the homes of new users. 
 
 WAX 
 
 Beeswax comes only from the wax glands of the bee ; it cannot be 
 manufactured artificially. Old hive combs melted down constitute 
 the chief source of beeswax in the United States today. Many bee- 
 keepers are rather careless with their old combs and do not obtain the 
 full amount of wax possible. The domestic supply of wax is insuffi- 
 cient to supply the commercial demand, so the United States imports 
 a great quantity of beeswax to use in the many trades requiring it. 
 Wax always sells readily, and brings a good price. There is no doubt 
 that the wax now wasted by beekeepers of the United States if saved 
 would at least double the available supply. All wax, even the small 
 pieces that may be trimmed off the top bars inside of hive walls, should 
 be saved. The material may be allowed to accumulate until the slack 
 season and then all rendered at one time. 
 
ClRC. 297] A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 PKOFITS IN BEEKEEPING 
 
 Most individuals who commence beekeeping do so with a great 
 deal of enthusiasm, much of which is induced by the advertising of 
 dealers and manufacturers in beekeeping supplies. The rosy expecta- 
 tions aroused are apt to occupy the mind of a beginner so thoroughly 
 that the possibility of loss and disappointment is not considered. Bees, 
 when properly cared for, require a great deal of time and attention, 
 and here in the west there are frequent unfavorable years when the 
 beekeeper will reap nothing and will even have to stand a loss. How- 
 ever, much money has been made in the beekeeping industry and 
 much more money will be made by proper attention to the details of 
 the business. 
 
 The yearly production of extracted honey (spring count) in Calif- 
 ornia is figured from statistical records to vary from to 70 pounds 
 per colony, according to the season. The average is recorded as 40 
 pounds; exceptional individual colonies may run over the maximum 
 amount of 70 pounds. Careful beekeepers can normally expect to get a 
 yield above the indicated average. The average wholesale price received 
 by the producer for all grades of (extracted) honey in California is 
 approximately 7 or 8 cents a pound (1923-25). This is from % to 
 x /2 the price that the consumer pays for honey. 
 
 The amount invested in beekeeping equipment is low when com- 
 pared with that put into many agricultural projects, for many suc- 
 cessful beemen own no land and those with apiaries located on small 
 acreages have free range over the area about their locations. Figured 
 solely on the basis of capital invested, the returns appear much 
 greater than in most farming projects. 
 
 A colony of bees housed in a standard ten-frame hive can be 
 purchased at present (1925) in California for from four to six 
 dollars. During the recent war as much as $18.00 a colony was paid, 
 but the average price over a period of years is between eight and ten 
 dollars per colony. No one should think of going into apiculture as a 
 business with fewer than 100 colonies; some of the men who are 
 making money out of beekeeping are running between 500 and 1000 
 colonies. The prospective beekeeper should provide a shop for hous- 
 ing the extracting equipment, the settling tanks, wax press, comb 
 sterilizer, and miscellaneous equipment and supplies. The shop should 
 be large enough for storing the honey and must be bee-tight. The 
 approximate cost of new equipment and housing (exclusive of bees 
 and hives) need not be over $1000 for a small apiary. Unless a pros- 
 
10 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 pective beekeeper in California gives careful consideration to all the 
 factors on which the profits of beekeeping depend, he is not likely to 
 make it a financial success. 
 
 NECTAR AND POLLEN PLANTS 
 
 The importance of knowing the nectar producing flora is very 
 evident. Beekeeping depends in the first instance entirely upon the 
 presence of suitable nectar yielding plants. Plants vary in their 
 utility as sources of honey with the location, altitude, soil, exposure, 
 and other natural factors. Cool climates are conducive to nectar 
 flow in some plants, while for others much warmer climates are 
 necessary. Bees, too, are very susceptible to air temperatures, and 
 work best in warm places. 
 
 The most prominent nectar producing plants in California are 
 the black, white and purple sages, the orange, alfalfa, and the star 
 thistle. Alfalfa, which occurs in all irrigated and some unirrigated 
 sections of the state, is undoubtedly the most reliable as a heavy 
 nectar producer. The orange, which is very variable in nectar yield 
 from year to year, blossoms so early that bees are often unable to 
 gather the nectar on account of cool, foggy weather. The star thistle 
 is a common weed which is gradually spreading over northern Calif- 
 ornia. It is most abundant in the northern Sacramento valley. The 
 area of the sages mentioned extends from Mt. Diablo southward along 
 the coast range into Mexico. The yield from these plants is especially 
 subject to sharp yearly fluctuation because they depend entirely on 
 the rainfall, which is not always sufficient for luxuriant growth. 
 Cotton may become important as a honey producer here, as it is 
 already in the south-central United States. 
 
 Scores of other nectar plants are of importance to the California 
 beekeeper. On the basis of these the state has been divided by M. C. 
 Richter,* into eleven honey regions. The general location of the 
 plants, with the time of blossoming, is included in Richter's bulletin. 
 Coleman's articles on "Beekeeping in our California National For- 
 ests" (Western Honey Bee, February, 1921 to, January, 1922) con- 
 tain a good list of honey plants of the state. Pellet's "American 
 Honey Plants" (published by the American Bee Journal, Hamilton, 
 Illinois) is a recent and more inclusive publication. 
 
 * Bulletin No. 217, University of California Agricultural Experiment Station. 
 (Now out of print but may be consulted at public libraries). 
 
ClRC. 297] A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 11 
 
 Some of the leading nectar and pollen plants* of California are 
 listed below. Not all of these plants are found in any one location 
 and in some places some of them are of no value. 
 
 Black saget Salvia mellifera 
 
 White sage, Salvia apiana 
 
 Certain other true sages and mints. 
 
 Alfalfa, Medicago sativa 
 
 Orange, Citrus aurantium 
 
 Yellow star thistle, Centaurea solstitialis 
 
 Certain other plants of the thistle tribe, such as the milk thistle, purple 
 
 star thistle, tocalote (Napa thistle), etc. 
 Christmas berry (Toyon), Photinia arbutifolia 
 Sumacs, Bhus laurina and others. 
 Mustards, Brassica nigra, etc. 
 
