The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-09-05
Bee Culture.
From the Iroquois (IIlinois) Times.l
WATSEKA H., july 10Th, 1878

ASNAA<EI ~NsS ONAJ 4OVhy Obc
EDITOR TIMES The elderHuber and
others of his time, made a success Of
artificial swarming when he developed
the movable cone system and made
their important discoveries in the ply
siology of the bee. Their practice,
however, was necessarily imperfect,
aud was seldom practiced except by the
most expert and Wel1-infOrmed of aspi-
rants. Since that time rapid advances
have been made in this branch of bee
culture.
1t would require a large volume to de-
scribe all the different notifications of
artificial swarming with the advanta-
ges and disadvantages Of each, but I
will attempt to give a few of the out
lines.
Artificial swarming is based on the
following facts:
list. A queen and some workers, few
Or numerous, constitute a swarm of bees
capable OF carrying on all the labOrs Of
the hive.
I'd. Worker bees without a queen
"a rear Il queen if they are supplied
with a comb, having in it fresh-laid
eggs in worker cells uncapped larya.
Sd. A ~queenless stock will adopt a
strange queen if given to them at the
proper time, and with proper precau-
ton.
4th. A part of the bees may be taken
from the hive, with or without the
queen, without d~isOrganizing those that
remain in the hive.
9Th. A part of the comb may be ia
ken from a colony Of bees without de-
strOying them, as they will Immediately
gOtO work and replace it.
9Th Tho brOOH 7,orooiDC in +bn or0
two days, in the larva states four more,
and OF the seventh is capped over, so
that q colony of bees from which a
| queen has been taken six days before,
contains no larva, and cannot raise a
queen, and unless the apiarian ONE to
their relief they are destined to be lost
and the moth charged with the destruc-
ton of them.
These facts, while they form the ba-
sis of artificial sWarming, are subject to
many qualifying conditions, and a
knowledge Of the above would not ena-
BILE a novice to set up at once as q sue
cessful apiarian.
A knowledge of the economy of the
beehive and of the habits and peculiar
tiles of it's inmates, is necessary, and
also some practical experience in hand
ling them. All colonies cannot be got
in a proper condition for sWarming at
| the same time, so that the keeper must
use some judgment as to their being
ready. First the colony to be swarmed
must have plenty Of bees, then if the
| flowers are good, and yielding honey in
abundance i'll the last of May or first of
| June, it is safe to swarm them. The
operation should be performed between
| the hours OF 8 o'clock a. m. and o'clock
| ~ ~ Tho c5n0T1ne4 nHn+ha1 10 IN ~
| prOach the hive to be operated on and
blow a few puffs of smoke into the en-
trance of the hive to drive the bees into
the hive, then cautiously open the hive
and take out one-half of the combs con-
tanning brood in all stages and the ad-
herring bees, paying no attention to
which has the queen during the opera
ton then move the old hive to the
right of it's old stand, and about equal
distance from the old stand, that each
may get a proper share of the return.
ing bees-the hives should be of the
same color. Half an hour after the CD.
Grafton it may be determined which has
the old queen by the restless and unea
sv actions of the %queenless part. AbOut
the 10Th OF 18th day after the division
the q~ueenless part should be examined
to know that they raised a queen, and
that she is laying eggs, and the work il
done.
Again, go to a strong stock, open i
Gas befOre) and take out two frames
filed with brood and honey and the
adhering bees, together with the queen,
set them in the new hive, and set the
new hive on the old stand, and move
the old hive three or four rods away and
set it on a new stand, operate when th(
bees are in full flight and the work i!
completed.
In this case the two combs, or new
hive, must have the old queen, and ler
the old hive have most of the bees ani
brood to rear a queen from.
Again, select six good, strong stocks
go to No. 1 and take out two frame!
containing brood and honey, brush of
the most Of the adhering bees so as no
to remove. the queen, set them in thu
new hive, treat No. 2 the same, and Sc
on to No. 5, then you will have the new
hive full of brood and honey. Nov
move No. 6 a few rods away to a new
stand and set the new hive on thu
stand of No. 6, and if this is done wher
the honey is plenty and bees in full
flight, the work is complete. The re
turning bees will enter the new hive
deposit their load, and thus gathe7
enough bees to nurse the brood ani
raise a queen and by fall make a goot
stock. This seems to be the safes
method, butit takes all the summer tx
double your stocks. This may be re
peated every two weeks as long as hon
ey is plenty, but all will he in gooC
condition for wintering. There arr
other methods that are good, but thi
article,is becoming lengthy.
T. N. MARQUIS.