[Translated for the American Bee Journal.]
The Foulbrood Question.
The following remarks, made by the Rev. Mr. Kleine, before a convention
of bee-keepers in the town of Meppen, province of Hanover, Prussia,
present a succinct account of the present state of this subject abroad.
“The question propounded in our programme,” said Mr. Kleine, “and which
I have been requested to consider, may properly be thus
subdivided--first. Has any efficient remedy for foulbrood been devised?
and, secondly, What are we to think of Lambrecht’s theory?
“I wish I could answer the first interrogatory with a positive _aye_. If
I could, I should regard myself entitled not only to your thanks, but to
those of the entire bee-keeping community; for foulbrood is confessedly
the direst evil that can befall the bee-keeper, and the appearance is,
at present, that it is likely speedily to spread everywhere, where bees
are cultivated.
“Remedies in abundance have, indeed been suggested, and recommended as
efficient and infallible. But when we come to investigate them, we seek
in vain for any solid reason why curative qualities should be attributed
to them; and we usually find that the alleged recovery of diseased
colonies can fairly be ascribed to something else than the application
of those vaunted remedies. Possibly, too, the real disease,--the
genuine, virulent, contagious foulbrood, did not exist, and the boasted
cure consisted merely in the apparent arrest and removal of some simple
malady which, in the course of nature, would speedily have run its
harmless course and disappeared, and with the cure of which the
medicaments or treatment employed had, in reality, no connection
whatever. How indeed can it be possible to devise and apply an efficient
remedy for a disease of the origin and nature of which entire ignorance
has still prevailed.
“Dr. Asmusz conceived, some years ago, that he had discovered the cause
of foulbrood in a minute winged insect--the _Phora incrassata_; and the
Baron of Berlepsch coincided with him in opinion. The doctor supposed
that the parent fly deposited her eggs in the larvæ of the bees, which,
dying in consequence and putrifying, thus generated the devastating
disease. It happens, however, that the Phoridæ do not deposit their
eggs in living organisms, but, under the impulse of native instinct, in
dead bodies only. Consequently it does not and cannot cause the dreaded
disease.
“Again, Mr. De Molitor assigns to it a similar origin,--but instead of
the Phora, regards some ichneumon-fly as the perpetrator of the
evil--unless, indeed, he regards the Phora itself as an ichneumon. But
this notion, too, is obviously untenable, for if ichneumon-flies laid
their eggs in the larvæ, those eggs must surely hatch and the insect
develop there, at least in its first stages; but on placing a foulbroody
comb under glass, and watching it closely, nothing of this sort is found
to take place.
“The Baroness of Berlepsch supposes the cause of foulbrood is to be
found in the use of movable comb hives, and the various
manipulations--oftimes needless--which the facilities afforded tempt the
apiarian to undertake. Were this diagnosis correct, the remedy could
readily be found. It would only be necessary to discontinue the use of
such hives, and return to the ancient fixed comb system, to be safe from
the inroads of this pestilence. But alas, it is only too well known that
foulbrood existed extensively long before Dzierzon was born, and that it
prevails where the fixed comb system is most rigidly adhered to.
“Others imagine that the disease has its origin in malarious vapors, in
some kind of fungus, in a diseased condition of the sexual organs of the
queen, in an imperfect fecundation of the egg, or even in a noxious
state of the fluids of the bee-keeper’s body, &c., without, however, by
any of these surmises or suggestions, furnishing us with an available
clue to a remedy, from the application of which a favorable result might
be expected. Obscurity and doubt still involve the inquirer, and he
quietly ‘gives it up;’ while the more practical bee-keeper, perplexed
and baffled, finally resolves to resort to the radical remedy of the
brimstone pit and the ‘parlor match’--thus effectually _curing_ his
colonies.
“So matters stood in regard to this puzzling question, till, in
consequence of a communication from the Directors of the Central
Committee of the Hanover Agricultural Society, respecting an alleged
cure of foulbrood which Mr. Fisher claimed to have devised and
successfully employed, the Hanover Centralblatt opened its columns for
further discussion of the topic.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by Samuel
Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
“I had given it as my own opinion that the disease was probably, in most
cases, produced by feeding infected honey derived from foulbroody
colonies; but that we were still constrained to believe that it had also
an independent origin, which would probably be found in some deleterious
substance mixed with the nutriment of the bees.
“A reason for this assumption I found in a communication from Mr.
Hoffman to the Eichstadt Bienenzeitung, in which he stated that in all
foulbroody colonies examined by him, he found most of the pollen in the
cells covered by a slimy, fatty substance and the pollen itself in a
state of fermentation. I then said that if this discovery be confirmed
by further observation and scientific investigation, deteriorated pollen
would probably be found to play an important part in the production of
the disease in question, and perhaps account for the well known fact
that in colonies infected with foulbrood, the larvæ die only after being
sealed up. I also expressed the hope that we should have the aid of
science--especially of physiology and chemistry--in the further
prosecution of the inquiry; as it is only by ascertaining the nature and
origin of the disease, that we could hope to obtain the means of
effectually counteracting and controlling it.