 Bear clover (mountain misery), Chamaebatia foliolosa 
 Deer weed (or wild alfalfa), Lotus glaber 
 Elms, Ulmus spp. 
 
 Smartweed (in swampy areas), Polygonum spp. 
 Goldenrods, Solidago spp. 
 Wild lilacs, Ceanothus spp. (Deer brush C. thrysiflorus, Blue blossom 
 
 C. integerrimus, and Buck brush C. cuneatus) 
 White sweet clover, Mclilotus alba and M. a. Hubamiensis 
 Almond, plum, cherry, apple and certain other deciduous fruit trees 
 Carpet grass, Lippia nodiflora and others 
 Coffee berry, Bhamnus calif ornica 
 Poison oak, Bhus diversiloba 
 Cascara sagrada, Bhamnus purshiana 
 Madrofia, Arbutus menziesii 
 
 Manzanita or bearberry, Arctostaphylos manzanita and other species 
 Wild buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum 
 Lima bean, Phascolus lunatus 
 Jackass clover, Wislizcnia refracta 
 Various phacelias (sheep tansy, etc.) 
 Willows, Salix spp. 
 
 California buckeye, Aesculus calif oryiica 
 Red, blue and other gums, Eucalyptus spp. 
 Button bush (called Willow), Ccphalanthus occidentalis 
 Blue curls, Trichostema lanceolatum 
 White clover, Trifolium repens. 
 Various acacias, Acacia spp. 
 Mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa 
 Filaree, Erodium cicutarium and others 
 Cultivated flowering plants (various) 
 Burr clover, Medicago denticulata 
 Horehound, Marrubium vulgare 
 
 * Many specimens of the plants listed were kindly determined by Dr. W. W. 
 Eobbins, Dr. E. M. Holman and Mr. H. A. Borthwick, University of California, 
 t These plants are listed roughly in the order of their importance. 
 
12 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 Tar weeds, Hemitonia spp. 
 
 Yellow sweet clover, Melilotus officinalis 
 
 Certain berry blossoms. Kaspberry, loganberry, gooseberry, currants, 
 
 blackberry and others 
 Certain melon blossoms and other vines of the gourd family. Cantaloupe, 
 
 muskmelon, watermelon, cucumber, squash, pumpkin and others 
 Sun flowers (various) 
 
 Certain oaks, Quercus lobata, Q. douglasii, Q. agri-folia, and others 
 Aphid honey dew from various plants 
 Certain yuccas and cacti 
 Black locust, Eobinia pseudo-acacia 
 Cotton, Gossypium herbacem, G. barbadense and others 
 
 Certain plants are believed to secrete nectar or yield pollen which 
 is detrimental to the honey bee. In some sections of the state, bee- 
 keepers are sure that the California buckeye causes the loss of many 
 colonies of bees every year, while others are just as sure that the 
 buckeye is a good honey plant. In the Napa Valley, bees located but 
 a few miles apart vary decidedly in their reaction to the effects of 
 this plant. Possibly this discrepancy is caused by climatic conditions 
 and the presence or absence of other nectars at the time of buckeye 
 blooming. It is certain that many plants vary distinctly in their 
 nectar secreting power, and that nectar secreted by a given plant 
 varies in its physical and chemical nature with differences in soil and 
 rainfall. This is especially true in California. During dry years 
 when the annual vegetation dries up early bees are apt to suffer heavy 
 losses while feeding on buckeye almost exclusively. The problem of 
 buckeye poisoning needs more attention. 
 
 The nectar of many plants may become toxic through the appli- 
 cation of certain sprays. Bees are sometimes very thirsty and will 
 drink spray adhering to any part of the plant. This habit may be 
 counteracted to a certain extent by supplying abundant fresh water. 
 Bees like to drink in a sunny place, protected from the wind. No 
 thought is usually given to providing drinking facilities when locating 
 bees for pollination purposes, but from the standpoint of poisoning by 
 spray chemicals, this may easily be a factor of considerable import- 
 ance. 
 
 DISEASE 
 
 Disease is making alarming inroads upon the beekeeping industry 
 in California. American foulbrood and European foulbrood are now 
 causing serious losses in bees and honey crops annually. Paralysis, 
 sac brood, dysentry, "buckeye poisoning," and spray poisoning are 
 also causing losses. Government and state experiment station bulle- 
 
ClRC. 297] a SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 13 
 
 tins treating of the symptoms and treatment of bee diseases are 
 available upon request, and should be consulted by the beekeepers 
 for more detailed accounts. (Samples of suspected brood will be 
 diagnosed without charge by the Bureau of Entomology, U.S.D.A., 
 Washington, D.C., or the Branch of the College of Agriculture, Davis, 
 California.) 
 
 Alcohol-formalin and other mixtures are now being used to dis- 
 infect brood combs infected with American foulbrood so that destruc- 
 tion of these combs is no longer necessary. Much care is required in 
 the disinfection of combs by these methods and unless the beekeeper 
 is prepared to proceed thoroughly the process is a waste of energy 
 and money. 
 
 The California apiary inspection law,* which makes it possible 
 for any county to have a bee inspector appointed upon a petition of ten 
 beekeepers, is intended to help prevent the importation of disease 
 from other states or counties and to compel the negligent beekeeper 
 to clean up his apiary. The bee industry in California is important 
 enough to warrant a bee inspector, for at least part of the year, in 
 every county. 
 
