BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
Queen-cells hang downward from the combs. For that reason, the bees, for greater ease, build them at the lower edge of the combs, or in open spots among the brood. If we supply the quecnless hive with young brood, less than 3 days old, and eggs, in combs that are fresh and only partly built, there are numerous opportunities for the building of queen-cells in the empty spaces. So a much greater number of queen-cells are built upon such combs. It is nothing rare to have as many as 50 or 60 queen-cells on one or two frames of such comb.
The queenless colony to which these combs are given, immediately builds queen-cells, especially if it is fed with very thin sugar syrup, in case the crop is not yielding. Upon the ninth day, after the insertion of the combs, the cells should be counted and as many divisions of other colonies may be made as the number of cells that may be cut apart, save one which is to remain in the quecnless colony. We often divide the quecnless colony itself into 3 or 4 parts, closing up the parts that are to be placed on a new spot, in new hives, often carrying them to a cellar or to some cool place, till the next day. We take good care to leave more young bees in the portions removed to new hives and new spots than in the hive on the old stand. We confine them to the space actually occupied, with division boards. Other divisions are made in different ways, according to circumstances. We may take only 2 or 3 frames from a full colony, with a large number of young bees, treating them in the same way as those above mentioned. Or we may divide 2 colonies to make one swarm, taking the brood from one and leaving the bees with the queen on the old stand, and taking the bees from the other by placing the division thus made on the stand of the second colony and removing it to a new spot. The colonies that are made from only 2 or 3 frames of brood and bees, will need to be helped later with more brood and perhaps more bees, while those that are built from 2 other hives are at once as powerful as the latter. The 2 or 3-frame colonies, narrowed to such a space as they can cover, with a division board, may be called "nuclei," while the others are at once full colonies. The method of procedure depends entirely upon the choice of the number of particles, and the number of particles is not known to be the same.
Figure 38: A small colony is confined to such space as it can cover, by the use of a division board
whether we wish to make much or little increase from the colonies at hand. It also depends upon the question of whether we expect to secure honey from our bees during that crop. If we do, then we divide the lesser colonies into small nuclei, keeping all our best colonies for honey production. We ascertained that middling strong colonies, which may not be ready for the harvest in time, are much more economical for the making of increase, than powerful ones, as many of their bees will be reared "_on the crop_" instead of "_for the crop_."
The reader remembers that we make these divisions on the ninth day after making our colony quencless. This is because the young queens, ordinarily, begin to hatch towards the end of the 10th day and we must insert a queen-cell in each of those artificial swarms before the end of the tenth day. If we inserted the queen-cells at once, on the ninth day, or waited till the tenth day to make our divisions, many of those cells would be destroyed by swarms that would not have yet ascertained their quenclessness. But on the tenth day, or about 24 hours after making the divisions, our small swarms are brought from the confinement where they were placed and a queen-cell inserted in each, in the middle of the brood combs, in the warmest spot. The young queen hatches promptly, sometimes the same evening, usually within 3 or 4 days, and in another week will be fertilized and laying.
When we make divisions, if we moved the quencless part to a vacant spot and released the bees at once, many would go back to the mother hive or, if too young, might join some quencnright colonies; for a new home without a queen, has little attraction for them. Dr. Miller and many others advise leaving the swarm thus made in the apiary, closing its entrance with a bunch of grass.
As we have had several colonies smothered when following this method, we prefer to remove the hives to the cellar overnight. This experience in the smothering of colonies is probably due to the heat of the climate in this locality. By morning, when we remove them to a new spot and insert a queen-cell we have no trouble and the bees seem sufficiently reconciled to the conditions to remain, with the exception of a few of the old field workers who return to the old stand. If the swarm has been made with an excess of young bees, there is no trouble.
**Of course, the ideal method is to make one increase from 2 colonies, as all three are strong at once and the damage suffered by the colonies that have furnished this increase is shown only in the lack of honey yield.**
**It is in either one of these manners that we have increased our colonies, at all times, for we have never liked natural swarming. It is now time for us to state in what manner we prevent natural swarms.**
## Chapter 8 Swarm Prevention and Supering
There are many methods in vogue for the prevention of swarming, but they are nearly all by manipulations which require a great deal of time, at the busiest season. The method which we sustain as best and which we here describe requires no active manipulations during the honey-gathering period, outside of the usually necessary ones, and is what might properly be called a "let alone" method.
