BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
then up warm and if need be feed more syrup, and my word for it, you will have some fine colonies with which to form early nuclei when needed.
I had nuclei enough in the fall of 1892 to form 21 strong colonies of the kind above mentioned.
To GET DRONS AND PRESERVE THEM THE ENTIRE SEASON
Much has been said in the various bee-papers as to how drones can best be obtained and preserved the entire queen rearing season. Here is how it is done in the Bay State Apiary. When I have settled upon the colony that it is most desirable to rear drones from, a full sheet of drone comb is placed in the centre of the brood-nest. There being no drone comb of any amount in the live, the queen at once puts an egg in each cell. This comb is allowed to remain in the colony till most of the drone brood is capped, then it is removed and placed in a queenless colony, or one that is caring for queen-cells, or has a lot of virgin queens in the nursery. Another frame of drone comb is at once placed in the same live. The bees, finding they have no drones or drone-brood, at once commence to rear another lot. This goes on all through the season. I have found that one colony of bees will supply all the drones needed for the entire queen-rearing season, or for many thousands of queens.
Please understand that when forage is cut off, the colony must be fed in order to stimulate drone brood-rearing.
If the reader knows of any better way to get drones for queen-rearing or for doing any of the things on the foregoing pages, by all means adopt and practice then. I have given you methods that have been successful many years.
WHEN, WHAT AND HOW TO FERD NUCHI
I think I can save all who use my system of nuclei very much trouble by giving instructions how to care for such colonies, and to make the method a success, and prevent robbing in the apiary. Under no circumstances ever feed anything but plain sugar syrup to the small colonies. If you use honey your entire nucleus apiary will be ruined within a few hours, providing there are any full colonies of bees near them. Sugar syrup is all that is needed to keep the nuclei up to the highest standard of prosperity.
There are three reasons why such small colonies should be fed as above stated. [1. To keep them in food. 2. To prevent the bees from deserfing the hives and 3, to stimulate the bees and cause the quecns to fly and mate promptly. Now the last reason is very important. Unless these little families of bees are fed as often as each five days, the bees will desert the hive (swam out), even though they have plenty of states and brood. Of course they will not "swarm out" unless there is a queen to go with them.
Make the syrup as follows: 'cut 13 lhs. of granulated sugar in a room bucket and add enough water to fill the receptacle. This is about right--not too thin nor too heavy. See that all the sugar is dissolved before using.
The feeder illustrated in fig. 15 is cone-shaped, made of tin and is atmospheric in principle. When filled it is inverted; the opening covered by a piece of thin cloth, the collar (a) put on to keep the cloth in place, and when thus prepared the food will not leak out. An aperture, an inch in diameter, is made in the cover of the hive about an inch from the front edge; and as the apex of the feeder is but seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, is held firmly in place, and no amount of heavy wind will dislodge it.
The small quantity of syrup placed in the feeder is sufficient to encourage the bees for about five days, when more food should be supplied. It is understood, of course, that no feeding is necessary when there is plenty of natural forage for the bees to gather. I know of no other feeder, or system of feeding that can be applied to work so well as the one above described.
Figure 16 represents one of the small nucleus hives with
the cone-feeder in position. As water during a rain may leak in- to the hive around the feeder, it is always placed in the front part of the cover. Always place the hive in such a position that the rear end is slightly elevated. This keeps the water from running in at the entrance, and if any water gets in at the top it quickly runs out.
The success of my nucleus system depends largely upon the manner of feeding. These little miniature colonies are unlike large colonies. They can only care for themselves when forage is abundant. Feed then liberally and success will follow.
## The broken-trap in connection with quen-kearing
The reader's attention is called to the utility of the drone-trap in queen-rearing. It's a wonder to me how it is that any queen breeder can produce quecins that can be called _pure_ in the same
aipary where there are anywhere from test to forty inl colonies of bees sending out their millions of drones every fine day throughout the season. It has always been my practice to use the drones from only one colony for mating young quecns to. How else can any queen-breader know by what strain of bees his young quecns are mated to? Drone-traps are kept at the entrance of my hives the entire season, excepting on the hive from which the drones are
work done without any effort on your part; no climbing trees, fretting, worry or loss of bees.