 WAXMOTH 
 
 The larvae of certain moths (Galleria mellonella and Achroia 
 grissclla) destroy combs by burrowing through them, constructing 
 tunnels of silk and eating the wax. They do not eat honey. While, 
 as is well known, these insects can do no damage in a strong, healthy, 
 well managed colony of bees, they are recognized as an enemy by 
 California beekeepers. Because the climate of California is mild, 
 the wax moth has opportunity to work for a large part of the year. 
 The loss to the industry, through its depredations, amounts in the 
 aggregate to a large sum. Extracting combs in storage are destroyed 
 by thousands every year and the combs in the hives of weakened 
 colonies are often a total loss before the work of the moth is discovered. 
 Better beekeeping will almost eliminate the loss from weakened 
 colonies, and proper storing with paradichlorobenzene gas will stop 
 the destruction of stored combs. The use of good Italian stock in 
 preference to black bees will help to maintain the colonies in strong 
 condition at all times. 
 
 * A copy of this law may be obtained from the Division of Entomology, Uni- 
 versity of California, Branch of the College of Agriculture, Davis. 
 
14 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 NEEDS OF BEEKEEPING INDUSTRY IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 STUDY OF LITEEATUKE 
 
 The importance to the industry of beekeepers owning and studying 
 literature can hardly be overestimated. A number of bulletins and 
 books are listed in a supplement to this paper dealing with the struc- 
 ture, habits and care of bees. Every beekeeper should subscribe to 
 one or more of the current journals dealing with the subject of bees. 
 
 BETTER ORGANIZATION FOR CO-ORDINATION OF INTERESTS 
 
 Cooperative selling must be adopted if all the producers are to 
 receive a fair price. A better general spirit of cooperation is necessary 
 in the beekeeping industry in this state. Non-commercial county and 
 regional organizations of an educational nature affiliated into a strong 
 state association seems a logical plan upon which to build a cooperative 
 structure. Under the recent conditions of discouraging crops and 
 prices, some even of the stronger county associations have almost 
 ceased to exist. "Get together and stick" is conceded to be the best 
 method of improvement. Beekeepers may well follow the example 
 of the hive by placing the interest of the whole group above that of 
 any single individual. There are now, perhaps, plenty of organiza- 
 tions for all beekeepers to be included in the lists of membership. The 
 need is for better rather than for more organizations. 
 
 The marketing of a product after production is apparently coming 
 to be the largest problem in agriculture. This is very true of the honey 
 industry. The fear of overproduction of honey will no longer exist 
 when the problem of marketing is solved, in which case the producer 
 will be reasonably sure of receiving a price for his honey that will 
 insure a profit, and, at the same time, the consumer will not be over- 
 charged. 
 
 SUMMARY 
 
 California has a large number of bees. The pollen and nectar 
 producing flora of the state is abundant and the honey is of the high- 
 est quality. The actual returns received by the average beekeeper are 
 not in keeping with the optimistic reports that one so often hears. 
 Beekeeping, however, is a business which, when well managed, gives 
 an excellent return on the capital and labor invested. 
 
 Since it is impossible to change the nature of the honey bee, 
 improvements can be made only by changes in the methods of the 
 
Circ. 297] 
 
 A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 15 
 
 beekeepers and in the methods of marketing their crop. Improvements 
 in actual beekeeping will be possible when the habits and the behavior 
 of bees are better understood. The beekeeper who possesses informa- 
 tion as to how his bees will respond to any particular environmental 
 stimulus will be enabled so to arrange his plans as to take the fullest 
 advantage of any situation which may arise. 
 
 A careful study of the beekeeping industry in California and 
 interviews with beekeepers and those who are striving to introduce 
 better methods of distribution in other branches of agriculture, 
 indicate that the plan which gives most promise for meeting 1 the need 
 is through the personal contact of an extension worker. 
 
 SUPPLEMENT 
 BULLETINS FOE FEEE DISTRIBUTION 
 
 The following bulletins may be obtained free from the Depart- 
 ment of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
 
 Bees. 
 
 Honey and Its Uses in the Home. 
 Outdoor Wintering of Bees. 
 Transferring Bees to Modern Hives. 
 
 Control of European Foulbrood. 
 
 Preparation of Bees for Outdoor Wintering. 
 
 Wintering Bees in Cellars. 
 
 Commercial Comb Honey Production. 
 
 Control of American Foulbrood. 
 
 Swarm Control. 
 
 Beekeeping in the Clover Eegion. 
 
 Beekeeping in the Buckwheat Eegion. 
 
 Beekeeping in the Tulip-tree Eegion. 
 Alfalfa. 
 
 Sweet Clover, Growing the Crop. 
 Sweet Clover, Utilization. 
 Sweet Clover Harvesting and Trashing the Seed Crop. 
 
 Sweet Clover on Corn Belt Farms. 
 
 Buckwheat. 
 
 Alsike Clover. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 447. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 653. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 695. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 961. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 975. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1012. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1014. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1039. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1084. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1098. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1215. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1216. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1222. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 559. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 797. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 820. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 836. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1005. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1062. 
 
 Farmers ' 
 
 Bulletin 1151. 
 
 BULLETINS FOE SALE BY THE SUPEELNTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS 
 
 The following publications are not available in the Department of 
 Agriculture, but may be purchased at the prices indicated. Remit- 
 tances should be made to the Superintendent of Documents, Govern- 
 ment Printing Office, Washington, D. C, by postal money order, 
 
16 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 Express Order, or New York draft. If currency is sent, it will be at 
 the sender's risk. Postage stamps, defaced or worn coins, foreign 
 coins and uncertified checks will not be accepted. 
 
 Dept. Bull. 431. Sacbrood 10 cents 
 
 Dept. Bull. 685. Honeybees and Honey Production in the United 
 
 States 10 cents 
 
 Dept. Bull. 780. Nosema Disease 10 cents 
 
 Dept. Bull. 804. A Study of the Behavior of European Foulbrood 
 
 of Bees in the Colony 5 cents 
 
 Dept. Bull. 809. American Foulbrood 15 cents 
 
 Dept. Bull. 810. European Foulbrood 10 cents 
 
 Dept. Bull. 988. Heat Production of Honeybees in Winter 5 cents 
 
 JOURNALS PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES:* 
 
 American Bee Journal, Hamilton, Illinois. 
 
