BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
**Various conjectures have been made by different authors reflecting its wife. Some alledge that the bees eat it ; hence the name, _Bee-bread._ Others fuppofe, that, after being taken into their ftomachs, it is converted by fome peculiar action of their internal juices into wax, of which every body knows their combs are made. But an objection to this hypothesis, arises from the confideration, that the bees, when firft put into an empty hive, carry little or none of this fluff on their legs for fome time, till a great number of combs are made ; and that after the combs are completed, (which they generally are within two or three weeks after the fwarm have taken poffetion of the hive,) the bees fill continue to carry in this fluff during the whole working feafon. To this, however, it may be replied, that perhaps, as they have no cells to put it into at that time, they carry it home in their belles, where it probably undergoes a fpeedy change in paffing through their bodies, and may thereby be converted into perfect wax, with which they manufacture their combs.**
There is another clafs of authors, who fuppofe that the bee-bread is ufed by the old bees to feed the young ones in the cells, by the mouth
_Of Bee-bread and Wax._ **191**
mouth, as pigeons feed their young ones. To this it may be objected, that the young bees furely cannot make ufe of all the bee-bread, which the old bees are almost constantly carrying into the hive when they are at work. Perhaps both thefe latt hypothefes may be true ; as it may not only ferve to feed the young bees, but alfo, by paffing through the bodies of the old ones, may be converted into wax ; with which bees not only build their combs, when a fwarm is newly put into a hive, but alfo feal up both their young in the cells, and their honey in the combs. If this fuppofition be true, then the confumption of bee-bread, through the courfe of the year, but efpecially during the honey and breeding fefons, muff be very great; and therefore we need not be fur-prized at the quantities imported by the working bees. But, whatever truth may be in either or both of thefe theories, I am certain of one thing, that the bees do not live on bee-bread alone ; for they will die of hunger, although there be plenty of it in the hive, if there be no honey in it ; whereas, when they have abundance of honey, they will live without bee-bread, at leaft for many weeks. Reaumur192_Of Bee-bread and Wax._
mur, however, fays, that it is abfolutely neceffary for food to bees.
For my part, I have always obferred the bees inoft bufily employed in carrying in this fuff while the young bees are breeding; but when they want a Queen, and have no eggs to rear another, they immediately give over carrying it into the hive, thinking, (as it would feen,) that as they have no young bees to feed or feal up in the cells, it would be an idle bufinefs to bring any more of it home, efpecially as they do not make much wife of it thenfelves, and have more already in the hive than they will find in need of, for their own ufe. Mr. Thorley alledges, that the bees carry the wax home from the fields in fine fsmall fcales\(\ddagger\) between the folds of their bodies. He fays, that " For feveral fefons, after I became a Bee-ma-" " fter, I was very defirous and diligent to find " out how, or where, they brought home their " wax, well knowing that grofs matter to be of " a very contrary nature, and applied to fome " other
1 Thefe scales are well known by bee-maffers, and fomewhat resemble fsmall falt 'at a diffance, but, upon a nearer inflection, they are more like the fcales of very fsmall fish, being thin, fsmall, round and white. Their fubflance is nothing but pure wax.
Of Bee-bread and Wax. i93
" other ufe, but was not able for a confiderable
" time, to enter into the fecret.
" At laft, viewing a hive of bees very buffy
" at labour, I obferved one bee among the refi,
" as lue fixed upon the alighting place, of an
" unufual appearance ; upon which I feized
" her directly, before the had time to enter the
" hive ; where, with a very fenible pleasure, I
" found what I had (till then) been in vain
" fearching for. Upon the bclly of this bee,
" within the plaits, were fixed no lefs than fix
" pieces of fold wax, perfectly white and tran
" fparent like gum ; three upon one fide, and
" three upon the other, appearing to the eye
" qual in bulk and gravity ; fo that the body
" of the bee femed duly poifed, and the flight
" not in the leaf obfurcted by any inequalities.
