The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-05-31
How to Handle Bees.


experience in the management of bees,
from which we extract as follows:
Some people get into fury of excite
ment whenever they see or hear bee
hum, though it be only intent on gath
ering little honey from the nearest
flower. They shout and wallop about
them with hands or handkerchiefs, as if
they were being attacked by an enemy.
Such are just the people who generally
get stung. Let the bee alone, even
though it be buzzing close to your
face. In all likelihood it is only ami
mated by curiosity. Make fuss about
it, strike it, or get it entangled in your
clothes or hair, and blame yourself if
you feel its javelin. When engaged in
in collecting honey or pollen from the
flowers, no amount of teasing will
cause it to sting unless you hurt or en-
tangle it. Even when a swarm fills the
air you may safely walk about in the
midst of it, only let your motion be slow
and deliberate. Should they alight on
your hands or face, never mind, they
will soon fly again; they are only rest
ing. In such case go slowly aside,
and give yourself gentle shake or two,
but refrain from brushing or beating at
the bees. Avoid, howe, er, standing
in the line of the flight of the bees 60
ing from or returning to their hives.
At such times they have an impetus that
before they are aware of your presence
they get entangled in your hair, and
are apt to resent your obtrusiveness.
So much for ones passive behavior.
Let us now suppose ourselves engaged
in necessary action. First let US learn
these principles:
1. Bees never attack when their
stomachs are filled with honey or other
liquid sweets. This is their normal
condition when swarming, and there
fore they are then harmless, as also
when returning laden to their hives.
2. Neither do they attack when
thoroughly frightened. We frighten
bees by blowing smoke among them, or
by rapping rather violently on their
hives.
3. When bees are alarmed in hive
by smoke or conclusion, their first i'm
pulse is to fill their honey bags from
their combs.
a. Bees in a hive that is constantly
being raped against will in few min
utes rush bodily out from among their
combs into any empty skep or box set
over them.
Suppose now we wish to get all the
bees out of common straw hive. We
provide the needful empty skep and
four wood or iron pins, six or seven inches
long, a roll of burning rags, unless we
possess modern bellows, smoker, or to-
bacco pipe, and a stool or empty pail,
on which to steady the hive while oper-
ating. We then approach the hive, blow
three or four whiffs of smoke into the
entrance to drive in any loiterers, gen.
tly raise the edge from the floor board,
and repeat the smoking. Without the
| least jar, now lift the hive boldly up, and
gently turn the mouth upward. If the
bees show any sign of being ill-natured,
give them puff occasionally. Set the
crown of the hive on to the stool or
pail, and see that it is steady, and hav
ing the side where the bees are thickeSt
raised an inch or two, now fix the empty
skep over the other by sticking two of
the pins into the lower hive, about an
inch or two below the highest part of
its edge, so as to support the edge of
the empty Skep. The other pins, sharp
ened on both ends, are placed as sup
ports between the empty skep. They
will thus touch each other at one side,
the other being open so as to give a full
view.
Now commence rapping, gently at
first, but gradually with more force,
against the sides of the lower hive. In
a few seconds the bees will commence
to run as if for their lives to the upper
hive. Among them may be seen the
queen if sharp lookout is kept. The
great art here is in keeping the bees in
one continuous, steady stream. Once
they take stand it is not so easy to
dislodge them. Five to ten minutes
should suffice to finish the operation if
the room be warm. The driven bees
may now be shaken about or tumbled
| from one hive to another without the
slightest risk of stings.
If the weather be cold, or the opera
ton be performed at a season when
there is no unsealed honey in the hive,
a little warm sirup should be sprinkled
on the bees before commencing to drive.
In our modern hives we use less GER
emony in dislodging the bees. After
a Whit of smoke, we simply lift the
frame of the comb one at time, give
them a shake in front of the hives or
skep we want to get the bees into, and
in a minute whisk off the few that re-
main with feather.
In getting bees into a hive we either
pour them down in front of it, directing
their course to its entrance with feather,
or shake them at once on the top of the
frames, and cover instantly with a
cloth.
To secure a swarm that has issued
and clustered on tree or bush, We ad-
wise, if possible, to cut the branch off
after all have settled. If this be done
gently, the bees can then be carried to
the stand they are to occupy, laid down at
the door of the new hive, and directed
with feather, as before; otherwise we
hold an inverted skep below the cluster,
give the branch one sharp rapcover the
skep, into which the bees fall, with a
cloth, and carry it to its future abode.
To make simple examination of a
colony in bare frame hive, the quilt is
removed, puff or two of smoke given,
and the frames are lifted one at time,
with as little jar as possible. Both sides
can be examined, the queen seen and
captured if desired, and the entire Sc
crets Oft the hive discovered without hurt
ing a bee or receiving sting.
|
9-Having made his will, Mr.. Bar
mum was lately asked if he thought he
would go to heaven when he dies