BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
There have been fashions in hives, but the bee-keepers in British Columbia are almost unanimous in preferring what is known as the Langstroth hive, with eight frames. There are other hives in use; a few men on the Mainland use the British standard, while on Vancouver Island there still linger examples of the Gallup hive, which is about 14 inches square and deep. There are also in use a few hives about half an inch longer than the regular Langstroth. Modern bee-keeping demands that all frames be interchangeable, hence the beginner will be wise to start with a standard size and so avoid future annoyance. A factory-made eight-frame Langstroth hive is usually of \({{{k}\over{k}}}\)-inch lumber, and is 20 inches long, 13% inches wide, and 91\({{{1}\over{2}}}\) inches deep, outside measurements. If home-made, it will probably be of \({{{4}\over{4}}}\)-inch lumber; hence the length and width will be a quarter of an inch less than the sizes given above. It is, however, the inside dimensions that count. These are : Length, 181 inches ; width, 12\({{{1}\over{2}}}\) inches ; depth, 91\({{{1}\over{2}}}\) inches.
When possible, it is wisdom to have the bargain include the delivery of the hive and plaing it in position, as this foresight will in all likelihood evade many stings, and insure the colony being placed in a suitable location--that is, one sheltered from cold winds.
Cost of First Season.
The cost of a venture in bee-keeping should not be much over $20, made up thus :--
\[\matrix{\warm air into it, while as the end of the hive warms up the heat will circulate between the frames. When the doorway faces east or west the noonday sun heats up a side, warming up a comb next to it, but not affecting in any way the middle frames, on which the bees are apt to be clustered.
The hive must not rest on the ground, as the moisture will rot the bottom board. So far as utility is concerned, a couple of pieces of rough 2 by 4 lumber are as good as anything. If the ground is uneven, it must be made perfectly level, for perfect combs cannot be secured if the frames are off the plumb. During the rainy season the back end of the hives should be raised an inch or two, so that water may run freely off the alighting-board.
## Chapter 3 Tools and Dress.
The tools essential for the practice of bee-keeping in a small way are neither numerous nor expensive, consisting practically of a smoker and a hive-tool. The latter may be disposed of in a few sentences, so will be dealt with at once. Its principal use is to force apart the frames, which are generally glued together by an adhesive known as propolisals. As any piece of flat and light metal is fit for this simple work, we find the majority of bee-keepers are content to use a screwdriver or a wood-chisel an inch wide in their ordinary work. But once in a while one must scrape away the accumulations of wax and propolisals from the frames, or the deposit of dead bees and other waste matter from the bottom boards, so that a tool with a scraping-edge is a great convenience. Many hive-tools have been invented, but after trying about a dozen the writer pins his faith to the Root tool, which is illustrated in Fig. 1. The bent end is used for scraping, the straight one for separating frames and hive bodies.
Figure 1: Root Hive-tool.
The Smoker.
Bees have an instinctive dread of smoke, probably due to the fact that their natural home is in the hollow trunk of some forest tree, where the greatest danger that can threaten is fire. Safety lies in flight, and so when fire threatens the bees gorge themselves with honey and endeavour to reach some region outside of the danger zone. This we know, that if we drive smoke into a hive the inanates proceed to lap up the honey in the cells and ignore the bec-keeper when he proceeds to break up their home by removing the frames.
The smoker of to-day consists essentially of two parts, the bellows and the stove. Figs. 2 and 2 illustrate types on the market. In the first the grate is below the fuel, in the second it is above. The latter works nicely for a while, but soon the grate becomes clogged and the smoker is out of business. The writer, therefore, recommends the one with the grate below the fuel, which is shown in Fig. 2.
The stove is fed with any substance that will burn slowly and give off pungent smoke. Cotton or linen rags\(-\)never woollen\(-\)are very good, so are pieces of old sacking, especially if weather-worn. The writer has found an old tent, so rotten that itore easily, a very suitable form of fuel. Greasy cotton-waste is excellent, and can usually be had for the asking at any factory or printing plant. Many bee-keepers use the prunings from fruit-trees once they are thoroughly dry, but as they give off a great deal of a tarry substance the writer does not recommend their use.