As early as 1870, we found ourselves with a sufficient number of colonies to make swarming undesirable. Besides the objectionable increase in numbers, swarming caused an increase of labor when we were busiest. The method which we then adopted has been in constant use by us since, with additional improvements. We do not claim that swarming can be prevented altogether, neither do we claim that it is as easy to avoid it in the production of comb honey as in that of extracted honey. But the success of our management during numerous honey crops is ample evidence that the principles enunciated below are in the right direction. The season of 1916 gave us more positive evidence of its success, as compared to other methods. Out of about 525 colonies, spring count, we gathered less than 30 swarms, but harvested over 200 pounds of honey per colony, while a neighbor of ours, less than two miles from our home apiary, gathered 12 swarms from five colonies, owing to his neglect of proper attendance to their needs. The requirements are as follows:
1. An ample brood-chamber for the needs of a prolific queen. If the queen finds herself confined to a scanty lower story by excluders or otherwise, she will make it known to the bees or they will instinctively notice it themselves and prepare queen-cells. The very large hives, large brood-chambers, and easily accessible supers, that we use, are favorable to a non-swarming disposition.
But even with an 8-frame hive, the prolific queens may be accommodated. Doctor C. C. Miller uses a second brood-chamber for prolific quecens and removes this at the opening of the crop, leaving in the lower brood-chamber the best brood-combs. In some way, the queen should be accommodated during the heavy breeding season, and especially at the opening of the crop.
As an outcome of the first proposition, there must be ample room for stores. Some beginners are astonished to see old practitioners, like Dr. Miller, giving their bees as many as three supers at one time, on a strong colony. But if the queen is very prolific, and has been breeding plentifully as nature dictates, her colony may be able to work in each of two or three supers as strongly as they would work in one.
2. The use of comb foundation in full sheets in the supers when working for comb honey, or of fully built combs in extracting supers, has also a great deal of influence. upon the prevention of swarming. True, full combs are much more efficient in this, but comb foundation aids greatly. There are days when the crop is so heavy that all the available cells are at once filled with nectar. If the bees have to build combs and thus find themselves crowded for room to deposit their loads, swarming may ensue. But with full sheets of foundation in every section, the work of comb building is much simplified and the necessity of producing sufficient wax reduced. Of course, it is understood that the supers have been supplied to the bees before they found themselves crowded for space, for if the swarming impulse is once gained, it is next to impossible to overcome it by any manipulations whatever.
3. It will be entirely useless to expect the bees to remain contented and fill the supers, if the ventilation of the hive is inadequate to the requirements of the enlarged population. All observers have noticed the great tax imposed upon them by the simultaneous increase of heat and discomfort brought about by a summer temperature and a daily addition of some 2,000 or 3,000 or more hatching bees to the population of powerful colonies. Yet many beckeepers do not think of enlarging the means of ventilation. Thousands of colonies are compelled to leave a large part of their population idle, hanging on the outside of the hive for days and sometimes for weeks, because they are unable to sufficiently ventilate the inside of the brood-chamber and supers. We must remember that every corner, every story of a hive is in absolute need of a current of fresh air which is supplied at great pains by establishing a line of fanning bees, incessantly forcing pure air in and foul air out. Yet in many colonies there may be but a shallow entrance, partly closed by the same author.
Figure 39: Supers set back for ventilation in hot weather
clustering bces, and perhaps on the inside above the brood combs there may be some partitions, queen-excluders, separators, honey-boards, etc., all in the way of ventilation. We raise our hives from the bottom, in front, from one to two inches, when there is a likelihood of the bees being unable to ventiate otherwise. We have even set the supers back a half inch or so, during the hottest days, to secure a current of air through the brood chamber in very hot weather. But this must not be continued too long, for it might interfere with the storing of honey in the forward part of the supers if the weather changed. The bottom ventilation, however, must be ample, ample enough in fact to allow all the bees to work, so that none will remain clustering on the outside during the continuation of the honey crop.
4. As help to ventilation and comfort by decreasing the heat, a good roof is needed when the hives are exposed to the sun. We use coarse roofs on our hives, as stated before, even when they are located in the shade of trees. Our roofs are made very cheaply of large discarded dry goods boxes and are flat. They are elected with 2x2 inch scantling on the rear underside and a 1x2 inch strip under the front end. This secures a slope of an inch, which may be turned the other way to shed water in rear. The roofs are much wider than the hive and shelter the top from the effects of the weather.
5. The queen must be young. Some beekeepers believe in requeening every season after the honey crop. We do not believe in so radical a measure. In fact, we would not feel capable of killing a first-class queen after only one season of use. But we do believe in keeping only prolific quecens and if the queen has proven under grade she should be replaced. Old queens that are losing their fertility are a frequent source of swarming. The workers prepare to supersede them, by rearing queen-cells, just as soon as they notice their reduced laying. The old queen in a pique leaves with a swarm. So we must replace our old queens every fall or late summer.