“We had to wait long for these elucidations, but they have come at last,
and we may well be proud that the Hanover Centralblatt contributed so
materially to the result so far.
“I now come to the second subdivision of the question--What is to be
thought of Lambrecht’s theory?
“This theory is briefly thus: Pollen, in peculiar circumstances, and
under the influence of heat and moisture, begins to ferment; and the
fermentive process is then communicated to the honey. If this fermenting
nutriment be now fed to the larvæ, their organism becomes thereby
deranged and disorganized, they die and putrefaction follows. Here we
find the original source and cause of foulbrood. The detailed
explanation of this so simple theory, given with the directness of
scientific demonstration, yet in popular language readily understood, is
contained in the pages of the Centralblatt. Its correctness is not to be
doubted, for the proof of it is clearly furnished by this simple
experiment: Expose a mixture of pollen and water to the heat of the sun,
or otherwise to a temperature sufficiently high to bring on
fermentation, and feed therewith the bees of a colony containing larvæ
just hatched, and foulbrood will speedily be produced in the hive. I
made this experiment myself in the summer of 1868, and though I felt
some misgivings before, every doubt was dissipated by the result
obtained, for the thus infected colony might have claimed a premium as a
prime prize case of the disease. I here submit to the convention, for
inspection, a piece of foulbroody comb thus obtained. The contagiousness
of the artificially originated foulbrood is also demonstrated by the
fact, that the disease has been communicated from it to several other
colonies in my apiary. Other bee-keepers have repeated this experiment
with like results; so that there is no longer room to doubt, or to
suspect deception.
“The fermented or fermenting condition of the nutritive matter with
which the larvæ of bees are fed, is thus, according to Lambrecht’s
theory, the cause of foulbrood. I doubt much whether this scientifically
grounded doctrine will ever be scientifically refuted.
“We have here, accordingly, the point at which the insidious foe is to
be attacked, if we would hope for success. This, Lambrecht alleges that
he does, and claims that he has devised a reliable method of cure, as
shown in the experimental case at Brunswick. To doubt the truth of the
statement made by the committee superintending that experiment, would be
to impugn the untarnished honor of those gentlemen. But unfortunately,
we are not yet made acquainted with the composition of Lambrecht’s
remedy. For the present, he treats it as a secret, intending to publish
it in a pamphlet and thus compensate himself for his discovery. For
this, he has been subjected to reproach and abuse. Allow me to express
my surprise at this. We find fault with Lambrecht for that which we
approve in ourselves and others. The inventor strives to secure to
himself the profits of his invention by taking out a patent; and the
author indemnifies himself for his labors by procuring a copyright, or
accepting a premium from his publisher. I have not hesitated to accept
such compensation myself, when the opportunity was properly presented;
and others, here, I presume, may find themselves under like
condemnation. Why then cast stones on Lambrecht, who, probably, has very
valid reasons for imitating our example, for his experiments presuppose
a large sacrifice of time and money on his part.
“I will not deny that, for one, I should have preferred if Mr. Lambrecht
had disinterestedly published his curative process in a communication to
the Centralblatt. For if No. 7 of the volume for 1868 is now out of
print, in consequence of the increased demand created for it by his
first article on the subject, there is no doubt a very large edition
would have been required of the number containing his cure; and what a
powerful impetus that would have given to the success of the
Centralblatt! But I should have been ashamed to approach Mr. Lambrecht
with a request based on calculations so selfish, when I understood that
he intended to reserve the information for his own benefit. But there is
thus within our reach a secret of great importance and value to all
bee-keepers; and since we have no prospect of obtaining a knowledge of
it in any other way than by the publication of his pamphlet, I advise
you all to subscribe for it and induce others to do so likewise, so that
the work may speedily be published, and the veil withdrawn that possibly
conceals a matter of vital importance to bee-culture.
“Mr. Lambrecht was requested by the President of the Nuremberg
Convention to attend its meeting, and present his theory among the
regular orders of the day, for discussion. I felt confident he would
comply with the request, and considered that the most suitable mode of
bringing his theory to the knowledge of the bee-keepers generally and
securing the required number of subscribers to his pamphlet. But,
according to the report of the proceedings, the result was just the
reverse. Mr Lambrecht, we are told, _failed altogether_! And how? He was
refused a hearing! How this is to be explained, I know not. Heretofore,
the Convention was ever disposed to invite and allow free discussion of
all questions pertaining to bee-culture, whether of a theoretical or
practical cast; and to accept, with enthusiastic applause every new
invention or device tending to advance the favorite pursuit of its
members. But this I know for certain, that Mr. Lambrecht’s theory,
despite of this opposition, will work its way, and finally meet with
universal acceptance. I therefore beg this respected assembly not to
withhold due attention to this important matter, but to contribute all
they can towards a full compliance with the stipulations on which the
speedy promulgation of Mr. Lambrecht’s curative process depends.”
