CHAPTER X.INCREASE OF COLONIES.
No subject will be of more interest to the beginner, than that of increasing stocks. He has one or two, he desires as many score, or, if very aspiring, as many hundred, and if a Hetherington or a Harbison, as many thousand. This is a subject, too, that may well engage the thought and study of men of no inconsiderable experience. I believe that many veterans are not practicing the best methods in obtaining an increase of stocks.
Before proceeding to name the ways, or to detail methods, let me state and enforce, that it is always safest, and generally wisest, especially for the beginner, to be content with doubling, and certainly, with tripling, his number of colonies each season. Especially let all remember the motto, "Keep all colonies strong."
There are two ways to increase: The natural, known as swarming, already described under natural history of the bee; and artificial, improperly styled artificial swarming. This is also called, and very properly, too, "dividing."
To prevent anxiety and constant watching, and to secure a more equable division of bees, and, as I know, more honey, it is better to provide against swarming entirely by use of means which will appear in the sequel. But as this requires some experience, and, as often, through neglect, either necessary or culpable, swarms may issue, every apiarist should be ever ready with both means and knowledge for immediate action. Of course, the hives were all made the previous winter,and will never be wanting. Neglect to provide hives before the swarming season, is convincing proof that the wrong pursuit has been chosen.
If, as we have advised, the queen has her wing clipped, thematter becomes very simple, in fact, so much simplified that were there no other argument, this would be sufficient to recommend the practice of cutting the queen's wing. Now, if several swarms cluster together, we have not to separate them, they will separate of themselves and return to their old home. To migrate without the queen means death, and life is sweet even to bees, and is not to be willingly given up except for home and kindred. Neither has the apiarist to climb trees, to secure his bees from bushy trunks, from off the lattice-work or pickets of his fence, from the very top of a tall, slender, fragile fruit tree, or other most inconvenient places. Nor will he even be tempted to pay his money for patent hivers. He knows his bees will return to their old quarters, so he is not perturbed by the fear of loss, or plans to capture the unapproachable. It requires no effort "to possess his soul in patience." If he wishes no increase, he steps out, takes the queen by the remaining wings, as she emerges from the hive, soon after the bees commence their hilarious leave-taking, puts her in a cage, opens the hive, destroys, or, if he wishes to use them, cuts out the queen cells as already described (page 167), gives more room—either by adding boxes or taking out some of the frames of brood, as they may well be spared, places the cage enclosing the queen under the quilt, and leaves the bees to return at their pleasure. At night-fall the queen is liberated, and very likely the swarming fever subdued for the season.
If it is desired to hive the absconding swarm with a nucleus colony, exchange the places of the old hive containing the caged queen, and the nucleus, to which the swarm will then come. Remove queen-cells from the old hives as before, give some of the combs of brood to the nucleus, which is now a full colony, and empty frames, with comb or foundation starters, or, if you have them, empty combs to both, liberate the queen at night and all is well, and the apiarist rejoices in a new colony. If the apiarist has neglected to form nuclei, and so has no extra queens—and this is a neglect—and wishes to hive his swarm separately, he places his caged queen in an empty hive, with which he replaces the old hive till the bees return, then this new hive, with queen and bees, and,still better, with a frame or two of brood, honey, etc., in the middle, which were taken from the old hive, is set on a new stand. The old hive, with all the queen-cells except the largest and finest one removed, is set back, so that the apiarist has forestalled the issue of after-swarms, except that other queen-cells are afterward started, which is not likely to happen. The old queen is liberated as before, and we are in the way of soon having two good colonies. Some apiarists cage the queen and let the bees return, then divide the colony as soon to be described.
Some extensive apiarists, who desire to prevent increase of colonies, cage the old queen, destroy cells, and exchange this hive—after taking out three or four frames of brood to strengthen nuclei—with one that recently swarmed. Thus a colony that recently sent out a swarm, but retained their queen, has probably, from the decrease of bees, loss of brood and removal of queen-cells, lost the swarming fever, and if we give them plenty of room and ventilation, they will accept the bees from a new swarm, and spend their future energies in storing honey. Southard and Ranney have been very successful in the practice of this method. If building of drone-comb in the empty frames which replaced the brood-frames removed, should vex the apiarist—Dr. Southard says they had no such trouble—it could be prevented by giving worker-foundation. If the swarming fever is not broken up, we shall only have to repeat the operation again in a few days.
But in clipping wings, some queens may be omitted, or from taste, or other motive, some bee-keepers may not desire to "deform her royal highness." Then the apiarist must possess the means to save the would-be rovers. The means are good hives in readiness, some kind of a brush—a turkey-wing will do—and a bag or basket, with ever open top, which should be at least eighteen inches in diameter, and this receptacle so made that it may be attached to the end of a pole, and two such poles, one very long and the other of medium length.
