BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
Modern bee culture, with its "bait" sections of partly drawn combs, or the putting on of extracting supers at the opening of the season, then changing them for sections after a start has been made, has well-nigh overcome the objection of the Italians clinging to the brood nest, while much can be done by selection in breeding to overcome the trait of poor capping. In brief, if I were to engage in the production of either comb or extracted honey, I should adopt pure Italians; then, by selection in breeding, get rid of the undesirable traits, such as "watery" capping of the honey, inclination to build large quantities of brace-combs, undue swarming, etc. Every bekeeper of experience, who has tried different strains of bees, knows that there is a great difference between different strains of even the same variety. A bee-keeper who is just starting in the business, or one already in the business who has not taken such a course, ought to get queens from several of the best breeders, then adopt some easily kept but comprehensive system of recording the traits and peculiarities of each colony. The card system which has been so successfully adopted in so many ways, readily lends itself to this use. If the bees of any colony prove vindictive, re-queen it. If the bees of another colony are poor comb builders, or cap their honey poorly, destroy the queen and give them another. Do the same if they build large quantities of "brace-combs," or if they are unduly given to swarming, or if they are poor honey gatherers, or do not winter well. On the other hand, the desirable traits should be watched for and recorded, and queens reared from the queens of such colonies. Care ought also to be taken that no drones are reared, or allowed to fly, from undesirable stock, and pains taken to rear them in goodly numbers from the best stocks in the apiary. By pursuing this course, the bee-keeper will eventually build up a strain of bees that will be peaceable, hardy, good honey gatherers, and good comb builders. Well-directed efforts at improving his stock, carefully watching and recording the traits of each colony, getting rid of poor queens and keeping the best, perhaps buying queens occasionally and comparing their progeny with the stock already on hand, always breeding from the best, such a course as this will prove the most profitable of any which a bee-keeper can pursue. The wonder is that it is so greatly neglected.
per _comb_. Where the honey-flow is short, or comb honey is produced, a smaller hive, one holding only eight Langstroth combs, has its advantages.
The hive body for holding the frames need be nothing more than simply a box, with plain, square corners, without top or bottom, having rabets on the upper, inner edges of the end-pieces, for supporting the frames. If a hive is nailed up with the heart side of the lumber out, it is less inclined to warp. A plain, simple board, cleated at each end, upon the under side, to prevent warping, with half-inch strips nailed along the two sides and back end, upon its upper surface, to support the hive, is the equal of any bottom-board.
It may not be amiss to say that hives may be used with _no bottom-board_ except the _earth_. The hive sits upon a rim made of rough, cheapplumber, an entrance being furnished by making the front, end-piece of the rim an inch narrower, and the rim filled with earth or sawdust to within an inch of the top. At first thought this seems like a very rough, primitive-affair, as though using simply the earth for a bottom-board would not answer, but it is difficult to say _soly_.
A cover after the same style, simply a plain board cleated at the ends to prevent warping, is a model of simplicity and desirability. If it is difficult to obtain boards wide enough for covers, they may be pieced, even made of narrow strips, then the upper surface covered with a piece of muslin while the paint is fresh, and another coat of paint applied over the muslin. If kept properly painted, such covers will not leak.
Much has been written about staples and projections on frames to make them self-spacing, but the objections greatly overshadow the advantages, which are that all the frames are kept at _exactly_ the same distance apart; in closing up the hive, or rather, in arranging the frames preparatory to closing the hive, they can all be showed over in a body, by pressing against the outside one, and if the hives are to be moved, as from one apiary to another, the frames are held in position without any additional fastening. The moving of colonies from one location to another is something that occurs only occasionally, in many cases not at all, and it is better to specially fasten all of the frames once, or even twice, a year, should it become necessary, than to be continually annoyed by objectionable attachments. In closing up a hive there is some advantage in being able to show the frames over without taking up any time in spacing them, but, so far as exactness is concerned, there is no necessity for self-spacing devices; as the combs may vary from 1% to 1% inches from center to center, without any serious results. The eye and hand very soon become trained to sufficient exactness in the matter of spacing. The most serious objection to self-spacing is that it destroys the most valuable feature of hanging frames--the _lutrend_ movement. If frames hang free, it is an easy matter to press one over one way, and another the other way, and then lift out the one that hung between them. Self-spacing prevents this. Before self-spaced frames can be moved, a division board, or "dummy," must be pulled out at one side of the hive, and sometimes this board is glued fast and more difficult to remove than would be an ordinary comb. Another objection to staples, or other metal attachments, is that the honey knife is likely to strike them, and be dulled, when the honey is being uncapped; and they also give trouble by catching in the wire cloth forming the reel of the extractor. A few men have tried and been pleased with the plan of supporting frames upon nails driven into the centers of the ends of the top-bars. To illustrate: Take anordinary Langstroth frame, saw off the projecting ends of the top-bar, then, into the center of each end of the top-bar drive a six-penny nail at such a point that its lower side will occupy exactly the same point as the lower side of the wooden projection occupied before it was saved off. The nail is, of course, driven in until it projects exactly as far as the former wooden projection extended beyond the end-bar. These nail-supporters may be used either with or without metal rabbits. In either case the points of contact are so slight that there is little opportunity for gluing them fast, and the frames can always be loosened with the fingers.
