BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
to allow the top bar to fall in, and, not having much play, keep the distance of \(\frac{1}{4}\) inch between the frame ends and the hive sides. The inner walls are \(8\frac{1}{4}\) inches deep, including the metal runners, which are \(\frac{1}{4}\) inch in depth. The outer walls are \(8\frac{1}{4}\) inches deep : the frame ends then rest on the runners of the inner walls, and the tops of the frames are level with the tops of the hive sides. Between the bottom bars of the frames and the floor-board there will be a space of \(\frac{1}{4}\) inch. A full entrance is given from side to side by cutting off the front outer wall \(\frac{3}{4}\) inch, and off the inner front wall \(\frac{1}{4}\) inch. Between the two walls there will be a space to be filled with a plain piece of wood, but that used between the front walls at the bottom must be cut so as to be level with the bottom of the inner wall, and in the front leave a space \(\frac{3}{4}\) inch square. This space is to receive an entrance block, in which holes of \(2\) inches and \(6\) inches in length, by \(\frac{1}{4}\) inch deep, are cut on alternate sides. The \(2\)-inch entrance is for use in the spring and autumn ; the \(6\)-inch entrance for winter, if a wider entrance for efficient ventilation is thought desirable, and also for summer, while by removing the block the full entrance may be given during the honeycomb. Porches are dispensed with, as they are no more required on a movable-comb hive than they are on a skep. The illustration (Fig. 13) will assist the amateur in carrying out the instructions for making a typical tiering hive, that is, a hive so arranged that the surplus chambers are placed above the brood-chamber, and may be fitted above or below each other as required.
_Supers._ For this hive the supers are in all respects, except depth, and in being without entrances, exactly the same as the brood-chambers. They are made to accommodate frames 51 inches in depth, and as there must always be a space of a inch below the frames, the depth of the super will be 53 inches.
_The lift_ is 6 inches deep ; but if sectional supers are to be used instead of shallow frames, another lift 9 inches in depth will also be required in order that sufficient accommodation for an adapting board, three crates of sections, and quilts may be provided.
Metal Runners.
Metal runners are strongly recommended, for if the inner walls upon which the frame ends rest are simply bewelled, the top bars will be fastened to them with an abundant supply of propolis, and then jarring the hive and disturbing the bees during manipulations cannot well be avoided. On the other hand, by the use of metal runners, frames are moved with the greatest ease, either singly or in numbers, and the irritation of the bees is thus avoided.
## Chapter _Aids to Success_.
I. Foundation.
Next to the invention of the movable-comb hive nothing has tended more to the development of the bee-keeping industry than the invention of _conb-foundation_. When it became known that the production of wax meant the consumption of a large quantity of
honey, as well as a large expenditure of time and energy on the part of the bees, bee-keepers cast about for a more economical method of comb production. Wax guides were first devised--more, however, as a means of guiding the bees in the building of combs from bars in a regular manner than to save the honey needed for the secretion of wax.
The next step was the production of casts or moulds with which the first sheets of foundation were produced. The late Frank Cheshire in his great work records that a swarm, hived upon ten of these sheets of foundation, in sixty-two hours from the time of hiving converted them into perfect combs. This method of producing foundation was tedious and slow work, and it was before long superseded by elaborate machinery.
The first foundation machine was invented by a German in 1857, but it was left to Mr. A. I. Root in America to make the manufacture of these machines a commercial success. The first foundation mill used in America was in 1861, and two years later saw their introduction into Great Britain, Messrs. Raitt in Scotland and Neighbour in England being the first to manufacture foundation for the market. There was, and still is, much complaint respecting the difficulty of obtaining uniformly successful results, both by producingevenly filled frames and preventing breakdowns. To remedy this, and secure the building of regular and perfect combs, Captain Hetherington, in America, the owner of the largest apiary in the world, invented flat-bottomed wired foundation. Wired foundation, known as the Van Deusen, because patented by Van Deusen and Son, of New York, has been extensively used in America, but not to any great extent in this country, owing to the cost, about 3s. per lb.
