Read Ebook: Bee-keeping for the Many; or The management of the common and Ligurian honey bee Including the selection of hives and a bee-keeper's calendar by Payne J H

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are in use the operation is sufficiently easy, but should not be attempted without the protection afforded by a Bee-dress and a thick pair of wollen gloves. The services of an assistant similarly accoutred will be found very useful, but are not absolutely indispensable.

The middle of a fine day is the best time for the operation, which should be commenced by removing the stock a little either to the right or left of its usual position, which must be occupied by an empty hive, from which the top board and comb-bars have been removed. The top board of the full hive must then be shifted on one side sufficiently to expose a single bar, which may be carefully withdrawn after the attachments of the comb have been severed from the back and front of the hire by a bent knife. Both sides of the comb must be rigidly scrutinised, and any cluster of Bees gently dispersed with a feather, until it becomes evident that the queen is not present, when it may be placed in the empty hive. The same process must be repeated with each successive comb until the queen is discovered and secured, when the Bees may be either allowed to remain in the hive to which they have been transferred, or replaced in their original domicile. Sometimes the queen is not to be found on any of the combs, but may be detected among the stragglers remaining in the hive. In practised hands her discovery may be reckoned on with tolerable certainty during the first removal; but if she succeed in escaping detection the process must be repeated until she is secured.

Should the Bee-keeper be unable to perform the operation of driving, fumigation may be resorted to and the queen secured whilst the Bees are in a state of insensibility.

Should the queen have been removed, and the Bees restored to their original hive and position in the apiary, measures must now be taken to introduce the Italian sovereign to her future subjects. The first step will be carefully to remove the lid of the small box, replacing it with a slip of perforated zinc without permitting the Bees to escape. The whole must then be inverted over an opening in the top of the hive containing the queenless stock, where it should remain undisturbed till the next day, when the perforated zinc divider may be withdrawn, and the union will be complete. The small box itself need not be removed till the third day, when the Bees will be found to have quitted it.

After the lapse of about thirty days young Ligurians may, probably, be discovered taking their flight.

MULTIPLYING SWARMS OF LIGURIANS.

Presuming that the Ligurian queens are in bar hives, and that they prove themselves fairly prolific mothers, let a number of similar bar hives be provided, and into each of these, from time to time, during the course of the summer, let there be carefully transferred from the Ligurian stock a bar with comb attached, containing eggs and young Bees in every stage of progress.

It would be well that every full-grown Bee should be previously swept off this comb back into the old hive, so as to prevent all danger of fighting between them and the Bees of the other stocks to which the comb is to be given. Then, in the middle of a warm and sunny day, when the Bees are chiefly abroad, let this comb, carefully fixed in an empty bar hive, be put in the place of any strong stock of common Bees that may be available for the purpose. This stock may be removed to some distance; but it would be well first so to disturb it as to cause a good many more of the Bees to leave it than might happen to be foraging in the fields; and, moreover to stop up its entrance till the evening. The ether Bees would soon take possession of the empty bar hive, and in three weeks' time replace their missing English queen with a young artificially-reared Ligurian queen, whose progeny would, in due course of time, become the sole possessors of the hive. The English stocks chosen for this purpose must be in the same, or in a very closely-adjoining apiary, otherwise the absence of Ligurian drones at the proper season would prove fatal to the success of this plan of increase.

One Ligurian stock losing one bar only, from time to time, might in this manner become the parent of a dozen stocks at least in the same season; and the earliest of the young swarms , might also, in a warm spring, be made productive of two or three swarms in the same manner, without becoming too much weakened. Indeed, two bars may be taken every week out of the Ligurian stock during the months of May, June, and July; and these swarms, artificially formed, in the manner above detailed, may be worked during at least a whole month, from the middle of June to the middle of July.

One good Ligurian stock should be left pretty much to itself, so as to encourage the propagation of drones. Still, even this stock might be made to yield a few bars without in the least rendering the development of drones; but no bars should be taken out till a fair number have been seen abroad. Perhaps the best plan would be to make a swarm out of this hive in the same artificial manner, so soon as many drones are hatched. For drones which join swarms are generally allowed to remain alive till late in the season, whereas the earliest-hatched drones are frequently destroyed in cold springs in their own hives.

BEE-KEEPER'S CALENDAR.

JANUARY.