* * * * *
[For the American Bee Journal.]
Polanisia Purpurea.
MR. EDITOR:--I would like to give the readers of the journal my
experience with the Rocky Mountain bee plant _Polanisia purpurea_. In
1868, I had the pleasure of receiving some of the seed from Mr. J. L.
Hubbard, then of Walpole, N. H.; and from sixteen plants that grew, I
got six quarts of seed. It comes into bloom about the last of July, and
continues till frost comes. The bees work on it from morning till night.
In selecting honey-producing plants, it should be the aim of the
bee-keeper to plant such as would be of benefit to stock or poultry as
well as bees. Now I find that my poultry will eat the seed of the
Polanisia in a short time as readily as buckwheat; and there is no plant
on my farm that stands the drouth equal to it. At present (July 25th) we
are having a very severe drouth and extreme heat, yet with the
temperature ranging from 90° to 108° in the shade, not a leaf of the
Polanisia wilts; on the contrary, it is making a very rapid growth.
Taking everything into consideration, I think it is worthy the attention
of bee-keepers.
A. Green.
_Amesbury, Mass._
* * * * *
[From the London “Journal of Horticulture.”]
Bees in Borneo and Timor.
Having recently perused Mr. Spencer St. John’s very interesting work on
Borneo, published in 1862, under the title of “Life in the Forests of
the Far East,” I have made notes of several passages relating to the
apian aborigines of that magnificent tropical island:--
Speaking of the agricultural pursuits of the “Sea Dayaks,” Mr. St. John
says--“They obtain beeswax from the nests built on the tapang tree, and
climb the loftiest heights in search of it, upon small sticks which they
drive in as they advance up the noble stem that rises above one hundred
feet free of branches, and whose girth varies from fifteen to
twenty-five feet. Once these pegs are driven in, their outer ends are
connected by a stout rattan, which, with the tree, forms a kind of
ladder. It requires cool and deliberate courage to take a bee-hive at so
great an elevation, where, in case of being attacked by the bees, the
almost naked man would fall and be dashed to atoms. They depend upon the
flambeaux they carry up with them, as, when the man disturbs the hive,
the sparks falling from it cause, it is said, the bees to fly down in
chase of them instead of attacking their real enemy, who then takes the
hive and lowers it down by a rattan string. The bees escape unhurt. This
plan does not appear to be as safe as that pursued by the Pakatan
Dayaks, who kindle a large fire under the trees, and, throwing green
branches upon it, raise so stilling a smoke that the bees rush forth,
and the man ascending takes their nest in safety. Both these operations
are generally conducted at night, although the second might be, I
imagine, practised in safety during the day.”
With regard to the “Land Dayaks” it is stated, that “To the left of the
Sirambau are some very fine tapang trees, in which the bees generally
build their nests; they are considered private property, and a Dayak
from a neighboring tribe venturing to help himself to some of this
apparently wild honey and wax would be punished for theft.” This is the
first hint that is given of bees being considered in any respect as
private property, but the following passage would seem to indicate that
the domestication of the honey-bee is not altogether unknown in the
island:--“During the night, our rest was much disturbed by bees, which
stung us several times, and Mr. Lowe, with that acuteness which never
deserts him in all questions of natural history, pronounced them to be
the ‘tame’ bees, the same as he had last seen thirteen years ago among
the Senah Dayaks, in Sarawak. About midnight we were visited by a big
fellow, who, our guides assured us, wanted to pilfer; but we found next
morning that he had come to complain of his hives having been plundered.
On inquiry, we discovered the man who had done the deed. He was fined
three times the value of the damage, and the amount handed over to the
owner.”
During one of his adventurous expeditions up the river Limbang, Mr. St.
John found a Pakatan named Japer, who accompanied him, a storehouse of
information. He had a thorough faith in ghosts and spirits, and told of
many an adventure with them, and of the Antus who caused the death of
the wax-hunters, by pushing them off the mengiris or tapang tree. When
the unfortunate men, from inefficient preparations, as their companions
not keeping up a great fire under the trees to stupefy the bees, are so
stung as to let go their hold, the natural explanation is never taken;
they fly to their superstitions. Japer’s nephew saw one of these tapang
ghosts, and managed to keep his eye upon him and prevent him pushing him
off, he came down without accident, but without any wax. I suggested
that he invented the ghost to excuse his timidity, which Japer thought
probable. To-day we passed one of these lofty trees bearing above twenty
bees’ nests, among them four old ones white with wax.[1] As the country
is full of tapangs, in which alone do the bees build their nests, the
stories of the great amount of wax formerly procured in this district
may be true. Why do the honey-bees generally build on one particular
tree? Its being the finest in the forest is no good reason, perhaps
there is something enticing in the bark. I say ‘generally,’ because,
though I have never seen their nests on other trees, yet I have often
come across them in the crevices of rocks.
