BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
If bees were disposed to fly away from their combs, as soon as they are taken out, instead of adhering to them with such remarkable tenacity, it would be far more difficult to manage them; but even if their combs, when re moved, are all arranged in a continued line, the bees, instead of leaving them, will stoutly defend them against the thieving propensities of other bees.
In _returning_ the frames, care must be taken not to erush the bees between them and the rabbits on which they rest; they should be put in so _alowly_, that a bee, on feeling the slightest pressure, may have a chance to creep from under them before it is hurt. In shutting up the hive, the surplus honey-board should be carefully _slid_ on, so that any bees which are in the way may be pushed before it, instead of being crushed. A beginner will find it to his advantage to practice--using an empty hive--the directions for opening and shutting hives, and lifting out the frames, until confident that he fully understands them. If any bees are where they would be imprisoned by closing the upper cover, it should be propped up a little, until they have flown to the entrance of the hive: (Pl. VII, Fig. 20.)
An artificial colony may be made in five minutes from the time a hive is opened, if the queen is seen as quickly as she often is, by an expert. Fifteen minutes is, on an average, ample time to complete the whole work. In less than a week, if the weather is pleasant, an Apiarian with a hundred old stocks, by devoting to them a few hours every day, can, without any assistance, easily finish the business of swarming for the whole season.
But if the formation of artificial swarms is delayed, as it always should be (p. ), till near the time* for natural swarming, how can the bee-keeper, unless constantly on hand, escape the risk of losing some of his best swarms? If he prefers to dispense entirely with natural swarming, he may deprive his _fertile_ queens of their wings: (see
accuracy of measurement, for a very trifling deviation from the dimensions given, will either shut out the loaded workers, or let out the queen. It should be used only to imprison old queens; for young ones, if confined to the hive, cannot be impregnated. These blocks, if firmly fastened, will exclude mice from the hive in the Winter. When used to prevent all swarming, it will be necessary to adjust them a little after sunrise and before sunset, to allow the bees to carry out any drones that have died.
Some bee-keepers, while reading these various processes for making artificial swarms, have probably thought that it would be much better to double the colonies by transferring half the combs and bees of a full stock to an empty hive; but for reasons already assigned (p. 156), such a course, though apparently more simple, would be injurious to the bees.
Having detailed the methods which can be most advantageously used for doubling stocks in one season, by artificial swarming, it seems proper to discuss the question whether it will be best to aim at a rate of increase more or less rapid than this.*
might be used to prevent the issue of second as well as first swarms. If the simple turning over of two blocks will prevent all swarming, and without any ulterior evil consequences to the colony, it will meet the wants of a large class of bee-keepers.
The difference between theoretical conjectures and practical results is often so great, that nothing in the bee-line, or indeed in any other line, should be considered as established, until by being submitted to rigorous demonstration, it has trumphantly passed from the mere release of the brain, to those of actual fate. A theory which may seem so plausible as almost to amount to pedulvre demonstration, when put to the working test, may be encountered by some unforeseen difficulty, which especially confvenes even the most analogue that it has no practical value. Nibe things out of ten may work to a charm, and yet the tenth may be so connected with the other lines, that its failure renders their success of no account.
* As soon as persons find that colonies can be multiplied at will, they are very apt to no orerdo the matter, as to risk losing their bees. Notwithstanding repeated cantions to "make haste slowly," some have multiplied so rapidly, as to run their stocks, and bring great discredit on my hive, and system of management. Others will probably do the same thing; for it would seem that nothing but a sad exparThe Apairairian who aims at obtaining much surplus honey in any season, cannot, usually, at the furthest, more than double his stocks; nor even that, unless all are strong, and the season is favorable. If, in any season that is not favorable, he attempts a more rapid increase, he must not only expect no surplus honey, but must even purehase food for his bees, to keep them from starving. The time, eare, skill, and food required in our uncertain climate for the rapid increase of colonies, are so great, that not one bee-keeper in a hundred* can make it _profitable_; while most who attempt it, will be almost sure, at the close of the season, to find themselves in possession of stocks which have been _managed to death_.
