IV.—THE BEE-HOUSE, AND HOW TO PLACE IT.
H
HAVING decided on the furniture of the garden and the flowers it should grow, and the best kind of neighbourhood for pasture, we must now discuss (and it is done from very considerable experience) the structure and aspect of the bee-house under shelter of which your hives are to stand. Taylor remarks:—
"The common wooden bee-houses, as usually constructed, open in front, and closed altogether behind, retaining the sun's heat as an oven, are objectionable. These are frequently the receptacles of dirt and vermin, and most inconvenient to operate in. It would be an improvement to make them deeper backwards; or with a falling front, moving on hinges, so that the hives can be recessed behind it, away from the influence ofweather. At the back should be folding doors, opening from top to bottom, allowing a good access to the hives. For greater convenience, it is best to have them only in a single row, with good head room. But a still more desirable plan is to board up the front of the house entirely, making oblong openings through for a passage to the bees, with an exterior alighting-board, a good deal slanted downwards (the bees preferring this to a flat surface). The hives are arranged immediately behind, upon a shelf, the further apart the better, as the bees occasionally mistake their own homes, and fall a sacrifice in consequence."
"The common wooden bee-houses, as usually constructed, open in front, and closed altogether behind, retaining the sun's heat as an oven, are objectionable. These are frequently the receptacles of dirt and vermin, and most inconvenient to operate in. It would be an improvement to make them deeper backwards; or with a falling front, moving on hinges, so that the hives can be recessed behind it, away from the influence ofweather. At the back should be folding doors, opening from top to bottom, allowing a good access to the hives. For greater convenience, it is best to have them only in a single row, with good head room. But a still more desirable plan is to board up the front of the house entirely, making oblong openings through for a passage to the bees, with an exterior alighting-board, a good deal slanted downwards (the bees preferring this to a flat surface). The hives are arranged immediately behind, upon a shelf, the further apart the better, as the bees occasionally mistake their own homes, and fall a sacrifice in consequence."
The following is a sketch of the shed proposed by Dr. Bevan. It is extremely picturesque. My only objection to it is his use of thatch, which shelters vermin—the pests it is hard to keep away in the most favourable circumstances. Dr. Bevan's shed or bee-house is seven feet square in the clear, with three hives on the upper shelves and three on the under.
A very picturesque and efficient bee-shed is presented by Dr. Lardner, about twelve feet long and about nine feet high.
My objection to this bee-house is, that the hives are exposed too much to wind and weather; if of straw, they will soon rot—if of wood, wet and sunshine will rend and split them. Besides, tier above tier is not good, and it need not be adopted.
The shed I prefer is as follows:—Let it be twelvefeet six inches in length, six feet in height, and two feet six inches in depth. Let it be made of good, strong, smooth deal. Divide it into six equal compartments, divided off from each other. Let the roof be also of smooth deal, covered first with Croggon's patent felt; and laid over the felt, and nailed down, let there be zinc plates, projecting six or eight inches in front. Let an opening three inches wide extend along the front from end to end, with a continuous landing-board projecting beneath it, and sloping down at an angle of twenty-five degrees. The floor should be about a foot or eighteen inches above the level of theground, and perfectly smooth. Behind let there be three doors, with hinges attached to the floor, falling back when open, and thereby forming a pleasant platform, when laid down and resting on the ground, for the bee-master to watch and study, and deprive, and otherwise fulfil his mission. When closed, there must be a good padlock, as bee-hive lifters are still too common in every part of the country. In very hot weather, open the doors behind, but only in very hot weather. I have found from experience that the smoother the surfaces of the bee-shed inside, the less they are liable to the operations of thespider, one of the greatest pests of bee-houses. I have unfortunately, and too often, seen a dozen bees entangled of a fine May morning in a spider's web, and most of them excavated in the cleanest manner. Wasps and spiders I have no mercy on; they are thieves and murderers and beasts of prey, as well as vermin. To the former, extermination by brimstone is a just recompense, and to the latter the application of a hard dry brush is a daily duty.
