Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-02-15
Anrif,ittnra1.
MANAGEMENT OF THE HONEY BEE.

article referred to is the Honey Bee. feel
quite partial to this little insect and have
taken some pains to learn its natural his
tory and habits, and feel quite satisfied with
my success in keeping ther nand feel inter
ested in the diffusion of correct ideas of
their habits, and principles of management
Exactly corresponding with such interest
do feel panied at the diffusion of errors.
Hence | feel moved to notice some points
in the article referred to which | regard as
errors.
Mr. Miner says, "There is never but one
queen in a family of bees. however large.
except young embryo queens at certain
seasons, propagated to issue with swarms."
The above quotation contains one truth and
one error. 1t is true that as general rule
there is but one queen, but not true that
the young queens are propagated to go
with the first swarm.
The old queen invariably leads out the
first swarm, then for few days there is no
hatched queen in the hive.
The reason why two or more queens
sometimes remain several days in the same
hive without fight, is because, under some
circumstances the workers will cluster
tightly around the queens and thus prevent
their approaching each other, probably in
view of their leading out a swarm But if
the weather takes an unfavorable turn so
as to destroy the honey harvest, the queens
are released and a conflict Immediately
takes place which will prove fatal to one of
the combatants.
Another statement is as follows at is
estimated that from 20, 900 to 10000 bees are
produced in hive, in single season, &c"
Now let us see how near this estimate ap-
proaches the number estimated by others.
Since but very few swarms have ever been
counted* and the number ever changing by
increase and waste, it will be but an esti-
mate after all our calculations Mr. Lang
stroth, who is excellent authority on any bee
question, says "a good swarm ought to
contain at least 100000 and large hives,
strong colonies which have not been reduc-
ed by swarming, frequently number two or
three times as many, during the hight of the
breeding season"
There we have from 10000 to 10000 in
hive at one time. Now when we consider
that the life of honey bee is measured by
a few months at most and in summer by
few weeks, we come to the conclusion that
that entire number must be renewed from
two to four times during the year to keep
its numbers good.
Now if we take 10000 for the old stock,
and 10000 more for one new swarm, and
but 30 600 for waste, and we have 60, 600.
but even these estimates are all far below
the reality is a prosperous hive as | will
now endeavor to show.
Mr.. Langstroth says "The fertility of the
queen bee has been entirely underestimated
by most writers. During the height of the
breeding season she will often, under favor
able circumstances, lay from two to three
thousand eggs day In my observing
hives have seen her lay at the rate of six
eggs minute" FIVE take $500 for dav
we have 10000 for month. As a method
OF getting at the number of bees actually
produced in hive, can do no better than
copy from Mr. Quimby, who says, eff we
examine a thrifty stock in the height of the
breeding season, we shall find combs filled
with brood, amounting frequently to three
quarters Of all in the hive Now by OBJ
serving the number of cells to the square
inch, 1t Is easy to get the number to the
square foot, then multiply this number
again by the number Of combs in a hive.
and we shall have the whole number of cells
For instance comb one inch square of
worker cells, contains on both side about
%, al this rate one twelve inches square
contains over 1000. Suppose hive con-
talns eight such combs, and that l20 square
inches Of each of the eight combs are used
for brood, we have eight times 100 square
inches of brood, fifty to the square inch
would multiply into $4,000 cells. A part
OF these cells, say one or two combs, won d
contain cells for drones, these are little
larger, and would reduce the number some.
also, some few might be empty, the young
bees having just left them, and a few might
be occupied here and there with bee bread
or honey. In all, the number might be one
quarter Of what is termed brood comb
Take this number from the $4,000 and we
have left $4,000 cells actually occupied at
one time with brood" We must remember
that the time, from the egg first deposited
to the mature bee, is not over % days. this
would produce $4,000 bees in single
month. Now when we consider that breed
ing goes on rapidly during the honey sea
son, whether long OF short, and to a consid-
cradle extent during ten months of the
year, and we see that the estimate referred
to cannot represent good thrifty stock at
all.
The next objection is in my opinion most
serious, and worded as follows
The bees are possessed of an intuitive
loreknowledge Of events, and actually
know in advance whether the season is or