BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
In the West,alfalfa and sweet clover make a good combination; in the Pacific belt, sage, sweet clover, alfalfa, bean, orange, and other locations are sought.
Climatic conditions are a determining factor in nectar secretion. Some apparently good clover locations are not of the best because climatic conditions are not good during the period of the honey flow, or the summer becomes so dry that the clover ''burns out' and a complete failure follows. Average rainfall and average temperature should be carefully studied. Irrigated districts here have an advantage, for the moisture is in stable quantity and removes one uncertainty from the crop.
It is not only the main honey flowers which must be considered however, minor honey plants may help greatly in building up the colonies in the early spring. Pollen plants will induce brood rearing, though it is possible to some extent to supplement early pollen artificially. Minor honey plants may also encourage broodrearing between flows in the summer or fall, when otherwise, the colony would depopulate to such an extent that little of the second or third crop might be secured. Also a small flow in early fall may stimulate brood rearing, thus putting the bees into winter quarters with a large force of young bees. M. V. Facey of Minnesota asserts that the largest variety of honey plants is to be found in a 'broken' county. The low lands will furnish late flowers, while the trees and plants of the hills and uplands will, in ordinary seasons, give a continual source of honey from early spring to late fall.
### Overstocking
It may be that after such a location has been found, the beekeeper will discover the territory already occupied with bees and in
Figure 3: A broken land furnishes the greatest diversity of flora
danger of overstocking if another live beekeeper with a series of apiaries establishes himself in this locality.
Although there is no law preventing overstocking or protecting the old established beekeeper in his location against the new, yet it is a pretty well observed unwritten law that an already established beekeeper should be protected in his rights of pasturage in the vicinity surrounding his apiaries. Besides, it would be folly to begin new apiaries under such handicaps, since the per colony production would not only be cut down for the established man, but for the newcomer as well.
The specific question as to what overstocking of a locality is, will be treated in another chapter.
It would be our advice to the new beekeeper to consider well before settling in a section already taken up \(by\) extensive be
Figure 4. Bees gathered around two buckets of rye chop which had been set out in early spring during a dearth of natural pollen.
keepers, and probably the best way to get an idea of the possibilities of such locations is by intimate conversation with these beekeepers.
**No Foulbrood**
The up-to-date beekeeper knows how to combat disease, and may, with care and persistent work, rid his apiaries of both European and American foulbrood. But it would be a great relief if it were possible to locate in a section entirely free from disease. Outside of losses caused by applying disease remedies, the labor will be reduced greatly where it is not necessary always to be on the alert for foulbrood.
Many a manipulation practiced in the locality without disease is impossible where foulbrood exists. Beekeepers hesitate to interchange combs, to strengthen weak colonies from the strong, and some, even, do not raise extracted honey because of the fear that foulbrood will necessitate the destruction of many extracting combs. One prominent beekeeper in Illinois has built up a nice bulk-honey business by running entirely for comb honey in shallow frames and buyirg extracted honey to pack with it.
Naturally, states which have well balanced foulbrood laws and extension departments where beekeeping is in the hands of specialists will be preferred.
**Nearness to Market**
Depending on whether the beekeeper expects to wholesale his honey in large quantities or whether he wishes to work up a retail trade for his own brand, he should decide whether to place himself near to his markets or can afford to be further away. The working up of a special retail trade in many ways offers advantages. It occupies the time of the producer when work is slackest in the apiary. It gives him a better price for his product.
The item of transportation is not a small one. There are excellent locations for bees which are slow to be taken up because they are a long distance from a railroad and the haul over rough roads is expensive. The advent of the automobile truck ir to outapiary beekeeping is lessening this objectionable feature in a measure, but the transportation expense is still there.
It may pay the beekeeper to live nearer his markets even though he produce much less honey.
Figure 5: The Dadant apiaries in 1919. The upper cluster of apiaries are primarily clover locations. Those in the bottom-land are temporary locations to which bees are moved for the fall flow, while the five bluff locations are a combination for both clover and fall. It is hard to overstock the bottom locations during a heavy fall flow. The circles represent a diameter of 4 miles, with the apiary in the center.
## Chapter 3 Selecting Apary Sites
Having chosen his general location, it remains for the bekeeper to select sites for his individual ahoney dearth. He must arrange his apiaries so that they will be most advantageously located for the bad season as well as the good.
The shape of the country sometimes has a great deal to do with the distance bees will fly to get nectar. Instances have been noted where bees went as far as six miles for nectar. Over hills and woods bees will fly less distance than over a level prairie or down an unbroken, valley.
### Honey Flora
Not only in choosing his general location, but in choosing each apiary site, the beekeeper must be guided largely by the flora afforded. There is a wide range of flora sometimes in a restricted territory, and it may be possible to increase the yield to an appreciable extent by observing the rules which apply in deciding upon the general apiary site--the one which has the greatest variety of honey and pollen flowers, besides having the best opportunity for major honey flows from the more important plants.