There are in "Ivo " apiary, now in use, several frames of comb worked from this foundation more than ten years ago; and though combs may be found in many apiaries that have been several years in use, it is best to renew them as soon as, by continual use, they become overloaded with pollen, or have in the cells too great an accumulation of cocoons left by the young bees.
Supposing the cells to be used only three times in a season for the raising of brood, the number of cocoons left behind will in course of time very greatly diminish the size of the cells. It may therefore safely be said that five or six years is a sufficient length of time to allow combs to be in regular use.
In advising the use of foundation, full sheets must be insisted upon as the most economical, for if starters, that is, sheets only an ineh or two in depth, be given, drone cells in abundance will be produced, particularly if the living of the swarm takes place in the middle of the honey-flow. In an apiary several stocks were examined by an expert in 1893. Two or three in movable-comb hives had for several years done literally nothing ; while from one close by, a very satisfactory quantity of honey each year had been taken. The owner, a lady, could not account for this difference, as she took little interest in the apiary ; it was, therefore, left to the expert to explain matters. His task was an easy one, for visiting the apiary on a fine summer day he saw, before opening the hives, the bees freely on the wing. From the hives that had such a bad record issued hundreds of drones, while matters were exactly reversed when the hive with the good record was examined. On opening the former hives nearly the whole of every comb--that is, excepting about two inches from the top made from the starter of foundation--was composed of drone cells. In such hives good returns could not be expected, for there always was a superabundance of drones instead of the desirable workers. In the other hive the swarm had been provided with full sheets of foundation, simply because the preparations were made by a friend, a clergyman living near by, who was a successful bee-keeper.
tion is inserted ; the bottom bar is then adjusted and a little melted wax is run along the top bar, while the frame is inverted, to secure the sheet to the bar. By fixing the foundation in the side grooves it is held in the middle of the bar until the bees secure it firmly, which is an advantage if the hive does not stand perfectly level.
Mr. Meadows nearly severs the top bar by a sawcut running the full length of the bar. In putting the frame together only one side of the top bar is nailed to the side walls. The foundation is then inserted, and the sides of the bar are brought together by placing on the ends a " W.B.C." or other metal-end.
Any carelessness on the part of the bee-keeper in fixing the sheets by this method must result in the falling of the foundation, and a muddle in the brood-chamber, one that only an expert can put right.
_Wiring foundation_. All the difficulties that are possible when plain sheets of foundation are fixed in the frames, or when the hives do not stand level, may be avoided by using wired foundation, or by wiring the sheets into the frames. For the latter purpose a plain top bar will, of course, be used, and then it is a matter of opinion as to the way in which the wires shall run.
The method described below will be found perfectly satisfactory. Before putting the frame together, two French nails are driven through each side bar near the top and bottom, and turned round at the ends to form hooks. The frame is then put together with or without the assistance of a frame-block. The wire, No. 30 tinned, is hooked to No. 1 (Fig. 23), then passed through hooks 2, 3, and 4, and returned to No. 8, which thus leaves two wires under the top bar. The wire is now drawn tight and passed under the first length from 1 to 2. It is again tightened and passed over No. 4, carried next through No. 1, and then between the wires
Figure 23:
running from 3 to 4. By passing it finally to No. 2, and there fixing, a diamond is formed in the centre. More wire is used by this, than by other methods, but as the combs, when the foundation has been properly fixed, are absolutely secure, and the wires no detriment, I strongly recommend it.
