BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
1. By the want of room in the combs, and this is the most important cause of all. There must be readily accessible cells for the queen in early June if the bees are to be coatented, hence the importance of giving the colony a second ehamber as soon as the bees are crowding the first. To put an extracting super over a brood-chamber, but with a queen-exeluder between, is no preventive, for this is giving more room for honey when there is none, while it gives no additional room for egg-laying, which is what is wanted. Once the swarming fever has developed, the only cure is swarming, so that giving additional space at this stage is too late.
2. By the heat of the summer sun. This is not enough in itself, but it encourages the impulse.
3. By the presence of an army of drones in the hive, who crowd it and make it unconfortable. Therefore, keep down the amount of drone-comb.
4. By poor ventilation. It is simply impossible during hot weather for a small entrance to give sufficient circulation of air to satisfy the needs of say 50,000 bees and about as many in the baby stage. Therefore, let the entrance after the 1st of May be at least an inch high and as wide as that part of the combs on which the bees are clustered. In most cases this will be the full width of the hive. In the hot weather period the brood-chamber may be pulled back or pushed forward a couple of inches to clear the end of the bottom board and thus give a free current of air under the frames. In extreme cases a through draught in the brood-chamber can be given by pushing forward the super enough to make a crack about a quarter of an inch wide.
5. Colonies run for extracted are very much less liable to swarm than those run for combhoney. Since extracted honey is more profitable in this Province and is produced with less labour, the beginner is advised to devote his energy to securing his crop in this form.
To Prevent Second Swarms.
The principle involved in the prevention of second swarms is to weaken the parent hive, strengthen the swarm, and secure as much surplus honey as possible. Remove the old hive from the stand and set it in a new location, the sooner the better, as we want to catch all the bees that are coming in from the fields with nectar. Set the new hive in its place, using only starters or full foundation in the frames. Then secure the swarm and hive it in the new hive on the old stand. The bees will at once proceed to draw out the foundation into comb. If there be a super on the old colony, next day transfer it to the new one, bees and all ; but if the combs be for extracted honey, place a queen-excluder between the bodies.
The old hive has been so thoroughly weakened that it will have very little ambition to again swarm. The new colony is in possession of practically all the field bees, so will rush in the nectar. There is no room for it in the brood-chamber, since there is no comb ready, so it is stored in the super. Just as fast as the new combs are built below, the queen is ready to take possession and fill the cells with eggs. In the meantime, in the old hive, the bees will probably permit one queen to hatch out and destroy the rest. As young bees are hatching all the time, the colony will get quite strong and possibly lay up enough stores to carry it over the winter.
At one time it was thought that cutting out all queen-cells was a sure preventive of swarming, but it merely delays it. If near the end of the flow, the delay may carry it past the crisis, when the desire will vanish ; but if not, then the result is rather problematical.
## Chapter 1 Frames, Sections, and Foundation.
A honey-comb is about 1 inch in thickness in ordinary conditions, with a space of about \(\mathaccent 866{l}\) inch between each pair. In a state of nature the bees do not build them in the symmetrical form we like to get in the modern hive ; the perfect comb is very largely the work of the bee-keeper. He provides a frame not the least bit like anything the bees would naturally use ; he compels them to build straight, and to start at a certain part of the top bar ; furthermore, he limits their activity principally to the construction of worker-cells, permitting the luxury of a few drone-cells where the bees would make hundreds.
Uniform thickness of comb is secured by a self-spacing device on the upper part of the end bars of the frames, which are there \(1\mathaccent 866{l}\) inches wide. Now, the bees naturally glue together the end bars where they are in contact ; therefore, the smaller the touching surfaces the better. If you look at an end bar you will see that the narrow side of one is flat, while that of the other is brought to an edge. In the hive a sharp edge is intended to touch a flat edge. Since frames may be turned round we must, in putting the parts of them together, point the sharp edges in opposite directions ; furthermore, we must have a uniform way. The writer, for instance, when he holds up a frame for inspection, as in Fig. 10, has the sharp edge against the fingers of his right hand, but against the thumb of the left.
If a swarm be hired on perfectly empty frames, there is no reason, from the standpoint of the bees, why they should build a comb from the top bar of each and that truly in the centre. The bee-keeper forces them by fastening artificial foundation along the centre of the bar, and once they have begun they will naturally carry the comb straight down to near the bottom bar, sometimes all the way. Through motives of economy many bee-keepers use merely a strip of foundation, say an inch wide, but the present-day tendency is to use full sheets in each frame : first, to be sure of getting evenly-built combs ; second, to prevent the building of drone-cells. There are many conflicting theories as to how the bees decide when they shall build drone-comb, but this much seems to be true : a swarm provides worker-cells at first so that the queen may start laying, and will build no other kind for twenty-one days if she can use each cell as fast as it is made ; but at the end of that time the cells first occupied are again empty, hence she may be unable to keep the new ones full, and then the comb-bulattention to drone-comb. When there is too much of this--a patch as big as the palm of one's hand is enough for any hive--it should be cut out, in the hope that it will be replaced by worker-cells. The best way, however, is to start right by using full sheets of foundation in each frame. The cost is about 10 cents a sheet, which is soon saved, since there will be no army of drones eating up much more than that value in honey, besides helping to arouse the swarming fever in the minds of the workers.