A shift of location of a mile or two, especially in a broken country, may give your bees access to a honey flow which they might otherwise miss. It may even be advisable to change the location for a single season to place the apiary near a large field of alsike, sweet clover, buckwheat, or similar plant.
### Good Roads
The location, if possible, should be on good roads, which will allow of trips and examinations even in most unfavorable weather. Spring trips, for feeding and early examinations, often have to be taken at a time when roads are at their worst, and it is something in its favor if the apiary can be reached without undue effort.
Then, (no, there is the hailing away of the surplus crop, the requeening, and other examinations, which must be done at the stipulated time, muddy roads or not.
**High Ground, etc.**
It is not advisable to locate in a marshy basin where there is recurrent danger of standing water and even floods. The apiary should be on fairly high ground, and in all cases, the hives should be placed so they may not stand in the water, or if it is necessary to use such a location, hives should be protected, as they are in sections of Florida, by being raised on scaffolds high enough to be beyond the danger of rising and receding waters. In these instances the roads are water and trips are made by skiff or motor boat. The late O. O. Poppleton, long idea hive advocate, was very successful with his Florida apiaries, all of which were located so as to be approached by motor boat.
**Windbreaks**
Especially in northern latitudes where wintering is one of the main problems, it is desirable to so locate the apiary that it will be protected from the prevailing winds. This may be done in one of several ways. Coggshall of New York, advised placing
Figure 6: The apiary should be located well above the flood mark of highest water.
the apiary near a wood so that the force of the wind would be broken, or within a double row of shrubbery or cvergrerens.
Another good way is to locate on a slope, awiv from the prevailing winds, which would be usually, in the northern hemisphere, on a southern or south-eastern slope. This would have the added advantage of giving the bees the sun's rays to keep them warm, though in rare instances there might be danger of the bees being enticed to fly when the air was yet too cool, resulting in a loss of chilled bees outside the hive.
Artificial windbreaks are frequently used. High fences are often placed on the north and west of apiaries to turn the wind, while some beekeepers believe that a slatted fence is better. The slatted fence, they argue, breaks the force of the wind while a tight fence deflects the wind upwards, creating a vacuum and
Figure 7: A slope furnishes the most natural windbreak. Dadant home apiary where bees have been kept continuously for over forty years.
causing an undercurrent which is as bad as the wind itself. Then too, the tight board fence is apt to cause snow drifts covering the first row of hives if they are placed close to the fence. In the accompanying cut we show one of the Pettit apiaries in Ontario with slatted fence for windbreak.
### Shade
In warmer climates, shade for the hives is desirable, although there is but little doubt that broken shade is preferable to a dense shade during the whole of the day. Too much shade is apt to delay the bees in getting out in the morning and it also holds the bees in the hive earlier in the evening. Too dense shade in hot weather causes lack of air circulation. Colonies may suffocate and combs melt down under the most unfavorable conditions,
Figure 8: Some beekeepers use a slatted fence as windbreak. This fence breaks the force of the wind but does not cause drifting of snow. A Fettit apiary in Ontario.
Some adjust the matter by using shade boards over the cover of the hive. There is little doubt however, that a reasonable amount of natural shade is beneficial, and to the beekeeper at work as we! as to the bees.
In New Mexico, Arizona, and parts of California, or the plains where atura shade is iacking, the apiarist builds a "ramada" or sort of shed covered with long grass, under which the bees are placed in double rows, back to back, with an alley way between. In such locations shade is well nigh indispensable.
Figure 9: A brush fence at the back of one of the Rauchfuss apiaries in Colorado, that serves the double purpose of breaking the force of the wind in winter and raising the line of flight of bees in summer, so that they do not disturb passers-by.
Figure 11: 'Ramada'' in New Mexico which serves as a shade for the beekeeper while he works as well as for the bees.
Figure 10: A Kansas apiary protected by a natural windbreak.
## Chapter Considerations
If the apiary is to be placed with other people and partly, in their care, the beekeeper must exercise judgment in choice of families. A man who lets his cows run upon the roads, leaves this fences out of repair, and has things at loose ends about the premises is hardly the man with whom to place your bees.
When possible it is advisable to place the apiary within sight of a house to reduce the danger of depredations to a minimum, and it should be near enough to the main traveled road, but remembering that angry bees are apt to travel twenty rods or more to seek revenge.
In case it is intended to use a building already on the premises as a honey-house, the apiary should be as readily accessible as possible to the honey-house.
## Chapter 4 Basis of Placing the Apary
Probably the two best ways to locate apiaries would be either to own the ground upon which you expect to place your bees or have some relative own it. It may be possible, in many instances to purchase an acre or two in the desired location or to lease it for a long term of years.