 Gleanings in Bee Culture, Medina, Ohio. 
 
 Beekeeper's Review, 1401 N. Chestnut St. Lansing, Michigan. 
 
 Beekeeper 's Item, New Braunf els,, Texas. 
 
 The Western Honeybee, 2823 E. Fourth St., Los Angeles, California. 
 
 The California Honey Bowl, Riverside, California. 
 
 Dixie Beekeeper, Waycross, Georgia. 
 
 Bees and Honey, Seattle, Washington. 
 
 BOOKS OF INTEREST TO BEEKEEPERS: 
 
 These may be obtained from any dealer in beekeeping supplies, 
 from publishers of bee journals, and from general book dealers. 
 
 ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture, A. I. and E. R, Root. 
 
 Beekeeping, E. F. Phillips. 
 
 Langstroth on the Hive and Honey Bee, revised by C. P. Dadant. 
 
 Fifty Years Among the Bees, C. C. Miller. 
 
 A Thousand Answers to Beekeeping Questions, C. C. Miller. 
 
 Scientific Queen Rearing, G. M. Doolittlo. 
 
 Advanced Bee Culture, W. Z. Hutchinson. 
 
 Productive Beekeeping, F. C. Pellet. 
 
 American Honey Plants, F. C. Pellet. 
 
 Beekeeping in the South, Kenneth Hawkins. 
 
 The Honey Bee, Mrs. A. B. Comstock. 
 
 BEE SUPPLIES 
 
 There are some 15 manufacturers of bee supplies in the United 
 States. The equipment of no one company can be specially recom- 
 mended, but a list of manufacturers and dealers will be supplied upon 
 request. 
 
 * There are 165 beekeeping publications in existance on the earth today. 
 
ClRC. 297] a SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 17 
 
 THE HONEYBEE AS A POLLINIZER 
 
 E. E. deONG 
 
 Insects are necessary for the pollination of most deciduous fruit 
 trees excepting certain nuts. Horticulturists who have studied the 
 pollination of fruits emphasize the danger of relying upon self-fertiliz- 
 ation, particularly when a single type is grown in large areas. Under 
 most conditions dependence must be placed on the aid of insects and 
 especially of the honeybee for pollination. 1 We are now realizing some- 
 thing of the possibilities of this insect structurally so well adapted 
 for working among flowers. Certainly it would seem that this insect 
 is worthy of more study, and possibly when its real value is known 
 it will be found that the honeybee should be esteemed more for its 
 pollinizing value than for the honey and wax which it produces even 
 though these are valued at millions of dollars annually. 
 
 Of all the insects that visit flowers, bees are the best adapted by 
 the structure of the body to act as carriers of pollen. The body and 
 legs are covered with heavy, stiff hairs which are branched or feather- 
 like. These catch and hold the pollen grains until they are brushed 
 into a "pollen basket" on the hind leg. In this carrier the load of 
 pollen is transported to the hive. However, all bees are not of equal 
 value as pollinizers as some of them do not visit all types of flowers 1 
 and others may even restrict themselves to a single species of plant. 
 The honeybee and the bumblebee, however, visit almost all flowers 
 with little restriction except that they evidently confine themselves 
 to a single species on any one trip. 
 
 We have many native species of bees such as bumblebees, carpen- 
 ter-bees, leaf cutters and others, but only in rare instances are any 
 of these active during the early spring, and then only in very restricted 
 numbers. The bumblebee is one of the earliest of the native bees to 
 feed in the spring, but the entire colony, except the queen, perishes 
 during the winter. In the spring the whole responsibility of rebuild- 
 
 i The following California Experiment Station bulletins giving details of 
 experiments on pollination of fruits are now available in the files of public 
 libraries: Bulletins 274 and 291 (second report, The Common Honeybee as an 
 Agent in Prune Pollination; Bulletin 306, Almond Pollination. There are a 
 limited number, available upon request at this date of publication, of Bulletin 
 346, Almond Pollination, and Bulletin 352, Further Experiments in Plum 
 Pollination. 
 
18 UNIVERSITY OP CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 ing the colony devolves upon the queen. She lays and incubates the 
 eggs, seven to sixteen in number, feeds the newly hatched larvae and 
 only after the first brood matures can she give her strength entirely 
 to brood rearing. By fall the colony may have grown to a size of from 
 one to five hundred individuals. Certain of the mining bees, Halictus, 
 which nest in the sides of cliffs, have one or two generations a year. 
 The spring generation consists of hibernating, fertilized females 
 which give rise to a summer generation. The leaf-cutting bee, Mega- 
 chile spp., apparently has but one generation a year and includes but 
 a small number of individuals. The carpenter-bee, Ceratina dupla, 
 has two broods a year which are very restricted in numbers. 
 
 These examples are typical of the life history of our common 
 native species of bees that have from one to five or six-brood cycles 
 annually, while the number of individuals range from a score to a 
 few hundred. Comparing this with the honeybee's record of from 
 twelve to fifteen brood cycles 2 a year, all the descendants of a single 
 queen, which may reach a hundred thousand bees annually, or more, 
 we realize the wonderful reproductive powers of this insect. It 
 should also be noted that instead of the death of all the workers, the 
 winter's mortality among honeybees is usually very slight. From 
 five hundred to sixty thousand may be present in a single colony at 
 the close of winter and two or more brood cycles may be reared in 
 the spring before many of the fruit trees bloom. 
 
 A comparison of the flight activity of the honeybee with the bloom- 
 ing period of our chief deciduous fruits is given in Table I. The 
 flight records of two years were made at or within a few miles of the 
 University of California campus. 
 
