Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-07-04
Who Will shenandeh suppSst

"AA AesiiAA0 IL ohao DHO ID uOG likely
do less for the best man from SO
j, other section. Shenandoah knows b
to resent perfidies and local indignij
i becomingly. Last week we took oc
sion to remind some persons by ger
hints that exhibitions of too much S
picion, and two much intermeddl
with our affairs is not the way to m,
age a campaign. We meant to
that we have not forgotten some thin
but can perform the part of Val
county nevertheless. It may noe
amiss now to repeat that what ,ony
wdma Jullerdp'alv of opr nwy Ihe bees
may be all taken from one hive, or from
three or four, as the circumstances may
dictate. Another way, and very
good one, is to take one comb of brood
from each of several hives, and thus fill
the new hive. The bees that will hatch
out will make the new stock very popu-
lOus in short time. Put empty frames,
or frames containing combs, in the
hives from which bees are taken. In
this way, very large increase may be
obtained, and the stocks all kept strong.
Care should be taken not to allow
queenless stocks to build drone comb.
If we want to get the largest yield of
comb honey, we do not want our bees
to swarm at all. We want to keep the
stocks strong in numbers, SO that they
may avail themselves Of the honey
harvest. And there is no question Of
more Importance than this How can
the swarming impulse be restrained?
In this, as in many other things, pre-
yention is better than cure. Two
things are necessary to prevent bees
from swarming. The first is to give
them room for breeding and the storing
ofhoney. If they become crowded, and
forage is plenty, they will be almost
sure to swarm. The second thing nee
essary to prevent swarming, is the pro-
per shading and ventilation of the hive.
The hive should be ventilated at the
top, inside Of the outer caps or cover
ing. In hot weather, two or three
inch-holes covered with wire-cloth, will
be sufficient. Bees will rarely want to
swarm if they have sufficient room, and
the hives not too hot. When the
swarming impulse once takes posses
sion of a stock, it is not very easy to
control it.
Perhaps the best cure consists in the
two points above named, and the re-
moval of the old queen and of all queen
cells but one.
1t is said that bees will be satisfied if
allowed to swarm, and they are put in
a new place and their combs given to
them, all queen cells being first remov-
ed. have never tried it, and cannot,
therefore, do more than recommend it
as an experiment worth trying. I have
been successful BY destroying queen
cells and giving abundant ventilation.
I clip the wings Of all the queens, to
prevent their going to the woods.
When the bees swarm, as they do
sometimes, 1 take care Of the queen
until they begin to return, and then if 1
want to hive them, remove the old
hive and put an empty one in its place,
and as the bees begin to enter put the
queen with them and let them hive
themselves.
To hive swarm when in an accessl-
BILE place, is very simple and easy
operation, when one knows how to do
it. Set the hive conveniently near,
and with dipper, or any other con-
venient vessel, dip the bees up and
pour them down at the entrance of the
hive, This must be done very quietly
and gently. One should never be in
hurry when handling bees. You will
be likely to get the queen among the
first bees removed from the cluster, as
she is usually in the lower part of the
swarm as they hang on the tree, Or on
whatever they have settled.
If you get the queen into the hive,
the bees will be sure to follow. As
soon as the bees are all in, or even on
the hive, it should be removed to where
is foreman before any Of the bees have
marked the location and gone away 10
the fields. To prevent the swarm leav-
ing the hive, give them plenty Of shade
and ventilation. In all my experience,
/ have had but one swarm to abandon
its home after being hived, and it had
been left standing in full sunshine on a
very hot day. I was away from home,
or it would not have happened.