The wiring of frames not only makes the combs, when built upon the wires, more secure, but it allows the bee-keeper to use less foundation, as he may then use two or three more sheets to the pound. As the sheets are thin the bocs will not have to expend as much labour upon them as when thicker, and at the same time in lengthening the cell walls they will be able to draw upon the wax that is naturally secreted in large quantities during the honey-flow. To give some idea of the extent to which wired frames are used in America, Mr. A. I. Root states in "Gleanings," an American bee-paper which he edits, that from his depot over two tons of No. 30 tinned wire had been sold during 1892. As it takes 6 to 10 oz. of wire to 100 frames there must have been 700,000 to 1,000,000 frames wired. But this only represents the output of one large manufacturing firm.
_Wiring the foundation._ To properly fix the wires into the foundation a board must be used half the thickness of the frame, and of a size to just fit inside the frame. By nailing laths 18 inches long underneath the board, the wired frame, when placed upon the board, will rest with the wires resting upon it (Fig. 22). The frame is then slightiy raised so that the sheet of foundation is laid upon the board. On returning the frame the wires will rest on the foundation to be embedded by means of a "'Woiblet spur embedder," us shown in Fig. 23. This instrument is heated either in the flame of a candle or in hot water, and then the wheel is run along the wires, which sink into the foundation up to the mid-rib.
Fig. 24.
of the wheel should not be too near, otherwise the foundation is cut through as it is run along.
Preparing Sections.
_Starters_. After the sections have been properly folded they must, before being placed in the rack or crate, each receive a starter or guide, in the centre of the top, otherwise the comb will be irregularly built and attached to the separators. An objection to the use of full sheets of foundation in sections is raised by some consumers, for they desire that as little of the comb as possible shall be made from wax that has passed through the operations necessary to convert it into foundation. A small triangular piece of thin foundation is therefore attached to the middle of the upper part of the section by means of melted wax or one of the contrivances termed foundation fixers. The Messrs. Abbott Bros. roller fixer (Fig. 24) was one of the first devices of this kind to become popular, and is still much used. As will be understood from the illustration the piece of foundation, of whatever size and shape preferred, is laid upon that quarter of the section which, when folded, will be at the top, just a trifle beyond the centre. The guide is then placed upon the foundation, so that when the roller, previously dipped in starch to ensure easy running, is run along, the pressure exerted causes the wax to adhere to the wood. The foundation is then bent upwards and the section is folded ready for use.
Another and expeditious method of fixing the foundation is by using the " Parker " fixer (Fig. 25). The guide is laid upon that part of the folded section to which it is to be fixed, and then by a lever arrangement the flat surface is pressed upon the foundation, thus fixing it as before. At the same time the guide is drawn into an upright position.
_Full sheets_, though taking up a little more time in fixing, and adding to the outlay, render the section more secure for transit when full, as the bees build cells and attach them all round to the wood. At the same time the work of the bees is accelerated at a time when every saving of time means a great addition to the amount of honey stored.
If the Abbott or Parker fixer is used to fix the top of the sheet, a little melted wax at the sides will be an advantage in keeping the sheet in the centre of the section; or being cut to the exact size with a die, the foundation may be secured all round with melted wax.
Messrs. Abbott Bros. devised a means of fixing the foundation in the section without the aid of melted wax, which they have patented. The section is folded, except half of the top which has been divided (Fig. 26).
When the edge of the foundation has been laid on the level, the loose half of the section top is put into position, and firmly fixed by a slight tap with a hammer.
Messrs. T. B. Blow and J. H. Howard introduced the all-round groove into which the square of foundation, accurately cut with the die, is slid, as in the illustration.
When the top is closed the foundation is held loosely, and therefore a little melted wax run along the top is advisable. Mr. Lee some years ago introduced dove-tailed frames and sections, and as the
Figure 27:
top and bottom were in halves, the foundation was fixed by pressing it between the two edges (Fig. 28).
Mr. Howard's section (Fig. 29) block holds the section
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so that the groove is level with the top of the block. Then, by laying the foundation on the latter, it may be pushed gently into the groove. The edge is bent down on the level of the lower half of the section top, and on completing the section, as in the Abbott patent, the foundation is not only secure in the all-round groove, but the top of the sheet is held tightly between the halves of the top of the section. By using the split top bar full sheets or starters are quickly and securely fixed.
the halves of the top of the section. By using the split top bar full sheets or starters are quickly and securely fixed.