Little attention will be required during this month of cold and frost, except upon a mild day, should such occur, of cleaning the floor-boards with a dry brush, and looking well to the ventilation of boxes of all kinds; for however trifling these matters may appear to those who are inexperienced in Bee-management, the well-doing of many stocks during the coming reason will, in a great measure, depend upon their being carefully attended to; and the interior of the hives being clean and free from damp at this time is quite as important as their having a supply of food in store, for even with the latter, if the former be neglected, the hives frequently perish.

Food.--When the hives are very weak--that is, having only Two or three pounds of honey in store, I would recommend a Lew pounds of syrup being given--viz., one pound of loaf sugar, a quarter of a pint of water, and a quarter of a pound of honey, simmered together over a slow fire until the sugar is melted, and when cold given to the Bees, and at the top of the hive if possible; but where they have a little richer store, barley-sugar may be given instead of syrup.

Shade.--Many persons have advocated the sun's rays in winter not falling upon the hives. Mr. Taylor says:--"Where The hives stand singly, I have always seen the advantages of fixing before each a wooden screen, nailed to a post sunk in the ground, and large enough to throw the whole front into shade. This does not interfere with the coming-forth of the Bees at a proper temperature, and it supersedes the necessity of shutting Them up when snow is on the ground. The screen should be fixed a foot or two in advance, and so as to intercept the sun's rays, which will be chiefly in winter towards the west side."

Ventilation.--Where boxes are used ventilation cannot be too much insisted upon, and a frequent examination of the floor-boards; and where dampness and mouldiness are observed, they should be exchanged for clean and dry ones.

Enemies and Snow.--The titmouse must be sharply looked after and destroyed as winter approaches, either by trapping, shooting, or bird-lime. Mice are also very apt to take up their winter abode inside the hives, where the single pedestal is not used; hence the necessity of a frequent examination of the hives.

See that the entrances of the hives are narrowed, and that during the time snow remains upon the ground they are wholly closed, so that not a single Bee can escape, for the sun shining upon the snow never fails to bring the Bees out of their hives, and settling upon the snow, they are immediately chilled, and die; but, upon the disappearance of the snow, not an hour must be lost in unstopping the entrances, and giving the Bees full liberty. This is very important, for, after a confinement of ten or twelve days, which may sometimes be found necessary, full liberty must be given them, upon the melting of the snow, by unstopping the hives; and not only unstopping, but seeing that the entrances are clear, and not filled up with dead Bees, which, after a long confinement, will very frequently happen. Many a good stock has perished for want of this precaution.

Glasses and Hives.--The provident apiarian will now provide himself with all the glasses and hives, of whatever kind he may fancy, either of wood or straw, that he may be likely to require during the ensuing season; and it is always better to have a few to spare than to have a short supply, for it is not at all an unusual thing for a swarm to fly away whilst sending about to procure a hive; when on the contrary, had there been a good supply, much time and inconvenience would have been saved, as well as the loss of the Bees prevented. Many cottagers make their own hives during the winter evenings, and very praiseworthy it is; the materials to make them cost very little. Straw is easily obtained; brambles, also to sew them with abound everywhere; and the method of making them is very easily acquired. I would recommend a swarm never to be put into an old hive; the old hives will be useful as covers to glasses, and for hiving second and third swarms that are to be joined to others on the evening of the day they swarm. Where wood hives are used a second time, great care must be taken to make them thoroughly clean, and free from the eggs of moths.

FEBRUARY

Very little attention will be required during this month beyond looking to the coverings, and seeing that they be all sound, and that no moisture comes upon the tops of the hives. Towards the end of the month, particular attention must be given at this season in endeavouring to keep the interior of the hives free from damp, which a frequent changing of the floor-boards will tend very much to effect. Indeed, after so long a confinement it becomes necessary, or the health of the stocks will be much endangered.

Feeding.--Food must be liberally supplied; but in so doing much attention must be paid to neatness and cleanliness in its administration, for when syrup is used the greatest care must be given that it be not smeared about the hives and floor-boards, for it will not only cause dampness in the hives, but induce fighting amongst the Bees when they are able to fly abroad.

Stocks.--A careful examination of every stock should be made on a mild day towards the end of the month; and where any doubt exists as to the sufficiency of food in the hive to carry the Bees safely through the spring, a supply should now be given, and I must still recommend barley-sugar as the best food that can be given. A good receipt for making it may be found in page 25; but it must always be remembered, that where barley-sugar is used as food, the Bees should never be left, even for a day, without a supply, either at the top or bottom of the hive; the former is always preferable. It should be remembered, also, that it is much better to give food before the stock is absolutely in want of it, than to wait till its store of food is exhausted. There are many reasons for this, well known to every practical apiarian.