" Here have I found it at other times, and
" once I took away eight pieces together, and I
" knew that it was wax, and nothing elfe. Will
" not this pafs for demonstration "
That Mr Thorley, and probably fome o-
thers, have feen bees carrying fuch white fcales,
or pieces of fold wax, on their bodies, once
or twice perhaps in their lives, I will not dif
B b 194. _Of Bee-bread and Wax._
**pute.** I myfelf have feen the fame phenomenon, once, or at moft twice, during an experience of thirty years. But it certainly would be abfurd to infer from thefe rare cafes, that all the wax, which the combs are made of, is carried into the hive in this manner. The contrary inference mult be drawn, were it from nothing else but the confideration, that thefe white fcales have been fo very feldom obferved. It is alfo well known, that when a young fwarm is newly fet down, within a fhort time thereafter, finally fcales of fine white wax will be feen on the fool; which is a certain proof that the bees are beginning to build combs : and perhaps a few of the bees may pick up fome of thefe fcales, to prevent them from being loft. But, if every bee, that is employed in carrying wax for building the combs, either within or on the outfide of her body, could be obferved, we would feel thoufands thus loaded every day after a young fwarm is firt fet down, inteead of obferving only one or two foliitary inflances in the courfe of twenty or thirty years.**
If a natural or artificial fwarm is confined 24 hours in a hive, after it is newly put into it, the bees will be found bufily employed in making combs. From this it may be argued, that _Of Bee-bread and Wax._ 195_
that the bees, having eaten a quantity of bee bread on purpofe, before they left their own hive, and having it fill in their fomachs; had made wax of it to erect the combs.
Of this fact any perfon may convince himself, by driving the bees out of any hive into an empty one, and confining them 24 hours ; after which, upon examining the hive attentively, he will find a piece of comb, perhaps fix or eight inches long, befiede feral hundreds of fcales lying on the flood. It is evident, then, that thefe fcales could not be brought from the field, as Mr Thorley fuppofes, feeing the bees were never out of the hive ; and, it is farther to be obferved, that when they are at full liberty to work in the fields, and when a young fwarm is moft bufily employed in rearing combs, nothing can be feen on their bodies of thefe fcales, or any thing elfe.
I have fometimes, indeed, been inclined to think, that the wax might be an excercence, exudation, or production from the bodies of the bees ; and.that, as the Queen \(\cdot\)bee can lay eggs when the pleafes, if need require, fo the working bees can produce wax from the fubftance of their own bodies. If this conjecture be right, it will follow of courfe, that all the * 196 _Qf Bee-bread and Wax,_
food which the bees take, contributes to the formation of wax, in the fame manner as all the food which a cow eats contributes to the production of milk: or, (to adopt a more near finite from the infect tribe,) as all the food which a fpider takes, contributes not only to the non-inwhment of the animal, but to the production of the fubftance of the cob-web from its body. Numberlefs other analogies in nature might be adduced in favour of the probability of this theory. The file, for inftance, produced from the body of the folk worm, is a fubftance as different from that of the animal itself, or of the mulberry leaf it feeds on, as wax is from that of the body of the bee, or of the honey or flower, er the fucks. And the exerccence produced in the human ear, which alfo goes by the name of _wax,_ is certainly a fubftance as different from that of the body which produces it, as either the one or the other. Upon the whole, until I meet with a more probable theory, fupported by facts, I muf give it as my humble opinion, that the wax is either produced from the bodies of the bees alone, or rather that the bees can (feedily convert what they bring from the flowers into it, and therewith build their combs, and feal up both their young and their honey.
CHAP,
**C H A P. XXV.**
**OF THE HONEI HARVEST.**
**I**ONCE thought, that if we preferve all our bees, we muit alfo keep all our honey in the hives, to maintain them during winter and fpring. But I am now of a different opinion; for the feverity of the winter not only reduces the number of bees, but fometimes even kills whole hives, although they have large quantities of honey in them. It is, therefore, much more profitable to preferve all the bees alive, and unite them to other hives, although we fould them during fpring. It is indeed, probable, that every Queen is capable of laying only a certain number of eggs. Supposing, then, that we fould put 100,000 common bees in a hive, the old bees would gradually die out, and as there would be but one breeding Queen in the hive, it would foon have no more bees than anyany other hive. Indeed, experience convinces me, that there never was a hive, however large, profperous, and numerous of inhabitants in fummer, either naturally, or by being united, that did not gradually decreafe againft next fpring, fo as very little to exceed the moft ordinary hives in number. It is true, indeed, that fome fwarms of bees, by being kept in a very large hive for feveral years, have had as much honey and wax, as three or four ordinary hives. But fuch cates only occur, either when two or three fwarms go together in fwarming time, or when a thriving fwarm continues for fome years in a large hive ; and, by collecting perhaps 60lb. of honey every year, and confuming only the half of it during winter and fpring, thus increafes the flock of honey, and the weight of the hives, at the rate of 30lb. a-year*.
