_Youngsville, Pa._, Aug. 8, 1870.
* * * * *
[For the American Bee Journal.]
Novice.
DEAR BEE JOURNAL:--That flood of honey that was driving us so, when we
last wrote you, has ceased, and we are having a resting spell.
About the 18th of July the basswood failed, and we were obliged to
desist, mostly on account of the neighbors’ black bees desperately
attempting to rob our hives when we opened them. In fact, the upper
stories of our Langstroth hives are all full now, but before we can
empty two hives the black bees are so thick as to threaten
demoralization to our whole apiary. Though the Italians will sometimes
sting a pint of them to death around a single hive, not an Italian can
be found among the slain.
In spite of all this, to which we have repeatedly called the attention
of others, many are busy in accusing the Italians of driving the
innocent common bees out of the land. One neighbor in particular, who
cannot afford to take the Bee Journal, has been very busy in telling how
our Italians have taken all his surplus honey, and had he not used
_great_ care, they would have carried off all his honey, hives, bees and
all.
It was in this way. He came to us one day, quite excited, saying that
our Italians were robbing his bees at a great rate--even some new swarms
in movable frame hives that we had let him have, (not to mention several
hours’ verbal instruction and the attempt to answer all questions
pertaining to bee-culture at once).
“But that is impossible,” said we.
“Can’t you believe me when I tell you so?” inquired he, angrily.
“We will go with you and see.”
On the way the conversation was resumed, thus:
“You are sure you left no hives open, nor anything sweet around?”
“Nothing of the kind.”
“When did the robbing commence?”
“In the morning.”
“Have you taken off your surplus honey yet?”
“Took it off this morning.”
“Where is it,” stopping in our walk.
“_In the orchard, on a table._”
“Covered up?”
“No, I left it open to let the bees go out. The boxes were full of them,
and I could not get them out.”
“Are they there now?”
“Yes.”
“Now, C----, why in th---- did you not do as we were very careful to
tell you, and put the honey in a large box with a white cloth spread
over it, to be turned over every hour or two?”
“Well, it was too much trouble, and I did not suppose it would make much
difference.”
Of course we found boxes that had held about forty pounds, empty, and
oh, such music! There _were_ Italians there too, but we estimated
nine-tenths black bees to one-tenth yellow-banded ones. Without giving
the particulars, we may say that we have since heard that our bees had
robbed him of sixty, and then eighty pounds, and we don’t know what it
will amount to in the end.
The whole quantity of honey taken out by us this season, is now six
thousand one hundred and sixty-two (6,162) pounds. Of this we sold over
two thousand (2,000) pounds, in June and July, for thirty cents per
pound, jars and all. The jars do not cost us as much, in the end, as
boxes.
How does that figure, in comparison with box honey?
Besides this, our forty-six (46) colonies have been increased to
sixty-four (64); and as the upper frames are all full, and we have more
bees than the hives will hold, we propose to raise queens this fall and
make swarms of the upper stories, perhaps eighteen (18) more.
How many of our co-workers in the melextractor field have had trouble
with heavy new combs breaking down in hot weather? Well, listen to our
plan of putting them back. Throw away your splints, wires, strings, &c.,
and simply lay all the pieces of comb, full of honey or not, on a board
the size of your frame; put the frame over it in place, and then set the
whole in the upper part of some hive over night where the bees have
access. In the morning turn the whole up in proper position, and slide
your board away, and as soon as the bees have repaired that side too, it
is ready for the melextractor.
Mr. Price says Novice’s feeder will not answer for thin syrup. We are
afraid he has not tried one. Use new strong cloth, and there is no
trouble at all in feeding maple sap or even pure water.
Why is it that we can never have any success in trying to build up a
stock by feeding? For instance--We commenced putting the cappings, after
being drained, strainer utensils, &c., in the top of a hive to be
“licked off.” As the hive was handy, we kept them busy, and one other,
most of the time. Do you suppose it built them up? Not at all! While
other stocks were bringing home from six to eight pounds a day, and
building comb rapidly, these two could not “lick up” half that; and,
further, would build no comb at all until we stopped their “rations” and
saved our “trash” until the honey season was over.