Last season I saw a trap in Boston that was put up by one of the largest supply dealers in the world. I was amazed when informed that any man who ever kept bees would send out such a thing. The dealer who had it called it the "Alley" trap. I said I invented the Alley trap, but I would not own up as the inventor of a thing like the one in question.
I have not dealt in the traps for many years. But I am so disgusted by what I have seen of the worthless things manufactured by other people, I shall take up the manufacture of them again. Fig. 17 represents old style trap.
## Broom for Brushing Bees
The first year I had bees I found that feathers were not just the thing with which to brush bees, so a corn broom, such as is used for clothing was utilized, but not until more than one-half the broom was cut out. With a sharp knife cut out nearly two-thirds of the straw material just under the binding. Then when the bees are brushed off the combs none will be destroyed if any are half way in the cells.
This kind of a brush is called the "Coggswell broom." I greatly mistake if I did not sell the Coggswell' Brothers of Groton.
N. Y., the first broom they ever used. The one I use and the so-called Coggswell brush are quite different. There is stock enough in the Coggswell to make a dozen of the kind used by me. See Fig. 18 for illustration of broom.
## Points in Queen-Kearing
To insert a queen-cell.
When a cell is introduced, it is not necessary, nor is it practical, to cut the comb to insert the cell in, as recommended by some bee-keepers. When a queen has been removed and the combs re placed in the hive, just thrust your little finger down between the combs near the top-bars, and thus make room for the cell and immediately place it in the opening made. The bees will not destroy the cell if it contains a healthy queen. If it is late in the season and the colony from which the queen is taken is weak in numbers, it will be necessary to place the cell in the middle of the cluster. Even in this case, you will not be obliged to do any cutting as room can be made for the cell by pushing the finger through one of the combs. Place the cell, small end downwards, in the aperture and close the hive.
QUENS, how to preserve and care for them
At the swaming season many bee-keepers have more or less queen-cells, and sometimes young queens, they would like to preserve if possible to do so and if proper fixtures were at hand to aid them in carrying out their desires. At just that time several cages, such as are described on a previous page and are used in the queen-nursery, would be the right thing to have. Remove the cells from the hive at the proper time, place them in the nursery-cages and after supplying each cage with food sufficient for a week, or longer, place the nursery in some full colony, according to directions given on another page in connection with the description of the nursery. A much better way for the novice to dispose of queen-cells would be to supersede old queens and at once insert the queen-cells. If this seems too risky, dequeen the hive a few days before the cells are matured, say on the fifth day after a swarm issues. This method of dequeening would do away with the necessity of nucleus colonies which one would be obliged to have in order to preserve young queens until fertilized.
## 11 Age at which queens mate
The readers of the different bee-periodicals have not failed to notice the reports, from time to time, of queens being fertilized when two or three days old.
I am inclined to think that all who make reports of queens being fertilized when under five days old must be mistaken. I never knew such a thing to happen in my apiary. Have had thousands of young queens take the mating flight when but five days old, but never knew one to do so when under that age.
The fact that I spend all my time during the queen-rearingseason in the yard among my nucleus colonies, and that every means is used to force the young queens to fly and become fertile at the earliest moment possible, should be sufficient to satisfy the reader that I am making no wild statement in this matter.
## Forcing queens to make the mating flight and to commence to Lay promptly
The queen dealer is anxious to have his queens mate as soon as possible after they arrive at the proper age. No special pains need be taken while there is a flow of honey to force the queens to take a flight, as they readily do so themselves. After the honey harvest is over, it is quite another affair. At this time a young unfertile queen will not leave the hive, unless encouraged to do so by _feeding_, when under ten or twelve days old. Yet, if the weather is favorable, that is, if the day is clear and warm, and but little wind, ninety-nine out of every hundred queens can be forced to fly on the fifth day after they emerge from the cell. Feeding for this purpose has been an important feature for years in my apiary.