In a subsequent part of his journal of the same expedition, our author
says--“I never was in such a country for bees, they everywhere swarm in
the most disagreeable manner, and ants and other insects are equally
numerous.” When on their return and nearly starved, the party had “a
very happy find, for while passing under a fine tapang tree we noticed
the remains of a bees’ nest scattered about, and every particle was
eagerly appropriated. From the marks around it appeared as if a bear had
climbed this lofty tree and torn down the nest to be devoured by its
young below, as there were numerous tracks of the smaller animals
around, but whether the comb had been sucked by the bears or not was
very immaterial to our men, who rejoiced in securing the little honey
still clinging to it.”
The party appears only once to have fallen foul of a hornet’s nest. The
encounter and its results are thus described:--“It was in following the
bed of the Rawan that I was stung. Notice was given by the guide to
leave the direct path, and we all did; but I suppose some one disturbed
the hornets, as they attacked me with a ferocity that appears
incredible: many flew at me, but two fixed on my arms and stung me
through my double clothing. They poised themselves a moment in the air,
and then came on with a rush which it was impossible to avoid. The pain
was acute, but I saved my face. I tumbled down the steep bank in a
moment, and throwing aside rifle and ammunition, plunged up to my eyes
in a pool until the buzzing ceased and the hornets had returned to their
nests. Some of my men were also stung; they squeezed a little tobacco
juice on the wounds, and they say they felt no further inconvenience. I
tried it about an hour afterwards, but it did me no good. I had no idea
that the sting of this insect was so severe; my right arm swelled up to
double its natural size and was acutely painful; now, on the second day,
it is much less so, but as the swelling continues it is impossible to
use it much.”
That wild bees are exceedingly abundant in the forests and jungles of
Borneo may be inferred from the foregoing passages as well as from the
numerous references to parties of native “wax-hunters,” which occur in
almost every chapter of the work. Although no clue is given by Mr. St.
John to the identity of the Borneon honey-bee, or any information as to
the manner in which it builds its nest, I am enabled in some measure to
supply the deficiency from other sources.
Some half dozen years ago I received from Mr. Charles Darwin, the
distinguished naturalist, a few specimens of bees named Apis testacea
(Smith), together with two pieces of their comb. Although these had been
brought by Mr. Alfred B. Wallace, the celebrated traveller and author of
“The Malay Archipelago,” just published, from the island of Timor in the
Eastern Archipelago, I believe them to be the same as those which are
indigenous in Borneo, so that there appears little reason to doubt that
these are the bees referred to by Mr. St. John. On examination I found
them half as long again as Apis mellifica, and their brood comb
proportionably thicker. They were in fact, a variety of the magnificent
Apis dorsata, which is described as flourishing abundantly throughout
the great Indian peninsula, from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas, as well
as in Ceylon.
Mr. Darwin subsequently introduced me to Mr. Wallace, to whom I am
indebted for the following particulars:--“In Borneo and Timor the wax
forms an important article of commerce. The combs hang on the under side
of horizontal limbs of lofty trees, often one hundred feet from the
ground.
[Illustration]
“I have seen three together as above, and they are often four feet in
diameter. The natives of Timor I have seen take them. They climb up a
tree carrying a smoke torch made of a split creeper bound up in palm
leaves, and hanging by a rope from their waist. They cover up their body
and hair carefully, but their arms and legs are bare. The smoke directed
on the comb makes the bees fly off in a cloud as the man approaches. He
sweeps off the remainder with his hand and then cuts off the comb with a
large knife, and lets it down to his companions below by a thin cord. He
is all the time surrounded by a cloud of bees, and though the smoke no
doubt partly stupefies them, he must be severely stung. While looking on
from a considerable distance a few came down and attacked me, and I did
not get rid of them till I was half a mile from the place and had caught
them all, one by one, in my insect net. The sting is very severe. I
should imagine that in Timor the dry season answers to our winter, as
the drought is very severe and much of the foliage is deciduous.
Eucalypti are the most common trees, and their flowers I suspect supply
the bees with their honey. In Borneo combs are placed in a somewhat
similar manner, perhaps formed by the same species. The only bee I have
seen domesticated in the East is one at Malacca, the natives hang up
bamboos and hollow logs for it, but it is, I believe, not a true Apis,
as it makes clusters of large oval shells of black wax.”
I may add that the Timor bee was named Apis testacea on account of its
color, which is very light, and is, in fact, the only point in which it
differs from Apis dorsata. When some years ago I compared the specimens
in the British Museum, I became impressed with the idea that those which
represented Apis testacea were nothing more than newly-hatched and
immature specimens of Apis dorsata, and so strongly did I urge my views
upon Mr. Smith, that I believe I almost induced him to doubt the
correctness of his own nomenclature, until he was afterwards assured by
Mr. Wallace himself, that they were really mature and fully-developed
adult bees.--A DEVONSHIRE BEE-KEEPER.
* * * * *
Management of Bees in Winter.
The following address on this subject was delivered by Mr. E.