Now, let us attend to the method: As soon as the cluster commences to form, place the hive on the ground near by, leaving the entrance widely open, which with our bottom-boardonly requires that we draw the hive forward an inch Or more over the alighting-board. As soon as the bees are fully clustered, we must manage as best we can to empty the whole cluster in front of the hive. As the bees are full of honey we need have little fear of stings. Should the bees be on a twig that could be sacrificed, this might be easily out off with either a knife or saw, and so carefully as hardly to disturb the bees; then carry and shake the bees in front of the hive, when with joyful hum they will at once proceed to enter. If the twig must not be cut, shake them all into the basket, and empty before the hive. Should they be on a tree trunk, or a fence, then brush them with the wing into the basket, and proceed as before. If they are high up on a tree, take the pole and basket, and perhaps a ladder will also be necessary.
Always let ingenuity have its perfect work, not forgetting that the object to be gained is to get just as many of the bees as is possible on the alighting-board in front of the hive. Carelessness as to the quantity might involve the loss of the queen, which would be serious. The bees to ill not remain unless the queen enters the hive. Should a cluster form where it is impossible to brush or shake them off, they can be driven into a basket, or hive, by holding it above them and blowing smoke among them. As soon as they are nearly all in—a few may be flying around, but if the queen is in the new hive, they will go back to their old home, or find the new one—which Mr. Betsinger says they will always do, if it is not far removed—remove the hive to its permanent stand. All washes are more than useless. It is better that the hive be clean and pure. With such, if they are shaded, bees will generally be satisfied. But assurance will be made doubly sure by giving them a frame of brood, in all stages of growth, from the old hive. This may be inserted before the work of hiving is commenced. Mr. Betsinger thinks this will cause them to leave; but I think he will not be sustained by the experience of other apiarists. He certainly is not by mine. I never knew but one colony to leave uncapped brood; I have often known them to swarm out of an empty hive once or twice, and to be returned, after brood had been placed in the hive, when they accepted the changed conditions, and went at onceto work. This seems reasonable, too, in view of the attachment of bees for their nest of brood, as also from analogy. How eager the ant to convey her larvæ and pupæ—the so-called eggs—to a place of safety, when the nest has been invaded and danger threatens. Bees doubtless have the same desire to protect their young, and as they cannot carry them away to a new home, they remain to care for them in one that may not be quite to their taste.
If it is not desired to increase, the bees may be given to a colony which has previously swarmed, after removing from the latter all queen-cells, and adding to the room by giving boxes and removing some frames of brood to strengthen nuclei. This plan is practiced by Dr. Southard. We may even return the bees to their old home by taking the same precautionary measures, with a good hope that storing and not swarming will engage their attention in future; and if we exchange their position with that of a nucleus, we shall be still more likely to succeed in overcoming the desire to swarm; though some seasons, usually when honey is being gathered each day for long intervals, but not in large quantities, the desire and determination of some colonies to swarm is implacable. Room, ventilation, changed position of hive, each and all will fail. Then we can do no better than to gratify the propensity, by giving the swarm a new home, and make an effort
As already stated, the wise apiarist will always have on hand extra queens. Now, if he does not desire to form nuclei (as already explained), and thus use these queen cells, he will at once cut themallout, and destroy them, and give the old colony a fertile queen. The method of introduction will be given hereafter, though in such cases there is very little danger incurred by giving them a queen at once. And by thoroughly smoking the bees, and sprinkling with sweetened water, and daubing the new queen with honey, we may be almost sure of success. If desired, the queen-cells can be used in forming nuclei, in manner before described. In this way we save our colony from being without a fertile queen for at least thirteen, days, and that, too, in the very height of the honey season,when time is money. If extra queens are wanting, we have only to look carefully through the old hive and remove all but one of the queen-cells. A little care will certainly make sure work, as, after swarming, the old hive is so thinned of bees, that only carelessness will overlook queen-cells in such a quest.