6. A large number of drones is an incentive to swarming. Some of the old-time beekeepers thought the drones were beneficial because the colonies having many drones swarm readily.
the bees to their own devices, when we remove the drone-comb in early spring they will be sure to build drone-comb in the same spot. So it is important to replace it with worker-comb.
There are instances, however, of bees building drone-comb on imperfect worker foundation. They are rare and are usually due to some defect of the foundation, which may have been stretched slightly in laminating. At a meeting of the beekeepers of Middlebury, Vt., in the summer of 1916, Mr. Crane mentioned having had about a dozen sheets of foundation thus changed, out of some 2,000 used by him in 1915. These are only accidents. Accidents also are instances of bees building drone-cells on one side of the comb, while worker-cells are on the opposite side. In such a case the regular base is not followed and the cells lap over, showing plainly that they were irregularly built. Mr. Latham exhibited to us two square inches of such comb during the summer of 1916. Such combs should be remelted and replaced by well built combs.
When we replace the drone-comb with worker-comb in all but our best colonies, we do away with undesirable drones for the mating of the quecns. We save food which would be wasted on these undesirable beings, since the drone costs at least one-half more to rear than a worker, and has to be fed as long as he lives.
Replace the drone-comb with worker-comb, as much as possible in your hives, early in the season, and you will have much less to fear of the swarming fever.
The last condition which we can mention in the successful prevention of swarming is one which we have been using for years, but which we did not think of in that connection until the matter was brought to our attention by Mr. Allan Latham, in 1916. In exhibiting a hive at the Storrs meeting, Mr. Latham made the remark that the 1 3-8 inch spacing of combs, from center to center, in common use, was a promoter of swarming. We have used the Quinby spacing of 1 1-2 inches ever since 1866. The bees work as satisfactorily with the one spacing as with the other. In fact, the original advisors of either mode of spacing had no very positive argument to advance in favor of their method. But the 1 1-2 inch spacing gives 1-8 of an inch additional between all the combs for the bees to cluster or move about during the breeding season. This multiplied by the height and length of the hive and by the number of frames gives an addition of 162 cubic inches of clustering space or ventilation, as the case may be. Think of the large number of bees which may be accommodated in such a space.
The standard hives of the present day are nearly all of the narrow kind. Nevertheless, the broader spacing is much the better, for the above named reason and also because it gives easier manipulation and more clustering space for the colony in winter. As we have said, we used the wider spacing for years, but did not realize that our success in swarm prevention was in part due to this spacing. It is undoubtedly of great advantage in the prevention of swarming.
Let it not be understood that we lay any claims to the total prevention of swarming. That is a goal perhaps never to be attained. Neither do we lay any claim to breeding a non-swarming strain. But when some of our most practical beekeepers, such as we have met in the East, acknowledge, as one did, having had as many as 18 swarms out, at the same hour, in one apiary, we believe there is need generally of a more thorough understanding of the causes of natural swarming.
The advantages of this method consist in doing away with numerous hive manipulations during the honey crop, such as cutting out queen-cells, taking out brood, shifting colonies, returning swarms to the old hive, etc. All the required work, outside of increasing the opportunities for ventilation and adding supers, has to be done during the dull season. We know that those who have excessive swarming, if they try these conditions, will find themselves greatly relieved by the results. Besides, they may be able to discover additional requirements, for there is always something more to be learned. If we are to judge of future progress by the past, there are endless opportunities for more knowledge, endless chances for progress.
## Chapter 7 DADANT system of bekeeping
### 7.1 Putting on Supers
We have said enough in previous pages to suggest that we are specialists in extracted honey production. The supers that we use indicate it. We believe that enough more honey may be secured, from combs built previously, to much more than make up for the difference in price between comb-honey and extracted honey.
Every practical beekeeper knows that beeswax is produced in the body of the worker-bec, by special organs acting much in the way of milk production in the cow, or in the production of fat by animals like cattle or hogs. They are also aware that it takes about as much honey, digested by the bees, to produce a bound of comb, as it takes of food to produce a bound of fat in domestic animals. This quantity is not fixed but depends in its proportion upon the circumstances in which the secretion is produced. It is safe, however, to assume from experiments of scientists and from the experience of practical beekeepers, that an average of ten pounds of honey is probably required for each bound of comb. If honey is worth 15 cents per pound, it indicates a cost of $1.50 for every pound of comb.
In addition it is worth while to take into account the loss of time to the bees, when they must remain idle for at least a day to produce this wax, besides the time of building combs. It is true that most of this labor is performed by young bees during the 14 days of their stay in the hive previous to field work. But when a yield comes, it oftens takes old bees as well as young bees to produce the needed wax. So it behooves us to save comb and return it to the bees after having emptied it of its honey, when it has been harvested and ripened by the bees.