Promoting Early Breeding.--Binding the hives neatly over with haybands would be as little trouble and expense as anything. The end of the month will be the proper time for trying this experiment; and I have little doubt but, if carefully attended to, the result will prove to be all that is desired. The entrances to the hives, if large, should be reduced, so as to leave room only sufficient for the easy ingress and egress of the Bees.

Water.--It must not be forgotten to place water in the vicinity of the hives, as directed at page 43.

Enemies.--The chief enemies to guard against at this time are mice and birds; cold; if the floor-boards and hives are dry, affects them but little.

Hives of Comb.--Let the hives of comb in which swarms of the last year have died be carefully preserved for the purpose of putting swarms of the coming season into them. The best method of keeping such hives will be, after having cleared them of the dead Bees, to hang them up in a dry place out of the reach of mice or rats. The advantage which a swarm put into a hive of clean dry comb has over one that is put into an empty hive is very great indeed, and known only to those persons who have experienced it.

Pedestals.--Where the stocks are placed upon pedestals of wood it will be well to look to them, for I have lately heard of some sad disasters arising from the want of this little attention. It is about an inch below the surface of the ground that the mischief takes place, and when once begun, goes on rapidly, except good oak has been used.

MARCH.

Our little favourites, by the appearance of the early spring flowers, and the return of milder weather, are again aroused into life and activity; but it must always be remembered that the most trying time for them is from the middle of February to the end of March; for none but well-stored stocks can bear up against the great inequality betwixt the internal demand and the external supply of this period. The winter, to be sure, has been very cold, which is generally in their favour; for but little, if any, evil is to be apprehended from a cold winter, though much may arise from a mild one; as, during the latter, the stock of honey is often exhausted, from its inducing the Bees to be in action, without affording them any resources beyond their own stores.

Diseases.--This is the month in which dysentery and other disorders make their appearance amongst the Bees; but cleanliness and timely supplies of food are the best remedies, and which are always found to prevent it.

Spring-feeding, however, must be done sparingly; for if the Bees have had a sufficient winter's supply, feeding will only be required on a small scale, and to those that are weak, it being chiefly intended as a stimulant to promote early breeding. A hive that has less than 5 lbs. of honey in it is a weak one.

The importance of feeding is very great; for languor and death, says Dr. Bevan, are less frequently to be ascribed to disease than to the want of timely food.

Hives.--The time has now fully arrived for all careful apiarians to possess themselves of as many hives, glasses, boxes, bee-dresses, &c., as they are likely to require during the coming season; and to those who prefer the use of straw hives I would say , Never put a swarm into an old hive. Mr. Huish has said, and with much truth, that old hives are generally so overrun with vermin of an obnoxious character to Bees, that, even should the swarm condescend to remain in them, the ensuing winter will place the hive in such a ruinous state, that the Bees will forsake it in search of a more salubrious domicile, or the contents of the hive will be destroyed by the insects. Boxes that have been already tenanted should be cleaned most carefully, and boiling water from the spout a tea-kettle poured over the joints where the eggs of the wax moth--that redoubted enemy of the Bees--will very probably have been deposited.

Haybands.--I have put in practice, with my own Bees, what I recommended last month--namely, covering some of my hives with haybands. The good, should any be found to arise from it, in promoting early breeding, shall be communicated in due course.

Cleaning Floor-boards.--When performing this operation, should the hives be found to be at all damp or mouldy, take the precaution of raising them a little for a few hours on a dry day.

Snow.--Should we after mild weather have snow, it will be necessary to keep the entrances of the hives stopped whilst it remains upon the ground, or the loss of life will be very great, which, at this season, should be more especially guarded against.

Examination.--Immediately upon the disappearance of snow, every hive should be carefully examined, and clean floor-boards supplied wherever the least dampness is observed.

Bees Gathering Pollen.--Bees may now be seen upon a bright day in the Aconites and early kinds of Crocuses, collecting the little pollen and honey which they afford; and it is but little indeed--only just sufficient to arouse the workers to activity, and the queens to depositing their eggs: therefore, without careful and constant feeding, death by starvation must follow, for I imagine that not one stock in ten has sufficient honey in store to support it through the winter and early spring.