Closed-end frames, in common with other styles of self-spaced frames, possess the advantage that they need no fastening when the hives are moved from one part of the country to another, but, aside from this, the advantages are all with the loose, or hanging, free-swinging frame.
A divisible-broad-chamber hive, one having two sets of shallow frames, thus allowing the hive to be divided horizontally, possesses some advantages. For instance, at the beginning of the season it is desirable to induce the bees to spread out and till their combs as completely as possible with brood, and by dividing the brood nest horizontally, transposing the sections, placing the lower one above and the upper one below, we bring together, in the center of the hive, the outside, or spherical portions of the brood-nest, while the broad, center-surfaces are thrown to the outside. In their efforts to bring the brood-nest back to a spherical shape, the bees remove the honey from the center of the hive and replace it with brood, thereby increasing the amount of the latter. The transposition of the two sections of the brood-nest also throws a large surface of brood up close to the supers which greatly hastens the beginning of work in the sections.
The use of this style of hive also allows of contraction of the the brood nest without reducing the supering surface, or the bringing in of "dummies," as must be done with other styles of hive. Divisible-broad-chamber hives cost considerably more than other styles of hives, and, after using them for years by the side of the ordinary Langstroth hive, seeing them used by other persons in different locations, and considering the new features that have recently sprung up in bee-keeping, I have gradually come to the decision that if I were now starting in the bee business, I should not use the horizontally-divisible hive. In my opinion, its greatest point of superiority is in practicing contraction of the brood-nest; but so far as handling frames is concerned, there is no frame that approaches the plain, all-wood, hanging frame, and, in managing out-spiraries, in which case there is not time for using the bee-escape, this is a most decided advantage.
In northern climates, bees need more protection in winter than is afforded by a single-wall hive. In Michigan this is best afforded by a cellar; further south, some kind of packing is probably preferable. Whether this packing shall be in the shape of the so-called chaff hive, or in something of a temporary nature that can be removed in summer, is a point upon which bee-keepers differ. It is true that temporary packing calls for extra labor (but it does not come at a hurrying time of the year), and there _asas_ a time when it also resulted in some untidiness and unsightfulness in the apiary during the winter, but the neat outer case and improved methods of packing that are now being adopted, have removed the latter objection, and greatly reduced the former. These methods of temporary packing are cheaper than the chaff hives, while the advantage of having light, single-walled hives during the working season, hives that can be picked up, handled, manipulated, tiered-up, carried, if advisable, to a distant or more desirable location--hives, in short, that can be handled in a way that means business--all these advantages are so great that I should never think of adopting the chaff hive. I know there are methods of management in which the unwieldy, stand-still character of the chaff hive proves no obstacle; but such methods are not the most expeditious.
In brief, my choice of a hive for Michigan is a simple, plain box with plain, all-wood hanging frames--and I would winter the bees in the cellar.
**ADVANCED BE CLUTURE.**
In the production of extracted honey, queen excluders are a great convenience, if not a necessity. If they are not used, the brood is almost certain to be scattered through the supers, or upper stories; and ripe honey, ripe as it ought to be when it is extracted, cannot be thrown from the combs very rapidly or completely, without at the same time throwing out the brood. If brood is found in the upper story, it is, of course, sometimes possible to exchange such combs for the outside combs in the brood nest, if such can be found without brood, but all this takes time. To successfully conduct an apiary, the fixtures and methods should be such that the work will move along smoothly, and in a systematic manner, without any "hitches."
There is also another point to be considered in connection with the use of queen excluders when producing extracted honey, and that is the freeing of the supers of bees by the use of bee escapes. If the super contains brood and, perhaps, the queen, the bees could not be induced to desert by the use of an escape. If they did leave the brood, then something would have to be done with the brood, as already mentioned. In short, advanced bee culture has divided the hive into two distinct apartments--broad and surplus--and unless this division can be maintained, many profitable plans must be reminisished. The queen excluding honey board enables the beekeeper to thus set a boundary, beyond which the brood can not go.
of wood left to hold top and side - bar together is then - more likely to break. When the opening extends clear across, as in the four-piece section, the combs are more completely built out and attached to the top and bottom bars. The top and bottom bars of sections ought to be "s of an - inch narrower than the - side-bars. Usually, the top and bottom bars of sections are too wide, leaving too narrow openings between them. To put the matter in a few words, the one-piece, although possessing some faults, is cheaper and can be put together quicker than the four-piece, which costs more, but is _full/less_.