ROOD, of Wayne (Mich.), at the Michigan Bee-keeper’s Convention,
held at Lansing, on the 23d of March last. The crowded state of
our columns and files at the time it was received, prevented an
immediate insertion, and its appearance now will probably be all
the more opportune and serviceable.--ED.
If there be no objection, I would like to reverse the order of the time
or statement of the subject which I am expected to discuss, as the
spring management follows that of the winter.
The winter management, of a necessity, involves some things that must be
done in the fall; and let me premise by saying that almost, if not all
of the operations and manipulations of bees, are quite simple, when the
natural habits and requirements of the insect are well understood, and
with a reasonable amount of intelligence and perseverance the object is
accomplished. Let me assure new beginners, and those that have not
begun, that the honey will much more than compensate for the labor
bestowed upon them, as I know of no branch of rural pursuits that, in
dollars and cents, pays as well. And the pleasure derived from a study
of their nature and habits, will far more than compensate, in a
scientific point of view, for all their stings.
In preparing for winter, of necessity it is incumbent upon us to see or
learn that they have sufficient food to carry them through until they
can procure it for themselves;--say twenty or twenty-five pounds if
wintered in a special depository, and twenty-five or thirty if wintered
on their summer stands.
We should then remove the surplus honey-boxes as soon as the first hard
frost; as, if they remain on, the bees will the next day carry into the
breeding apartment all that is not capped over; and I have seldom or
never known a swarm but what had enough in the body of the hive to
winter on, if they had stored any in the surplus boxes.
Next, weigh one or more empty hives, to which weight add, say ten pounds
for weight of bees, combs and bee bread; then the first cool day proceed
to weigh every swarm,--_no guessing about it_. Mark the net weight of
honey upon the same corner or place on each hive.
Next, the first fine day commence to equalize the amount of honey in the
various swarms; if in movable frames, taking from the heaviest and
giving to those that require feeding; if not in movable frame hives, the
light ones must be fed in the evening with some of the various feeders,
and a good swarm will carry from five to eight pounds to the combs in a
night. They may be fed on a syrup made of clarified sugar, but the syrup
should never, nor should honey be kept, melted, dissolved, or fed from
copper or brass vessels, as it has been ascertained that verdigris will
cause foul brood.
We have now provided our bees with sufficient food for winter, and why
should we not? We provide (or should), a sufficient supply for each
sheep, and certainly the profits of a swarm of bees are as great as from
a sheep--aye, and far greater--and they do not require one-fourth part
of the care and attention.
I know of but one other preparation for wintering. In almost any apiary
there will be some small swarms and some destitute of queens, they may
and should be doubled up, but no two large swarms should be put
together--they will not do well.
We are now ready to put our bees into winter quarters. The exact time
for removing them to the quarters cannot be now definitely determined.
If there are any small swarms, it will be well to put them in somewhat
earlier than the large ones; as there is not as much animal heat, and
those upon the outside of the cluster become chilled and perish; perhaps
the first of December, as a general rule, will be the correct time.
Now for the winter quarters. If they are wintered on their summer
stands, it would be much better if the yard was enclosed with a high
board fence, or something to break off the winds. The fly-holes should
be nearly closed, so that it will be one-half or three-fourths of an
inch in size, that it may not get stopped up with dead bees, also that
but a trifle of air may enter, thus preventing much draft, and as upward
ventilation is almost absolutely necessary, there should be openings in
the top of the hive for the vapor to escape, but the openings should be
protected in a manner to prevent the wind from driving into them. There
are many ways, as laying on five or six inches of straw and placing the
roof on it, or a board and some weight to keep it in place, or the cover
to the honey boxes may be filled with straw or some other substance that
will absorb all the moisture. This upward ventilation should be closed,
say the 15th of March, or after the extreme cold weather is over. Thus I
have given you all that seems necessary, where they are wintered on
their summer stands.
When they are wintered in special depositories, the preparation is the
same, except that no straw or other substance is necessary; but the
honey-board must be raised, say a quarter of an inch, or if in common
hives, the holes in the top of the hive left open, the fly-hole the same
as above, the temperature kept between twenty-five and forty-three by
_thermometer_, the cellar or room _perfectly_ dark, and when you enter
it, do so with a lantern.
I will now proceed to give what I regard as the best form and method of
constructing a special depository. Convenience to the apiary is
essential; it is as well, and perhaps better if we can, to place it in
the edge of a bank--as some root cellars are made--bluff, or side-hill.
The door should be at the lowest side, for the convenience of entrance,
as it is difficult to pass up and down stairs with a swarm of bees.
The size of the room will of course be sufficiently large to contain
what bees we wish to place therein. Sixteen feet by twenty, inside
measure, will hold one hundred and fifty swarms, and leave ample alley
room. The place should be dry, there should be a double door, the room
_perfectly dark_, ceiling joists and a floor should be laid over head,
and eight or ten inches of sawdust, tan-bark, dry marsh muck, or some
nonconductor placed on it before putting on the roof. Four pipes,
chimneys or tubes, made of ten or twelve inch boards, should run from
just below the ceiling through the roof, and be of sufficient length to
exclude the light, say eight feet, on the lower end of which there will
be a simple slide or valve. Place one in or near each corner of the
room. Thus we have the means distributed for the ascent of the surplus
heat, and the animal heat of one hundred swarms is quite considerable,
and the great difficulty, if any, will be to keep our room cool enough.