The sheet of foundation is inserted into a narrow groove eut in the under-side of the top bar, then held in position by a wedge alongside of it. This wedge must be driven in very tight.
In a fine specimen of a finished frame the comb is attached to the bottom bar and the two end bars ; but, unfortunately, such fine examples are not as common as they might be.
Now, a comb filled with honey and brood weighs several pounds, so that there is quite a strain on the upper part; furthermore, if it be tilted from the perpendicular it is apt to break and drop out of the frame. To hold it securely in position, the frame is usually wired. For this purpose the end bars are pierced with three or four holes, through which the thin wire is strung. Of course, the wiring is done before the foundation is put in. An unwired frame should never be run through the extractor.
The operation of wiring is a very simple one. Where three wires are to be used, begin by driving in half-way a couple of tacks, one beside a hole next the top bar, the other alongside the hole nearest the bottom bar at the other end of the frame. These tacks mark the position of the two ends of the wire when it is in place. We want the wires to be so tightly strung that when the job is finished, if we pluck them as if playing a harp, they will "'sing." The easiest way to secure the proper tightness is to nail a couple of cleats on the bench, whose distance apart shall be a little less than the length of the bottom bar, then spring the end bars between these two. Wiring drawn tight
Figure 19: Embedding Wire in Foundation.
with the frame in this position will be more so when the frame is released. As the wire is rather inclined to kink, it is better to pass it first through the centre holes, then through the top ones, finishing off this part of the work by winding the end round the tack next the top bar. Now pass the other end of the wire through the bottom holes, draw every strand tight, then twist the end round the second tack. Remove the frame from the cleats and finish the job by driving home the tacks.
Once the foundation is in place the wires should be embedded in it, by means of a wire embedder, which is a small wheel on whose rim are spurs set alternately. These straddle the wire, which is forced into the foundation as the wheel is passed along. To secure a firm support for the foundation, lay it on a piece of \(\,\hbox to 0.0pt{$\,\parallel$}\,\)-inch board, a little smaller than the inside dimensions of the frame.
Most beginners in bee-keeping choose comb-honey as the preferable form of the crop, probably because they hesitate to invest in an extractor until they learn what prospects there are in the venture. The production of a fine article of section-honey in paying quantities is the acme of expert bee-keeping, and that too in favourable regions, but this Province is not one of them, on account of the cool nights. The making of a section is accompanied by much comb-building, which calls for a high temperture in the super at night, a difficult matter when the outside atmosphere is cool. The production for other reasons is difficult in some parts of the Province, so that, all in all, the results from this form of honey production cannot be considered as a guide as to the possibilities of the locality or the suitability of one for the industry.
The section in general use is 4\(\,\hbox to 0.0pt{$\,\perp$}\,\) inches square, the width is 1\(\hbox to 0.0pt{$\,\perp$}\,\) inches, with bee-way at top and bottom to give the bees free access to the comb. Of course, there are many other styles, but the one described is the one most likely to be carried in stock by local houses. A special body called a super, because it is placed above the brood-chamber, is used to hold these sections. It is 4\(\,\hbox to 0.0pt{$\,\perp$}\,\) inches deep, otherwise it is the same size as an ordinary hive. A beginner is apt to be puzzl:d with the descriptive names given to a super, but he must remember they are got from the hive. Thus, an eight-frame super is intended to go on top of an eight-frame hive. In this surplus chamber the sections are carried in holders, a kind of frame, in fact, with separators between, whose purpose it is to secure uniform thickness and evenness of comb. A couple of springs between the last separator and the side of the super hold everything tight.
Though devices exist for folding sections--in fact, are a necessity where many thousands are used--in a small way the folding is usually done by hand. Since the joints are very thin and brittle, it is necessary to wet them a little while before they are bent.