Nevertheless
* I am quite certain, however, that a great number of bees in one capacious hive,--I shall fluppfe 30,000,--will breed a-mazingly; as they will have perhaps, in June or July, not under 7,000 young in the cells; for almoft every comb in the hive at that feafon, will be quite full of eggs, nymphs and young bees, all gradually coming forward. According to this calculation, allowing 18 days to pafs between the time that an egg is laid, and a complete bee produced from it, there would not be fewer than 300 eggs laid each day in the hive,--an infonishing num_Of the Honey Harveff._ 199
Nevertheless it is evident, that a hive that has a great number of bees in autumn, f 200 _Of the Honey Harvefl._
a much better chance not to perifh by the feverity of the winter, than a hive that has not half the number of inhabitants; for which reafon I would earnetly recommend it to my readers, never to kill a single working bee, at any feafon of the year ; but, in autumn, to unite all the bees of thofe hives, from which the honey is taken, to thofe that are intended to be kept as flock hives. This will render them fit to defend themselves both againf the feverity of the weather in winter, and againf robbers in fpring; and will alfo greatly forward their labours as foon as the working feafon returns; for, as has been already obferved, it is of the greateft importance to have the hives always well-fored with bees.
The time of taking the honey out of the hives is fometimes earlier, and fometimes later, according to the weather, and the earlinefs or latenefs of the flowers in the neighbourhood.
Queens, an old and a young one; but that hive would have fent off the young Queen with a new fwarm probably in a day or two, as the was only waiting an opportunity for that purpose; and it may be obferved, that the young Queen was not then arrived at the age of laying eggs, as fhe is about eight days old before fhe can become a mother; and therefore I am fully perfuaded, that there are never on any occasion two Queens in the fame hive, laying eggs at one time.
_Of the Honey Harvefl._ 201
**I have known a hive of bees wafte their honey,**
**and the hive become gradually lighter after the**
**firth week of Auguft; and, at other times, in**
**favourable weather, I have feen hives of bees,**
**that were fituated near heath, (as mentioned, page 18_5_) continue working keenly during the**
**whole of Auguft, and the greater part of September, and become daily heavier. In a word, the harveft of honey, like that of corn, is earlier or later, more plentiful or fcarce, in different years, according to the weather and the climate, and the variety of fefons and fituations.**
**One general rule, however, may be laid down for the proper time to take honey. As foon as the flowers, in the neighbourhood of an apiary, are**
**may continue to work in favourable days, yet their families being now generally very large, they will probably confume as much honey in one day, as they will collect in two. At this period, therefore, the prudent bee-mafter will**
**firth choofe his flock hives, according to the directions given, page 89. He will then put a mark on every hive he has picked out for this purpofe, and fell or take the honey from all the refl, whether good or bad ; for the fooner the honey is taken, it will run the more eafily out**
**C c**
**of**
**.**so2 _Of the Honey Harveff._ of the combs. And, as it runs beft in warm weather, he should take the honey, that he intends to run out of the combs, immediately after the bees have nearly given over work, and unite the bees to his flock hives, as direct-ed page 136, &c. But honey, that is intended to be kept in the combs, ought not to be taken fo foon, as cold weather renders the combs more fit to be handled ; and as the bees are all to be kept alive, and of courfe muff be maintained, it is of no consequence, in point of expence, whether they are allowed to feed on the honey in the hive they are foon to leave, or on that of the hive to which they are to be united. Befides, there is an additional advantage, that arifes from their being allowed to continue in their native hive ; as the longer they remain in it, the more young bees will be hatched ; which both preserves a greater number of bees, and makes the honey combs more free of the young brood ; fo that there is no harm in keeping the bees in the hives till October, when the honey is not intended to be run out of them. When the honey of a hive is taken in Autumn, and there is a great number of young in the cells, thofe combs which contain the young, and and which may be intermingled with bee-bread, should be carefully and gently placed in an eek, (fee page 110, &c.), and a numerous hive put over it, to hatch out the young brood, and fuck up the particles of honey remaining in the combs, and probably alfo make fome ufe of the bee-bread. This plan is of great advantage to the bee-mafter, as the young bees, which are always the beft, and which would otherwise have been totally loft, will thus be all preferred ; befides that very little ufe could have been made of fuch honey in the cells, as was mixed with young