I prefer three of these bee-sheds, located in different parts of my garden, to one very large shed with under and upper tiers of hives: this makes less likelihood of confusion in swarming. I do not like the sheds to be placed under large trees, the drippings of which tend to create damp. Shrubs, raspberry-plants, and even gooseberry-bushes, not nearer than ten or twelve feet, form nice resting-places to the heavy-laden bees. Under and immediately around the hive should be closely-mowed grass. The front of the hive is best due south, and, if convenient, with an inclination to the east. Fromthe east and west a rising ground, or shrubs tolerably high, are a desirable protection; they break the force of the gales. Do not place your bee-shed at a great distance from the house: bees are civilised and domestic, and delight to see children at play while they are at their work; kept out of society, they grow savage. Having selected the position, do not change it, unless imperatively and unavoidably necessary. Gelieu justly observes:—
"I have seen people shift about their hives very inconsiderately; but change of place invariably weakens them, as the bees will return to their old residence, the environs of which are so familiar to them. A hive should remain as fixed to the spot as the ancient oaks, in the hollows of which they delight to establish themselves; where they have their young, their companions, their beloved queen, and all their treasures. When the young bees take wing for the first time, they do it with great precaution, turning round and round, and fluttering about the entrance, to examine the hive well before taking flight. They do the same in returning, so that they may be easily distinguished, conducting themselvesnearly after the same manner as the workers of a newly-hived swarm. When they have made a few excursions, they set off without examining the locality; and returning in full flight, will know their own hive in the midst of a hundred others. But if you change its place you perplex them, much the same as you would be if, during a short absence, some one lifted your house and placed it a mile off. The poor bees return loaded, and, seeking in vain for their habitation, either fall down and perish with fatigue, or throw themselves into the neighbouring hives, where they are speedily put to death. When hives are transported to a considerable distance, there is no fear that the bees will return. But this inconvenience would be sure to take place if they were removed only a few hundred paces from the spot they have been accustomed to. The hive may not perish, but it will be greatly weakened. In my opinion, if the situation is to be changed at all, they should be taken at least a mile and a half."
"I have seen people shift about their hives very inconsiderately; but change of place invariably weakens them, as the bees will return to their old residence, the environs of which are so familiar to them. A hive should remain as fixed to the spot as the ancient oaks, in the hollows of which they delight to establish themselves; where they have their young, their companions, their beloved queen, and all their treasures. When the young bees take wing for the first time, they do it with great precaution, turning round and round, and fluttering about the entrance, to examine the hive well before taking flight. They do the same in returning, so that they may be easily distinguished, conducting themselvesnearly after the same manner as the workers of a newly-hived swarm. When they have made a few excursions, they set off without examining the locality; and returning in full flight, will know their own hive in the midst of a hundred others. But if you change its place you perplex them, much the same as you would be if, during a short absence, some one lifted your house and placed it a mile off. The poor bees return loaded, and, seeking in vain for their habitation, either fall down and perish with fatigue, or throw themselves into the neighbouring hives, where they are speedily put to death. When hives are transported to a considerable distance, there is no fear that the bees will return. But this inconvenience would be sure to take place if they were removed only a few hundred paces from the spot they have been accustomed to. The hive may not perish, but it will be greatly weakened. In my opinion, if the situation is to be changed at all, they should be taken at least a mile and a half."
Richardson, who has offered many sensible suggestions on bee-culture, makes some very sensible remarks on this. But I do not agree with him in one of his opinions—that a south-westerly aspectis best, or that a south-eastern aspect is likely to be prejudicial, from its tempting the bees to go out in too cold spring mornings. The early sun in early spring is not excessively seductive. Besides, bees are very good judges of temperature, as they are infallible prophets of weather, and may be safely left in this matter to the exercise of their own good sense. It is also worthy of notice, that the main work of bees is over by four o'clock in the afternoon, and the setting sun is therefore less important. They are early risers, and go early to bed. But his remaining observations on bee-sheds are thoroughly good:—
"Some recommend high trees for the purpose of keeping the air calm, lest the bees should be blown down when returning home. High trees are not advisable; they form an evil themselves of greater magnitude than that which they may be designed to remove. Bees are seldom blown to the ground by mere wind; but even when they are, they can, in a great majority of cases, recover themselves. Whereas, if blown amongst trees, they will be sure to be whipped so violently by the branches, that they are absolutely hurled to the groundwith such force as to render their recovery hopeless. The bees also fly low on their return, when they arrive at the immediate neighbourhood of their stand, and, consequently, high trees would be not only useless, but absolutely inconvenient. Whatever trees you wish, therefore, to plant in the immediate vicinity of the hive should be of low size, planted at the sides of the hive, so as to leave the entrance quite free. Wildman recommends them, and, I think, very judiciously, to be 'of the dwarf kind, with bushy heads, in order that the swarms which settle on them may be more easily hived.' Now, although by judicious management swarming will generally be prevented from taking place, yet, despite of our utmost care, it may accidentally occur; or the bees may quit their boxes in a body, from various causes—some of which I shall endeavour hereafter to explain—and, under such circumstances, Mr. Wildman's suggestions will be found valuable. The garden, therefore, in which you fix your stands should be thus planted; and I further, for the same reasons, recommend wall fruit trees and espaliers."Avoid a site near mills or other noisy places, or the neighbourhood of bad smells, as factories and the like; and if, as occasionally may happen, your stand be placed against your garden wall, behind which is the farm-yard,let not a dunghill be built against the opposite side. I have witnessed this before now, and in one instance found the consequence to be a desertion of the boxes. Do not place your stand where you see rat or mouse holes, and let your shed be all of wood, never thatched with straw, as that substance harbours mice, moths, and other similar enemies to your stock."Water is essential to the well-being of your bees; it must, however, be presented to them judiciously, or it will prove a greater evil than a good. If you can coax a shallow rippling brook through your garden, so much the better; if not, place near the stand small, shallow, earthen pans of water, and put some pebbles in them. This water must be changed daily. It is highly objectionable to have a pond or canal in your neighbourhood: you will lose thousands of your bees through their means every season, as they will be constantly blown into them when returning heavily laden to the hive, especially in the evening, when wearied after the toil of an industriously spent day. The pebbles in the troughs are for the bees to rest on while drinking, and are the recommendation of Columella. I have seen tin plates perforated with holes, and placed over the pans just on the surface of the water, used for drinking-vessels for bees; I, however, prefer the pebbles."