The smoker is started by placing a small piece of burning rag on the grate at the bottom, then this is fanned into flame by working the bellows gently. At intervals more is added, until the stove is too hot to touch, and then the full loading is done. A good smoker should keep alive for several hours without attention, when not in actual use, and he ready for business after a few puffs with the bellows. When in steady demand it should always be stood on end, so that a slow draft is passing through the stove all the time ; if not wanted for some time, it should be laid on its side so as to secure very slow combustion.
Dress.
The sweet stores of the honey-bee are exceedingly tempting to many forms of animal life ; therefore Nature provides her with a very efficient weapon of defence, not offence, in the shape of a sting, so whoever desires to rob the hive of its toothsome treasures must be protected against the little javelins. Ordinary clothing is a sufficient
Figure 2: Smokers. Fig. 2a.
covering, so far as it goes, but in addition the head must be shielded, while with most people the hands are all the better of being protected. Many experts rarely use gloves, having attained a stage at which a \(\,\) sting gives little annoyance ; but, as a matter of fact, the writer finds that much of the \(\,\) poor bee-keeping he has come across is largely due to the dread of stings.
When a man has to lay off work for a couple of days because of a sting in his wrist, and at the same time does not know how to get perfect protection, he can scarcely be blaued for leaving his bees alone as much as possible, even if neglect means the loss of half the crop. The beginner will, therefore, be wi-e if he provides himself at the very outset with a \(\,\) really sting-proof costume. Such a one is shown in Fig. 3, and is the invention of one of the biggest bee-keepers on this continent.
Essentially the dress consists of a \(\,\) blouse, to which \(\,\) is attached an upper part of white n-\(\,\)tting, this being faced with a square of black mosquito wire gauze. The simplest way to make this su.t is to buy a \(\,\) cotton nightshirt two or three sizes larger than is ordinarily worn, cut off a part above the shoulders and \(\,\)another below the waist. From the latter portion make extensions of \(\,\) the sleeves so that they will reach down a little b-low the knuckles, then cut a \(\,\)hole in the side for the thumb. The lower part of the blouse is taken up with a string hemmed in the edge, so that \(\,\) the blouse can be tied round the wearer's waist.
The black wire netting in front of \(\,\) the face is about \(8\,\) inches square, pref-\(\,\)renee, being given to a mesh of eight wires to the inch as permitting clearer vision. To prevent the wire from cutting the white netting, it is edged with strips of oil-eloth \(\,\)l inch wide. These are doubled over the edges, then sewn very slowly on a sewing-maehine.
Netting such as is used for window-curtains is the best material for the upper part of the suit, as it permits of the free \(\,\)e circulation of air round the neck and head. It should be quite loose at the back, but not in front, for the closer the wire netting is to the face the better one sees. The upper edge of the wire should reach the brin of the
Figure 3: Fig. 4
hat, for if it does not the sun's rays will strike the white netting and irritate the eyes. The black netting is sewn into place with the sewing-maehine run slowly, before the white netting in front of it is ent away. The upper edge of the cloth netting has, of course, a piece of elastic hemmed in so that it can be fastened to the broad-brimned straw hat.
The extension pieces that protect the hands are made sting-proof by being coated with a thin layer of paraffin-wax, such as is used for covering home-made preserves which is easily applied while hot by means of a teaspoon.
Fig. 3 shows the suit in use; Fig. 4, how the face protection can be lowered, so that the wearer can take a drink or mop his brow.
## Gloves
With this suit a pair of gloves can be slipped on when wanted. In some regions there are on the market thin gloves of sheepskin that have a glossy surface which is a safe protection from stings. When these are not available one must buy what is on the market, preference being given to a pair with glossy surface, but, of course, any glove may be made sting-proof by coating with paraffin-wax or the least possible quantity of linseed-oil.