To make this matter plain, let us suppose a colony to swarm. Nearly forty pounds of honey will be ordinarily used by the new swarm in filling their hive with comb. If the season is favorable, and the swarm large and early, the bees may gather enough to build and store this comb, and a surplus besides. If the parent-stock does not swarm again, it will rapidly replenish its numbers, and having no new comb to build in the main hive, will be able besides to store up a generous allowance in the upper boxes. If, however, the season should be unfavorable, neither the first swarm nor the parent-stock can ordinarily gather more than enough for their own use; and if the honey-harvest is very deficient, both may require feeding. The bee-keeper's profits in such an unfortunate season, will be the increase of his stocks.
If the parent-stock is weak in the Spring, the early honey-harvest will pass away, and the bees be able to obtain very little from it. During all this time of meagre accumulations, the orchards may present.
One boundless blash, one white empurpled shower
of mingled blossoms,"
and tens of thousands of bees from stronger stocks may be engaged all day in spring the fragrant sweets, so that every gale which "fans its odoriferous wings" about their dwellings, dispenses
" Native perfumes, and whispers whence they stole
Theose balmy spoils."
By the time the feeble stock is prepared--if at all--to swarm, the honey-harvest is almost over, and the new colony, instead of gathering enough for its own use, may starve, unless fed. Bee-keeping, with colonies which are feeble in the Spring, except in extraordinary seasons and locations, is emphatically nothing but "folly and vexation of spirit."
I have shown how a handsome profit may, in a favorable season, be realized from a strong stock, which has swarmed early, and but once. If the parent-stock throws a _second_ swarm, unless it issues early, and the honey-season is good, it will seldom prove of any value, if mannged on the ordinary plan. It usually perishes in the Winter, unless previously destroyed, and the parent-stock will not only gather no surplus honey--unless it was secured before the first swarm issued--but will often perish also. Thus the novice who was so delighted with the rapid increase of his colonies, begins the next season with no more than he had the previous year, and with the entire loss of all the time bestowed upon his bees.
* In one season, being called from home after my colonies had been greatly multiplied, the honey-harvest was suddenly out short by a drought, and I found, on my return, that most of my stocks were ruined. The bees, not having been fed, had gone into the grocerd, and perished by hundreds of thousands.
A _certain_ rather than a _rapid_ multiplication of stocks, is most needed. A single colony, doubling every year, would in ten years increase to 1,024 stocks, and in twenty years to over a million! At this rate, our whole country might, in a few years, be stocked with bees; an increase of one-third, annually, would soon give as enough. This latter rate of increase should be encouraged, even if, in the Fall, the stocks are reduced (see Union of Stocks), to the Spring number; as, in the long run, it will both keep the colonies in the most prosperous condition, and secure the largest yield of honey.
I have never myself hesitated to sacrifice several colonies, in order to ascertain a single fact; and it would require a large volume, to detail my various experiments on the single subject of artificial swarming. The practical bee-keeper, however, should never lose sight of the important distinction between an Apiracy managed principally for purposes of observation and discovery, and one conducted exclusively with reference to pecuniary profit.* Any bee-keeper can easily experiment with my hives; but he should do it, at first, only on a small scale, and if pecuniary profit is his object, should follow my directions, until he is _aure_ that he has discovered others which are better. These cautions are given to prevent serious losses in using hives which, by facilitating all manner of experiments, may tempt the inexperienced into rash and unprofitable courses. Beginners, especially, should follow my directions as closely as possible; for, although they may doubtless be modified and improved, it can only be done by those experienced in managing bees.
Let me not be understood as wishing to intimate that perfection has been so nearly attained, that no more important discoveries remain to be made. On the contrary, I should be glad if those who have time and means would experiment on a large scale with the movable-comb hives; and I hope that every intelligent bee-keeper who uses them, will experiment at least on a small scale. In this way, we may hope that those points in the natural history of the bee still involved in doubt, will, are long, be satisfactorily explained.