bees, eggs, and bee-bread. The eek and the combs may be removed in a-bout three or four weeks thereafter, and the hive fet down in its former ftation. If the bee-mafter has not as many good hives as he wifhes to keep for flock, he may fupply himself,by conjoining the bees and honey of two-light hives, and uniting them into one in the other, as mentioned in page 47. The hea-vieft hive should be firth felected ; after which, the bees and honey fould be taken out of the light hives in the following manner : The Bee-mafter muff firth drive as many of the bees as pothible into an empty hive, as di 204_Of the Honey Harvoff._
reded in page 138. But, at this period, and in all cold fefanos, bees are not fo eafily driven out as in warm weather; although, the taking them into a warm room, will make them run up the better. Afterwards, he fhould take the combs carefully out, efpecially if it be a light young hive, one by one, with his hand; and, in doing this, all the bees that are upon the combs may be gently fwet off with a large feather, into the hive, among their brethren. Their Queen muff then be taken away, with a- bout too bees, and kept clofe prisoners; then re-inforce any hive with the common bees that appears to have fewett inhabitants in it, (as directed p. 136, 8c.) or rather any hive that will give them the moff favourable reception; and, as foon as all the bees are united and happy, the Queen, with her hundred attendants, may be introduced; and, if they judge her to be preferable to their own, (for the bees are doubt-lefs the belt judges in thefec matters) perhaps they will elect her and banih their own Queen. About two days thereafter, the hive intended for the flock may be re-inforced with the honey combs; according to the directions given in pages 110, 111, and 112.
The Bee-mafter should proceed in the fame manner _Of the Honey Harv6._ 205
**manner with every other hive, from which he intends to take honey ; and if any of his neighbours should happen to be full fo prejudiced in favour of old cutoms, as to continue the bar-barous practice of killing their bees, he may make an advantageous bargain with them, and fave the lives of the ufeful infects, by offering a trifle for them, which will furely be accepted, as the owners can otherwise gain nothing by them. By uniting thefe to his own hives, every hive in his apiary will be fully fupplied with bees and honey : And being now in a profe-rous flate, may be carefully covered over, and rendered fit to endure the winter. See page 97.**
**CH A P. XXVI.**
**OF PREPARING HONET AND WAX.**
**BEFORE entering upon this neceffary bufinefs, the bee-mafter should be properly provided with a sufficient number of utenfils, fuch as large difhes, jars, fieves, knives and fpoons. He -fhould begin while the honey is warm, as it***06 _Of preparing Honey and Wax._ it will run from the combs the more quickly ; and therefore, to preferve the heat till the operation is over, the hive flould be brought into a warm room. 'He should next take hold of the ends of the crofs flicks in the hive with pincers, and loofen them by twifing them round ; after which they will be eafily pulled out. The edges of the combs flould then be loofened with a knife from the hive all around. Upon giving the hive a gentle knock on the floor, on that fide which is oppofite to the broad fide of the combs, they will fall to that fide, and upon turning the hive, and giving it another knock on the oppofite fide, all the combs, which could be reached by the knife will be effectually loofened. The hive being full kept on its broad fide, the combs will all be above each other. The uppermost being firth taken off, if there are any dead bees in it, they may be blown or brufhed off. The combs flould then be divided into three parts. The empty combs being firth laid afide for wax; next the combs containing eggs or maggots; and lafly, the moft valuable part of the whole, the fine fealed combs, containing the honey, flould be laid in a veffel by themselves. An affitant flould 'immediately be ordered to cut the fide _Of preparing Honey and Was._ 207
**thefe**: **l**at into thin flices,**: **frft**: **obferving to**: **pare off the**: **faled mouths of the cells, that the honey may run freely out. In this fate they should be laid in fieves, or any other veffels that will afford a free paffage to the honey, which will run quite clear, and the honey thus obtained fhould be kept by itfelf, as being the pureft and belt.**: **Thofe combs which may be filled with a mixture of live young maggots, bee-bread and honey, fhould immediately * be put below flock hives, as directed page 202, &c. and the bees will foon fuck up all the honey in them. When the fine combs are completely run, they fhould be put into a pan, over a flow fire, and ftirred constantly till they are more than milk warm; when they fhould be put into a ftrong canvas bag, and the honey fqueezed out. This honey being of an inferior quality, may be either ufed in the family, for common ufes; or rather kept for feeding the bees. All the combs, from which it was fqueezed, may then be faked in water, and a weak kind of mead.