To jump at the conclusion that a room with thin walls will accomplish
it, will not answer; the great difficulty is to have an even
temperature. As, if our walls are thin, the rays of the sun and warm air
will make the room too warm. In February, 1869, I was under the
necessity of doubling the thickness of a ten inch wall on the south
side.
We also place a pipe or tube quite around the inside of the room upon
the floor or ground (a floor is quite unnecessary, worse than nothing,
for it makes a hiding place for rats and mice), this tube may be made of
foot boards, and inch holes bored in it, once in two feet, for the equal
distribution of the cold and fresh air, when needed. One end of this
pipe must pass through the wall, and must have a slide or valve at or
near the outer end.
If my room was at the bank or hill, the lower side or end will of
necessity be destitute of earth banking, and we would make the wall at
least sixteen inches, filled as above with some nonconducting substance,
and dry marsh muck is equal, if not superior, to almost any other
substance, except fine charcoal, and is easily procured.
A house built altogether upon a level surface, with the walls of
_sufficient thickness_, say eighteen or twenty inches, will be equally
good. The cost of such a house as I have described cannot be great.
Most, if not all the labor, can be performed by the apiarian.
This house will be found very convenient for many other purposes in the
spring and summer, in the various operations, to wit: in overhauling and
examining the bees in the spring, as a window sash may then be placed in
the top of one of the doors, and a stove placed within--thus I have one
arranged.
When you suspect there may be a material change in the temperature of
the room, look to the thermometer; if too cold, close the valves, if too
warm open them more or less, as occasion may require; if that is not
sufficient, open the door after dark, and close it again before light,
and if that is not sufficient, throw in and spread over the floor a few
bushels of snow or pounded ice.
Many swarms will be benefited by being set out on their summer stands at
the time of the January thaw, or in February, those that are besmearing
their hives, that they may discharge themselves, which will cure most
cases of diarrhœa, or dysentery as it is called--though there are real
cases of diarrhœa, but not often.
Thus we have passed over the most essential points in the wintering of
bees. I will now proceed to give some, if not all of the necessary steps
in their management in the spring.
It is difficult to give the exact date at which they should be removed
to their summer stands, but whenever it is done, it is not at all
important that each swarm should be placed on the identical stand it had
the previous season, neither is this precaution necessary if set out in
the winter.
In removing them from the cellar, it will first be necessary to close up
the fly-hole and remove the chip or block from under the honey board--to
confine the bees in the hive.
Immediately after placing them upon their summer stands, if housed in
special depositories, and perhaps about the same time or a trifle
earlier if wintered out, the bottom boards should be cleaned of dead
bees and other filth, it saves the bees much labor and no doubt conduces
to their health.
As soon as they have become accustomed to their new location, one of the
most important operations in bee management becomes necessary, to wit,
the thorough examination of the swarm, for five purposes: First, to
ascertain if they have sufficient honey to carry them through; of this
we may judge with sufficient accuracy from the appearance of the
quantity. Be sure to leave them enough, as the breeding season is now
considerably advanced. We must also regard the size of the swarm, which
will, of course, include the quantity of brood now on hand. Secondly, to
see if they have too much honey. This reason is almost equally important
with the other; it could be hardly conceived by the novice how it was
possible that a swarm of bees could have too much honey. Well, we would
like to have you explain that, Mr. Lecturer, says one--I think many.
Well, be patient, my friends, and we will make the attempt. First, then,
we will suppose the breeding chamber of the hive is the proper size.
This involves the question as to what is the proper size. Well, there
are various opinions about it; but with some experience, aided by a few
simple figures, we may approximate to it. We may assume that a vigorous
and healthy queen can and will lay three thousand eggs a day; now, each
square inch of comb will contain fifty eggs, and fifty will go into
three thousand sixty times; it takes about twenty-one days for the eggs
to hatch; now twenty-one times sixty is one thousand two hundred and
sixty: this would be a solid mass of comb, larva and pupa; of a
necessity, then, we must add to the above one thousand two hundred and
sixty, half as much more room, six hundred and thirty inches, making the
inside of the hive one thousand eight hundred and ninety cubic inches.