### Bee-veil
Most bee-keepers use the ordinary veil, extending from the hat to the shoulders. This style can be bought in any store that carries bee supplies. It is very tender, easily torn, and not to be recommended where one has to work under low-branched trees.
The lower edge in front should be drawn down tight and fastened to vest or a susender with a safety-pin. When this veil is worn the gloves used must be long-sleeved, so as to protect the wrists. These are shown in Fig. 6. They are generally too thin to ward off stings, but a very thin coating of linseed-oil will make them sting-proof, though rather stiff.
Figure 5: Bee Yell.
The lower openings of the trousers must be closed either by bicycle-clips, pieces of string, or by tucking them into the socks.Boots are, of course, preferable to shoes.
Ladies' Costume.
Ladies should wear either a divided skirt fitting tightly to the ankles, or trousers under an ordinary short dress.
## Chapter IV.
### Hives.
The beginner in bee-keeping ought at once to get aquainted with the parts of a hive, also the principles that are involved in its construction. On seeing one for the first time, he might be tempted to assume that the structure in which the bees are housed is a solid piece of carpentry, but examination will show it consists of at least a dozen movable pieces, and even this number is increased in the active months of the year--June, July, and August.
Let us suppose that the reader and the writer are going to examine a hive together, and that the latter is going to explain things a little as the inspection proceeds. We will, therefore, start with a modern hive on the stand, and since we are not side by side in reality, the writer will bring photography into play, and, as far as possible, illustrate each feature that is deemed worthy of notice.
First, we get the smoker ageing, then put on our bee suits.All being ready, we stand alongside the hive, which will appear as in Fig. 7--that is, if it is an eight-frame Langstroth. Looking at it even casually, we observe that like a dwelling-house it has a roof, side-walls, and a foundation. These three are definite and distinct parts; furthermore, they are essential features of every modern hive. If you take hold of the roof you will find it to be removable, sometimes with a little difficulty, as the bees have a habit of fastening it down tight to the walls with propolisis, so as to prevent the escape of heat from the interior. Just keep this little fact in mind, for as we proceed with our investigations we will learn the reasons for the bees' desire to keep warm the inside of their home. Fig. 8 shows the hive-cover removed. So far we have not seen the inside of the hive, because on lifting the cover we find a cloth quilt just underneath.
Figure 6: Bee Glove.
measure them we will find that they are spaced \(1
rac{1}{8}\) inches from centre to centre, and since there are eight of them, they will occupy exactly 11 inches, thus leaving a clear space of \(1
rac{1}{8}\) inches on one side of the hive. Part of this is filled by a piece of plain board about half an inch thick, with a top bar like a frame, and is known as a follower, though occasionally it is called a division-board. In use it is pushed tight against the last frame. We are now ready to proceed with the examination of the internal arrangements of the hive, and while doing so we will adhere to a few simple rules.
First--We will never stand in front of the hive, for there is the bees' roadway, and they will resent our presence, even to the point of stinging.
Second--We will never put any frame or other part of a hive in front, for the same reason.
Third--We will not have more than one frame at rest outside of the hive at one time, but this rule will not forbid us having another one in our hands.
Fourth--We will take care that we leave all frames in the same order that we found them and turned the same way.
Fifth--We will be very slow in all our movements, never dropping a frame into position, but placing it exactly where it belongs, because bees are very nervous creatures and the slightest jar will cause them to fly off the frames and show fight.
Sixth--We will avoid killing a single bee, not only for humane reasons, but because in a bee-hive an injury to one is an injury to all, therefore the death must be avenged.
Figure 8: Showing Quilt.
