Stings can be avoided, first, by having gentle bees. If no other
point of superiority over the common brown or black bee than that of
gentleness could be fairly claimed for some of the races introduced and
some of the strains developed in recent years, it would still be worth
while to get them on this account alone. When the fact of superiority
in several other important points is considered also, there should
be no further question as to the advisability of procuring them in
preference to the common variety. The beginner is advised never to
think of doing otherwise. No one likes stings, and even the veteran
who affects insensibility to the wrath of his charges will find his
interest and pleasure in them much increased by replacing blacks and
their crosses with better varieties. Nor is this merely to gratify a
fancy or for convenience alone. If, by reason of the stinging qualities
of the bees kept, an examination for the purpose of ascertaining the
condition of a colony of bees becomes a disagreeable task to the one
who cares for the apiary, little things necessary to the welfare of the
colonies will be postponed or omitted altogether and the apiary will
soon present a neglected appearance, and the actual profits will be
affected.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.--The Bingham bee smoker.]
Of the races already in general cultivation, Carniolans are the
gentlest, although Caucasians, more recently introduced from
south-eastern Russia and only now being put on sale, are by far the
least inclined to sting of any bees, and may be handled at all times
without resorting to the protection of a bee veil, and generally
without smoke, or at most a very slight application of smoke. Some
strains of Italians equal in gentleness average Carniolans, but in
general the race native to Italy is by no means as gentle as that found
in Carniola, Austria, and the Caucasians are much to be preferred for
the beginner. In case these gentler races are not easily procurable
he need not hesitate, however, to undertake, after adopting due
precautions, the manipulation of pure Italians.
In crossing well-established breeds the males of a gentle race should
be used, otherwise the workers of the cross may vary greatly in temper,
especially in the first few generations. Only careful selection
continued for some time will so fix the desirable traits as to result
in their reproduction with a fair degree of certainty in the offspring.
Bees having the blood of blacks and Italians are nearly always quite
vicious in the case of the first cross, and are even harder to subdue
with smoke than are pure blacks. Other races need not be considered
here, as they are adapted to special purposes; and the skill of the
bee-master, the conditions of climate, flora, etc., and the particular
line of production to be followed, should decide whether their
introduction is advisable or not.[B]
[B] For a fuller discussion of this subject, see "The Honey Bee: A
Manual of Instruction in Apiculture," by Frank Benton, M. S., Bulletin
No. 1, new series, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture,
third edition, 1899, Chap. I, pp. 11-18.
The second essential to enable one to avoid stings is to have a good
smoker at hand whenever the bees are to be handled. Any way of getting
smoke of any kind into the hive and about it may answer the purpose,
but for ease and effectiveness in keeping bees under control nothing
will take the place of the modern bellows smoker (fig. 1). A good one
lasts years, and its cost is so slight ($1 to $1.25 for the medium
sizes) that the expenditure may be considered one of the wisest that
can be made in fitting up an apiary.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Bee veil.]
A veil (fig. 2), made of black bobinet or Brussels net, to draw over
the hat, and a pair of gloves, preferably of rubber, may be used at
first. But whoever has fairly peaceable bees and learns even a little
about their ways will soon discard the gloves, unless, indeed, he
be exceedingly timid, or one of those to whom a bee sting would be
a dreadful affliction. The veil can be safely dispensed with if the
gentlest bees are kept.
Simple and convenient hives, employing the Langstroth principle, and
with stories and frames interchangeable and so constructed as to reduce
propolization to a minimum and to insure straight combs, will much
facilitate the avoidance of stings.
The use of the bee escape (fig. 3) in removing surplus honey greatly
reduces the risk of being stung during this operation, for it saves
much manipulation of combs and shaking and brushing of bees. This
useful device is fitted into a slot made in a board the same size as
the top of the hive, and the whole, when slipped in between the brood
apartment and an upper story or super, will permit all of the workers
above to go down into the lower story but not to return to the top
above to go down into the lower story, but not to return to the top
one, so that in one night it is possible to free entirely a set of
combs from bees without any manipulation of the combs, and without
smoking, shaking, or brushing the bees.
[Illustration: Fig. 3.--The Porter spring bee escape.]
Lastly, reasonable care in manipulation and a suitable system of
management, which, of course, implies the doing of work in proper
season, will, with the observance of the foregoing points, make the
risk of stings exceedingly slight. Indeed, intelligent attention to the
most important of the points mentioned above, with extra gentleness and
moderation in manipulation, will enable anyone who so desires to avoid
all stings.