'There is also another point - that is coming rapidly to - the front, and that is the scarcity of basswood timber. Possibly the same may be true of white poplar, but there are other white woods, hard maple, for instance, from which four-piece sections can be made.
'The standard - size of sections is +4 x +4 inches; at least, this has been - the standard for many years, and I think - is yet, but there is considerable effort to place upon the market, and secure the adoption, of a full section--about + x 5 inches. Its chief advantage is in being - more pleasing - to the eye - possibly in conveying the impression that it contains more - honey than a square form - having the same amount of surface. Our windows, our books, our pictures, etc., are made oblong instead of - square, because they are - more pleasing to the eye, and, for the same reason, a tall section - presents a more pleasing appearance - than a - square one, but I do not consider - this point of - sufficient importance to warrant a - bee-keeper in - changing his fixtures in order that he may use the tall section.
Thus - far, in this chapter, we have - been considering - what are called "bee-wav" sections, those in - which the - bees gain access to them through insets, or "bee-ways," cut in the top and bottom bars of the sections, but, of - late, there has been - introduced a new style, called the "plain" section, in which there are no insets, it - being - the same width all the way around. Sections of this style - are held - space apart, and the bees - admitted, by the use of - what are termed "fence" separators, from - their resemblance to a board fence. A - is formed of - slats about "8 of - an inch in thickness, held a - be-space - apart - by - glued, or - nailed, in an - upright position to their - sides. These cleats, or posts, are of - which a - thickness, and - placed at such a distance apart, upon each side of the separator, that the edges of the side bars to the sections come against them, and are thus held out be-space from the slats.
The principal advantage of - plain sections and - fence-separators is that the - free communication thus allowed the bees induces them, from some - reason, to build - out the combs fuller - around the - edges and corners, and attach them more perfectly - to the sections. This
## Appendix A Advanced Bee CTLTURE
gives the finished product a more attractive appearance, and greatly lessens the danger of breakage in shipment. Another point, although it may be a minor one, is that a plain section is filled fuller of honey; that is, the edges of the wood do not stand out so far above the surface of the comb as they do in the bee-way sections. A filled plain section has a plumper look than a bee-way section, the latter having the appearance of being only partly filled. A tall, plain section may not contain any more honey than a square section of the bee-way type, but it _uphours_ to contain more, and has, withal, a more attractive appearance. There is still another little point, and that is that a plain section offers special advantages in the matter of cleaning it of propolis, as there is no inset to work into with the scraping knife. I do not, however, consider the advantages of the plain section sufficient to warrant any expensive change of fixtures in order that it may be adopted.
While I have produced tons of comb honey without the use of separators, and could do it again in this locality, I think I should use them were I again to engage in comb honey production; I know of no objection to their use, except that of cost, and I certainly would advise their use by the great mass of bee-keepers. In many localities there are bee-keepers who can, without separators, produce sections of honey that are tolerably perfect, straight enough to be created with a little care, but there is another end to the business--that of the retailer and his clumsy clerks who are not bee-keepers. Nothing discourages and disgusts a retailer more than a lot of duhby, dripping, damaged sections.
Perhaps I am a trifle old-fashioned in some respects, and one,is that if I were to adopt the old-style, bee-way section, I should also adopt wide frames and tin separators. I may be notional, but the so-called section holders (wide frames minus top bars) seem like an incomplete affair to me. When a wide frame is used the sections are protected on all sides, and come off the hive in all their virgin whiteness. By the addition of a top bar, thus making a wide _frame_, a tin separator can be used, when fussing with separators (by their breaking and splitting) is done with for all time. To my mind, wide frames with tin separators furnish the most perfect method of adjusting bee-way sections on the hive; and, before closing, let me tell how to put the tins on in such a manner that they remain taut. Nail two blocks of wood upon the top of the work bench at such a distance apart that the top and bottom bars of a wide frame (after it has been put together) can just be "sprung" in between the blocks. This shortens the distance between the end bars. While held in this position, nail on the separator. Upon removing the frame from
## Appendix A Avancement of Higgs and Buildings.
\(\left[
ight]\)\(N\) a small quiary, the matter of arrangement is not of great importance, but as the number of colonies begins toapproach 100, the question of arrangement becomes one of considerable importance. "Two things need consideration: the convenience of the operator, and the giving of such an individuality to each live that each bee can readily distinguish its home.