Modern bee-keeping is based on this vacancy, for until the Rev. L. L. Langarotch discovered that the bees will fill up a space less than \(
rac{1}{4}\) inch wide with propolisis, and build comb in one larger than \(
rac{8}{}\) inch, a movable frame was impossible. A bee-space then is one that is not less than \(
rac{1}{4}\) inch, nor more than \(
rac{8}{}\) inch. It is important that this fact be remembered, for it has much to do with practical bee-keeping, and is the reason why it is better for the bee-keeper to buy factory-made goods than to attempt makesshifts of his own construction.
The inside of our frame is filled with wax comb, which is made up of an innumerable number of cells, at least 3,000 on each side.
In these cells is stored the food supply of the colony ; in them are laid the eggs from which develop the young bees, the whole time from infancy to maturity being spent in such narrow confines. Then in the cold days of winter, when all activity in the hive practically ceases, when the individual members huddle close together to keep each other warm, each empty cell may be filled with an insect so that no space shall be unoccupied. The interior of a bee-hive is a wonderful utilisation of a limited area, down to the minutest detail, and it is hard for most people to realise that in a capacity of about 2 cubic feet as many as 50,000 bees will carry on all the activities of their life, for here is at once a pantry, kitehen, incubator, nursery, living-room and bedroom for them all.
Figure 10: Examining a Frame.
But let us investigate our comb a little more, and first we will probably notice that there are at least two different sizes of cells, one series in the upper part of the frame, running about five to the inch; another kind, generally in the lower half of the comb, that are a little larger, running about four to the inch. In the smaller cells the workerbees are raised; in the larger the drones, who are the males, spend their days of infancy. Both kinds of cells are used when necessary as storehouses for food. In a well-managed hive the worker-cells vastly predominate; in fact, all good bee-keepers strive to keep the drone-cells to the lowest possible number. Drones are essential to the welfare of the apiary, but an unlimited quantity of them means a waste of valuable space and food, for they are consumers only. Fig. 11 shows the two kinds of cells side by side.
We will now proceed to examine the next frame, but first we will dispose of this one by setting it on the ground, leaning it against the side of the hive. As before, we will break the gluing between the frames. Since it is May it is probable the colony is strong enough to cover six frames, so that this one may have thousands of bees on both sides, while the weight suggests that the cells contain something. They do, for the centre of the comb is filled with young bees in all stages--eggs, larvae and sealed brood; these surrounded by a band about an inch or two wide of pollen, while outside of that, especially at the top and ends, is honey. Quite a neat arrangement, you see, so as to have everything handy; nursery in the centre with the food all round about. But stop a minute; all the other frames are arranged exactly the same way; so think a little and you will realise that the brood-nest is a ball, with, of course, the most brood in the centre frame, the least at the sides. Now you will understand why you should not disturb the order of the frames when you examine a hive, as changing the arrangement will upset the brood-nest. This is why you are advised never to set more than the first frame outside of the hive, just to prevent yourself getting mixed up as to their order. The bee-keeper's business is to help the bees, never to hinder them.
Shaking Bees off the Combs.
Mayle the comb is so thickly covered with bees that careful inspection is impossible, in which case hold the frame above the hive, raise it slowly about a foot, then lower it quickly, finishing up with a sudden jerk, when practically every insect will drop on the frames.
Fig. 12 shows the position of the frame at the end of the operation. It is not considered wise to shake the queen off the combs at the season when she is laying heavily. Another way, which the writer prefers, is to hold the frame perpendicularly by the end of the top bar with the left hand, then with the right hand clenched hit the left a smart blow from above (Fig. 13). The comb being free from bees, turn your back to the sun so that its rays shine into the cells. Along the upper part of the frame and at the ends the cells will probably be all sealed, the cappings, as the coverings of the cells are called, being flat, often sunk and wrinkled. Such sealing indicates the presence of honey. On the edge of this region there will likely be a narrow belt of unsealed cells showing the honey, indicating that the bees are using up their stores to feed the young.
When we reach the bottom board in our investigations we shall find lying there a brownish-looking deposit, like coarse dust, but which is really the fragments of comb-capping torn from the cells.
