SWARMING AND HIVING.
UNDER the old systems of bee-keeping swarming was very imperfectly
understood. And even at the present time it is amusing to see how many
old bee-keepers manage their bees. There is a class of old fogies, who
denounce all improvements and progress in bee-keeping, and who, year
after year, move in the same tracks in the management of their bees,
asserting that they know all about bees that is worth knowing. It is,
to say the least, amusing, to see how this class of bee-keepers manage
when their bees swarm.
In the middle of some very warm day in June or July, the alarm, "bees
swarming," is sounded. Immediately the whole household is turned
out, some beating tin pans, some sounding horns, some shaking cow
bells--anything and everything with which to make a terrible din is
caught up in the excitement, and every member of the household works
with the sole aim of making as much noise as possible. This is done to
make the bees cluster! If this is not done, they will leave for the
woods! I should think the poor bees would leave anyway, to get rid of
the noise and foolish whims of their owner. But no, they dislike to
leave the place of their nativity, so in ten minutes or less from the
time they leave the hive, they settle in a cluster on some object,
generally within a half-dozen rods of the hive. And they would have
done so in this case if no noise had been made. The noise did not
affect them in the least.
Now the bees are to be hived, and we will see how it is done in the old
way.
The bees in this case have clustered on a limb of a valuable pear tree.
"Very sorry they have pitched there," says a man of perfect knowledge
in bee-keeping,' "I dislike to injure that tree, but there is no help
for it."
But first a hive must be prepared. It is not quite ready. (This is bad
management.) It must be washed out thoroughly on the inside with salt
and water, and rubbed over with some sweet scented herbs. A bottom
board must be got ready, etc., etc. At last the hive is ready. Now
this wise bee-keeper places a table near where the swarm clustered,
sets his hive on the table, raises one edge four or six inches, takes
his saw--Oh, it is a pity to cut that nice limb full of fruit from the
pear tree, but it must be done, thinks this man of perfection in bee
management.
He grasps the limb firmly near the cluster of bees. They are very cross
and uneasy. They have been clustered an hour or more, while he has been
getting his hive ready. He saws of!' the limb on which the bees are
hanging, and places it carefully, with the bees adhering, on the table,
by the side of the hive, covers all very nicely with a clean sheet,
and leaves them alone to enter the hive. At about sunset he will place
the hive with the bees in it on the stand it is to occupy.
At the time designated (about sunset) he goes out to his hive on the
table. It has been a very hot afternoon, and the hive was where it
received the full force of the sun's rays. He carefully raises the
sheet. There is the limb on which the bees clustered--but where are
the bees? they are not on the limb! Why, in the hive, of course. That
is where he expected to find them. He peeps carefully under the hive
to see how they are getting along, but astonishment is depicted on his
countenance when he discovers that his hive is empty. His bees have
left for other parts beyond his knowledge. He tries to think of some
reason why the bees have gone, and seeks to lay the blame upon the
hive. "Oh!" he says, "I guess they did not like the hive, but I guess I
shall have better luck next time."
To a progressive bee-keeper, one who has correct and practical
knowledge of the natural habits of bees, it is very plain why they
left. They were actually driven away by mismanagement. The heat of the
sun pouring down upon them was enough of itself to drive them off. Then
placing the limb, with the cluster adhering to it, on the table near
the hive, showed lack of knowledge of the natural habits of bees. The
hive might as well have been in the house, as placed where it was. Then
an hour or more taken to get the hive ready, gave the bees time to send
out their scouts, to look up a location of their own, and when these
scouts returned, they left with them for a new home. I contend every
swarm does this, viz: They swarm out of the old parent stock, led by
the old queen. They cluster on some object, as a tree, bush or vine,
near the old home. Then they immediately send out a few bees or scouts
to look up a new home. These scouts may be gone a longer or shorter
time. When they return, if they find the bees clustered where they
were when they left, they soon lead them off to the new quarters, but
if before the scouts are sent out or before they return, the swarm is
hived and placed on the stand it is to occupy, then the swarm will not
leave, for the scouts know not where to find them, or if they should
find them, the bees would seldom leave a good clean hive, for a home in
the woods. These scouts may often be seen playing about the place where
a swarm has clustered, for several days after the swarm has been hived.
Had this bee-keeper placed his hive on the table, as soon as the bees
were clustered, and raised the front edge one inch, instead of four or
six inches, and then, instead of cutting off the limb, if he had taken
a basket or pan, placed it beneath the cluster of bees, and by a sudden
jar of the limb dislodged them from it into the basket or pan, then
emptied them down in front of the hive and sprinkled lightly with a
little water, at the same time disturbing them gently with a quill or
light brush so they would not collect around and block up the entrance
except a very few that may be flying in the air (and these will return
to the old hive) in this way getting them all into the hive, and
immediately carrying it to the stand it was to occupy, covering it with
a board to shade it from the hot rays of the sun, or placing it in the
shade of a tree--he would have saved his bees, the damage to his pear
tree, and much perplexity.