## II Feeding.
_Why feed and when_. Feeding has been truly described as " the bee-keeper's lever to success," for unless bees receive attention in this respect the fullest profit cannot be secured. There are doubtless many cases where feeding has not been necessary either to encourage brood-rearing or to ensure a sufficient supply of food for the use of the bees during the winter. This can only occur, as a rule, in those districts where there are early and late crops of honey-producing flowers.
As a case in point, feeding during the autumn of 1893 was not necessary in " Ivo " apiary, as a late crop of mustard, and another of brank or buckwheat, provided the bees with ample food, which not only kept up the breeding until late in September, thus ensuring strong colonies of young bees, but enabled the bees to store in the brood-chamber an amount of surplus sufficient to carry them safely through the winter.
Feeding is needed first to prevent starvation during the winter, and, secondly, to induce the queen to lay eggs early and late in the season. As the amount of food gathered and stored by the bees is dependent upon the weather, there are, of course, times when only a moderate quantity of food is stored, as was the case particularly in 1888, and the result is, that only in those apiaries where a liberal supply of food is given, will the bees live through the winter.
The loss of stocks in the spring, after an unfavourable season, is simply astounding, due in some cases to want of knowledge, but more frequently to neglect.
In early spring a colony of bees should be as strong in numbers as it was when closed up in the previous October for the winter. This satisfactory state of things can only be brought about by a late supply of food, either from natural sources or through the feeder, which will have the effect of continuing the breeding until, say, about the middle of September. Such a colony when opened in the spring will be found to contain a satisfactory quantity of brood, and a large number of young bees, without which progress must of necessity be slow.
As the greater the number of worker bees, at the commencement of the honey-flow, the greater will be the amount of honey stored, the efforts of the bekeeper must be directed to getting the hive as full of bees as possible by the time the honey-flow commences. By feeding this object may be attained.
In many districts the last source of honey of any importance is white clover, and as this crop ceases blooming, as a rule, by about the middle of July, egg-laying gradually ceases, the consequence being that very few young bees will be found in the hive on October 1st. The bees then in the hive, compared with young ones, will be of little service the following spring, and rapidly die off in consequence of the hard work that they have to perform, and then the cry is, "My stocks are becoming weaker and weaker instead of stronger in numbers." The first step towards preventing spring dwindling is to feed from the close of the honey-flow, and thus ensure that the bulk of the bees going into winter quarters are young ones.
Again, when the surplus honey, gathered during the honey-flow, has been almost wholly taken into supers which the bee-keeper removes, the small amount of food given after the honey-flow, to induce further egg-laying, will not enable the bees to store sufficient for winter use, and therefore whatever further supply is needed must be given in September.
What to Feed.
This is a very important matter, and requires much more attention than is generally supposed. Old-fashioned bee-keepers have thought a mixture of sugar and beer a useful compound, but the feeding of bees upon such stuff, and during winter, is calculated, by causing dysentery, to do them more harm than good.
The natural food of bees is composed of honey and pollen, which may be termed heat and force producers. Honey is the carbonaceous, heat-giving and fat-forming, and pollen is the nitrogenous element necessary as a force producer and tissue former. The former is the food upon which the bees exist during the winter, when they are in a semi-dormant or inactive state. But as soon as spring work commences pollen is needed, as it is an essential part of the food given to the grubs, and required by the bees themselves when their arduous work is being performed. When, for any reason, either of these foods, or both, run short, the assistance of the bee-keeper is required, and not just as it were at the last gasp, when it is a matter of life and death with the bees, for if a stock is allowed to get into that condition, it is more than probable that though kind treatment may save it, it will be of little use during the summer.