Moreover, the production of extracted honey enhances the facility for preventing swarming. Although the method given in the former pages for the prevention of swarming is also successful in comb-honey production, it is much easier to secure an almost total absence of swarms with the production of extracted honey, because we save our super combs from one yearto another. We have extracting combs which have been in use for 40 years or more and which are now better than ever, for the bees every season strengthen them by the addition of a little more wax. Neither is there any loss of bees wax in the production of extracted honey. Bees produce comb in large amount when they are compelled to remain filled with honey from one day to another, for want of cells in which to store it. If empty comb is supplied plentifully, a very small amount of wax will be produced. Both practice and theory indicate this.
The supers are placed upon the hives at the opening of the crop of honey. This is perhaps ambiguous to beginners. But it is necessary to have some practical experience to judge of the exact time and even experienced beekeepers may put the supers on too early or too late. We must leave this matter to be decided by the good judgment of the apiarist. We often wait until our best colonies begin to whiten their brood-combs with fresh bees-wax at the top. Sometimes, if the crop opens with a rush, this may be too late to prevent swarming preparations. If our colonies are very strong, it does not hurt to put the supers ona few days earlier.
Very strong colonies may be given two supers at once, though we prefer to give only one, waiting to put on the second super until the first one is about half filled.
Supers that are already filled with combs fully built during a previous season are a great attraction to the bees. The producers of comb-honey who follow the method of Dr. Miller and others to place a few already built sections in each comb-honey super, as baits, to attract the bees there, will readily realize what a marked influence supers of comb already built have upon the production of honey. Few people recognize the great cost of comb to the bees. Yet supers are filled more than twice as readily when already full of drawn combs as when given to the bees with only guides or even with comb foundation. Powerful colonies, in a very promising season, may be given as many as 3 supers of the large size that we use, at the very outset, and fill them readily.
Our visits to the bees are timed according to the prospectsof the crop. The weather has a great influence upon results. After several days of rain, during one season, we found a number of colonies of great strength, to whom supers had been given, actually starving. Super combs, partly filled with honey of the previous year, and saved for that purpose, were given them, among the empty ones in the supers. Three days later, the warm sunshine had changed conditions so quickly that we found those same combs of honey heavier than when given. The bees had already gathered a sufficient amount to store nectar in the supers.
When adding second and third supers, we sometimes put them on top of the first, sometimes between it and the brood apartment. If the bees are scattering their honey well, there is no need of lifting a heavy super to put another under it. But if they are rather conservative and crowd their honey into the combs closely, it may be advisable to place the added supers between the stories.
When the crop nears its close, we sometimes find it profitable to equalize supers, so as to find everything full when we remove the honey. For instance, a strong colony may have **3** supers, of which one may be still half empty while the other two are **full.** Its neighbor may be a colony below average, with one super only, and this only a third full. It is evident then, that the stronger colony will fill its remaining empty combs sooner than the latter. We exchange a few full combs from this strong colony **for** empty combs of the other, so that, if the crop ends in a week, we will probably find both colonies with full supers.
A super, two thirds full, may be exchanged from a strong colony with that of a weaker one, that has barely begun storing in the only super it has had. Both will probably be found full a few days later.
In these equalizing exchanges, if the crop is on, we do not bother with removing the bees from either super, for bees rarely fight when the new comers are found with full stomachs. In this they are very much like human beings. We smile upon a man who comes to us with gifts; but the beggar, unless he succeeds in interesting us in an apparently true misfortune, gets little sympathy and a cold welcome.
## Chapter 9 Extracting
We aim to extract the honey as soon as it is ripe, and, if possible, before the crop has quite ended. The reason of this is obvious. It is not so pleasant to remove honey during a "death", as during a honey flow. But a great deal of the honey must be left upon the hives until the crop is over.
On the afternoon preceding the removal of the honey, we put on the bee-escape boards. This operation is quickly performed with little fatigue, because of the method employed, which does not require the lifting of the supers more than one end at a time, balancing them over a cross piece which supports them until the escape board is slipped on the brood apartment.
Some persons object to the bee-escape. So did we, before we gave it a thorough trial. Now we have bee-escape boards in sufficient number to supply one for each colony and we find the use of them a great economy of labor. After from 7 to 14 hours, only an occasional bee is left in the super. The only time when bees fail to leave the super is when the queen is with them or when there is brood in the super. They evidently consider it their duty to remain with the queen or the helpless brood and we should not criticize them for it, as it is evidently good judgment on their part.
We have to be careful, when putting on bee-capes in times of dearth, not to allow of any passage from the outside for robbers, as they would help themselves to the combs of honey that are deprived of their bees.