The practical bee-keeper should remember that _the less he disturbs the stocks on which he relics for surplus honey, the better._ Their hives ought not to be needlessly opened, and the bees should never be so much interfered with, as to feel that they hold their possessions by an uncertain tenure; as such an impression will often impair their real for accumulation.* The object of giving the control over every comb in the hive, is not to enable the bee-keeper to be incessantly taking them in and out, and subjecting the bees to all sorts of annoyances. Unless he is conducting a course of experiments, such interference will be almost as silly as the conduct of children who dig up the seeds they have planted, to see how much they have grown.
Having described how forced swarms are made, both in common and movable-comb hives, when the Apiarian wishes in one season to _doable_ his colonies, I shall now show how he can secure the largest yield of honey, by forming only _one_ new colony from _two_ old ones.
Footnote *: These remarks apply mere particularly to stocks engaged in storing honey in receptacles not in the motion here. The experience of Deerson and myself, shows that opening the hives, ordinarily interrupts their labens for only a few minutes.
When it is time to form artificial colonies, drum a strong stock--which cell \(A\)--so as to secure _all_ its bees, and put the forced swarm on the old stand. If any bees are abroad when this is done, they will join this new colony. Remove to a new stand in the Apiary a second strong stock--which cell \(\cdot J\)--and put \(A\) in its place.
best. It not only secures a reasonable increase of colonies, but maintains them all in high vigor ; and in ordinary seasons will yield, in good locations, more surplus honey, than if all increase of colonies was discouraged. If every bee-keeper would adopt this plan, our country might soon be like the ancient Palestine, "a land flowing with milk and honey."
In all the modes of artificial increase thus far given, the parent or _mother-stock_--as I shall call it in this connection --after parting with the forced swarm, was either supplied with a sealed royal cell, or left to raise a new queen from worker-brood. _By the use of movable-comb hieves, it may be at once supplied with a fertile young queen._ Before showing how this is done, its extraordinary advantages will be described.
It sometimes happens that the mother-stock, when deprived of its queen, perishes, either because it takes no steps to supply her losa, or because it fails in the attempt. If it raises several queens, it may become reduced by after-swarming ; and, at all events, its young queen must run the usual risks in meeting the drones. When all goes right, it will usually be from two to three weeks before any eggs are laid in the mother-stock ; and when the brood left by the old queen has all natured, the number of the bees will so rapidly decrease, before any of the brood of the young queen hatches, that she will not have a fair chance, seasonally to replenish the hive.
Again ; while the system that gives no hatched queen to the mother-stock, exposes it to be robbed if forage is scarce, the presence of a fertile mother emboldens it to a much more determined resistance.
If the mother-stock has not been supplied with a fertile queen, it cannot, for a long time, part with another colony, without being seriously weakened. Second swarming as is well known--often very much injures the parent-stock, although its queens are rapidly maturing ; but the forced mother-stock may have to start theirs almost from the egg. By giving it a fertile queen, and retaining enough adhering bees to develop the brood, a moderate swarm may be safely taken away in ten or twelve days, and the mother-stock left in a far better condition than if it had parted with two natural swarms. In favorable seasons and localities, this process may be repeated four or five times, at intervals of ten days, and if no combs are removed, the mother-stock will still be well supplied with brood and mature bees. Indeed, the judicious removal of bees, at proper* intervals, often leaves it, at the close of the Summer, better supplied than non-swarming stocks with maturing brood; the latter having--in the expressive language of an old writer--* waxed over fat.* I have had stocks which, after parting with four swarms in the way above described, have stored their hives with buck-wheat honey, besides yielding a surplus in boxes.
This method of artificial increase, which resembles
coionies, \(C\), \(D\), \(E\), &e., always remain _validaturbed_ on the stands where they are first put.