## How to know a fertile queen from an unfertile one
One who has any considerable experience in queen-rearing has no trouble in distinguishing a fertile queen from one that is unfertile. In twelve hours after a queen has mated there is a perceptible increase in her size. Not only is her abdomen larger around, but it is also longer. These conditions are noticeable in the early part of the season, but at the last of September and during the month of October some other way of judging and knowing whether or not a queen has been fertilized must be adopted. While queens that are fertilized early in the season will at once make preparations to deposit eggs, the late fertilized queens do not. That is, the late fertilized queens will not as quickly increase in size after becoming fertile, as they do earlier in the season. Now to decide positively that a queen is fertile I have tested the matter in this way : About half a pint of bees are taken from a colony having an unfertile queen and allowed to run in the hive of the fertile one.
If the queen in the latter hive proves to be fertile, the strange bees will not "molest her"; if "unfertile", the bees "introduced may at once ball and eventually destroy her". This is a "simple and quick way to test the matter, and applies only to nucleus colonies, though it may be practiced more or less successfully in full colonies.
Another way to decide whether or not a queen is fertile is to feed honey for a day or so. If fertile she will deposit a few eggs, and lay while the "feeding is continued.
AGF WHEN YOUNG QUENS COMMENCE TO LAY AFTER BECMING FERTILIL
Young quecns, as a rule, commence to "lay from thirty-six to forty-eight hours after they become fertile".
The "time" varies according to the season. During the "honey" harvest nearly every young queen will commence to lay "in about thirty-six hours after mating". Later in the season, when no honey is being gathered, it will be from forty-eight "hours to three days".
I never have found a young queen laying" when less "than seven days old.
FERTILIZING IN CONFINEMENT
I believe there is not a well authenticated case recorded where a queen was ever fertilized in confinement. Why should any one desire to have quecns fertilized in any other way than the one provided by nature? By the use of the "improved" appliances for controlling and destroying useless and "worthless" drones, it is an easy matter to have any and all queens mated to any strain of drones desired.
A practical "method of having quecns fertilized in confinement will not be devised for a long time to come". However, no one can tell what a day may bring forth. There are a good many wise heads at work "upon the knotty questions connected with "bee-culture".
RESPECT BESS show THEIR QUEN
When a fertile queen moves about the "conbs" her subjects always open a way for her to pass, and the bees seem to "vie" with each other in the respect they show their ruler.
The " virgin queen" never has much respect "shown her". The workers do not even trouble thenselves to get out of her way when she moves about the cluster. She must run over the bees and get about the best she can.
When a hive is opened and combs removed, a virgin queen is pretty sure to take wing, especially if the operation of removing the frames is not performed quietly, or late in the day. However, there is no danger of the queen being lost as she will fly but a short distance from the hive and immediately return.
## 6.4 Destroying Quen-Cells When Introducing Quenes
As stated on a previous page, some queen-cells will be built on the combs that have brood in them. It will not be necessary to look the combs over and destroy those cells if a _young_ queen is introduced. In the course of twenty-four hours after the queen gets possession of the combs, she will destroy the cells, that is, the queen will open them near the base and sting the nymph, or nearly matured queen as the case may be, and the bees will soon finish the work of destroying the cell, and removing the dead queen. There are, however, exceptions to this rule, and once in a while a young queen is permitted to "batch out" and take possession of the colony. In that case, the queen just introduced is destroyed. This so seldom happens, and does not happen at all except in cases where an _old_ queen is introduced, that it is not worth while to spend time in looking the combs over for queen-cells.
## 6.5 The Observatory Hive for Studying the Habits of Bees
I know of no better way for the novice to study the habits of the honey-bee than can be done by an observation hive, such as is illustrated in fig. 19. This hive has but one comb which is inserted between two plates of glass. Anyone can make such a hive at small expense. Get out a frame, groove for the glass to slide in, leaving an inch and a quarter between the glass for the comb and frame. Wooden covers are used to keep out the light. Arrange it so that the bees pass to and from the hive under the bottom sash of a window, and in such a way that no bees can enter the room.