 A study of Table I reveals the intimate relationship between 
 meteorological factors and the activity of the honeybee. Temperature 
 is usually considered the most significant factor but at the range pre- 
 vailing during the blooming period of deciduous fruits, the degree of 
 cloudiness and rain is more important. It will be noted that on only 
 one day, viz., March 5th, did a low temperature (48° F.) stop nearly 
 all flight on a clear day. Rain checked all flight, however, on eleven 
 days although the temperature ranged from 52° to 70° F. Such 
 reactions to temperature and rain are not confined to the honeybee 
 but are general among pollinizing insects. It will also be noted that 
 the bees showed a high degree of activity on partly cloudy days unless 
 
 2 By brood cycles is meant the time of development for the worker from the 
 egg to the adult bee, in any group of brood cells. This time is given at twenty- 
 one days. 
 
TABLE I 
 
 Comparison of the Flight Activity of the Honeybee and the Blooming 
 
 Period of Fruits ,a with Meteorological Data 
 
 Dates 
 
 e3*. 
 
 
 a 
 
 Feb. 15 
 
 60° 
 
 16 
 
 65 
 
 17 
 
 55 
 
 19 
 
 68 
 
 20 
 
 52 
 
 21 
 
 58 
 
 23 
 
 61 
 
 24 
 
 52 
 
 25 
 
 54 
 
 27 
 
 68 
 
 28 
 
 60 
 
 Mar. 2 
 
 62 
 
 3 
 
 55 
 
 5 
 
 48 
 
 6 
 
 52 
 
 7 
 
 54 
 
 8 
 
 60 
 
 11 
 
 58 
 
 13 
 
 60 
 
 14 
 
 50 
 
 15 
 
 66 
 
 17 
 
 70 
 
 24 
 
 62 
 
 25 
 
 78 
 
 26 
 
 80 
 
 27 
 
 81 
 
 28 
 
 81 
 
 29 
 
 62 
 
 30 
 
 60 
 
 31 
 
 61 
 
 Apr. 1 
 
 58 
 
 2 
 
 54 
 
 3 
 
 54 
 
 4 
 
 52 
 
 5 
 
 58 
 
 6 
 
 59 
 
 7 
 
 61 
 
 8 
 
 56 
 
 9 
 
 66 
 
 10 
 
 58 
 
 11 
 
 61 
 
 12 
 
 67 
 
 13 
 
 65 
 
 14 
 
 70 
 
 15 
 
 81 
 
 16 
 
 63 
 
 17 
 
 60 
 
 Remarks 
 
 Num- 
 ber 
 enter- 
 ng and 
 leaving 
 hive per 
 minute 
 
 Period of bloom 
 
 Hazy 
 
 Clear, calm 
 
 Part cloudy, calm 
 
 Warm, part clear, north 
 
 wind 
 
 Part cloudy, bright, cool 
 
 breeze 
 
 Hazy, light wind 
 
 Part cloudy, warm, foggy, 
 
 weak sun 
 
 Part cloudy, cold, foggy 
 
 Clear, warm breeze 
 
 Hazy, warm, breeze 
 
 Clear, cool, breeze, N. wind 
 
 Rain, cool 
 
 Clear, wi ndy 
 
 Clear, cold 
 
 Part cloudy, cool 
 
 Clear, cool 
 
 Clear, cool, breeze 
 
 Clear, cool, wind 
 
 Cloudy, cool, breeze 
 
 Clear, cool, wind 
 
 Clear, warm 
 
 Clear, warm, breeze 
 
 Clear, warm, breeze 
 
 Hot, dry, clear 
 
 Hot, dry, clear 
 
 Hot, dry, clear 
 
 Hot, dry, clear 
 
 Cool, dry, clear, part cloudy 
 Cool, dry, clear, part cloudy 
 Cool, dry, clear, part cloudy 
 
 Cool, rain 
 
 Cool, rain 
 
 Cool, rain 
 
 Cool, rain 
 
 Cool, rain 
 
 Cool, rain, part cloudy 
 
 Cool, part cloudy 
 
 Hazy, cool 
 
 Rain 
 
 Rain, part cloudy 
 
 Medium, part cloudy 
 
 Clear and warm 
 
 Rain, part cloudy 
 
 Rain, part cloudy 
 Clear, windy 
 
 Part cloudy 
 Rain 
 
 14 
 25 
 65 
 
 59 
 
 26 
 33 
 
 89 
 4 
 70 
 68 
 24 
 None 
 57 
 4 
 37 
 40 
 78 
 63 
 145 
 42 
 Un- 
 count- 
 able 
 
 First 
 
 None 
 
 40 
 
 32 
 
 None 
 
 77 
 Un- 
 count- 
 able 
 None 
 Un- 
 count- 
 able 
 70 
 None 
 
 Full 
 
 Late 
 
 First 
 
 Last 
 
 First 
 
 Full 
 
 Late 
 Last 
 
 First 
 
 First 
 
 Full 
 
 Full 
 
 Late 
 
 Last 
 
 Full 
 Late 
 
 First 
 
 First 
 
 Full 
 
 Late 
 
 First 
 
 Full 
 
 Full 
 
 Late 
 
 Last 
 
 Last 
 
 Last 
 
 3 The phenological data were compiled by members of the Division of Pomology at Berkeley, Cali- 
 fornia. 
 
 * Temperature taken at 1:30 P.M. 
 
20 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 the temperature dropped to about 52° F. Such activity in cloudy 
 weather or when the sunshine is irregular, is necessary for successful 
 pollination since this is the prevailing type of weather during the 
 blooming period of deciduous fruits in the greater part of California. 
 This activity will be increased if the hives are placed in favorable posi- 
 tions where the sunshine will strike the hive entrance as this will 
 stimulate the bees to make flights at every opportunity. 
 
 The superiority of the honeybee as a pollinizer is due to several 
 causes: first, the workers do not die in the fall or early winter as do 
 those of the bumblebee and many other species; second, the honeybee 
 winters in an active condition instead of being dormant or resting in 
 the egg or pupal stage as do most bees ; third, the honeybee is the only 
 insect pollinizer which can be distributed as desired in the orchard; 
 fourth, it is possible to increase the number of field bees (those gather- 
 ing nectar and pollen) or "build up" a colony so that a large number 
 will be available very early in the spring. The experienced beekeeper 
 has long recognized the fact that a heavy flow of nectar stimulates 
 egg-laying on the part of the queen. The same activity may be se- 
 cured in the early spring even before there is a natural flow of nectar 
 by feeding sugar syrup. Hence, by properly timing the giving of 
 extra food, egg-laying will begin sufficiently early so that the increase 
 in the number of bees will be just before the blooming season. 
 