As yet we can only partly avert swarming. Mr. Quinby offered a large reward for a perfect non-swarming hive, and never had to make the payment. Mr. Hazen attempted it, and partially succeeded, by granting much space to the bees, so that they should not be impelled to vacate for lack of room.' The Quinby hive already described, by the large capability of the brood-chamber, and ample opportunity for top and side-storing, looks to the same end. But we may safely say that a perfect non-swarming hive or system is not yet before the bee-keeping public. The best aids toward non-swarming are shade, ventilation, and roomy hives. But as we shall see in the sequel, much room in the brood-chamber, unless we work for extracted honey—by which means we may greatly repress the swarming fever—prevents our obtaining honey in a desirable style. If we add sections, unless the connection is quite free—in which case the queen is apt to enter them and greatly vex us—we must crowd some to send the bees into the sections. Such crowding is almost sure to lead to swarming. I have, by abrading the combs of capped honey in the brood-chamber, as suggested to me by Mr. M. M. Baldridge—causing the honey to run down from the combs—sent the bees crowding to the sections, and thus deferred or prevented swarming.
It is possible that by extracting freely when storing is very rapid, and then by rapidly feeding the extracted honey in the interims of honey secretion, we might prevent swarming, secure very rapid breeding, and still get our honey in sections. Too few experiments, to be at all decisive, have led me to look favorably in this direction.
The keeping of colonies queenless, in order to secure honey without increase, as practiced and advised by some even of our distinguished apiarists, seems to me avery questionablepractice, to which I cannot even lend my approval by so much as detailing the method. I would rather advise: keeping a, queen, and the workers all at workin everyhive, if possible, all the time.
We have already seen the evils of natural swarming, for, even though no stock is too much reduced in numbers, no colony lost by not receiving prompt attention, no Sunday quiet disturbed, and no time wasted in anxious watching, yet, at best, the old colony is queenless for about two weeks,a state of things which no apiarist can or should afford. The true policy then is to practice artificial swarming, as just described, where we save time by cutting the queen's-wing, and save loss by permitting no colony to remain queenless, or still better to
This method will secure uniform colonies, will increase our number of colonies just to our liking, will save time, and that, too, when time is most valuable, and is in every respect safer and preferable to swarming. I have practiced dividing ever since I have kept bees, andnever without the best results.
By the process already described, we have secured a goodly number of fine queens, which will be in readiness at the needed time. Now, as soon as the white clover harvest is well commenced, early in June, we may commence operations. If we have but one colony to divide, it is well to wait till they become pretty populous, but not till they swarm. Take one of our waiting hives, which now holds a nucleus with fertile queen, and remove the same close along side the colony we wish to divide. This must only be done on warm days when the bees are active, and better be done, while the bees are busy, in the middle of the day. Remove the division-board of the new hive, and then remove five combs, well loaded with brood, and of course containing some honey, from the old colony, bees and all, to the new hive. Also take the remaining frames and shake the bees into the new hive.Only be sure that the queen still remains in the old hive.Fill both thehives with empty frames—if the frames are filled with empty comb it will be still better, if not it will pay to give starters or full frames of foundation—and return the new hive to its former position. The old bees will return to the old colony, while the young ones will remain peaceably with the new queen. The old colony will now contain at least seven frames of brood, honey, etc., the old queen, and plenty of bees, so that they will work on as though naught had transpired, though perhaps moved to a little harder effort by the added space and five empty frames. The empty frames may be all placed at one end, or placed between the others, though not so as to divide brood.
The new colony will have eight frames of brood, comb, etc., three from the nucleus and five from the old colony, a young fertile queen, plenty of bees, those of the previous nucleus and the young bees from the old colony, and will work with a surprising vigor, often even eclipsing the old colony.
If the apiarist has several colonies, it is better to make the new colony from several old colonies, as follows: Take one frame of brood-comb from each of six old colonies, or two from each of three, and carry them, bees and all, and place with the nucleus.Only, be sure that no queen is removed.Fill all the hives with empty combs, or foundation instead of frames, as before. In this way we increase without in the least disturbing any of the colonies, and may add a colony every day or two, or perhaps several, depending on the size of our apiary, and can thus always, so my experience says, prevent swarming.
By taking only brood that is all capped, we can safely add one or two frames to each nucleus every week, without adding any bees, as there would be no danger of loss by chilling the brood. In this way, as we remove no bees, we have to spend no time in looking for the queen, and may build up our nuclei into full stocks, and keep back the swarming impulse with great facility.
These are unquestionably the best methods to divide, and so I will not complicate the subject by detailing others. The only objection that can be urged against them, and even this does not apply to the last, is that we must seek out the queen in each hive, or at least be sure that we do not remove her, though this is by no means so tedious if we have Italians, asof course we all will. I might give other methods which would render unnecessary this caution, but they are to my mind inferior, and not to be recommended. If we proceed as above described, the bees will seldom prepare to swarm at all, and if they do they will be discovered in the act, by such frequent examinations, and the work may be cut short by at once dividing such colonies as first explained, and destroying their queen-cells, or, if desired, using them for forming new nuclei.