Device for Preventing the Swarming of Bees.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Device for Preventing the Swarming of Bees.
I HERBERT PAGE LANGDON, of East Constable, County of Franklin, State of
New York, United States of America, Beekeeper do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Be it known, that I, Herbert Page Langdon, a citizen of the United States,
residing at East Constable, in the County of Franklin, State of New York, have
invented certain new and useful improvements in Device for Preventing the
Swarming of Bees, and I do declare the following to be a full, clear and exact
description of the invention.
This invention relates to a device for preventing the swarming of bees, and
consists in means for successively diverting or changing the field force from one
hive into another, whereby the working bees are caused to alternate in reciprocal
succession between two or more hives.
This result is obtained by the device or trap illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which,―
Fig. 1 is an isometrical view of a pair of hives provided with my improved device,
the hives and super cases being shown by dotted lines.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged isometrical view of the rear face of the trap.
Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through said trap.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on dotted line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section on dotted line 5-5 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is an isometrical view of the hive, shown by dotted lines.
Referring to the letters of reference, A and B indicate the hives respectively,
and C indicates the super cases of said hives, Fig. 1 showing the cases of both
hives upon hive B.
The front of each hive is provided with an entrance a at the base, and with an
exit b, consisting of a circular aperture through the front of the hive above the
entrance, as shown in Fig. 6.
D, desiguates the device or trap for controlling the flying bees, by means of
which they are caused to alternate between the hives. Said trap is composed of
an oblong case or box, with closed sides and ends, and provided with an horizontal
partition E running longitudinally thereof, which divides the box vertically,
forming a gallery or passage way fat the bottom, extending from end to end of
the box, clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5.
The sides of said box or trap near each end, are provided with the opposed
openings c and e, respectively.
These openings communicate with the gallery f in the base of the trap, and are
adapted to register with the entrances a in the front of the hives, when the trap is
in position, as shown in Fig. 1. Also formed in the sides of the trap, above said
openings, are the opposed circular apertures h, h³, on each side of which are the
transverse partitions i forming a closed passageway k connecting said apertures.
Secured to the front of the trap, over the outer ends of the openings are the
conical screens F, F', which are provided with an opening o at their apex, forming
an escape or exit for the flying bees.
These screen covered openings in the trap are adapted to coincide with the exit
apertures 6 in the hives when said trap is in place thereon. Each end of the trap
is provided with an opening therein that communicates with the gallery fas shown
at m in Fig. 3, and that receives the slide H, which, when inserted in said opening,
is adapted to close the inner aperture, in the end of the trap in which it is inserted,

page_text: that registers with the entrance a in the front of the hive, clearly shown in
Figs. 2, 3 and 4, leaving, however, the gallery ƒ unobstructed between the outer
openings c, e.
The application of this device for the preventing of swarming, is as follows,-
At the beginning of the honey season, when the bees are at work in the super
cases, the trap is attached to the front of a series of hives, as shown in Fig. 1.
The bees will then pass into and out of their respective hives through the
entrance apertures c and e in the trap. By inserting the slide H in the end of the
trap, as also shown in Fig. 1, the inner entrance of the trap will be closed at
hive A, thereby excluding the bees from said hive, the flying bees therein being
permitted to come out through the conical screen exit F.
The super cases of hive A, are then placed upon hive B, as shown, which latter
hive then holds the super cases of both hives.
The working bees of hive A finding their entrance closed on their return, are
attracted along the gallery f by the buzzing of the bees at the entrance e of hive B,
and enter said hive.
This withdrawal of the working bees from hive A, so impoverishes the nurse or
brood bees left therein that they will not swarm; meanwhile work is going on,
without interruption in the super cases on hive B, by the field force of both hives.
At the expiration of a few days, the super cases on hive B are all placed upon
hive A, the slide H is withdrawn from entrance c, thus opening said hive, and is
inserted in the opposite end of the trap so as to close entrance e to hive B. The
bees thus excluded from said hive will be called along the gallery of the trap by
the bees at entrance c, and with said bees will enter hive A, thereby causing the
same conditions in hive B. as were previously induced in the closed hive A, and at
the same time allowing the field bees of both hives to work continuously in the
super cases on the open hive A. The flying bees in hive B escaping through the
screen exit F. Within a week or so, the super cases are again placed upon hive B,
and said hive is opened and hive A closed; then after a few days, said cases are
changed back to hive A, and so on alternately between said hives during the honey
flow.
This alternation in reciprocal succession of the working bees between the hives,
and the concurrent transfer of the super cases, so disturbes and. impoverishes the
brood bees in the successively closed hives, that organization for swarming
cannot be effected, thereby obviating prime swarming, and enabling the field
bees of each hive to work without interruption through the entire honey season.
It is designed to work two or more hives in this way as is desired, or is found
expedient.
While I have shown and described a specific form of trap, it is obvious that
other devices may be employed to effect this alternation of the bees between the
hives, without departing from the spirit of my invention, therefore ;
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
Claim 1. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of the hives,
each having an entrance, the trap establishing communication between the entrances
of said hives, and means for successively opening and closing the entrances of said
hives in alternate order.
Claim 2. In combination with the hives, the device or trap, whereby the combined
working forces of said hives, are caused to alternately work in each hive in
reciprocal succession.
Claim 3. In combination with the hives, the trap having entrances communicating
with said hives, and provided with a gallery connecting said entrances, and means
for closing the bive entrances of the trap, whereby the field bees of one hive may
be turned into another.
Claim. 4. A bee-hive provided with an entrance, a slide to control said entrance,

page_text: and a conical screen exit to permit of the escape of the flying bees when the hive is
closed.
Claim 5. In combination with the hive, the trap provided with an entrance
and escape aperture, each having independent communication with the hive,
said escape-aperture having a conical screen covering with an opening at its
apex, the slide for closing the hive entrance of the trap, substantially as set
forth.
Claim 6. In combination with the hives, the trap having inner and outer
entrances that communicate with the hives, and having a gallery or passage-way
running longitudinally thereof connecting said entrances, said trap being also
provided with escape apertures that communicate with the respective hives inde-
pendently of the entrance openings, said escape-aperture being covered with a
conical screen having an opening at its apex.
Dated this 10th day of February 1893.
HERBERT PAGE LANGDON.