 MANAGEMENT OF BEES IN THE ORCHARD 
 
 The orchardist's interest in bees is different from that of the pro- 
 fessional beekeeper. The latter is seeking to produce, in large quan- 
 tities, beeswax and honey of a desired flavor, while the pollinizing 
 value of the bee is secondary. For such work it is necessary to 
 increase to a maximum the number of field bees in the colony at a time 
 of the year when there is the heaviest flow of nectar of the desired 
 type. The orchardist's viewpoint is entirely different, the bee to 
 him is a pollinizing agent which is of value in the assistance it gives 
 in setting a crop of fruit, the gathering of nectar is of minor import- 
 ance. In fact the nectar secreted by many of our deciduous orchard 
 trees does not make a marketable honey but one which is of value only 
 as food for the bees. 
 
 Bees that are to be used for spring pollination work require, in 
 many parts of the state, abundant food and protection against cold 
 during the winter. Brood-rearing should, if possible, be continued 
 until late fall and then twenty to thirty pounds of honey left in each 
 colony or even more for very large colonies and in mountainous regions. 
 
ClRC. 297] A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 21 
 
 A well-filled standard frame is usually considered as weighing five 
 pounds. Weak colonies should be united and the inferior queens killed. 
 The brood-chamber may also be reduced to conserve the heat of the 
 cluster. If insufficient food is allowed, the field bees are forced to work 
 at every opportunity possible during the winter which leads to a reduc- 
 tion in their number. Colonies which have exhausted their stores should 
 be supplied with more honey or given a thin sugar syrup made of two 
 parts of granulated sugar to one part of water. For stimulative feed- 
 ing in early spring, the formula is changed to one part of sugar to 
 two parts of water by volume. One ounce of tartaric acid is added to 
 forty or fifty pounds of sugar while the solution is still hot; this 
 prevents granulation and changes the sugar to a more digestible form. 
 Honey gathered from orchard trees, especially the stone fruits, is 
 usually of poor flavor and may be stored for winter feeding. 
 
 THE OECHAED SITE 
 
 For orchards of small or moderate size, the bees can usually be 
 located in one apiary as they readily fly a distance of one-half mile. 
 For very large orchards, one or more out-apiaries may be advantage- 
 ous. A central location is more desirable than a location on one side. 
 Consideration should always be given to prevailing winds and any 
 considerable elevation. The loaded bee traveling homeward should 
 be going with the prevailing wind and downward rather than up, 
 otherwise, many will fail to reach the hive and if compelled to remain 
 out over night will probably be chilled to death. A sheltered place 
 should be chosen, preferably with a windbreak of bushes or a wall on 
 the north side so as to break heavy winds and yet leave the hives 
 exposed to the sun. Hive entrances should be faced so that the sun 
 will strike them at least through the middle of the day; tall weeds 
 and grass should be kept down in front of the hives. A constant sup- 
 ply of fresh, pure water is necessary and if deep containers are used, 
 floats such as small boards or slices of cork should be kept in the 
 water. If an arsenical or nicotine spray is applied to the orchard, 
 especially in dry weather, it is best to keep the bees confined during 
 as much of the spraying season as possible. Bees will endure pro- 
 longed confinement at low temperatures if pure food is available. 
 If the weather is sufficiently warm, however, so that they are active 
 in the hive, then confinement for more than one day may prove dan- 
 gerous. Under these conditions, the length of time that the hives 
 are closed should be left to the judgment of a professional beekeeper. 
 The question of suitable sprays for the orchard, particularly arsen- 
 
22 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 icals, has long been a point of controversy between the orchardist 
 and the beekeeper and a definite policy concerning- this should be 
 agreed upon before entering into contracts. 
 
 The number of colonies of bees necessary for good pollination 
 work varies with the strength of the colony and the size of the 
 orchard. Usually one colony (hive) to the acre is considered suffi- 
 cient. 
 
 SHALL THE OECHAEDIST OWN BEES? 
 
 There are three ways open to the orchardist whereby he may 
 secure sufficient bees for the needs of his orchard: (1) rental from a 
 professional beekeeper; (2) employment of a trained beekeeper to 
 care for bees owned or leased; (3) ownership and personal care. 
 
 The first method is one that has been commonly practiced. The 
 bees are placed in the orchard during the blooming season and then 
 moved elsewhere. Such an arrangement is advantageous in many 
 respects to both parties ; the orchardist is relieved of the responsibility 
 of caring for the apiary throughout the year, while the beekeeper 
 receives a small income long before he could normally expect returns 
 in honey production. 
 
 The employment of a trained beekeeper by one or by a group 
 of orchardists is now being favored. One experienced man can care 
 for two or three hundred colonies or even more with a little extra 
 help during swarming time, during outbreaks of disease, or should 
 there be any considerable surplus of honey that is desired to harvest. 
 Under this plan the ownership of the bees may be in the hands of the 
 orchardist or cartetaker. It should be noted that this plan is designed 
 for regions where the production of honey is subordinated to pollin- 
 ation work, and hence does not require the shifting of bees to regions 
 of nectar bearing plants. 
 
 The ownership and care of bees by the orchardist is fraught with 
 considerable danger unless he is familiar with the work. Bees are 
 subject to very serious contagious diseases especially in the larval 
 stage and on account of the roving disposition of the field bees and 
 their tendency to rob weak colonies the infection may be disseminated 
 among clean apiaries. Such diseases thrive in poorly kept apiaries 
 with weak queens, and only constant vigilance and vigorous measures 
 will check them. An orchardist with little time to spare may neglect 
 his apiary at a critical time either during the outbreak of disease or 
 the swarming season, and then find that it is too weak for self- 
 support and only a menace to the neighborhood. 
 
