The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20
BEES AND THEIR HABITS.
Have n Keen Sense of Smell and Are
Tidy Housekeepers.
From the Lewiston, Ne, JourDal.)

Fx-Mayor William Wheeler Bolster, OF
Auburn. Ne. is a naturalist and has made
4 special study OF bees. In talking about
his fayorite pastime he said:
Il nave always kept bees, and have
closely studied their habits. l understand
them. not from books, but from actual
observation, and I think practice is The
best of schools. onehalf that the books
tell US about bees is not correct.
In the first place. let me tell you that
the instinct Of the honey bees is wonder
full. There is no living thing in which he
sense of smell is so keenly developed.
They are all extremely neat, and will al
low not the slightest speck of dirt in the.-
hives. The one great secret of beekeep-
ing ii you expect success is TO keep them
in a clean place. Ventilation must also
be looked after very carefully.
Bees are intelligent, and can discrim-
mate between different people to a nicely.
My bees know me as well as my horses
do. When stranger comes they know it
instantly, and il he is not agreeable to
them it makes them restless.
1t may surprise you to know how finely
organized a bee colony is. No military
company was ever better equipped in this
respect or under stricter discipline. HUI
man society could be organized no better.
A sentinel is always posted on guard, and
watched
The queen is of course. the head of the
colony the drones and workers constitute
ing the other classes. Each class has its
own peculiar duties to perform and it at
tends to nothing else. II l go to my hives
with strangers | first notice whether the
sentinels like him or not. II they take an
aversion to the man they try to drive him
of. II they have not force enough to do
this. they go into the hive and bring out
help, and will continue doing this until the
whole colony is brought out, if necessary.
My bees never sting me purposely. If
hurt one he sometimes stings. but this
is only in self-defence. l can very easily
tell whether they are angry or in good
humor by their scent. When angry or
excited they throw off 4 disagreeable
scent. Then l look out for war.
When bees are happy they make a low.
humming noise, like the purrs of con
tented cat There is no trouble in hand
ling or going around them at such times
They seem to be at peace with all the
world.
THE queen is most carefully guarded
and protected by the workers. II
queen dies they Immediately go TO work
and raise another one, which takes about
eighteen days. During this time they re-
fuse to work and are no better than the
drones. They only have one queen at a
time, and it is wonderful the intelligence
they show in divinIng all her wishes. If
any trouble comes they all gather around
and cover her up.
Il have told you how neat they are in
their hives. Sometimes I put comb into
their hives and tie it up with a string.
They don't like this at all, and get the
string out as soon as possible. have
seen a dozen of them at work on n piece
of string, Juggling 1t out OF the hive
The past three years have been bad
for the bee business. 1t has been too
dry. In such cases as these | feed them
on syrup made by melting sugar Last
year | lost seven. colonies by cold |
shall now put my bees in the cellar in
few days. When l give them syrup I
put it in a box at the top of the hive
and the bees come up and get 1t during
the night and take it to the combs, where
II is put into the cells. | have known
them TO take away as much as seven
pounds of this syrup in the dark Just as
well as by day, and they like it better.
100. In putting syrup into the combs
here is no chemical change. 1t still re-
mains syrup, but they refuse to eat it
until it is first put into the comb
The bees can heat their hive at Will.
natural gift with them. They are very
fond of hot air and when they start in can
soon heat their hive so you can easily feel
the difference in lifting the cover
IF a bee dies in winter they lug the
.ody out at once. and this is done In the
same methodical manner that they do
else. There is nothing that
will make bees so mad as to brush them
When they light on you pay no attention
10 them and they will not sting, but il
you try to brush them off there will be
trouble TT once. You must never show
ear around a beehive.
"In swarming the queen always gives |
The word of command to get out of the |
live The old ones always are the ones TO |
%, leaving the young ones in full possess |
sion Of the hive. 1t usually works the |
u her way in the human family. The bees |
hen cluster around the queen to guard |
Ter from harm. and they move off and |
iettle on some convenient spot.
Bees are like families-some are large |
md others small The bees are exactly |
what the queen makes them. II che is |
smart they will be the same, but lazy |
lueen sets the example for all the work.
RS to be the same. They do exactly as |
he tells them to do. My experience with |
hem has always been pleasant and have !
.ome to love them as anyone Will do TN
Ter similar circums tances.