_Fulton, Ill._, Sept. 5, 1870.
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A good swarm of bees, put in a diminutive hive, in a good season, may be
compared to a powerful team of horses harnessed to a baby wagon, or a
noble fall of water wasted in turning a petty
water-wheel.--_Langstroth._
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Narrow minds think nothing right that is above their own capacity.
[For the American Bee Journal.]
Queen Raising.--Experience and Observations.
Too early last spring, I commenced by artificial means to raise queen
bees. Using only about a pint of bees, they became chilled during the
night, and would cluster in the corner or top of the hive, deserting the
larvæ and the unhatched young. This was in March. During the latter part
of the month of April, however, I succeeded admirably in hatching them;
but two-thirds were lost on their wedding tours.
I had as many as six queen cells which were _to hatch_ on a certain day.
I was not at home on that day, but returned late in the evening, and on
examining No. 1 (a full colony), I found the queen had just emerged, the
cap or end of the cell still clinging by a small particle of wax, and
the queen on the same frame within a few inches of the cell. No. 2 had
also hatched during the day, appearing to be a few hours older. No. 3
was then visited, which was in a nucleus, and I found only two worker
bees in the hive,--the queen cell being still perfect. I had the evening
before given this nucleus some strained honey, in a bungling manner, and
did not contract the entrance of the hive as I should have done, and
they were robbed. My wife, early in the morning, noticed unusual
activity at this hive. The little family, I suppose, had helped to
remove their limited stores to the hives of the robbers, and taken up
their abode there, as usually occurs in such cases. But, to return to
our queen cell, I removed it carefully and opened the end of it, when,
to my surprise, out crawled the queen on my hand. Some honey was given
to her, and in a few minutes she was quite lively. She was then
introduced to a queenless colony, and was well received; but was lost on
going out on the eighth day. No. 4 was not examined until the next day,
when a nice Italian queen was moving amongst the workers; with as much
dignity as belongs to one not yet having attained her majority. After an
interval of about three days, I examined the hive and saw the queen
every day until about the eighth, when late in the evening, after
sunset, on examination I found she was gone. On closing the hive the
bees came running out and showed all the signs of having recently lost
their queen, such as are often seen; and kept up that distressing search
by crawling over the hive and on the ground in its immediate vicinity
until after dark. The hive was again examined with great scrutiny on the
following morning, and she was not there. At eleven o’clock a natural
first swarm issued from a hive of native brown bees in the apiary, and
after flying around five minutes, clustered on the stem and at the root
of a cherry tree. I proceeded to hive them, and when half the swarm had
passed into the hive, I saw the black queen march in. Only a few minutes
more elapsed before all the bees had gone in, except a little ball or
lump the size of a partridge egg near the root of the tree. I stirred
them up with a stick, thinking they were not cognizant of the fact that
their queen had gone in and the house was prepared and ready for them;
but they had no disposition to disengage themselves. Taking the ball of
bees in my hand, I examined them and found they were clumped around my
lost Italian queen. I dropped them in a pan of water, when every one let
go its hold, and the queen was free and apparently unharmed. I returned
her from whence she came, and in a few minutes the grieved family were
buzzing their joyful wings at her return. In a subsequent examination on
that day, she was crushed between two frames. The question arises, how
she came to be with this native colony? I have my surmises, but will
leave others to judge for themselves.
My experience has been that more Italian queens get lost in their
attempts to meet the drones, than native black or brown queens. Of the
superiority of the Italian or Ligurian workers, of their disposition, as
well as that of the hybrids, I will speak at some other time. Did it
ever occur to you, if the yellow-bearded Italians were natives of our
country, and we had been used to looking at them all our lives, and the
black were now just discovered and introduced, what praises would be
heaped upon the _dub_ tails? Campbell uttered a truism when he
said--“’Tis distance lends enchantment to the view.” But do not set me
down as against the yellow-jackets. I have been giving them a fair trial
for two years--or, rather, an unfair one, for I have tried their
strength and weakness, in dividing and subdividing; and when they are
reduced to almost a handful, they work with a heroism really
commendable.
And right here I wish to say that I think if the Rev. Mr. Briggs, whose
article appeared in a former number of the Journal, alludes to queens
sent out by Mr. Alley, of Massachusetts, and deems them not reliable by
reason of their low price, he is mistaken. I ordered one from Mr. Alley,
and through mistake he sent me two, either one of which, or their
workers, will compare favorably with those of anybody. They are not,
indeed, as long or as large as your index finger; but I have queens in
my yard from various sources, and among them these are the prettiest.
Time only will prove the working qualities of the laborers they produce.