By the old methods of managing bees, there was no means of knowing
when to expect swarms; consequently the bees were sometimes watched
all summer, in expectation of swarms any pleasant day, as outside
indications were favorable for them; yet they would often adhere to the
old hive throughout the entire summer.
With the Controllable Hive and New System of Bee Management, as shown
in this work, swarming is brought completely under the control of the
bee-keeper. It is well for him to understand correctly what are the
requisites and preparations for natural swarming by the bees, when left
to themselves in a natural state. They are as follows: The bees must
be obtaining honey freely, either from flowers, or from feed supplied
them. The combs must be filled with brood in all stages of growth, from
the egg just deposited in the cell, to the perfect bee just emerging.
(And from this bee-keepers will note what conditions are required at
the time swarms are forced, as recommended in my plan.) When this
condition of affairs is reached, the bees construct queen cells, (that
is if they decide to swarm; they will do as they like about it, if
left entirely to themselves,) from which in about sixteen days the
queen will hatch, unless the bees should change their intentions, and
decide not to swarm, and destroy all the queen cells. Remember, they
are having it all their own way. When these cells are sealed over and
finished is the time (if everything is favorable) when the first swarm
leaves, led off by the old queen. Some of the most reliable works on
bees have taught that the queen cells must be half finished before the
queen will deposit the egg that is to produce the queen; but this I
find by close observation is a mistake; for if you take the queen away
from a stock, with no queen cells in any stage of formation in the
hive, the bees will rear a queen from a worker egg, deposited in an
ordinary worker cell. And who shall say they do not do this when the
queen is present? I am satisfied they do.
Thus we see in natural swarming, with the bees left to themselves,
the old queen leaves with the first swarm at about the time the queen
cells, are sealed over and finished, which is about eight days before
the young queens hatch.
When the young queens hatch, after-swarms (as second and third issues,
or all after the first,) will issue. Second swarms may be expected in
about eight days after the first. This time will somewhat vary, as the
hatching of the queen sometimes depends on the weather, the number
of bees left in the old stock, etc.; a low temperature retards the
hatching, while a high temperature forwards it.
At evening of about the eighth or tenth day after the first swarm, by
putting your ear close to the hive you will hear, very plainly every
few minutes, several clear and distinct "peeping" sounds, very sharp
at times, then hoarse and dull. This sound proceeds from the young
queens just hatched. When it is heard, look out for a swarm the next
day, though it sometimes happens that one or two days will intervene
before they will issue. But as long as the sounds continue, be on the
lookout for swarms. This "peeping" can always be heard before a second
swarm issues, if we take the trouble to listen. The time between second
and third swarms is invariably from one to four days. It is useless to
look for after-swarms from a stock after twenty days from the first.
They are generally all out within sixteen days from the issue of the
first swarm. I have given in another place, under the head of "Swarming
Controlled," instructions how to manage swarming under my new system.
Some additional information I will give in this connection.
Just before swarms are expected, if there are no trees near your hives
or if there are large trees from which it would be difficult to take
a swarm of bees were they to cluster on the branches, procure several
evergreen trees, such as spruce of fir, three or four feet high.
Leave the limbs on, excepting about a foot at the bottom. Sharpen the
trunks, so they can be set in the ground and lifted out with ease.
With a bar make large holes, about a foot deep in front of your hives,
some distant about six feet, others from twelve to thirty feet. Set a
half-dozen or more of these trees in these holes, putting in by the
side of them a small stone or piece of wood, to hold firmly in place,
and prevent swaying by the wind. When your swarms issue, they will
be very likely to cluster on some of these trees, when they can be
conveniently gathered in the Controllable Hive.
In hiving, if the bees have clustered on some one of the trees set
for them, place the Controllable Hive on the stand it is to occupy,
allowing the stand to project two feet in front of the hive. Draw back
the bottom board under the brood section ten or fifteen inches, to give
the bees a good chance to enter the hive. Shade the hive well. Now go
to the tree on which your swarm is clustered. Remove the stone or piece
of wood that holds it in place; lift the tree carefully avoiding any
jar, carry it to the hive, and hold the cluster down to the stand and
close up the hive, as near the entrance as possible. Then give the tree
a sudden jar, sufficient to dislodge the cluster of bees. They will
fall directly at the entrance of the hive, and immediately commence to
enter. Sprinkle lightly with water, and gently disturb those that stop
about the entrance, with a quill or brush, till all are made to enter
the hive. Then slide the bottom board forward to its place, and the
work is done.
Should the bees cluster on some large tree or other out of the way
place, the manner of hiving must be varied. Set your hive near by with
a wide board in front to keep the bees out of the grass and dirt.
