BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
These plants that furnish pollen and a small amount of honey for our bees to build up on are called our lesser honey-plants; and those that our bees gather a surplus of honey from are called our greater honey-plants. If we have high cool winds or a rainy season, or a cool spell while these particular plants are in bloom, the result is a honey failure, whence comes the uncertainties of bee-keeping, because such weather conditions waste the nectar, should the honey-plants secrete any during such unfavorable conditions; and, besides, bees can not get out in the field during such weather. But if the weather is calm, warm, and sunny during the blooming of the greater honey-plants, a large crop of honey will be the result if the bees are in proper condition. A dry warm season is apt to be a good, honey season, and a cold wet season a poor one. Because bees are flying in and out of their hives briskly is no sign that they are gathering honey, for they will do this whenever the weather is warm enough for them to fly, perhaps searching for honey or pollen. Then to see them prying around on blossoms is no sure indication that they are gathering honey from them, for they may be only searching for it; but when the honey-plants come in bloom the bees will take to their blossoms and will be seen tumbling about the entrance of the hives, loaded with honey. Then to be sure that they are gathering honey, lift out a few frames in some strong colony and jar them a little; and if there is new honey in the comb it will drop out; and whatever blossoms the bees are seen on mostly are secreting the honey, and the plant that is blooming is a honey-plant. It is interesting to roam the forest and study our bee pasture and the relations that exist between bees and plants, how they are dependent on each other, and that they sleep together in the winter and awaken together in early spring; for as soon as the first budsbegin to swell with new sap the bees are present on them, and so they thrive together during spring, summer, and autumn, and again rest together in winter. And it is interesting to note the condition the earth or soil is in when- honey-plants are secreting honey. It is also interesting to note the atmospheric conditions under which the honey-plants secrete their nectar, sparingly or heavily.
Our bee-pasture is an interesting subject, and studying and learning it is very essential to successful bee-keeping; and every bee-keeper should- master as nearly as possible, the sources, of honey and pollen in his location, and note the times during the season when these particular plants begin to bloom, the duration of their blooming, and the amount of pollen and honey the bees usually secure from them, etc., in order that he may operate his apiary accordingly, have his bees built up to a honey-gathering condition by the time the honey-plants begin to bloom, and to have them supplied with proper room. While Mother Earth has blessed some sections and localities with more honey-plants than others, yet there are but few localities in the South that will not justify beekeeping if they are the right kind of bees, and receive the proper culture.
An inferior run-down race or strain of bees will make a poor location anywhere. I remember that back in my earlier bee-keeping days, the queen-brecders often mailed me price lists of their queens, and I also saw them advertised in bee journals, but thought they just wanted to speculate on me; but finally I did place an order for a few, and introduced them to colonies around in the apiary in early spring. I did not get any more honey from them during the spring flow, but they swarmed not a little. At the end of the spring flow I put the supers back on all hives, and got busy at something else; and when I went back in the fall to remove the supers and look over the apiary I found to my great surprise the supers on the hives where I had introduced the queens, and the supers on the hives I had put new swarms in, all full of capped honey. I removed these heavy supers and examined the brood-apartments, and found them full of sealed honey, and the queens nearly crowded out. I distributed the most of this honey around in the apiary, for the old race of bees was nearly on the point of starvation, while the new race was heavy with stores and had a large surplus, the source of which I did not know at that time, but found out the next season that it was mostly from the cotton-plant; and I have been obtaining a good surplus from this source each season since, from the prolific varieties of bees.
Dear reader, I mention this to help establish the fact that you do not know the value of your section as a honey location until you have tried it with prolific bees. The idea of poor locations without ever testing them has burdened bee-keeping in the South. There is a wrong prevailing idea about bee pasture among those less experienced in bee culture; and that is, that they should plant something for their bees to gather honey from. Let us keep prolific bees to save the honey that is already secreted and wasted in our bee-pastures before we plant anything for them.
Clover can be planted, in sections where it grows, for its forage and honey.
Wherever cotton is grown in the South it will not be necessary to plant anything for our bee-pasture; and, very fortunately, it is extensively grown nearly all over the South; but, very unfortunately, its great value as a honey-plant is not well known.