STATION PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION 
 
 BULLETINS 
 
 No. No. 
 
 253. Irrigation and Soil Conditions in the 357. 
 
 Sierra Nevada Foothills, California. 
 
 261. Melaxuma of the Walnut, "Juglans 
 
 regia." 358. 
 
 262. Citrus Diseases of Florida and Cuba 
 
 Compared with Those of California. 359. 
 
 263. Size Grades for Ripe Olives. 361. 
 268. Growing and Grafting Olive Seedlings. 
 
 273. Preliminary Report on Kearney Vine- 362. 
 
 yard Experimental Drain. 363. 
 
 275. The Cultivation of Belladonna in Cali- 
 
 fornia. 364. 
 
 276. The Pomegranate. 
 
 277. Sudan Grass 365. 
 278.' Grain Sorghums. 366. 
 
 279. Irrigation of Rice in California. 
 
 280. Irrigation of Alfalfa in the Sacramento 367. 
 
 Valley. 
 283. The Olive Insects of California. 368. 
 
 285. The Milk Goat in California. 
 
 294. Bean Culture in California. 369. 
 
 304. A Study of the Effects of Freezes on 370. 
 
 Citrus in California. 371. 
 
 310. Plum Pollination. 
 
 312. Mariout Barley. 372. 
 
 313. Pruning Young Deciduous Fruit Trees. 
 
 319. Caprifigs and Caprification. 373. 
 
 324. Storage of Perishable Fruit at Freezing 374. 
 
 Temperatures. 
 
 325. Rice Irrigation Measurements and Ex- 
 
 periments in Sacramento Valley, 375. 
 
 1914-1919. 
 328. Prune Growing in California. 376. 
 
 331. Phylloxera-Resistant Stocks. 
 
 334. Preliminary Volume Tables for Second- 377. 
 
 Growth Redwood. 379. 
 
 335. Cocoanut Meal as a Feed for Dairy 380. 
 
 Cows and Other Livestock. 
 
 339. The Relative Cost of Making Logs from 381. 
 
 Small and Large Timber. 
 
 340. Control of the Pocket Gopher in Cali- 382. 
 
 fornia. 
 
 343. Cheese Pests and Their Control. 383. 
 
 344. Cold Storage as an Aid to the Market- 
 
 ing of Plums. 384. 
 
 346. Almond Pollination. 
 
 347. The Control of Red Spiders in Decidu- 
 
 ous Orchards. 385. 
 
 348. Pruning Young Olive Trees. 386. 
 
 349. A Study of Sidedraft and Tractor 
 
 Hitches. 387. 
 
 350. Agriculture in Cut-over Redwood Lands. 388. 
 
 352. Further Experiments in Plum Pollina- 
 
 tion. 389. 
 
 353. Bovine Infectious Abortion. 390. 
 
 354. Results of Rice Experiments in 1922. 
 
 A Self-mixing Dusting Machine for 
 Applying Dry Insecticides and 
 Fungicides. 
 
 Black Measles, Water Berries, and 
 Related Vine Troubles. 
 
 Fruit Beverage Investigations. 
 
 Preliminary Yield Tables for Second 
 Growth Redwood. 
 
 Dust and the Tractor Engine. 
 
 The Pruning of Citrus Trees in Cali- 
 fornia. 
 
 Fungicidal Dusts for the Control of 
 Bunt. 
 
 Avocado Culture in California. 
 
 Turkish Tobacco Culture, Curing and 
 Marketing. 
 
 Methods of Harvesting and Irrigation 
 in Relation to Mouldy Walnuts. 
 
 Bacterial Decomposition of Olives dur- 
 ing Pickling. 
 
 Comparison of Woods for Butter Boxes. 
 
 Browning of Yellow Newtown Apples. 
 
 The Relative Cost of Yarding Small 
 and Large Timber. 
 
 The Cost of Producing Market Milk and 
 Butterfat on 246 California Dairies. 
 
 Pear Pollination. 
 
 A Survey of Orchard Practices in the 
 Citrus Industry of Southern Cali- 
 fornia. 
 
 Results of Rice Experiments at Cor- 
 tena, 1923. 
 
 Sun-Drying and Dehydration of Wal- 
 nuts. 
 
 The Cold Storage of Pears. 
 
 Walnut Culture in California. 
 
 Growth of Eucalyptus in California 
 Plantations. 
 
 Growing and Handling Asparagus 
 Crowns. 
 
 Pumping for Drainage in the San 
 Joaguin Valley, California. 
 
 Monilia Blossom Blight (Brown Rot) 
 of Apricot. 
 
 A Study of the Relative Values of Cer- 
 tain Succulent Feeds and Alfalfa Meal 
 as Sourses of Vitamin A for Poultry. 
 
 Pollination of the Sweet Cherry. 
 
 Pruning Bearing Deciduous Fruit 
 Trees. 
 
 Fig Smut. 
 
 The Principles and Practice of Sun- 
 drying Fruit. 
 
 Berseem or Egyptian Clover. 
 
 Harvesting and Packing Grapes in 
 California. 
 
 CIRCULARS 
 
 No. No. 
 
 87. Alfalfa. 157. 
 
 113. Correspondence Courses in Agriculture. 160. 
 
 117. The Selection and Cost of a Small 164. 
 
 Pumping Plant. 165. 
 127. House Fumigation. 
 
 129. The Control of Citrus Insects. 166. 
 
 136. Melilotus indica as a Green-Manure 167. 
 
 Crop for California. 170. 
 144. Oidium or Powdery Mildew of the Vine. 
 
 151. Feeding and Management of Hogs. 173. 
 
 152. Some Observations on the Bulk Hand- 
 
 ling of Grain in California. 178. 
 
 154. Irrigation Practice in Growing Small 179. 
 
 Fruit in California. 
 