Arrange the hive as before directed. If the bees are clustered on a
small limb, high above your reach, secure a basket to a pole, and raise
it directly beneath the cluster. Dislodge the bees from their position,
when they will fall directly into the basket, which you should take
down quickly and shake the bees from it down to the entrance of the
hive and proceed as before. Keep the limb on which they were clustered
in motion for a few minutes, to prevent their return. Should they
cluster on the body of a tree, or a large limb, where they cannot be
shaken off, set your hive near by, as before directed, and with a
handled dipper, dip them off and turn them down in front of the hive
near the entrance. Dip very carefully, so as not to crush any of the
bees. They will not attempt to sting if you treat them well, and prove
to them that you are their friend. After you have dipped off a portion
of the bees, and got them moving into the hive, if the queen is with
them, they will all leave the cluster and join their companions who are
entering their new home. But if the queen remains with the cluster, as
soon as those entering the hive discover that she is not with them,
they will leave the hive and rejoin the cluster. So it is well to keep
dipping as long as you can get any of the bees, or till you are certain
the bees are leaving the cluster and entering the hive of their own
accord.
It sometimes happens in natural swarming, that when a swarm issues, led
by the old queen, which has occupied the hive for a year or more, that
she finds herself unable to fly, and drops down in front of the hive.
In this case if left to themselves, the bees after flying about for
perhaps five or ten minutes will return to the hive whence they came,
and remain until the young queens hatch, issuing again about the time a
second swarm would have come out, or perhaps a little earlier.
If you are on hand you can prevent the swarm returning, but you must
be lively. If you find the bees are flying longer than usual without
clustering, and appear scattered and disorganized in their movements,
look in front of the hive from which they issue for the queen. You will
probably find her within two or three feet of the hive. Put her in a
tumbler, and cover closely to prevent her escape. As soon as you find
the bees have commenced to return to the old hive, set it back out of
the way, and throw a sheet or some other covering over it.[4] Then set
your Controllable Hive in its place, with the bottom board drawn back
as directed in hiving a new swarm. Set the tumbler containing the queen
over the brood section, so the confined queen can pass down into the
hive, but leaving no chance for her to escape by any other way. The
bees will then enter the hive readily. And as soon as all are in, which
will be in a few minutes, remove the hive to a new stand and shade as
directed before. Set the old stock back in its place.
[Footnote 4: If other hires are near, on each side, it will be well to
throw the covering over them also, to prevent the swarm entering any
other than the designed hire, as they might possibly do, if the hives
were only a few feet distant.]
The foregoing circumstance often happens when bees are managed on the
old swarming plan, and queens that are unable to fly are usually very
old. On my plan of management, such cases are of rare occurrence.
Natural swarms usually issue between nine o'clock in the forenoon and
one o'clock in the afternoon. Occasionally one will issue earlier in
the forenoon or later in the afternoon; but as a general rule they make
their appearance between the hours specified.
Very early swarms hived in Controllable Hives should have access to
the boxes on one side only. In about ten days after being hived, and
as soon as the bees are well at work in these, give them access to the
other side. Swarms that are hived late in the season will not require
boxes, until the next season, as it is necessary to have the brood
section filled, or nearly filled, before the bees have access to the
boxes.
It is important that we have the combs in the brood section built
straight in the frames, so as to be easily lifted out separately. To
secure this object, use comb foundation as starters in each brood
frame; a strip one or two inches wide on the under side of top bar of
each brood frame its entire length, will insure straight combs. To hold
it in place, use resin and bees wax melted together and applied warm.
If no precaution is taken in this direction, the bees will sometimes
build the comb crosswise of the brood section. As straight combs in
the brood section are very important, we should employ every available
means to aid in securing them.
It is well to keep on hand a few plain boxes, each with four moveable
frames, like those in the Controllable Hive. If at any time a swarm
comes out at the very last of the honey season, hive them in one of
these boxes. They will probably enlarge or quite fill the four frames
with comb, and perhaps store a little honey. Then, in the fall, put
these four frames with the bees and comb, in a Controllable Hive, and
add two frames, well filled with honey, from a stock that can spare it.
In this way you will build up a good stock for winter, whereas if you
had hived them in a full sized Controllable Hive so late in the season,
they would probably have put a little comb in each of the six frames,
but not enough to winter, rendering it necessary for you to feed with
the liquid feed in the fall. It is better to have four frames nearly or
quite filled with comb, than to have six frames with a very little comb
in each. It sometimes happens that a swarm of bees, which has worked
well in boxes through the entire honey season, will swarm about the
time the yield of honey ceases. If managed on the old plan, such swarms
are worthless, but by hiving them in a box with four moveable frames as
directed, they make valuable stocks. All such swarms may be returned to
the old stock, as directed in another chapter, yet we sometimes wish to
increase the number of our stocks to the utmost, and it is convenient
to know how to make valuable stock of these late issues. Then they can
either be returned or hived, whichever the bee-keeper thinks is most
for his or her interest.