As with frames, foundation must be used, starters at least, say an inch wide, and very thin. Broad foundation is much thicker, but the proper kind for either purpose is carried by all dealers in bee supplies. When several thousand sections are needed, a machine will be found a great convenience, such an one as a Root's Daisy Foundation Fastener, which costs about a dollar. But whee only a few are wanted the starters can be readily fastened in with melted wax. One way is to attach the starter to the top part of the section--that is, one of the sides in which is the bee-way--before the wood is folded. First, with an ordinary jack-knife cut the wax foundation into strips 3\(\,\hbox to 0.0pt{$\,\perp$}\,\) inches long and 1 inch wide; then melt some wax in a shallow dish set on boiling water; lay the sections in a pile, face up, on the bench in front of the melted wax. Now take a starter, dip a long edge in the wax for a second, then set in position on the section. Some who can work swiftly find this plan all right, but the writer is not quick enough, for by the time he gets the starter in position the wax is set. A surerplan is to run a line of melted wax along the edge of the starter while it is in contact with the wood. Hold the starter with the fingers of the left hand, run the wax with a teaspoon held in the right hand. The most certain way is to make a special jig for the job. First, out of \(
rac{\pi}{2}\)-inch wood cut pieces \(3^{3}_{4}\) inches square ; about a dozen will be enough. Then nail these an inch apart on a board. Now you can hang the folded sections on these, upside down, place the starters in position, then run the wax along the edge. A slight backward tilt to the board is an advantage. The wax will set very quickly, but it takes a little while for it to harden, so handle each section carefully while setting it aside.
## Extracting Combs.
Extracted honey is produced in ordinary combs, just the kind used in the brood chamber. While new they are rather tender, therefore many will not use a comb for extracting purposes until it has been bred in at least one season. The col:ur of the comb in no way affects the colour of the honey. To get first-class combs they must be built during the honey-flow. The frame filled with foundation is placed between two old combs, either in the brood-chamber or super. We have already seen that spare sets of empty comb are of great value in May, when they come in very handy to give the queen more room.
## Chapter 1X.
### Securing the Harvest.
Everything needed for the honey-flow in June should be got ready in May, at the latest. When a swarm is clustering on the limb of a tree is not the time to rush to town for the needed hive, yet such has happened many times in the history of bee-keeping. It is just as bad to put off the making ready of supers until the honey-flow is on. One cannot turn the mill with the water that has gone, neither can the bees gather the nectar that was in the blossoms yesterday, but which they could not store away on account of the lack of room in the hive. Besides, they have learned to leaf and to think of swarming, both bad habits from the bee-keeper's point of view.
So be prepared for whatever may come, whether a flood or a failure. If you are running for section-honey, have for each hive at least two supers ready, filled with sections, and, in addition, have at least fifty more sections in the house. One famous bee-keeper in an ordinary region says he has five section supers for each hive ready every season, even if he finds them necessary only once in half a dozen years. Once he found that number not nearly enough.
When the flow starts the problem is to get the bees to work in the section supers, for they do not take to it kindly on account of the restricted passages to which they are unaccustomed ; often they will rather swarm than take possession. When a hive has been so strong that the bees occupied two brood-chambers, they have learned to carry the nectar above ; so if we remove the upper one--of course, making sure that the queen is left behind--then put on the comb super, it is probable the honey will be stored in the sections. The upper division may be placed above a weak colony to strengthen it, or the frames of brood distributed where wanted. The flying bees will return to the old hive.
Bait sections are often used to decoy the bees above. The unfinished sections from last season are kept over the winter, and at least one is placed in the centre of each super ; more is even better. But if the honey-flow is not started when the bait sections are given to the colony, the honey will be removed and used below to feed the brood.
The sections in the centre are the first to be filled. It does no harm to remove them as soon as they are finished, filling up with empty ones. If you leave them alone until all are done, watch their progress just the same, and as soon as you see that the super is more than half-full, put a second on top of the first. Further actions will depend on conditions. Should the first super be completed before the end of the flow is in sight, then empty it, fill in new sections, and set above the second. If the end is near, go slow, for you want finished sections, not a lot in various stages of development.
The removal of a super full of sections in the midst of the honey-flow is a simple affair; just take it off the hive and set it on end on top of the cover. In an hour or two the bees will have vacated it, returning to the hive, nor will other bees bother, as they are too busy carrying in nectar. But when the honey-flow is over it is a very different affair, for then the worker-bees are looking for a chance to rob each other's hives.
The super must be at once cleared of bees by jarring it, also by the use of smoke, but the less of this the better, so as to avoid tainting the honey.
Section honey should be sold as speedily as possible, before it has time to granulate, When stored in a hot, dry place it will probably remain liquid until Christmas, sometimes much longer, but, all in all, the early market is the safest.
Sections intended for sale should be scraped clean of all propolisis and wax. A jack-knife with a straight blade is a good tool for the purpose. The agricultural world cannot learn too soon what is well known in the industrial sphere, that more money is spent to gratify the eye than on all other sense organs combined; therefore, it pays to have clean and neat every article that is to be placed on the market.