## 11 Economy in Bee-Keepering:
Economy in bee-keeping is what the beginner and the outsider may, call extravagance; but, so far as I know and can learn, extravagance has never been practiced on bees in the South; but I know economy has, and its effect is well known, The prevailing idea among the majority of bee-keepers now is, "Why should I buy a bee-smoker, and bee-veil, and pay $1.75 or $2.00 for a patent hive to put my bees in when I can hive them in an old-style box hive or drygoods-box, and they will build comb and store honey in it?" Yes, and they will store just as much honey in it as they will in a modern hive if they are just hived and robbed once or twice a year so long as they exist; but this is not economy in bee-keeping, but it is extravagance to let large vigorous swarms of bees dwindle down and finally be lost when there is so much honey going to waste each season which can and should be saved.
Economy in bee-keeping is giving the bees the very best possible chance by keeping them in good hives in good condition, which can'be done by constant and proper care. Even where modern hives are adopted or used, there is often too much so-called economy practiced. This is true in the use of foundation, for it is too often used too sparingly. Very narrow strips of it used in the sections and brood-frames are not enough inducement or help to the bees in their work; and right here is where a lot of dissatisfaction arises in the use of modern hives. As stated, the narrow strip of foundation is not enough inducement to get the bees to go up into the top stories and build comb in sections and frames in which to store their honey.. By all means the sections ard frames should be well filled with foundation to expect the best results. Even in the brood-apartments or bottom stories it pays to use full sheets of foundation in the long run; but it is not necessary where bees are allowed to swarm naturally, for large vigorous swarms will quickly build a set of nice comb in the brood-chamber; but where artificial increase is made, full sheets of foundation are very necessary. Then in equipping our apiaries after modern hives have been adopted and bought it is economy to buy the best modern implements. It is not economy to make hives which we think would be just as good as modern factory-made hives, for the best hives we can buy are none too good.
## 5 Swarming.
Every living thing has some way of multiplying or reproducing its kind, and swarming is the way the honey-bees have extended their species from year to year. It is imbedded in their instinct to do so, and they may at any time when things look favorable to them, for they certainly have a desire to do so which can never be removed from them. But conditions can be brought about that will greatly lessen swarming, though they desire to, yet conditions do not seem favorable to them to do so. Our earliest pollen-plants will begin to bloom in January, and the bees will begin to rear young; and along in February they will have a large batch of young bees in all stages of development; and during March some honey will be coming; and usually we have some warm days and nights, and the bees will spread their brood rapidly, and by the first of April the brood-nest is full of young bees, and is kept this way until the first heavy honey-flow begins; and by this time the hive should be boiling over with bees, and will at once begin to make preparation to swarm by starting queen-cells; and if there are any old ones about over the comb the queen will lay eggs in them; and by the time the honey-flow is well on, the bees may begin to swarm, because conditions are favorable, there being plenty of honey in the fields, and a good supply in the hive, and plenty of old and young bees, and all things appear in a prosperous condition to them; and the young queens in the cells (one of which is to be the mother of the colony) are fast developing. It is natural then to suppose they may swarm.
Some time during this period they will come to an understanding in regard to the matter, and cease feeding their queen so highly, so she will slack up egg-laying and be able to fly and go out with the swarm. Then some time during the first warm sunny day they will boil out of the hive in an excited manner and the old queen with them, leaving a portion of the bees with the old colony to keep it in a thriving condition. The great army of bees are soon out, making a heavy roaring noise, and after flying in a circling manner for a few minutes they will settle on some object. Sometimes they do not settle at all, but soon are off, going in a straight direction to their future place of abode, which they have previously picked out. But this does not often happen, for they generally settle first, and sometimes they remain settled but a few minutes, and take to parts unknown. I do not know that all swarms that issue have a future abiding-place picked out; but it is sure that some of them do, and it is also true that all swarms take some steps in this direction, for they send out certain bees to rove the forest for a hollow. Sometimes a swarm will remain on the settling-place for two or three days, but usually they will remain there only a few hours or over one night.
Sometimes bees will naturally swarm excessively, and but little if any surplus honey will be the result; but it should not be allowed unless increase is desired. The cause of so much swarming is due to the fact that the bees haven't the proper room to store their surplus honey, and this can be overcome to a great extent by supplying them this needed room.
Swarms of bees should be hired as soon as they settle well; therefore it is very necessary to have the hives in readiness; and, besides, it is a nervous job to fix up hives when there are large swarms of bees hanging about the apiary. Other swarms also may issue or come out and settle on them, and give you a whole lot of trouble in dividing them.