When thus arranged there is no danger of anyone being stung while observing the bees work. Here every movement of the colony and queen can be seen, and all work from the laying of the egg to the sealed brood may be seen at any time; how the bees remove pollen from their legs; how they behave when deprived of their queen, and how they start and build a queen-cell, store honey in the combs, etc.
It the observation hive contains a small colony of bees and an untertile queen, it will be seen that the bees do not take the least notice of her. Apparently slice is of no more consequence before becoming fertile than other bees in the hive; yet should she be removed from the colony, the bees would soon miss her, and make as much fuss over her loss as they would had she been a fertile queen. The fact that bees pay no attention to a queen, is the best evidence that she is not fertile.
Figure 20 nicely and accurately represents a large, fine and well-developed fertile queen bee. I have reared many queens equally as large as the one illustrated in above cut.
Figure 21 is a good an 1 life-size view of an untertile queen. Such queens vary much in size.
The Queen-Rearing Outfit
There are certain necessary things used in queen-rearing which I can supply at the prices given opposite each article named.
The queen nursery, 35 cages, $1.5o.
The tin pipe for burning tobacco when introducing queens, so cents.
Small live, four frames, nailed ready for use, including cone-feeder, 5o cents.
Small live complete, including pint of bees, one best Adel breeding queen, $5.oo.
Same with select tested Adel queen, $4.oo.
All the above, and one of the latest improved queen-traps, sent for $9.oo. These goods must go by express, as they are too large to go by nail.
A successful swarm-catcher. Used in the Bay State Apiracy with great success many years. It consists of a brood-box in front of the hive in connection with the queen-trap.
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IMPROVEDQUEEEN-REARING
How to Rear Large, Prolific and Long-Lived
Queen Bees
N the year 1857 I had very little knowledge of apiculture, yet I had seen bees in hives apparently working, "making honey" as it was called in those days by all who kept bees; had heard all the talk about the "king bee," and had seen hives draped in mourning when a member of the beekeepers' family died. I had also seen the bee-keeper and his family out in the apiary pounding upon tin pans, ringing the dinner bell, and raising a hub-bub generally when a colony had cast a swarm. Then I had seen bees "carry wax" on their legs, etc., etc.
Well, I did not require very much experience with bees to find out that all the above performances were indulged in only by ignorant and superstitious bee-keepers. With all the literature we now have concerning apiculture, some bee-keepers may be found who know no more about bees than those who kept them so years ago.
In the month of July, 1857. I found a fine swarm of bees hanging upon a limb of a tree in my garden. The bees were hived in a small packing box, and at once commenced to build comb and store honey. When fall came the box was well filled with bees and stores, and the colony went into winter quarters in fine condition, and came out in the spring strong in numbers, proving to be a first-class colony in all respects.
In the spring of 1858, I purchased another colony which was in a box-hive that had a 7x9 glass in the back side through which I watched the bees many hours. Well do I remember the great interest I took in bees at that time. One day while watching the 10 Improved Queen-rearing
bees through the glass, I saw the queen pass around one of the combs, and had really seen the great "king bee." Before winter set in, I had not only seen other queen bees but had actually reared a few. Then I got an idea that I had learned all there was to know about bees and queen rearing. But this little bit of egotism was dispelled by each year's experience, and I soon found that there was much to learn about bee-keeping. And now, after my long experience in queen rearing, I find that no one can live long enough to learn all there is to know about the subject of bees and apiculture generally. Surely no one can learn the art of bee keeping in one year as many bee-keepers of the present day claim. Well, at the end of one year's experience, I was seized with a desire to go into queen rearing extensively. By this time I had learned that every colony of bees had a queen and that drones were male bees ; and also found out hundreds of things about bees that I never before had known. I had discovered that when a colony of bees was deprived of its queen it would at once commence to construct queen cells, and rear several young queens.