## Pollen Stores.
Next to the open eells with honey comes a narrow band of cells, filled with a brilliant-coloured solid substance. This is pollen, the bee-bread of our forefathers, which is the male principle of plants, and forms part of the food of the young of the bee while in the larva or maggot stage.
The Brood-cells.
In the centre of the frame we find the brood in all stages--egg, larva, and cocoon. The last is sealed over, just as is the honey, with this difference, however, that the cappings are slightly raised in the case of worker-brood, decidedly so with drone-cells. The larvae or maggots are easily seen, coiled up in the bottom of the cell, especially after they are three days old, but the eggs are harder to distinguish on account of their small size ; in fact, they look like very short bits of white thread attached to the far end--that is, the bottom of the cell. It is just as well for the beginner to learn to detect the presence of eggs in the comb, for an evenly arranged patch is pretty good proof that the queen was busy at least three days ago.
How to Reverse a Comb.
A frame has two sides, so you had better look at the other one too. Your most natural impulse will be to cant the frame over, but don't do, for as you tilt it up to the level the weight of the comb is apt to break it away. Try it thus: lower one hand, say the right, until the top bar is perpendicular (Fig. 14); turn the frame half-way round, using the top bar as a pivot (Fig. 15); then raise the hand that was lowered (Fig. 16). Your frame is now upside down with the second side towards you. Here is another method that can be carried out without a pause: Let the lugs of the frame rest on the middle fingers of each hand, these being bent towards the chest. Turn the comb end for end by swinging the left hand to the right of the right hand, then swing the comb up to the position shown in Fig. 16. To get to the original position, reverse the movements.
R Replacing Frames.
When through with this frame, replace it in the hive, pushing it tight against the vacant side. There is no excuse for placing it on the ground. If you have changed it so that you have forgotten which is the front end, just look at the brood, for the bees prefer to have their young towards the entrance of the hive, but the honey at the rear. When you have examined as many frames as you want, push them over to their original position by putting the hive-tool between the side of the hive and the end bar of the frame and using it as a lever. Now insert the frame first taken out, pushing it into place, then the follower. Many bee-keepers insert a wedge between the latter and the wall of the hive, but this is not necessary, excepting when the hive is to be moved in a vehicle of some kind.
The Bottom Board.
The foundation of the bee-home remains to be examined, and to do this we must lift off the hive-body. Where shall we place it in the meantime? Certainly not on the ground or any other flat surface, as there we might mash bees. A good support is a shallow empty box without a cover, so we place one handy and set our hive across it. Should the bottom board be glued tight to the body, insert the hive-tool between the two at a rear corner, then with a slight twist force them apart.
We now find that the bottom board--so the foundation of this bee-house is called--is of the same width as the hive, but a few inches longer, the projection being in front so as to form a landing-place for the bees. Cleats are nailed to the sides and end, forming a resting-place for the body, at the same time securing a clear run for the bees underneath the frames, thus facilitating free communication in all parts. Just how high these cleats shall be depends on the judgment of the bee-keeper. At one time \(
rac{3}{2}\) inch was usual--a bee-space, in fact--but in recent years the pure-air agitation has influenced bee-men, and so we find most of them preferring cleats at least an inch high, while some have gone as far as 2 inches. Here is the point: bees breathe, so they must get fresh air, and this enters only through the doorway, the foul air being expelled through the same channel. A fixed shallow entrance leaves no room for extension, whereas a deep one can be readily contracted at any time. But the big space under the frames is a great temptation to comb-building, especially during the honey-flow season. Bee-keepers differ on many details; this is one of them; but in the meantime the tendency is towards giving plenty of room for the admission of pure air. On the surface of the bottom board there will likely be lots of waste matter, such as comb-cappings, maybe dead bees, and all of it should be scraped away.
The Hive Stand.
Lift the bottom board and see what it rests on. Its life is dependent on the absence of two enemies, water and ants; therefore, the bearing surfaces of the supports