"Some recommend high trees for the purpose of keeping the air calm, lest the bees should be blown down when returning home. High trees are not advisable; they form an evil themselves of greater magnitude than that which they may be designed to remove. Bees are seldom blown to the ground by mere wind; but even when they are, they can, in a great majority of cases, recover themselves. Whereas, if blown amongst trees, they will be sure to be whipped so violently by the branches, that they are absolutely hurled to the groundwith such force as to render their recovery hopeless. The bees also fly low on their return, when they arrive at the immediate neighbourhood of their stand, and, consequently, high trees would be not only useless, but absolutely inconvenient. Whatever trees you wish, therefore, to plant in the immediate vicinity of the hive should be of low size, planted at the sides of the hive, so as to leave the entrance quite free. Wildman recommends them, and, I think, very judiciously, to be 'of the dwarf kind, with bushy heads, in order that the swarms which settle on them may be more easily hived.' Now, although by judicious management swarming will generally be prevented from taking place, yet, despite of our utmost care, it may accidentally occur; or the bees may quit their boxes in a body, from various causes—some of which I shall endeavour hereafter to explain—and, under such circumstances, Mr. Wildman's suggestions will be found valuable. The garden, therefore, in which you fix your stands should be thus planted; and I further, for the same reasons, recommend wall fruit trees and espaliers.
"Avoid a site near mills or other noisy places, or the neighbourhood of bad smells, as factories and the like; and if, as occasionally may happen, your stand be placed against your garden wall, behind which is the farm-yard,let not a dunghill be built against the opposite side. I have witnessed this before now, and in one instance found the consequence to be a desertion of the boxes. Do not place your stand where you see rat or mouse holes, and let your shed be all of wood, never thatched with straw, as that substance harbours mice, moths, and other similar enemies to your stock.
"Water is essential to the well-being of your bees; it must, however, be presented to them judiciously, or it will prove a greater evil than a good. If you can coax a shallow rippling brook through your garden, so much the better; if not, place near the stand small, shallow, earthen pans of water, and put some pebbles in them. This water must be changed daily. It is highly objectionable to have a pond or canal in your neighbourhood: you will lose thousands of your bees through their means every season, as they will be constantly blown into them when returning heavily laden to the hive, especially in the evening, when wearied after the toil of an industriously spent day. The pebbles in the troughs are for the bees to rest on while drinking, and are the recommendation of Columella. I have seen tin plates perforated with holes, and placed over the pans just on the surface of the water, used for drinking-vessels for bees; I, however, prefer the pebbles."
I have found it a very good plan to place two or three soup-plates filled with pure water mixed largely with round pebbles in front of the bee-house; they thus find water to drink and stepping-stones for their tiny feet, which keep their wings out of water. In long-continued dry and hot summers, I have also been in the habit of using a common garden-squirt, with the end perforated by a dozen pin-holes. The water thus showered on the bee-house at noon cools it, and does not strike down the bees, and seems most acceptable to them all.
The shed should be kept scrupulously clean and dry. Earwigs, snails, and spiders will all try hard to establish their quarters under the warmth of the hives, and must be repelled. Nothing but the bee-master's frequent but quiet and undemonstrative use of a good hard painter's brush, perfectly dry, will keep these pests at a distance. I am no advocate of killing a single living thing, but if these unproductive creatures will prey on the most productive of insects, and kill and steal,there is no help for it. The bee-master must keep his bee-sheds particularly clean; and as spiders and earwigs love dust and dirt, and are inseparable from it, they must go with it. At all events, I cannot give them hospitality in my bee-house.
For people to whom expense is no object, the bee-houses of Messrs. Neighbour are perfect—as ornamental as they are efficient.
Their two-hive shed is as follows:—
Bee-house to contain two hives.Front view of bee-house, price £3 10s.,well painted, constructed to contain two hives. 3 ft. 6 in. high, 4 ft wide.
Bee-house to contain two hives.Front view of bee-house, price £3 10s.,well painted, constructed to contain two hives. 3 ft. 6 in. high, 4 ft wide.
The back view is given on the following page.
Back view of the preceding, showing the interior. The top hive or cover for the glasses is balanced by a weight, so as to be raised easily for the purpose of inspecting the bees at work in the super hives.
Back view of the preceding, showing the interior. The top hive or cover for the glasses is balanced by a weight, so as to be raised easily for the purpose of inspecting the bees at work in the super hives.
I have already said, what I repeat, that I do not think one row of hives above another in the same bee-shed at all expedient.