## Extracted Honey.
When the queen has the run of a couple of hive-bodies there is nothing to be done at the commencement of the honey-flow, unless the bee-keeper wants to confine her to the lower chamber. In this case he gets her below, then places a queen-excluder between the two parts of the hive. The bee-keeping world is very much divided on this question; some men use the excluder, just as many do not. It is the nature of the bee to store the honey above the brood; therefore, when they have been occupying
Figure 20: Queen Excluder, or Honey Board.
two divisions, it is natural for them to start storing in the upper one, occupying the brood-cells as quickly as they are vacated. At the end of a good flow the upper division will be entirely free of young. When the super is half-full, a second one should be inserted between it and the brood-chamber. It is well to leave the honey on the hive for several weeks after the flow is over, so that it may thoroughly ripen, for green honey is very apt to turn sour.
The honey is removed from the comb in a machine called an extractor. After the exppings have been cut from the cells the frames are set in the baskets of the machine, which are then made to revolve at a high rate of speed, quick enough to throw the honey out of the combs against the sides of the can. An extractor suitable for Langstroth frames and big enough for a small apiary will probably cost, delivered, about $16 or $17.
Taking the Comes from the Hive.
The actual work of extracting is best done on a warm day, as the honey is most liquid then, and in a room from which bees are excluded by a screen-door. Removing the frames from the hive is to most beginners a rather serious problem, on account of the multitude of bees on them. Go about the task in this fashion: Smoke the bees down among the frames. Take out the first frame and shake the bees off it at the entrance of the hive, then place it in an empty hive, which should be standing on a wheelbarrow close by. Draw the second frame towards the side, so as to make a gap between it and the next frame. Into this pass a whisp of long green grass, or a switch brush, and so wipe most of the bees off the comb. Lift the frame and shake off the remaining bees into the vacant space, then set it beside the first frame in the hive on the harrow. Treat the balance of the frames in the same way. The empty body is now removed--of course, supposing that the honey-flow is past; if not, it must be refilled with empty frames. Now wheel the load of combs to the extracting-room and do not worry about the few bees you may carry in, for they will soon try to get out by door or window, and not bother you at all.
Uneapping is done by a long, very sharp knife; a bucher knife is good, but one can buy a style specially designed for the purpose. Old combs are rather tough, so it is often necessary to heat the blade of the knife, which is best done by placing it in hot water when not in actual use. In uncapping, the idea is to cut a slice from each side
Figure 21: Uncapping Comb.
of the comb, starting at one end of the frame and working to the other, using a kind of saw motion, as in cutting bread. The frame is stood endways on a support, the upper end of the top-bar being grasped by the left hand. Some workers cut upwards, tilting the frame away from their body, so that the slice will hang clear of the comb as it is cut. Others prefer cutting downwards and appear to have no trouble with theappings ; these are caught in a vessel below. The uncapped combs go into the baskets of the extractor, one to each ; the handle is turned swiftly for a few minutes, thus emptying the outside cells ; the frames are reversed, then the other side is freed of honey. The faster the baskets travel the more efficient will be the work of the machine. Just a word of warning to a beginner. Do not worry if you cannot see lots of honey after you have run through the first pair of combs, for remember it is spread very thinly over a large surface, but in a little while it will gather in the bottom of the can. The set of empty combs should be returned to their former position on the hive for a night, to be cleaned up by the bees, then stored away until wanted next season.
The uncapping device should be so made that it will give theappings a chance to drain. In a small way one can use a large pall in which is set a cheap barrel, in the bottom of which a number of inch holes have been bored. Next take a piece of 1 x 4-inch wood a little longer than the barrel is wide, and through the middle of it drive a strong nail that will project an inch at least. Sharpen this point with a file. Fasten this board across the mouth of the barrel, nail point up. During uncapping rest the end bar on the point of the nail. Theappings will drop into the barrel and drain into the pall below. What to do with the wax will be told later.
The impurities present in extracted honey consist of fragments of wax, pollen, parts of bees, such as wing or leg, also occasionally a few larvae. The first mentioned are all lighter than honey, so will in time rise to the surface ; so in the case of a small run the honey may be allowed to stand in the machine for a day before it is drawn off. A piece of clean, strong muslin tied over the faucet makes a good strainer.
Bulk -extracted honey is generally stored in cans. The chief point to remember is, seal the can tight to keep the aroma in and moisture out. Honey absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, becomes thin as a consequence, then fermented and turns sour. In air-tight vessels well-ripened extracted honey will keep for many years.
Most honey's granulate--that is, candy--in a little while. To liquify, set the can in a dish of water on the stove, but with pieces of wood between the can and the bottom of the vessel. Melting is slow, but if there be no hurry it is a good plan to leave the can of honey above the water-tank that is found in most stoves. Of course, the can-cover should be loosened.
Honey that has been melted does not granulate so quickly as at first. The higher the temperature to which it is raised the longer will it remain liquid, but if made too hot the colour will change to amber. The average buyer of honey in small quantities does not like to be bothered with the melting of it ; therefore, it is a good plan, before putting the honey into jars, to bring it to a temperature of 150deg to 160deg, never more than the latter.