Forsaking Hives.--Where the population is low, and little or no food in store, the Bees are very likely, upon a fine and mild day towards the end of the month, to forsake their hives entirely, and to join themselves to more populous and better-stored communities. This desertion, when it happens towards the end of April, is frequently mistaken for an early swarm. The only means of prevention is to keep them well supplied with food; but even this will not, in all cases, keep them from leaving their hives.

Wasps.--It will be well, during the present and the next month, to be looking for queen wasps, and destroying every one that makes its appearance. A garden syringe is the most useful thing I have ever found to effect their destruction, for if discharged at them, it brings them to the ground, and the foot then finishes the business.

Buying Stocks.--March is a good time for purchasing stocks, for those who are desirous to become Bee-keepers; and there is sufficient encouragement, I think, to induce many persons to engage in it, for their cultivation, if properly managed, is attended with very considerable advantage, much more, indeed, than what is generally supposed, and would not be by any means a contemptible consideration with even those who may fill a superior rank in the rural population of our country.

APRIL.

April may be considered the first month of the apiarian's year, a month of busy preparation for the coming honey season and its many pleasing occupations. A good supply of new straw hives is supposed to be already in hand, with glasses and covers, depriving-hives, adapting-boards, Bee-dresses for the operator and an assistant, and indeed, of everything that will be required during the season.

Feeding.--I must again press upon all persons who have weak stocks the necessity of feeding. The Bees are beginning to bestir themselves when the sun shines warm; and inexperienced Bee-keepers are apt to think that their stocks are now past danger, and so take no more care of them. But the truth is, that the early spring months are the most dangerous of all; many stocks that have stood the winter die in the spring, which a few ounces even of food would prevent. There is nothing to be gathered in the fields till April, and in cold late seasons not muck before even May. Stocks should be watched well in spring, and weak ones fed liberally. As soon as they begin to stir a little food should be given them every other day, or thereabouts, until they refuse to take it, for they will neglect the food given them as soon as they can gather honey.

Method of Feeding.--The best manner of giving food to Bees in a common straw hive is to put it into a dinner-plate, cover it with a piece of writing paper thickly perforated, and place it under the hive; but should there not be sufficient room for the plate without touching the combs, the hive may be raised upon a wooden hoop, the exact size of the hive, and about 2 inches deep, or upon a piece cut from the bottom of an old straw hive. The food must be given after sunset, and the plate removed by sunrise the next morning. The entrance must be stopped while the food remains in the hive; a piece of soft paper answers remarkably well for this purpose.

Water.--This must be supplied to the Bees immediately, for it is in the spring that they have the greatest occasion for it. The plan that I have adopted is to have a trough of wood, or stone, 18 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 6 inches deep, sunk in the ground in the immediate vicinity of the apiary, with a piece of thin wood, thickly perforated with small holes, made to fit loosely into it. This perforated wood, when the trough is filled with water, will float upon its surface, and save the Bees from drowning--a mode of death causing the loss of numbers should they, for want of this little accommodation, be obliged to go to an open cistern or pool.

Hives.--It is now quite time to have a supply of hives for the coming season, where new ones are required; and where old ones are to be used, to have them well cleaned. It is also a good time to paint those hives that are occupied--it will greatly improve their appearance, as well as tend to preserve them. A well-made hive, painted before the Bees are put into it, and once every other year afterwards, will last uninjured for upwards, of twenty years; indeed, I have one at the present time that has stood even much longer. They may be painted after six o'clock in the evening without danger to the operator or inconvenience to the Bees; of course, stopping the mouth of the hive for the time. I find stone or straw colour to be the best, as absorbing less heat than green or any dark colour. Perhaps, on this account, white would be best, but the strong reflected light from it is very objectionable.

Floor-boards.--It will be well to give the floor-boards a final cleaning for the season, and the middle of a bright day will be the best time for doing it; and, at the same time, any pieces of comb that during the winter may have fallen from the top of the hives, and are fastened by the Bees to the bottom of the combs that are in their proper places, should be removed.

Cutting out Old Combs.--This is also the best time to remove a leaf or two of comb from old hives, perhaps the two outermost ones, but not any more. The box hives are admirably adapted for this operation; still, with a proper knife , it may easily be effected in the straw hive.

Putting on Glasses, &c.--It is very probable that at the end of the month some of the most populous hives may require supering, as it is termed, but I would advise its not being done too soon; indeed, not till the Bees have shown evident signs of want of room, for it is exceedingly desirable that the stock should be in such a state as to ascend into the super immediately upon its being placed upon the stock hive.

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