The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-06-17

rluS honey instead oil an increase OF stock
Il very different course must be pursued
In this case all natural swarming must b,
discouraged and few or no artificial
colonies made for it is evident that if
stock OF bees east II swarm its strength il
divided, aud the I%auOrers that gather tn,
honey to ill the new hive aud feed it
brood, had they remained at home coult
have stored Us much surplus in boxes a
1t takes to fill the new hive aud feed it
young bees. Besides. much valuabl,
time is lost in preparing to swarm. How
. then can this swarmiug impulse be con
trolled2 | have little faith in paten
nor-swarmiug bives about which we heal
so much | believe the hive is yet to b.
invented, if indeed it eyer will be, from
which swarms will not at times issue uu
less the bee keeper intertercs to preven'
it, for swarmiDg is one of the stronges'
instincts Of the honey bee when every.
thing is favorable. There are many
things, however, that seem to discourage
swarmipg, which when combined quite
effectually prevent it, but not always
To discourage swarming as much a.
possible the brood chamber should be
rather large, that the queen may find
ample room for ovipositing. 1t should
have arrangements for ample ventilation
in hot weather. The hive should also be
painted white, or stand in the shade,
which | prefer, and be so arranged that
a large number Of boxes can be placed
very close to the brood before any pre-.
paration has been made for s~warming.
Or if you prefer liquid honey, add as
many more combs as the hive contains,
and use the extractor. Bees are not apt
to swarm where a large number of colonies
are collected together as where there arc
but few hives kept. Where all these
conditions are complied with | believe
very few swarms will issue still in good
years there will be some swarms that
seem to prefer the excitement of swarm
ing to quiet industry. Such in due time
will start queen cells and rear young
queens, that they may be in readiness
for that event.
| 1ow prefer to 90 over my apiary
about once a week during the swarming
season, carefully lifting each hive, that l
may certainly know their intentions, If
| find a colony that has the swarming
fever | at once take from it a large por-
ton or all their brood combs and replace
with empty combs or frames. Finding
their own domicile robbed of its treasures
they seem content to give up the idea of
emigration and with renewed
industry, repairing their loss and storing
surplus honey. Tho combs taken from
such hives can be used to strengthen
weak colonies or mako new ones, or may
be returned to the same swarm after their
swarming impulse is subducd. This
method, so far as | have tried it, has.
proved very satisfactory.
AS fast as boxes are filled aud capped
they should be removed, and replaced by
new or empty ones if the harvest will
warrant it, and as soon as the harvest
fails all should be removed, as the combs
become soiled by the bees if they remain
very long in the hive after being filled.
And just here | want to say a few words
about boxes. For market they should
be made with glass sides and ends, with
top and bottom Of wood, and of q size
that when filled will weigh about four
pounds. | make mine q IA inches long
by 4 IA inches wide and 81 inches high
outside. Two nice white pieces OF comb
should be attached to the top before the
box Is nailed together, to induce the bees
to commence and guide them in building
combs l~engthwisc of the box.
Such combs being the most suitable size
for the table. When ready to ship to
market these boxes should be made tidy
in appearance by removing all %propolis,
and if the glass side Of a box is badly
soiled it should be removed and replaced
by u clean one. Cases should be made
open sides, that the quality of the
honey may be seen at a glance, and large
to hold twelve boxes. In these
carefully pack the boxes, three in width
and four in length, and on one end mark
the net weight, with the owners initial
October and November are the
months to ship to market,
After the honey harvest is past and all
boxes removed, the bee keeper should
again 60 over his hives to see that all
an abundance Of honey for winter.
If any hive is found that is lacking in
food it should at once be supplied, or else
the stock must be broken up later in the
and united with some other colony.
If there is a deficiency of bees in any
hive they must be supplied with brood
from hives that can spare it, or else they
must be stimulated by feeding to rear
young bees, or two or more such united.
Also at this inspection the age of every
queen should be noticed. If any queen
is found that is three years of age or near.
y, it should be destroyed and replaced
BY a young queen. A queen three years
age may winter well, but is apt to fail
the next spring, which is very in
urious to the prosperity of the colony.
| prefer after the harvest to destroy all
Did queens over two years Of age, and
give the colony a young one instead. If
hive contains n young fertile queen, an
Of young bees Matched the last
the summer. and plenty of honey, it
possesses the most essential requisites for
successful wintering. Comb two or three
years old is preferable to new comb, as it
IS warmer.
| suppose more bees are los. through
wintering than from all other causes COM
An old bee keeper told me that
had kept bees for forty years or more,
he knew 10 more about wintering bees
han when he first began, aud | fear this
IS true OF the majority of bee keepers, for
he more they do for their bees the great
the loss. Extremes meet" and a lit
lie knowledge is said to be a dangerous
hing. These proverbs are most en-
'hatically true in bee keeping. Too much
warmth in winter will affect a swarm of
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