 155. Bovine Tuberculosis. 184. 
 
 Control of the Pear Scab. 
 Lettuce Growing in California. 
 Small Fruit Culture in California. 
 Fundamentals of Sugar Beet Culture 
 
 under California Conditions. 
 The County Farm Bureau. 
 Feeding Stuffs of Minor Importance. 
 Fertilizing California Soils for the 1918 
 
 Crop. 
 The Construction of the Wood-Hoop 
 
 Silo. 
 The Packing of Apples in California. 
 Factors of Importance in Producing 
 
 Milk of Low Bacterial Count. 
 A Flock of Sheep on the Farm. 
 
CIRCULARS — (Continued) 
 
 No. 
 190. 
 199. 
 202. 
 
 203. 
 209. 
 210. 
 212. 
 214. 
 
 215. 
 217. 
 
 220. 
 228. 
 230. 
 
 231. 
 232. 
 
 233. 
 234. 
 
 235. 
 
 236. 
 
 237. 
 
 238. 
 239. 
 
 240. 
 
 241. 
 
 242. 
 243. 
 
 244. 
 245. 
 247. 
 248. 
 
 249. 
 250. 
 
 251. 
 
 252. 
 253. 
 
 Agriculture Clubs in California. 
 
 Onion Growing in California. 
 
 County Organizations for Rural Fire 
 
 Control. 
 Peat as a Manure Substitute. 
 The Function of the Farm Bureau. 
 Suggestions to the Settler in California. 
 Salvaging Rain-Damaged Prunes. 
 Seed Treatment for the Prevention of 
 
 Cereal Smuts. 
 Feeding Dairy Cows in California. 
 Methods for Marketing Vegetables in 
 
 California. 
 Unfermented Fruit Juices. 
 Vineyard Irrigation in Arid Climates. 
 Testing Milk, Cream, and Skim Milk 
 
 for Butterfat. 
 The Home Vineyard. 
 Harvesting and Handling California 
 
 Cherries for Eastern Shipment. 
 Artificial Incubation. 
 Winter Injury to Young Walnut Trees 
 
 during 1921-22. 
 Soil Analysis and Soil and Plant Inter- 
 relations. 
 
 The Common Hawks and Owls of Cali- 
 fornia from the Standpoint of the 
 
 Rancher. 
 Directions for the Tanning and Dress- 
 
 of Furs. 
 The Apricot in California. 
 Harvesting and Handling Apricots and 
 
 Plums for Eastern Shipment. 
 Harvesting and Handling Pears for 
 
 Eastern Shipment. 
 Harvesting and Handling Peaches for 
 
 Eastern Shipment. 
 Poultry Feeding. 
 Marmalade Juice and Jelly Juice from 
 
 Citrus Fruits. 
 Central Wire Bracing for Fruit Trees. 
 Vine Pruning Systems. 
 Colonization and Rural Development. 
 Some Common Errors in Vine Pruning 
 
 and Their Remedies. 
 Replacing Missing Vines. 
 Measurement of Irrigation Water on 
 
 the Farm. 
 Recommendations Concerning the Com- 
 mon Diseases and Parasites of 
 
 Poultry in California. 
 Supports for Vines. 
 Vineyard Plans. 
 
 No. 
 
 254. 
 
 255. 
 
 256. 
 257. 
 258. 
 259. 
 260. 
 
 261. 
 262. 
 263. 
 264. 
 
 265. 
 266. 
 
 267. 
 
 268. 
 
 269. 
 270. 
 271. 
 272. 
 
 273. 
 
 274. 
 
 275. 
 
 276. 
 
 277. 
 
 278. 
 279. 
 281. 
 
 282. 
 
 283. 
 284. 
 289 
 290. 
 291. 
 
 292 
 293. 
 294. 
 
 The Use of Artificial Light to Increase 
 Winter Egg Production. 
 
 Leguminous Plants as Organic Fertil- 
 izer in California Agriculture. 
 
 The Control of Wild Morning Glory. 
 
 The Small-Seeded Horse Bean. 
 
 Thinning Deciduous Fruits. 
 
 Pear By-products. 
 
 A Selected List of References Relating 
 to Irrigation in California. 
 
 Sewing Grain Sacks. 
 
 Cabbage Growing in California. 
 
 Tomato Production in California. 
 
 Preliminary Essentials to Bovine Tuber- 
 culosis Control. 
 
 Plant Disease and Pest Control. 
 
 Analyzing the Citrus Orchard by Means 
 of Simple Tree Records. 
 
 The Tendency of Tractors to Rise in 
 Front; Causes and Remedies. 
 
 Inexpensive Lavor-saving Poultry Ap- 
 pliances. 
 
 An Orchard Brush Burner. 
 
 A Farm Septic Tank. 
 
 Brooding Chicks Artificially. 
 
 California Farm Tenancy and Methods 
 of Leasing. 
 
 Saving the Gophered Citrus Tree. 
 
 Fusarium Wilt of Tomato and its Con- 
 trol by Means of Resistant Varieties. 
 
 Marketable California Decorative 
 Greens. 
 
 Home Canning. 
 
 Head, Cane, and Cordon Pruning of 
 Vines. 
 
 Olive Pickling in Mediterranean Coun- 
 tries. 
 
 The Preparation and Refining of Olive 
 Oil in Southern Europe. 
 
 The Results of a Survey to Determine 
 the Cost of Producing Beef in Cali- 
 fornia. 
 
 Prevention of Insect Attack on Stored 
 Grain. 
 
 Fertilizing Citrus Trees in California. 
 
 The Almond in California. 
 
 Oak Fungus in Orchard Trees. 
 
 The Tangier Pea. 
 
 Blackhead and Other Causes of Loss 
 of Turkeys in California. 
 
 Alkali Soils. 
 
 The Basis of Grape Standardization. 
 
 Propagation of Deciduous Fruits. 
 
 The publications listed above may be had by addressing 
 
 College of Agriculture, 
 
 University of California, 
 
 Berkeley, California. 
 
 20mi-9,'25