Settled swarms of bees should be handled or removed from their settling place as gently as possible. A swarm-catcher is a good device for this purpose (see "Apiarian Implements"), or a tin can may be used; or if they settle on a small limb it can be sawed off and the bees dislodged gently in front of the hive.
In preparing hives for natural swarms a few should be prepared with full sheets of foundation in the brood-frames, and all small swarms lived in them; but all the large swarms can be lived on starters, as they are prepared for comb-building, and will soon build them a set of good combs, while the small swarms are not so well prepared to build comb; and, if not given full sheets of foundation, they may build. a poor set of combs; and, besides, they need this great help.
When a colony of bees swarms, the most of the vigor or strength of it goes out with the swarm, therefore it will not recover from this great loss, perhaps, until the next honey-flow; and to get the best results from the new swarm, remove the old hive which swarmed, and'set the newly hived swarm in its place as soon as the bees are in it. The field force will come from the old hive back to the same location, and increase its force; and in two or three days after the new swarm has been hived give them a super; for, if the weather is favorable, by this time they will have nearly a full set of combs built in the brood-apartment, and nearly filled with brood and honey, when they will soon enter the super, building comb and storing honey.
It is natural to suppose that, when bees swarm, they are expecting to search and find them another abiding-place and go to it, and that they are not expecting to be supplied and put in it; and, as they have a wonderful instinct, they may decide that it will be removed from them, and that they had better go to the forest for a home, where their instinct leads them. So they may come out and leave, although they were gently put into a well-prepared hive. But a well-prepared hive (containing full sheets of foundation, etc.), will greatly lessen the number of absconding swarms. As soon as a swarm begins to issue, if you will go to some colony and get out one frame containing eggs and very young tiny bees, and insert it in the middle of the hive you have prepared for the new swarm, when hived they will not leave the brood. If the frame is removed from another colony which has been hived but a few days it will be new, tender, and contain no sealed brood, but some new honey scattered around in the cells, and lots of eggs and tiny bees; and it matters not if the comb is not built down near the bottom-bar nor the cell built out. This is an ideal comb, and you may be sure your new swarm will not leave it.
Natural increase is nature's way of increasing the number of swarms, and is the best way for a bee-keeper to increase the number of his colonies until he is advanced in bee culture and knows what he is doing when he begins to tear up his strong and vigorous colonies of bees; for it would require constant and intelligent attention, and heavy feeding would have to be resorted to, if any surplus honey could be expected from them; for it must be remembered that all increase is made at the expense of the honey crop.
If a bee-keeper will practice natural increase, and give his bees the necessary attention, and lose no colonies, by neglect, his bee business will soon be running over him, and he will have bees to sell if he does not care to spread his business out over the country. Besides, he will save large crops of honey in good seasons.
Of course, where natural swarming is practiced the apiaries require close attention during swarming time, which is only a short time each year, and only through the middle of each day.
By keeping the colonies strong and giving them only a limited amount of storing room, they will naturally swarm more than they otherwise would. If only a very moderate natural increase is desired, give the bees ample storing room, and elevate the hives from the bottom-board about % inch all around. This will give the bees more ventilation, and lessen their desire to swarm; but hives should not be ventilated until the bees begin to lie out on the front of the hive.
There is another way to have only a moderate natural increase from the bees; and that is, to run some colonies for extracted honey, some for comb, and some for chunk honey. So natural increase can be governed nearly to suit any bee-keeper, and it is a good and safe way for the amateur bee-keeper to increase the size of his apiary, and he at the same time will obtain satisfactory results in honey and bees.
## Artificial Swarming
Artificial increase is man's way of swarming bees. If a bee-keeper has plenty of young prolific queens available, and does not mind the expense of feeding his bees, he can do wonders along the line of increasing his bees artificially if at the same time he does not mind to hustle. There are many ways to do this; but I must stay on the economic side of bee-keeping and let the bees pay their way as they increase, and not swarm nor increase them excessively, for it is unwise and imprudent to do it for pleasure or money; for we should be satisfied with a reasonable amount of increase. In most sections in the South we have light honey-flows during the season, and in some sections the main flow comes in early spring, and other sections during summer; and it comes during fall in some sections. We should not let our artificial increase interfere with the main honey-flow any more than possible; and if it comes in early spring, make the increase after the flow, for there will be light honey-flows to follow, and if it comes in summer or fall, make the desired increase as early in the spring as possible.