However, not being able to purchase the desired spot, and having no relative fortunately located directly in the path of your proposed apiary, the only thing remaining is to make arrangements with the existing forces--namely--the occupants of the location chosen.
### 4.1 Owner Not Renter
Where possible choose a land owner and not a renter, and ole who seems to be satisfied with his location with no desire to change. It is annoying, after having gone to some lengths to choose and arrange your location, to be moved off by the next renter who does not like bees, or the next purchaser of the farm who does not care to be ''bothered'' with them.
Where the location is sought for only a single season such considerations are not of so much weight, but we presume that a majority of locations are desired permanently, and it is in these instances that it is wise to choose well the man and family with whom you try to make arrangements for your apiary.
### 4.2 Rental Price
There are three possible ways of arranging for rental in placing bees; by share, cash, or gift.
It is only occasionally that the land owner is willing to allow the bees on his place without compensation; and why should the beekeeper ask it? No doubt that in many instances the bees do the farmer much good through increased fertility of plants, but the beekeeper is getting value received and should pay for it.
In times past, more than now, a share rental varying from a fifth to a tenth of the honey was in favor. The argument for this is that it gives the land owner a direct interest in your suecess since it means added! income for him if you do well. But with the advent of the automobile the outapiarist is less dependent upon the landowner for board for himself and teams. In fact it very often happens that it is r either advisable nor profitable for him to loiter for an hour or two till meal time when he could easily, in the same time, return home or go to the next outyard and commence operations. Another point is that the apiarist may want to run one year entirely for increase with no surplus crop, or another year he may have to feed heavily, when it would be no more than right that the landowner should bear his proportion of the feed given.
The cash rental is given in the largest number of instances. The amount varies greatly with the different apiarists, being as high as $50.00 in some instances and as low as $5.00 in others, depending on the section of the country and upon the quality of the land upon which the bees are located.
In California the usual rental price for bees in the forest reserves is ten cents per colony spring count. The late E. France of Wisconsin reported in 1895 giving 25 cents per colony. In all instances it pays to be free with gifts of honey and to keep on the best of terms with the landlord.
In some instances the agreement includes that the owner shall hive all swarms, in others he is paid from 25 cents to $1.50 for each swarm hive!.
We would favor a cash rental averaging probably $20.00 to
It is further agreed that the said second party shall have access to said premises by way of an already established road: that he shall have the privilege of erecting buildings thereon for his own use in connection with the said apiary and that such buildings shall remain the property of the second party and he shall retain the right to remove the same at any time that he shall have occasion to do so.
Signed in duplicate this....day of.........19.
Signed............
It may not be amiss to give form of agreement suitable for running of bees on shares, where it is even more desirable to have an absolute agreement between the two cor.tracting parties. The agreement may vary with the conditions. We give below the usual share agreement where the bees are owned by one party and run by another on the share basis.
This agreement made on this first day of December 1919, by and between John Smith and Stephen Brown, witnesseth:
That the said John Smith hereby agrees to lease to Stephen Brown 200 colonies of bees together with hives and equipment and to furnish such extra supers as may be necessary to harvest the crop, for the season of 1920.
The said Stephen Brown agrees to give prompt and careful attention to said bees, to use due care to guard against disease, and if disease be found at any time to give proper treatment therefor; to use diligence in saving all swarms that may issue, to provide necessary stores for needy colonies, and to perform all other necessary labor in the harvesting of the honey crop and attending to the usual work of the apiary. At the close of the season he further agrees to return to John Smith the full number of colonies provided with sufficient stores for the coming win!er, provided, however, that he shall not be responsible for losses caused by tornadoes, storms or other causes beyond his control,and provided also that in case of honey dearth and short crop necessitating feeding, such sugar as required is to be supplied by the said John Smith.
It is further mutually agreed that all surplus honey and wax shall be divided equally between John Smith and Stephen Brown, and that each shall furnish the necessary containers for his portion; also that all increase shall be likewise equally divided and that each shall furnish one-half the necessary hives therefor, and that the said Stephen Brown shall furnish his own tools, provide for his own board and other expenses; that the said John Smith shall not be held liable for any expenses except as herein provided. Signed this first day of December, 1919.
**JOHN SMITH**
**STEPHEN BROWN**
## Chapter 5 The Apary Itself
Depending upon the permanency of the apiary, the beekeeper will look after its arrangement with more or less detail. It is best to have order and tidiness, in fact the work can usually be done with less labor if order is observed, but as stated before in
outapiary work it is inadvisable to be so exacting in neatness as to make the overhead expense out of proportion to the corresponding gain.
Figure 12: The favorite way is to place the colonies in long rows facing the same direction.