Dzierzon has noticed the great number of bees which may, at intervals, be removed from a stock-hive, _if it only retains a fertile queen, and sufficient adhering bees_; and says that he has known as many bees to be lost, in a single day, from a strong stock, by high winds* or sudden storms, as would suffice to make a respectable swarm.
This able Apairian, who unites to the sagacity of IIuber, an immense amount of practical experience in managing bees, has for years formed his artificial colonies chiefly by removing the forced swarms to a distant Apiary. Though this plan has some decided merits, and might suit two persons--sufficiently far apart--who could agree to manage their bees as a joint concern, the expense of transporting the bees makes it objectionable to most beekeepers. * From the beginning, my plans for artificial increase were mainly with reference to a single Apiary ; and it would seem, from the recent discussion in the Annual Apairian Convention (p. 20), that the German bee-keepers are fast adopting the same method.
Footnote *: If forage is very abundant, bees are almost energy to get it, however windy the weather, and some Apairians, on such days, confine them to their lives.
By making holes on the inside of the bottom-board of my hivest--the glass ones excepted--artificial swarming may be practiced in a way approaching still nearer to natural swarming than any yet described. About a week or ten days before the artificial swarm is to be made, put an empty hive \(C\), on the top of a strong stock \(A\)--making the entrance of \(C\) to f from that of _A_--and uncover the holes in the bottom-board of \(C\), so that the bees may pass from \(A\) to \(C\). A number of the young bees, as they go out to work, will use the upper entrance, so that when a colony is driven from \(A\), and the mother-stock is put in place of \(C\), it will have the requisite number of adhering bees: the forced swarm being put into \(C\), and taking the stand of \(A\), will secure, as it ought, the most of the mature bees. In a few days, the upper hive may be set down close to the other, and _gradually_ removed to any convenient distance, and its entrance made to face in any direction. The same process may be repeated, at intervals, with the mother-stock, until as many new colonies are formed as may be desired.4 If the Aplarian does not aim at a very rapid increase, he can take from the mother-stock, in forcing it, two or three of its combs which are best filled with _scaled_ brood, so that the artificial swarm will have recruits before its new brood matures.
Footnote 4: I find, by referring to my Journal, that I devised this method in the 8 Summer of 1854, when using frames in Alves which, like Duferou's, opened at both ends. I soon ascertained that such hiveseven with my framedid not give suitable facilities for managing bees.
If the new colony is forced by removing the frames (p. 165), the bees may be shaken on a sheet directly in front of \(A\), and allowed to enter it again; the combs being all transferred to \(C\), unless the bee-keeper wishes to return a few to the parent-stock.
With a fertile queen, a new colony may be formed by simply reversing the positions of \(A\) and \(C\), when the bees are in full flight; and after the lapse of a few days, if \(C\) is weaker than \(A\), the position of the colonies may be again reversed : or \(A\) and \(C\) may be reversed, _end for end_, without _lifting_ one from the other ; or the comb containing the queen may be left in \(A\), and the otherstransferred to \(C\), when the bees are in full flight. Other methods still will suggest themselves to the expert.
To those who have learned to open the hives and remove the combs, and who use but one Apiary, this way of making artificial swarms--which I call the _piling mode_ --will probably prove to be the best. It does not _confuse_ the bees, by presenting to them a new entrance, or a hive having _a strange smell_, and retains in the mother-stock adult bees enough to gather water, and attend to all necessary out-door work. In the Apiarian Convention of 1857, which was largely attended, and where the question of artificial swarming with one Apiary, was fully discussed, Dzieron recommended a method as much like this as the plan of his hires would permit.