_Honey_, Nature's food for the bees, must take the first place among the supplies given to bees, but before being given it should, if candied, be liquefied and supplied as a syrup. The best substitute for honey is sugar converted into syrup, or given in its raw state according to directions following. Only the best came sugar in the loaf or crystallised form should be used. Beet sugar must be avoided on account of the chemicals used in its manufacture.
_Pollen_, the fertilising dust gathered by the bees when they visit flowers in search of nectar, may occasionally run short in the hive, owing to stress of weather or a lack of pollen-producing flowers. When this food is scarce, pea-flour will be found a good substitute. It may be scattered on some fine shavings in an inverted skep, or mixed with the candy placed above the broadest. If the bees are to obtain a supply of this artificial pollen from a skep or other receptacle in the apiary, a little syrup or honey must be sprinkled upon whatever is used. Once the bees are thus enticed to the supply prepared for them, they will not desert it, as long as they are unable to obtain pollen from natural sources, and in sufficient quantities for their requirements.
_Dry sugar feeding_. To distinguish this from the method of feeding with syrup, the name _dry sugar_ feeding has been given. The term is, however, not quite correct, otherwise white crystallised, which is wholly unsuitable, might be used. This method of feeding was introduced by Mr. S. Simmins in 1884, and it has since been proved a boon to many bee-keepers. During the autumn of the same year it was my privilege, representing the British Bee-keepers' Association, to visit the bee-keepers in Pembrokshire and Cumberland. In the former county I learnt that sugar-feeding had been in vogue as long as my informants could remember. When spoken to about the system, they told me that having taken the honey away in the supers, it was as little as they could do in return to give the bees a small quantity of food. Their plan was to fill a basin with brown sugar, press it down, cover it with thick brown paper, push a hole or two through the centre, and then invert the basin, placing it over the feed-hole in the top of the skep. The results, where this practice was properly carried out, were uniformly high, when compared with others kept on the let-alone system.
How to Feed.
The manner in which food is given must depend upon whether it is to be used as a stimulant to brood-rearing, or simply for the bees to store in the cells for future use.
If it is required for stimulating purposes, there must be a slow but continuous supply. This has been assured, with syrup, by using a graduated feeder (Fig. 30). The metal cap, perforated with nine holes, extending half-way round, is, when covering a full bottle, placed on a stage in which is cut a long narrow semi-circular hole. Through this, when the bottle is properly placed, the holes in the metal cap are visible. To the metal cap is attached an index, and as it is pointed to the figures 1, 2, 3, &e., marked on the stage, that number of holes remains uncovered, and thus the rate at which the food is taken down by the bees is regulated.
There is one great objection to this method of feeding, viz., that all the food taken by the bees after the first few hours, when the food is given warm, must be cold. On the giving of cold syrup Mr. Cheshire remarks, " Syrup holding 3 lbs. of water, and given at the temperature of the external air, will abstract more heat from the cluster of bees than 14 ewt. of zinc placed cold in their midst." Coming from such an authority, this pronouncement against the giving of cold syrup should emphasise the necessity for giving warm syrup.
There is no reason why, if we conclude that a stock of bees requires a pint of food, it must be four days taking it down. Far better is it to turn on the full number of holes and allow the pint to be taken down in a few hours while warm. It is then placed where the bees require it for immediate use, and will remain at the temperature of the inside instead of the outside of the hive.
A very simple method of feeding is by a bottle and stage. The stage is about 5 inches? square, the sides being raised and grooved to allow a piece of glass to slide along the top of the stage. The raised sides and grooves may be dispensed with, and the glass laid flat upon the surface of the stage, which will then consist of a piece of wood 5 inches square, with a hole in the centre \(1\frac{1}{2}\) inches across, and a rim underneath to raise it \(\frac{1}{2}\) inch. This stage may be used on any hive by simply placing it over the feed-hole. When placing it on a skep it is advisable to set it on a slight ring of barley meal or other paste. The bottle selected should be a narrow-mouthed honey-jar or pickle bottle.