Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-06-03

swcltt womth> WIN iHc Bees,
pr runs 9. rrrrrn, b,qgltan, Iopn.

JUN.
From Prairie Farmer Annual.
Il |, wei 10 decide IN season which
N,dl prefer, great increase OF stock,
~ ~ much surplus honey as possible,
j. both cannot be secured from the
same bees in one season. Some expe
rl,urcI aparaus, still allow and adj
t.citc nocturnal sIartfiing, but find
il tnuch easier and safer to divide my
t.,s udiciouly at the proper season,
which varies from the first Of May
uti, the later part OF June, the time
L,i, . divided by the condition. OF the
}. llles. Where nocturnal s~ar'tling
is allowed, it is we'll to control it so
t'ra, not more than one swarm shall is
ajic from each hive. Toprevent after
sNa,ms, | would recommend, that rs
fhon rs a s&Hrm coltiss off from any
like, that hive be taken up and carried
so,,c distance to new place, and the
new swarm be put exactly where It
stood. by this simple plan, 'ilost Of
the mature bees, in day or two, Join
the swarm and the PARENT hive Is SO
depleted of old bees that no other
tM arms como OF, and the hive is really
III better condition than If more bees
we're allowed to remain, for the cells
Ere not An Hllcd with honey to the ex-
tlusi"n Of the eggs frotr the young
queen when she is ready to lay.
There are many why's of increasing
colonies, artiticially, by the use OF
ino> able comb hives; almost every bee
keeper OF experience has plan of his
owt. Our space will not admit us to
give but one. that can recommend
To the inexperienced as perfectly safe
a!tl easy From four hives, take two
frames each Of honey and brood: ar
,ange these in order in an empty hive
then remove another strong colony to
arcw place and put the newly formed
tolnny where it stood. The bees, as
they return TO this location loaded
with stores, are puzzled and annoyed
ly the change in their hoine, but find
III! ii the new hive all the elements of
prosperity, they 60 to work with will
ind il is 1t once good stock while
no bnt. of the others is seriously
troubled: This operation may be per-
fortified livery ten days as LONG as the
h 'ncy contin!tes abundant. Those that
have but one or two movable comb
hives. must proceed differently, but to
''ii',lc, as many recommend, by simply
putting half the full frames IN another
hive, and filling up with empty ones,
il never allowable unless you have a
spare queen and catl supply one hive
with It. a better way is to put one or
two frames Of brood and comb in an
empty hive Nth the Quer,i; place this
where the old hive stood, which may
he removed few yards off This is,
in principle, an exact imitation OF natu-
raj swarming. / have few brief rules
which, if followed, artificial swarhihg
is sire 10 succeed.
/. Meier divide sny stock until it is
strong, both in numbers and brood.
Until this is the case the bees sre bet
ter in one hive than iii two.
=. The earlier this is the case The
better. a swarm IN May, or early
.mhe, is worth more than two or three
Made month later. II a colony does
n. become strong early, leave it I'M
disturbed and get all the honey you
TN iroin it. In other words do your
rMarmihg early or not at all.
3 Never cripple the strength OF a
tolony containing fertile queen; as
soon as yo,, do this, her laying dimin-
i>hcs. Always have with her alum
ilant bees, both old ahd voting; it is
wonderful how r,any bees can be
reared from single queen if she has
plenty OF aborcrs with her.
4. Avoid dividing bees when the
nights ore cool and honey not abund
amt. In one case the unattached brood
suffers; in the other you are liable to
lc troubled by robbers.
5. DO not have queenless bees in a
hive empty OF comb, lest they I'LL it
with drone comb.
The best time to transfer bees and
crtt,bs from box to movable comb
hives, II early III this month.
Drive out good large swarm from
the hive YOU wish to transfer, and put
il in your movable comb hive; then
wait three weeks, until the young
brood is all hatchcd and then brood
combs can be transferred with no loss
OF bees and the honey can be appro
priatcd to your own use, as there will
br abundant tiMe to Ri up the hive.
New colonies, when strong, may
have surplus honey boxes put on IN a
few days after the bees are at work in
the body of the hive. II put on at
once they are often occupied by brood.
Give plenty of air by means OF large
entrance below. 1t is not necessary
to have bees cluster out when honey
is plenty and if the hive is not too
close they will not do it.
l, 70 neither easy nor desirable to
proven, any increase of stocks. Bees
DO better when judiciously divided,
and more surplus honey may be OBJ
tanned than when they are not disturb
ed. Now. swarming arrangements arc
Ut little value.
Till The S0il.