It will be well to add say half an inch more to the depth of the hive,
as the bees seldom build combs to within half an inch of the bottom
board. Well, suppose the hive is fourteen inches each way (horizontal)
we would thus add ninety-eight inches more; this would give one thousand
nine hundred and eighty-eight, or for convenience, two thousand cubic
inches; two thousand two hundred and eighteen and one-fifth cubic inches
are a bushel, which is most commonly given as the proper size of the
hive. Now, our figures have given nearly that size, and worked
mathematically close, and giving a little leeway, our hive will hold
about a bushel. Let us recollect this is the room required for breeding
purposes. We added two hundred inches, and will suppose that will be
filled with pollen and honey; now, if these premises be correct, we
start in the spring with the size of our hive much reduced by being
filled with honey, as we have but two hundred cubic inches for that
purpose and the bee-bread. Can we now see that a swarm of bees may have
too much honey in the breeding chamber? Still we must leave enough at
this examination to carry them safe through till an abundant supply can
be obtained from the blossoms. Suppose, therefore, we leave from thirty
to fifty pounds of honey in the hive, is it not evident we have trenched
that amount of space upon the breeding territory? Then, if the season is
a good one for honey, this room is constantly being diminished by the
bees depositing honey in the cells as soon as the brood leaves, the
result of which will be your young swarms will be too small, and by
winter the old ones, for the want of breeding room, are too few to raise
sufficient animal heat to winter. Even if the proper amount only is left
in the hive in the spring, and the season is a good one for honey, the
hives should be examined, say the first day of August, and the outside
sheets that are filled with honey and have no brood in them, be removed,
and empty sheets or frames placed in the centre of the hive that the
queen may have more room.
Thirdly. We examine the hive to see if there is too much drone comb (and
any is too much in a large apiary) for if you remove all, the bees will
find means to raise drones enough, as in a hive with the ordinary
quantity there are probably enough for an apiary of fifty or
seventy-five swarms.
Fourthly. We examine the hive to determine if the queen is living, and
if so, if she may not be a drone layer. The question will be asked by
some how we determine if she is living, or is a drone layer. If there is
no queen there will be no brood, and _vice versa_, and if the brood be
_all_ drone, there would be no doubt of her being a drone layer. In
either case, the swarm should be doubled up with a swarm that has a
normal queen; the drone layer should first be killed.
Fifthly. In performing these examinations it is an excellent plan to
transfer each swarm to a clean hive, as the rabbets have often become
partially filled with propolis or gum, as are also the ends of the
frames covered with it, and sometimes the hive may want repairs.
We have seen that this examination is one of paramount necessity. The
better place to operate is perhaps in a room or place with a single
window, or a half window is better, and the room should be so warm that
the bees will not chill upon the window. It should be so arranged that
the bees that gather thereon may be frequently liberated; the weather
should be sufficiently mild for them to fly from the place to the hive.
A decoy hive should be set upon the stand, with a few pieces of comb in
it; the decoy hive should be of the same color as the one being operated
upon. An active person can examine twenty hives in a day with an
assistant. This examination may be performed out of door at the stands,
were it not for the fact that it is a season of the year when the
robbers are most persistent. In performing these operations, it will be
found advantageous to blow in a little smoke at the time of opening the
hive.
We now have our bees in clean hives with plenty of honey--not too
much--and without too much drone comb. But perhaps a few queens may have
died a natural death during the winter, or there may be some drone
layers. In either case, the bees should be put with another swarm. This
may done in various ways; the safest, perhaps, for the uninitiated,
would be to drive the swarm from the hive without a queen into the
other, by first blowing in a little smoke, also sprinkle in a trifle of
scented syrup, and then drumming; and after they are driven the swarm
had better be removed to a perfectly dark room or cellar say for a week,
or remove them to a distance of at least a mile for a week. This
removing should be done instanter. An additional precaution would be to
place the one hive above the other preparatory to driving, with a wire
cloth between them, say for forty-eight hours, that each may have the
same scent.
It is often the case that many swarms are small in the spring; then
comes the question, what is it best to do with them? I am of the opinion
that the better plan is to feed them, to stimulate the queen to
breeding. Commencing the 15th of March, give the swarm from three to
four tablespoonfuls of honey every day, or every other day, except the
days they gather from flowers, will answer; but they must be watched
closely to see if they have plenty of honey in the combs for their
brood, and they consume much more than we would suspect; as, for
illustration, suppose a hive to be filled with larva capped over, can
any person tell me how that amount or mass of animal matter can be
brought into that form without an equivalent in weight of liquid sweet
(honey or sugar syrup) and pollen, for which we substitute in our
stimulating process in the spring unbolted rye flour, placed where it
will be protected from wind and water. They may be easily enticed to it
by placing a little honey in the vessel.
Another method of procedure is to double up the weak ones. Another still
is to equalize them by taking a sheet of brood that is hatching from a
large swarm and giving it to the small one.
One of these methods is very important, as after all the apparent secret
of bee management the greatest secret lies in keeping the swarms strong.
The bees in small swarms are all compelled to stay at home to keep up
sufficient animal heat to keep the brood warm, perhaps scarcely
gathering honey enough to stimulate the queen to lay; and if she did
lay up to her full capacity, there are not bees enough to keep the brood
warm.
Another advantage in having strong swarms is to avoid the miller or wax
moth.
I lay down the proposition that the moth _never materially injured a
good swarm_ in a decently made hive.
