The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-09-25
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Bees.

WeeS.
The fall management of bees will claim our at
tention in this article. Your close attention will
be required IL prevent your weak stocks from
being roooed. When We say stocks, we refer
to families one year or more old Swarms of the
present year are not properly called stocks.-
weak swarms are not 30 liable to be robbed, as
weak stocks, In consequence Of the combs ct
tneir hives being generally better protected by
the bees. All hives Of weak stocks should, at
this season OF the year, be ret closely upon the
moor boards, some apiarians raise all their hives
ABOUT half an inch in the spring, which IL right
and then the passage way should be contracted,
20 that but two or three bees can pass IN and out
at the same time: and If any signs OF robbing
occur let them be contracted still smaller If
you ind hiye being robbed, and the case bad
one, close up all entrances to it Immediately, at
the same time running some thin wedges
under it, to admit air but not thick enough to
admit bees Let it remain closed till little
after sun-down, when you should open the en-
francs, aud rap snarty upon the sides +" hasten
out the marauders. When all have left, close
day, when you may allow small passage for the
bees that belong to the hive, and they will pro-
tect themselves from further robberies, if the
passage way is contracted sufficiently.
Another important point in our northern lat-
tude, 10 TO examine all stocks, aud ascertain If
any are infected with diseased brood. If so, it is
useless to winter them, as they will in all cases
dwindle away 70 die out the next season with
out swsrning. Such families, If weak IN num-
bsrs, may be dispersed among other hives, on
some pleasant day in October or November, to
run their risk OF being killed. Turn the hive
bottom upwards and rap on it's sides smartly a
few minutes, to cause the bees to gather on one
side, by becoming alarmed, and then proceed to
cut out the combs, and with the feather end Of q
quill, brush off the bees from the combs, as you
take them out. Probably the most of the bees
will be killed, As they attempt to enter other
hives, but nothing better can be done with such
families when very weak in numbers On the
contrary, If populons, they may be driven out,
and joined with some weak stock or swarm, that
is not diseased. This operation should be per-
formed very late in the season, when the weatk-
er is too cold TO allow them to leave their hives.
bat not cold enough 70 prevent their being
Joined. There will be some fighting of course,
but III many cases the majority of the family
driven out have been saved, and have rendered
the wintsring Of the family, to which they were
joined, safe, when had no such junction taken
place, it would have perished. 1t is q good plan
to sprinkle both families freely with thin
sysp of honey in which little essence Of winter
green, or other pleasant perfumeey is mixed
The bees OF both families will at once commence
TO clean, &C gather off this sweetening, and in 30
doing all become blended in the same scent, and
thereby lose their identity, bees can only dis
tinguish the members of other families by their
smeN-esch family havinya recuiar SMELL or
scent Of it's own.
To ascertain whether your bees are diseased or
not blow little tobacco smeke among them,
after tscaing over the hive and then with long
knife cat into the ceatre combs and ascertain the
condition Of the brood The diseased brood look
black, and have fetid smell, being in putrid
state. Ii no such brood is found below the CEN
tire of the hive, when in this position you may
consider the families healthy.
Families joined in the following manner:
Turn the hive containing tho family to be driven
out, bottom upwards, and place it upon the
stand Of the family to receive the bees Then
set the latter upon the forsner, and wind cloth
around the junction Of the two hives, as to ex.
clade the light. Then take couple of rods and
rap upea the sides of the uade. hive during 90
or 30 nh utes, when the most of the bees will
have sscended and joined the upper family
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