The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-02-25
From the Albany Cultivator,
Management of Bees.

The destruction which took place among
bees, last spring has caused much inquiry re-
specting the cause. Believing that | can
throw some light on the subject, | proceed
without further comment, to make a few re-
marks.
commenced keeping bees in March, 1813
with only one swarm, and by the increase Of
this, in a few years, l was in possession Of
twenty hiveS-wintering nearly that number
a great part of the time till the last season.
Soon after [ commenced | occasionally lost
hives Of bees, and on examination | found
that the young had died in their cells, where
they had turned black, and produced an of
fensive smell. Why the young should thus
die in the cells, was matter to which di rect
ed much inquiry. l had read several authors
on bees, some of whom described the dying OF
the young bees in cells as a disease, but point
cd out no satisfactory course or remedy. In
the month of June, abont twenty years ago, |
had five young swarms come out about ten
o'clock in the forenoon. The weather being
very hot, they all came out in the course Of
fifteen minutes, and were hived. In the at
ter part Of the day, there was thunder show
err, which brought the wind northwest, and
the weather turned cold, giving frost the next
morning, on low land The consequence was
the five old swarms from which the above
young ones came, failed to increase. l at
tempted to winter them, but the following
spring, they were ALL except one, dead,
then broke out the combs, and found dead
young in the cells This led me to the cause
of the death of the young bees,
Two years after this, similar case occur
red After the bees swarmed, it came of
cold as before. At night, | covered the old
hives that sent forth young, with bed-quilts
and blankets, and on removing them the
next morning, discovered the bees were
lively, humming at the lower entrance of the
hive, and it was evident from the bursting of
the caps of the cells at the entrance of the
hive that the process of Matching had gone on
as well as in warm night In eight days
those old hives swarmed again, and some a
third time, still leaving the old hives well
stocked with bees. From that time till now,
(ifteen or twenty years,) l have not lost a
single swarm Of bees by the young dying in
the cells.
From this discovery and remedy, have
come to the conclusion that there is no dis
ease in the young bees, while in the cell, that
would cause their death or that of the paren t
stock. We all know among the feathered
tribe, it is necessary to keep up certain de-
gree Of heat by brooding, or otherwise, in Or
der to produce young from the egg. Should
a hen sit on her eggs one week and then leave
them until they were perfectly cold, no fu-
ture sitting would hatch them Now, if the
case in regard to the eggs may be properly
called disease, then we may say that the
young bees in the cells die from disease, But
it is well known that bees will recede to the
upper part Of the hive, when the weather is
cold, and whenever this takes place, while the
brood comb is filled with young, they invari-
bly, die.
This brings me now TO speak Of the past
season, III which so many valuable swarms of
bees have died. 1t will be recollcctcd that
.he beginning Of April last, was very warm
md pleasant, and from the putting forth Of
Early blossoms, such as those of the willow, al
Ter, red or soft maple, the bees commenced
heir labor with great activity, bringing in
pollen and honey in such quantities, that their
cells and the brood comb, were soon filed
About the Goth, or 25th Of April, it was Sc
fercly cold, lasting several days This drove
he bees up from the brood comb, and the
toung died in the cells In my experience
If thirty three years in keeping bees, the last
pring was the first time that the young died
n the cells before swarming time. Out of
cven stocks which had last spring. lost
i've. Ny observation in regard to bees teach !
IS that full colony will secure themselves
rom cold, or from the moth, which is good
eason for putting back second and third
warns. In wintering bees, / have tried
'urying in sand-hill sometimes have put
hem in the cellar or the garnet of the house !
/ bo, hoA Il all ga Al, {
,laces, and have experienced great losses in
III of them. In rejecting upon the subject,
have been led to the construction of the
proper house for the wintering md summer.
NC Of bees built one about two years ago,
0 by "a feet, which will acommoda 'e twenty
our swarms in the summer season, an doub-