### Arrangement
Depending upon the system and desire of each individual apiarist, the hives may be arranged in rows several feet apart facing in the same direction, in rows back to back, or in groups of two, three or five as the case may be. But the apiarist should give this matter due consideration with the ultimate object of making a saving of steps and labor. Too much regularity may cause loss of queens in wedding flight and it is well to have trees, bushes, etc., to mark the location.
### Number of Colonies
The number of colonies which may be kept in an apiary will vary with each location and is dependent entirely upon the honey resources of the locality and the number of bees in that immediate vicinity which will share the crop.
Figure 13: The hives may be placed in rows facing each other.
Adam Grimm, writing in the American Bee Journal in 1874 said:''There is no question with me any longer that the smaller the number of colonies kept in one location, the greater will be the yield of honey from a single colony. But the question is not how the beekeeper can secure the largest yield of honey from a smaller number of colonies, but how can he secure the largest income by keeping bees.''
Grimm thought that for his locations in Wisconsin the ideal number was from 50 to 100 colonies placed at least three miles apart.
Alexander of New York was able to keep 70 colonies in one yard and one year secured an average per colony production of 141 pounds of extracted honey. It is certain, however, that this yield was phenomenal, and was due to an extremely fortunate location and to a profusion of bloom from spring to fall.
It falls upon each beekeeper to determine for himself, either by experience or by excellent foresight for just how many colonies each locality will afford _i.e._etar with the greatest amount of profit, not forgetting that the poor seasons must be considered along with the good ones.
John W. Cash of Northern Georgia, a very successful apiarist, found that the number, for him, is not to exceed forty colonies,
Figure 14: The Scholl.Uniaries in Texas are arranged in groups of five.
while J. J. Wilder of Southern Georgia estimates fifty the maximum. In most eastern and central western locations, successful apiarists keep from 75 to 125 colonies, the number being larger as we get into the Rocky Mountain region and the Pacific Coast, always being dependent on the nectar possibilities of each location and the number of other bees to share the pasturage.
### Decoy Hives
Many outapiarists practice with success, the placing of decoy hives in elevated places throughout the apiary to catch a portion of the swarms which may cone out during the absence of the beekeeper. Others so manipulate their bees that the swarms issuing are negligible in quantity and not worthy of special arrangements.
Figure 15: John W. Cash of Georgia finds that forty colonies in an apiary is about the limit in his locality.
### Watering Places
Water is necessary for bees, and unless it is naturally plentiful near the apiary, the bees will find it where they can. Much annoyance will be saved near-neighbors around horse and chicken troughs if the beekeeper will provide in the apiary sufficient to supply the bees and brood during a drought.
Different devices are used for this, probably the most common being a tub or half-barrel with the water covered with an abundance of small sticks or cork chips. If the barrel is placed under the eaves of the honey-house it may be replenished without effort on the part of the apiarist.
### Wax Extractors
Wax scrapings and bits of comb should be saved, and there is no better way than to have installed in each permanent out-apiary a wax sun extractor which will take care of bits of comb
Figure 16: The California apiary often contains two or three hundred colonies without overstooking. The above is reproduction of one of M. H. Mendleson's apiaries.
Figure 17: \(\Lambda\) watering place should be provided to keep the bees away from the horse and chicken troughs.
Figure 18: \(\Lambda\) three-deck watering trough in use by a large queen-breeder in the South.
thrown in and will, at the same time, provude safe resting place for odds and ends of comb in which there are small quantities of honey.
**Fire**
We have known of whole apiaries being swept by fire and totally destroyed through lack of foresight or negligence on the part of their owner, to make proper safeguards before a drought. It is time well spent to have your apiary in such shape that fire cannot spread. Besides, weeds in the apiary serve no good purpose. They hinder the flight of the bees if left in front of the hives.
**Extra Supplies**
Extra hives, supers, etc., at each apiary are within the discretion of the apiarist. It is, however, a good plan to have smoker veils, hive tool, a few hives, and a few supers ready at hand in case they are needed.
Many apiarists establish honey-houses and full outfits for extracting at each yard. While these are not absolutely necessary, we consider them of sufficient importance to warrant a special chapter on honey-houses.
**Shifting Apiaries and the Portable System**
In many regions it is inadvisable to establish on so permanent a basis, and the beekeepers place their outyards without any provision for housing equipment except temporary shelter for supers,etc. Extracting, in these instances, is done in a tent, in a light,quickly erected and quickly transported house of screen or of muslin, or in a portable house on wheels. This plan is practiced in all parts of the country, but leads itself to existing conditions best in California and other extreme western locations, where migratory bekeeping is popular.
**Migratory Beekeeping**
The older reader, when migratory beekeeping is mentioned, will recall more especially the experiences of C. O. Perrine and others in attempting to practice migratory beekeeping between the North and the South, a long haul, fraught with large chances of failure, and usually proven so unsuccessful as to leave no doubt as to the inefficiency of the idea.