In this connection, I lay down another proposition, that without some
explanation may seem as strange as the one above alluded to, (that a
swarm of bees may have too much honey.) I think I may assert that the
moth is or may be an advantage. We always act from one or more motives
moving us to a particular point. Amongst other things, I stated that the
moth never _materially_ injured a _good_ swarm of bees. Now, one of the
requisites of a good one is strength. Let us see if the moth may not be
an advantage. Most bee-keepers have had in their yard say at least two
swarms of that size that all they could do would be to get themselves
into good condition as to numbers and stores for the coming winter,
without giving the owner a young swarm or an ounce of surplus honey, and
at the same time they were very much exposed to the moth and stood a
good chance to be destroyed by them, because there are not bees enough
to guard the unprotected combs.
Now, we will put these two swarms together, and see what the result will
be; we will have a swarm strong enough to guard against the moth, strong
enough to keep a large quantity of brood warm, by which it will be
strong enough to throw off a swarm in good season, and if it is a fair
season for honey we may expect twenty-five pounds of surplus honey from
the mother swarm. And what have we lost? a queen. The comb we will
preserve in a cool, dry place, and give them to the young swarm. Has the
moth in this view been a benefit?
We have now our hives properly examined, those that need it fed, the
honey taken away if too much, the queenless doubled up, the weak
stimulated, equalized or doubled up. There are now but few things to be
done, the hive should be made as tight as possible with no upward
ventilation, the fly-hole opened but a trifle, and as the swarm
increases, which we can determine by the steam, or rather dampness, on
the bottom board at the fly-hole in the morning, we will enlarge the
fly-hole.
We will next place a trough in the centre of the yard and keep water in
it, and to prevent the drowning of the bees will cover its surface with
corn-cobs, and occasionally exchange them for fresh ones as they become
sour in time.
Now we feel pretty sure thus far we have warded off that scare crow,
“luck.”
I think of but one other duty we can perform for our and their benefit,
that is within the task assigned me, to wit, that of placing the surplus
honey boxes on the hive. Mr. Quinby, I think is the only writer that
tells us the proper time, namely, when the hive is full of brood and
honey below. As they only go into the boxes for the want of room below,
and not always then, they should not be put on much sooner, as it
enlarges the space to be kept warm by the animal heat, _all of which is
needed up to that time_.
* * * * *
[For the American Bee Journal.]
Wintering Bees.
MR. EDITOR:--I believe the inventors of all hives claim--each for his
special invention--better wintering qualities “than any other hive in
use.” But many of them, after being tested, prove to be no better than
any old common hive, from the fact that they are not constructed on the
right principle. When I constructed the hive described in the Journal
for July, it was my intention to make it one of the best for wintering
bees that had ever been devised; and I have yet to find the man who has
seen and examined it, who says it is not upon the right principle for
that purpose. If we can have a hive constructed on the right principle
for successful wintering of bees, storing honey, and allowing of as much
room for surplus honey-boxes as the largest stock needs, it is certainly
an improvement over anything yet constructed in the shape of a bee-hive.
I claim that my hive combines more good qualities and fewer _bad_ ones,
than any hive now extant.
When I commenced to write, I did not intend to say anything in favor of
this hive. Those who have used it will say enough in its favor. I will
now give my plan for wintering bees in it, which I can do in very few
words; and it will not take longer to prepare one of them for wintering,
than it will to read this article.
First, make the winter passages through the combs. This I do by taking a
stick twenty inches long and three-fourths of an inch wide, made sharp
at one end, and slowly worm it through the combs, from front to rear of
the hive. If a hive be examined, twenty-four hours after this has been
done, the bores will be found as round and as smooth as though the bees
had made them. Next remove the board from the top of the brood chamber,
and cover the frames with any old rug, coat, or woolen cloth of any
kind; and, although it is not necessary, it will be found a good plan to
remove the sides of the brood chamber, and cover them the same as the
top; or they can be covered with cotton cloth, leaving the surplus box
holes open as a means of ventilation, and at the same time keeping the
bees confined to the combs and from going into the outer hive. I did not
remove the woolen cloths from the tops of my hives this season, and the
only ventilation my hives have had during the _very_ hot weather was
through the entrance. There was no melting down of combs as in the
shallow form of the Langstroth hive.
The entrance should be closed during the winter, so as to leave only
about one inch space between the blocks. A stock of bees will not
smother in this hive, even if it be covered up in snow all winter; but
the ventilating holes in the cap must be left open during the winter. In
most of the hives sent out, I left a hole in front of the brood chambers
to make the winter passages through.
In the spring the brood chamber can be lifted off the bottom boards and
cleaned of bees and droppings; and I have done this without even
disturbing the bees.
Three years ago I gave a plan for wintering bees in the shallow form of
Langstroth hive. Many who tested that plan, have written to me that it
worked well. I think the plan a good one, and hope some one who has a
copy of it will send it to the editor of the Journal to have it
republished. I will guarantee that all who try it will be pleased with
the plan.