Before discussing these points, it might be well to say a few words about the location of the apiary. First, it ought to be some distance from the highway. What that distance should be, depends upon what there is between the bees and the street. If there are buildings or trees, or even a _high_ fence, the bees may be quite near the road; as, in their flight, they rise above these obstructions, and thus fly over the heads of the passersday. If there is nothing between the apiary and the highway, the apiary ought not to be nearer the street than ten rods, and fifteen or twenty rods would be better. It is possible with a small quiary to avoid trouble even if it is located near the street. When it is necessary to handle the bees when no honey is coming in, and such handling is likely to irritate them, the work can be done just before dark, when the bees will not fly far from their hives; but in a large quiary there is too much work that must be done when the bees may not be in an antiable mood, to enable the operator to perform it during the twilight of evening. If necessary, the bee-keeper can protect himself with a veil, and, armed with a smoker, he can go on with the work, even if the bees are a little "cross,"but the apiary must be isolated.
ends. To remedy this, shorter rows, or "spurs," may be put in between the long rows at their outer ends.
Another arrangement is that of placing the hives in a hexagonal manner, each hive being the center of six others. This is a pleasing arrangement to the eye, but it has been reported that the massing of the hives in such a regular manner has a tendency to lead the bees to enter the hives standing on the outside of, or edge of, the apiary, thereby weakening the colonies in the center of the yard.
Placing the hives in small groups is a most excellent arrangement. Mr. J. E. Crane of Middlebury, Vermont, arranges his hives in groups of ten each, each group being arranged as follows: Two hives facing the north, three facing east, two the south, and three the west. Nine such groups, arranged in a square, three groups each way, furnish room for ninety hives in a very compact body, yet each hive is given a most distinct individuality.
Still another arrangement is that of placing the hives in circles. The entrances of the hives in the inner row are towards the center, while those of the outer row face outwards. This leaves the space between the two rows comparatively free from bees, and, the operator can work in this space without annoyance to himself or the fly ing bees. If the two circles do not furnish sufficient room, more and larger circles may be added, or there may be two sets of circles, or three sets, arranged in the form of a triangle, or even four sets arranged in a quadrangle.
In nearly all of the large apiaries that I have visited, the hives were arranged in straight, simple rows, like the squares of a checker board, the entrances in some instances, facing the same way, while hives were from six to eight feet apart. I would prefer to have the entrances of each alternate row turned towards the east, and the entrances of the hives in the other rows turned towards the west. This would leave each alternate passageway comparatively free from bees, and the operator could work here without the bees bumping their heads against his. I would prefer to have the entrances to every hive face either east or west, because I wish to shade each hive with a light board, 2 x 3 feet in size, laid over each hive, and projecting towards the south, and this projecting board would be in the way of the flying bees if the entrance were upon the south side. When the hives are arranged in rows radiating from a common center, I always turn the entrance of each hive so that it is either east or west.
There is no reason for placing hives farther apart than is necessary to afford sufficient space on all sides for the operator. Bees do not locate their hive so much by the distance that it is from other hives, as they do by the surroundings; and these surroundings are usually other hives. To illustrate: Let the end hive be removed from a long row of hives, and the bees belonging to the removed hive will almost unhesitatingly enter the hive that has _become_ the end hive in the row. Two hives may stand side by side, perhaps almost or quite touching each other, yet each bee has no difficulty in distinguishing its own hive. In a row of three, or four, or even five hives, the same might be said, but, as the number goes beyond this, there is a little uncertainty about the matter. When their hives are in long rows, some bee-keepers arrange them in groups of three or five in the row, leaving a wider space between the groups than there is between the individual hives composing a group.
The greatest objection to any uniformity of arrangement that makes it difficult for the bees to "mark" their location, is that queens may enter the wrong hive upon their return from their "wedding trip," With my method of management, in which the hive with a young queen is given a new stand to prevent after-swarming, _a /a_ Heddon, this difficulty is easily remedied by placing the hive in some location that is easily marked--the end of a row, for instance. When this cannot be done, the hives containing infertile queens may be marked in some conspicuous manner that will easily enable them to distinguish their own hives.
In queen rearing it is important that the small hives, containing the nuclei, be scattered about promiscuously; the greater the irregularity and oddity of the arrangement, the less will be thelossof queens from their entering wrong hives; but, in a large apiary managed for honey, it is doubtful if there is a more practical arrangement than that of placing the hives in rows; and it seems to me that a little is gained, and nothing lost, by having the rows radiate from the honey house door.
**ADVANCED BEE CULTURE.**