* All combs containing eggs and young in the cells muff be put immediately to other hives, while they are warm; for, fhould they remain two or three hours out of a hive, they will become chill and cool, f as to make them decay in the cells.
2o8 _Of preparing Honey and Wax._
**mead drawn from them; or a fronger mead may be taken from the combs by soaking them, after the fineful of the honey is run off, without melting or fqueezing them at all. Indeed, in warm weather, fine combs will run almoft quite dry, without the leaf prefurre.**
**My method of running honey is this : I hang up a wide riddle, with the fliced honey combs in it, about \(g\) feet from the ground : About 8 or 10 inches below this, I place a fleve, fomenwhat wider in circumference than the riddle, and, at an equal ditance under the fleve, a fine search, proportionally wider than the fleve, under which, a foot lower fill, I place one of my earthen covers, defcribed page 98, with the bottom uppermost, and a fsmall hole in the top, to anfwer the purple of a funnel. This laft being properly fixed in a veffel of a sufficient fize, the honey that runs into it is completely purified from all extraneous matter whatever, by running through fo many different fleves at one time. Thus, in a few hours, in a warm day, I can have my honey purified to the highef degree of fineefs, without boiling or diluting it, or ufing any other means that would deprive it of its original genuine flavour ; for any fsmall crumbs of wax, bee-bread or the like, that pafs through the
*1o _Of preparing Honey and Wax._
the form of a funnel, and which is commonly called _Hipporater's Lever._ It is made of thin strong canvas, and of fuch a length, that the upper part may come over the end of a board, which leans upon my breath, while the other end of it is placed in a veffel fit to receive the wax, from which I prefs out the water and the wax, pretty much in the fame way that the tanners drefs their leather.
I generally boil what remains in the bag a fecond time, and fqueeze it again to obtain more wax. By this method, however, the wax cannot be got entirely out of the drofs ; nor indeed can it be obtained by any other mode that
I have ever feen or heard of being attempted. All the wax that is ultimately left among the drofs, in this way of feparating it, is of very little value, and would not refund the expence of any further trouble. *
After the wax is cooled in the tub, I again put it into the kettle with clean water, and having
* I have tried feveral other methods, in order to extract all the wax from the drofs. Near twenty years ago, I got a prefix made for this purpose, fomewhat refembling thofe which the candel-makers ufe to fqueeze their tallow with; but, finding it did not anfwer the purpof, I laid it afide. I have alfo put in practice Mr Keys's method, but, after repeated trials, found it not fiti-florry.
**Of preparing Honey and Wax.** 211
**ing** melted it, I pour it into a bowl or veffel, \(\felt\) which is wider at the top than at the bottom, and fkim off any drofs that may float on the top of the wax. After allowing it to stand in fome warm place, that it may cool gradually, which prevents it from cracking, I take out the cake of wax, and pare off all the drofs from the under fide, till there be nothing left but what is fit for the merchant. The fkimmings and parings flould be kept and boiled over again, next time any more wax is made, in order to obtain as much wax as pofible.