If the main honey-flow comes in spring, keep all the bees together and save as much honey as possible; and as soon as you get it on the market, turn your attention to the increase by first preparing an extra hive for each strong colony, using full sheets of foundation in brood-frames; or if you are running for extracted honey you can use the ready-built combs in the top stories, and have another set built next season. The prepared hives should be set on top of the strong colonies, or the ones you desire to divide, as soon as they are completed; for you might have an unexpected honey-flow and they would start to work drawing out the foundation. There is apt to be enough honey coming in to start the strongest colonies at this work any way.
After this has been done, turn your attention to queen-rearing; and by the time the summer honey-flow from cotton, sumac, and other summer honey-plants is coming to a close, have a batch of young prolific queens laying, or one for each increase you wish to make, and a few extra ones. Of course, the queens are raised during the long slow honey-flow, and should be as good as can be raised; and during this flow the strong colonies will be building a set of combs in these extra top stories and filling them with honey, which is generally of a poor grade, and to turn it into bees is the best thing that can be done with it.
At the close of the flow, when there is yet a little honey coming in, remove the top stories and set them on the bottom beside the same hive, and divide the comb, brood, old bees, and honey up between them, and give the colony which has no queen one of the young laying queens you have raised for this purpose, giving her to the bees in a cage, and letting them release her. Do not modest the bees any more for three days; then go through them again, and if the old bees are not equally divided up give the weakest colony the most of the brood from the stronger colony, or change the hives; and if any of them have not accepted their queen give them another one of the extra ones you had on hand. In a few days more make an inspecting-tour again and see that all have queens. Examine them later; and, if any of them are short of bees, give them another frame of brood or change the hives again. During this time there is a slow honey-flow on from fall flowers, and bees will not consume much honey, but will go into winter quarters in good condition. It is a well-known fact that bees will store more honey when they are kept together than when they are divided; so it is best to leave them together until at the close of the flow in order that they may have as much honey as possible when they are put up for winter.
The same results can be obtained in localities where the main honey-flow comes during summer and fall by starting early in the spring to raising a batch of queens and having a set of combs built over each strong colony during the flow which will come along some time in the spring; then you will have time to get the bees in a good condition for the approaching summer or fall flow.
Of course, if the apiary is operated for extracted honey you have the advantage of having the combs ready built.
I have torn up many colonies of bees in various ways and at different times of the season, and fed many pounds of sugar; and I have fallen upon the method I have outlined, and I make a lot of valuable increase in this way each year.
Strong colonies should not be divided more than once, and the weak ones not at all, for they are already struggling.
## 6 Controlling Swarming.
It is very often the case that a bee-keeper has as many colonies as he desires or has time to care for properly, and desires a plan to control the increase of colonies. Then it happens very often that a bee-keeper desires to control swarming that he may obtain more surplus honey; and it is often desired to control swarming in extensive bee-keeping to save the expense of hiring some one to stay at each yard and hive swarms during the swarming season. It is not difficult to control swarming in the production of extracted honey, and all that is necessary is to keep them supplied with empty comb to store honey in.
It is also easy to control swarming in the production of chunk honey by using full sheets of foundation in the supers, and not permitting the super next to the brood apartment to be completely filled before it is lifted up and another empty super put under it; for they will sometimes swarm if the super next to the brood-apartment is full of sealed honey before they will enter the next super, or before they do much work in it; and it is necessary to keep the hives well ventilated at the bottom during warm spells.
In the production of comb honey in sections with the brown German bees, the non-swarming point can soon be reached by raising queens from colonies less inclined to swarm, and keeping the stock pure. They are less prolific, quick to enter sections and store their honey, and all that is necessary is to keep the hives well ventilated during very warm weather, and use full sheets of foundation in the sections; and four or five bait sections (sections with comb partly built in them, or cull sections from last season) in the middle of the super next to the brood-apartment in order to get them started to building comb and storing honey in it.
Permit me to say right here that, to control swarming successfully, we must first remove the drone comb from out-apiaries and replace it with worker comb. Drones are reared with the view of swarming, and certainly they are connected with it in some way. The greatest number of them are always present during swarming time, and more or less drone brood is in the hive when they do swarm. It is also a fact that they take a great part in swarming, and there can be no doubt that they have something to do with it.
Controlling swarming in the production of comb honey in sections, with the more prolific varieties of bees, is a rather knotty problem, and a satisfactory method of doing this has not yet been given to the bee-keeping world so far as I know. I have tried time and again almost every conceivable way by which this might be done, and yet sooner or later all methods of work would fail, even when all conditions seemed favorable.