I shall now show how, by means of movable-comb hives, fertile young queens may always be kept on hand, to supply the forced mother-stocks: About three weeks before \(A\) (p. 180) is to be forced, take from it, as late in the afternoon as there is light enough to do it, a comb containing worker-ggs, and bees just gnawing out of their cells, and put it, with the mature bees that are on it, into an empty hive. If there are not bees enough adhering to it to prevent the brood from being chilled during the night, more must be shaken into the hive from another comb. If the transfer is made so late in the day that the bees are not disposed to leave the hive, enough will have hatehed, by morning, to supply the place of those which may return to the parent-stock. A comb from which about one-quarter of the brood has hatehed, will almost always have eggs in the empty cells, and if all things are favorable, the bees, in a few hours, will usually begin to raise a queen.1If the comb used in forcing such a colony--which I shall call a _nucleus_--was removed at a time of day when the bees upon it would be likely to return to the parent-stock, they should be confined to the hive, until it is too late for them to leave; and if the number of bees, just emerging from their cells, is not large, the entrance to the hive should be closed, until about an hour before sunset of the next day but one (see p. 161). The hive containing this small colony, should be properly ventilated, and shaded--if thin--from the intense heat of the sun; it should always be well supplied with honey and water.* Suitable precautions should also be taken to guard against the loss of its young queen, when she leaves the hive to meet the drones. (See Chap. on Loss of Queen.)
The best way of forming a nucleus, with movable-comb hives, will be by setting an empty hive over a full stock, in the way already described (p. 186) : when enough bees begin to make use of the upper entrance, a brood comb, with adhering bees, may be transferred to it, and the connection between the two hives closed. If the bees are reluctant to enter the upper hive, they may be encouraged to do so by placing honey there, in a feeder--keeping the outside entrance closed against robbers--and they may afterwards be allowed to pass out through the upper hive. In a few days this nucleus may be set down, and gradually removed, so that another hive may be put on the motherstock.
If all things are favorable, this nucleus, by the time \(\mathcal{A}\) is forced, will have a fertile queen, which may be given to \(\mathcal{A}\), when the bees that return from the fields show that they realize (page 158), their queenless condition. The comb belonging to the nucleus, with all the bees that are on it, may then be given to the artificial colony, \(C\). Or, if the bee-keeper prefer, he may give to \(A\) its own queen, and give the young one -- with the precautions subsequently described--to \(C\).
If the stocks are to be _doubled_, a second nucleus must be formed, by taking, about ten days later, a brood-comb from \(B\), and giving the second queen to the second artificial colony, \(D\).*
* If the colonies are to be multiplied more rapidly still, then from the first nucleus only its queen must be taken, after she has begun to lay, and her colony will at once begin to raise another. If she is removed before she has laid any eggs, the comb of the nucleus--after all the bees are shaken from it--must be returned to \(A\) or \(B\), and replaced with another that is well supplied with eggs: and if, at any time, the number of bees in the nucleus is too small, it may be reinforced by exchanging its comb for one that is as full of hatching brood as when it was first formed (p. 188). The same process must be adopted with the second nucleus, and thus--at regular intervals--enough queens may be obtained from the two, to multiply the colonies to any desired extent.
To make this matter perfectly plain, let us suppose that \(C\) is to be forced on the 1st of June, and \(D\), \(E\), \(F\), &c, at intervals of ten days:\(\dagger\). Then, as before, \(C\), \(A\), and \(B\) (p. 185), represent the positions of the colonies on the 1st of June, and the other columns, their places on the 10th, 20th, &c. Now, let \(I\) and _II_ represent the nuclei--I use
on the point of a knife or pen, and by placing it on the inner margin of any worker-cells, feel confident that the larvae in them will be reared as queens ; and as these royal cells are _separate_, and on the _margin_ of the comb, they can be easily and safely removed. This is another important advance in practical bee-culture, for which we are indebted to the sagacity of Dzierzon.'\(ullet\)_Bienenaeitung_, 1858, p. 199. _Translated by Mr. Wagner_.
If the spare queen-cells are cut out (p. 166) from \(J\), before the first queen matures, other nuclei may be formed by similar processes; indeed, with movable combs, any number of queens may be raised, and kept where, when wanted, they can be readily secured.*
Footnote *: The author is grateful to the anonymous referee for his comments on the manuscript.