There are, properly speaking, two systems of keeping bees: the one
adapted to the needs of the expert and specialist who keeps a large
number of colonies and devotes his entire time and attention to the
pursuit; the other adapted to an apiarist who keeps bees in connection
with some other business, either for the pleasure and recreation, or for
the purpose of adding another source of income.
The latter class constitute the majority of the beekeeping fraternity
and only too often are their needs overlooked by those who write upon
the subject of apiculture.
While we are aware that if one is adapted to beekeeping, and enters into
it properly in a favorable location and masters it that success will
follow; yet, as a rule, we advise keeping bees in connection with some
other vocation, as when one becomes thoroughly familiar with all the
requirements of beekeeping it is an easy matter to enlarge his apiary.
Then, again, a few colonies properly managed will generally give far
better results than can be obtained from a large apiary.
Those who are just commencing should remember that the less they handle
their bees, and yet accomplish what may be required, the better for
their colonies.
If one is naturally nervous, it is best to wear a bee veil at first and
when manipulating the colonies work gently and avoid jarring or fretting
them.
When looking for the queen, blow a little smoke in at the entrance as
this causes the queen to run up on the comb and the bees that may be
running about on the bottom board will fill with honey.
One of the first steps for the beginner is to decide, as far as
possible, to which class he intends to belong, and what amount of
capital he can safely invest.
Where one has a limited capital and wishes to become an expert or a
specialist, it is far better to begin on a small scale and gradually
increase his number of colonies making them pay their way and also
furnish funds for new investments.
If your first lessons have been gleaned from flaming advertisements or
reports of enormous yields, or through reading some of the overdrawn
works on apiculture (so written with the purpose of making new
converts), just take some wholesome, practical food for study and
thought, both by securing one or more of the works on practical
apiculture mentioned in this journal, and by visiting some practical and
successful apiarist. In this way, you will be prepared to look at both
sides; and if, after doing this, you enter into beekeeping with a
determination to succeed you are certain to make it pay, provided you
are adapted to the business, and other things are equal.
There is not the slightest reason why nearly every person who has a
fair-sized garden should not keep a few colonies of bees and thus
provide the table with nature’s purest and most healthful sweets.
Success in any vocation always means hard work, together with push,
tact, and energy. Thousands embark each year on the sea of business
enterprise and the shoals and quicksands are strewn with stranded
wrecks, yet there are those who, by rigid economy and shrewd management,
accumulate a competency besides establishing a good remunerative
business.
Our advice to those who wish to engage in beekeeping would as a rule be
this. If at present you have no location, look about you and find a
small place of from one to ten acres according to your means and the
situation.
It is better to have the land slope to the south and east if possible
and it should be well protected from the cold north and west winds.
Perhaps you can rent or lease a place adapted to your needs. The
surrounding country should be well supplied with bee pasturage in the
shape of orchards, clover, basswood (if possible), wild flowers or many
others that we might name but which are described in most of the works
on apiculture.
Where one is located in the city or village and means to keep only a few
colonies this advice is unnecessary, but with all others it is
imperative that they locate in a good honey-producing district.
It is also best to learn if there are many bees kept where you wish to
locate; as, while there is no law to prevent your establishing an apiary
by the side of your neighbor, yet the latter has rights which it is
proper and just to respect. This again will not matter without you
intend to build up a large apiary.
One may secure a large yield of honey and yet find a poor market for it;
hence it is always best to take into consideration the advantages for
establishing a good home market. It will pay far better than shipping to
large markets and giving all your profits to commission men.
There are so many items of interest which should serve as an
introduction to these papers that we hardly know where to stop and must
be necessarily brief and even leave many of them until we write again.
In purchasing bees it is best if you want but from one to five colonies
to purchase them of some reliable dealer and always select a standard
frame, and it will pay you well to look into the merits of the various
frames before making your purchase.
While for some reasons we prefer a frame about 10 × 15, yet as the
“Langstroth Standard” is now so largely in use and is no objection as
regards wintering the bees, we deem it best to adopt it in our own
apiaries.
Circumstances must in a great measure control these matters, but
whatever style is adopted it should be adhered to, else much trouble and
expense will result.
We deem the tenement hive the best for all purposes. True, the first
cost is somewhat greater, but in the end it pays.
The hives should be constructed in as simple a manner as possible, and
while if one wants but a few he can make them after obtaining his colony
of bees and estimating the size of the brood chamber; yet it is much
better if he wants five or more hives to purchase them in the flat.
While we prefer for working bees a cross between the Italian and
Holylands (from Syria), yet as a rule we would recommend the Italian as
the _best_ for the average beekeeper. Experience will teach one which is
the best race.
We shall endeavor to give illustrations of different styles of hives in
our next paper but have been too busy to attend to it this month.
Our first advice is “Make haste slowly,” but “stick to it” until you
have either mastered the business or found that you were better adapted
to some other vocation.
_NEW OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF BEES._