I have already sufficiently insisted upon the necessity of uniting
second and third swarms, so that, amongst my readers, not even one
second or third swarm can be found by itself. It should be impressed
upon the mind of every apiarian, "that the larger the colony at the
outset, the better the Bees will work, and the more prosperous it will
become." A stock weak at the outset _never_ does well. The method of
returning, as given at page 53, is very simple, and may be accomplished
in a few minutes, even by the most inexperienced person.
Returning Swarms.--Returning first or second swarms to their parent
hive, is not only attended with much trouble, and, generally, with a
failure of the object desired, but also with much loss of time to the
Bees, and that at a season of the year when every hour is of importance
to them. A swarm left a Nutt's hive on the 3rd of June; the queen was
captured, and the swarm returned. Within a few days of the time before
mentioned it came out again, and was treated in a similar manner;
and so it continued to go on until nearly the end of the month, when
the swarm, instead of being returned to the parent hive, as had been
done so many times before, was hived into an improved cottage hive,
where it did very well; but during the whole time that swarming was
going on, which occupied three weeks, and these the best three weeks
of the year, working was entirely suspended (which is always the
case), and not a pound of honey was stored; whereas, had the swarm
been put in the cottage hive in the first instance, from 15 to 20
lbs. of honey would, in all probability, have been collected by it in
that time. An apiarian, in Norfolk, some years since, had a stock of
Bees in a favourite hive, which, very much against his wishes, and
notwithstanding every means having been taken to prevent it, sent out a
swarm. He captured the queen, and returned the swarm; after a few days
the swarm came forth again, and was treated in the same manner, and it
went on to swarm for either seven or nine times, and was returned as
many times, except the last, when it was put into a new hive. Thirteen
queens were captured and destroyed during this process, very nearly a
month was spent in swarming and being returned, and, consequently, no
work was done during that time; the result of which was that the best
part of the season having been lost neither swarm nor stock was of any
value. I would, therefore, say, Let all be done that can be done to
prevent swarming, by giving room and ventilation, which has very rarely
failed; but if, after every means has been used to prevent swarming,
a swarm should come off, never attempt returning it, but hive it by
itself in the usual manner.
Early Swarms.--Now, as early swarms appear to be so very desirable, it
may be asked, What are the most likely means of insuring them? And, in
reply to this question, I would say, Leave the stocks rich in store in
the autumn, the contents of each hive weighing, at least, from 20 to 25
lbs., and let the population also of each hive be very numerous; if it
be not so, add the Bees from weak hives into it.
Autumnal Unions.--Where second and third swarms have been hived by
themselves, they will generally be found too poor to live through the
winter, even with feeding; and, where this has been done, they may be
put two or three together in the manner directed at page 60.
Taking Honey.--Those persons who have been so fortunate as to get their
glasses filled with honey will now be preparing to take them off; but
I would recommend every one to do it with great caution; and not only
first to weigh the matter well in their own minds, but also to weigh
their _hives_, and if it can be satisfactorily proved that they will
contain 20 lbs. of honey each when the glasses are removed, all well;
but if not, let the glass or box remain upon the stock hive until the
bees have emptied it of its honey; as soon as this is ascertained, let
it be removed.
Some persons having found much difficulty in expelling the Bees from a
glass or box, after having removed it from the stock hive, and others
who have complained of the time occupied in effecting this object, may
adopt the following very ingenious and useful apparatus, invented by
Mr. Antram, a clergyman of Devonshire, and which has been kindly handed
to me, with his permission to make it public. It is a contrivance
for emptying a hive of its occupants; it may also be applied to a
bell-glass, or box, either at top or attached to a board on which the
removed glass is placed. He calls it his
Bee-trap; and it is, he says, "An invention for taking the honey from
every description of double hive, which is not only simple, but very
efficacious, and entertaining to watch. I should premise that every
extra box or hive must be furnished with a second aperture _never_ to
be opened except when the honey is to be taken. Provide a block of wood
1 inch longer and half an inch deeper than the aperture, and 3 or 4
inches wide; cut the front to an angle of 45° or less; then cut out of
the under part a groove the exact size of the aperture, thus leaving
a thickness of half an inch of wood at the sides and top. Get a piece
of talc, or very thin horn (glass is too heavy), cement or gum it to
a piece of ribbon, which latter fasten to what remains of the sloping
front above; divide the talc into portions about a quarter of an inch
wide. A tin bottom should be affixed to the whole, to which the talc
must reach, and on which it must rest.
"When you wish to empty a hive place this before the opening before
mentioned, and cut off the communication between the hives; the
Bees, seeing the light, will one by one push up the small pieces of
talc and escape; the talc falls back in its place; thus there is no
re-entering, and your hive becomes rapidly emptied. There is here no
previous removing of the hive or box, no danger of a sting, and no fear
of robbers; even if the queen be there, she, finding herself deserted
by her subjects, will soon depart, and re-enter the stock hive by the
accustomed entrance. It acts upon the same principle as the old wire
rat-trap. Two loops of tin, with holes through, are added, to fasten or
suspend it, when there is no alighting-board. It may be placed on the
top of a box, but must then have a hole in the bottom, and a slip of
tin by way of a back; the tin bottom may project a little beyond the
lower edge of the talc in front, and, indeed, it is better so."
This useful contrivance I feel assured will be adopted by many persons;
for it will entirely prevent the tediousness of watching a glass of
honey until the Bees have left it, which without this protection is
at all times necessary, and more especially so when taken late in the
season, and robbers are on every side. I have more than once seen a
good glass of honey emptied of every drop by them when carelessly left
by its owner for a few hours; now, with this trap attached, it may be
left even for days with perfect safety.
Taking off Glasses of Honey.--Some persons, I doubt not, are beginning
to be anxious to possess themselves of a few glasses of honey from
their Bees. If the combs are sealed up they may be taken; but I would
recommend every one who attempts it during hot weather to be more than
commonly careful how they remove them, or the combs will fall out.
[Illustration: Fig. 26.]
Knife for Cutting out Combs.--This knife, which is so simple in its
construction, and so easily used, deserves to be made generally
known. Gelieu, to whom apiarians are much indebted, tells us that in
Switzerland it is commonly used, and that the combs, from hives of any
shape or materials, are extracted without any difficulty. It is formed
of a strip of steel 2 feet long by one-eighth of an inch thick; the
handle is 20 inches long by half an inch broad. The turn-down blade,
of 2 inches in length, is spear-pointed, sharp on the edges, and bent
so as to form an angle of 90° with the handle; the other blade is 2
inches long by 1-1/2 inch broad, and sharpened all round. The broad
blade cuts and separates the combs from the sides of the hives; and
the spear point, which is also sharp on each side, admits, from its
direction and narrowness, of being introduced between the combs to
loosen them from the top of the hive.
Entrances to Hives to re Narrowed.--Towards the end of this month it
will be necessary to contract the entrances of the hives, that the Bees
may be better enabled to defend themselves from the attacks of wasps.
In Taylor's Hive, these things are supplied; but, in the Cottage Hive,
I have found wedges of cork of different sizes to answer remarkably
well.
Wasps' Nests to be Destroyed.--It will be well to have diligent search
made in the neighbourhood of the apiary for wasps' nests, and to have
them destroyed, for which purpose the spirit of turpentine appears to
answer remarkably well. The usual method of procedure, I believe, is
to put a small quantity into a common wine bottle, to put the mouth of
the bottle into the hole leading to the nest, and surrounding it with
earth. Very little turpentine is required--merely as much as will wet
the sides of the bottle. If applied in the evening every wasp will be
dead the following morning. In no instance have I known it to fail
of the desired effect, except in cases where the nest is deep in the
ground, or at a greater distance from the mouth of the hole than was
anticipated. A failure may sometimes occur when there happen to be two
entrances to the nest instead of one; but a second application on the
following evening is sure to prove effectual.
Additional Room.--It will be quite useless to give additional room to
any colony of Bees, be they ever so prosperous, after the month of July
is ended; for the honey season is fast drawing to a close, and the
population of the hives very much upon the decrease, not only from the
killing of the drones, but by the death of numbers of the workers.
Transporting Hives.--In a fine season, and in the prospect of a fine
autumn, every person whose locality admits of it should embrace the
opportunity of sending his hives to the moors. The advantages must be
incalculable, not only in quantity, but in the delicious quality of the
honey there obtained.
Shading.--Should the present month prove hot it will be well to screen
the swarms of the present year from the intense heat of the sun, or
the combs, being new and tender, may be melted by it; where this
unfortunately happens the stock is usually destroyed.
Robbers.--Late swarms and stocks that are weak must be closely watched,
and if the least appearance of robbing discovers itself, the entrance
to the hive must be closed so as to admit but one Bee at a time.
Dressing Hives.--It would be well if this practice was discontinued
altogether; for when done in the most judicious manner the Bees are
greatly annoyed by it. A clean dry hive is more pleasing to them than
one besmeared with ale, honey, fennel, and all the other good things
used by good dames of old. I heard of one having been washed, or
smeared, with cream and sugar, and in so profuse a manner that the
Bees, which had to travel an hour by rail, were found at the end of
their journey to be completely saturated with it, a large portion of
them dead, and the remainder in such a state as to render it necessary
to kill them the next day, to the vexation and disappointment of the
gentleman to whom they were sent, who had been impatiently waiting
their arrival for some weeks. Cream I should imagine to be the most
disagreeable thing that could be thought of for this purpose, except it
should be oil, which is well known to kill a Bee, or almost any insect,
the instant it touches it, and this cream I believe was some of the
far-famed Devonshire, which in its rich and buttery nature approaches
very closely indeed to oil.