Chapter 4

Floor-board.Nadir drawer and loose cover.

This mode of applying the Nadir, or rather Nether principle, must not be confounded with the usual plan of disturbing the stock-hive for the purpose of placing an empty one beneath it, with a new entrance in the latter for the bees. Under such circumstances the Queen will commonly descend and breed in the nadir, which is converted into the stock, occasioning much subsequent inconvenience. I have not found such to be the case where the stock, and the entrance into it, is not interfered with; and am inclined to believe that this adaptation of bottom-hiving is worthy of much more attention than it has received; to say nothing of its simplicity, safety in management, and obvious convenience to the bees. I will therefore proceed to show in what way it may be made applicable, generally, to the purposes of an apiary.

We have just pointed out that the mode we are now discussing differs from the Nadir principle, and by way of distinction, the termNetherwill be used, not only to mark the difference, but as presenting a contrast to the opposite wordSuper.

We are to suppose that the shelf on which the hives are ranged in a bee-house is perforated under the centre of each, from back to front, with an opening through, three inches long, and about three quarter inch wide. The hive-board must be a separate loose one; and it ought to lie flat on the shelf, with a perforation similar to the other, the holes in each coming together: to ensure this the shelf can be marked. By moving the hive-board (which is best square) a little sideways of this mark, the position of the two holes is altered, and the communication downwards becomes stopped; always doing this cautiously, to avoid injuring the bees. Or, the same object is perhaps better attained by means of a narrow zinc or tin slide, inserted from behind, between the two boards, moving in a groove ploughed its own thickness out of the shelf. A reference to our last engraving sufficiently exhibits a box, or rather drawer (of suitable size), which, when in its place, moves close on the underneath side of the bee-house shelf, by means of blocks and runners; drawing out at the back by a handle. It may have a window and shutter, but no entrancefor the bees, except downwards through the cover, in which is an aperture, corresponding in size and position with those in the boards above it. It will be seen that the cover of the drawer is a moveable one, of half inch board, fitting down flush into it, and resting at the four corners upon wire supports, or small blocks, placed the thickness of the cover, across the angles. The edges of the cover (except at the corners) are cut away just enough to admit of passing a knife-blade down, to separate the combs from the sides, when the whole may be lifted up, with the combs attached. The honey thus obtained is of the purest kind, and I have known a large quantity made available with the least possible disturbance to the bees, on removal. The drawer may be sometimes further made useful for the purpose of feeding, a trough being placed in it, close up to the opening in the cover. A small opening or perforation, at or near the bottom of the drawer, will give ventilation should it be needed.

With a further view of facilitating the practice of under-hiving, when favorable circumstances allow of it, we will proceed to describe what I have termed aNether, which may be used as an adjunct to a straw or any other hive, as shown in the illustrationsFig. 1, back and front. It may be of half inch wood, 11 or 11½ inches square withinside, and 6 to 7 inches deep,as circumstances require (seeFig. 4). It has a window and shutter at the back, but neither a fixed top nor bottom, these being moveable boards, of half inch wood, made to project half an inch beyond the Nether box; except that, as respects the bottom board, the projection is increased at the back, with a view to give facilities on the removal of the Nether. (SeeFigs. 3 and 5.) To receive and enclose the Nether, there is an outer case or cover, also of half inch wood, 13 to 13½ inches square withinside, made half an inch higher than the Nether, its top and bottom boards inclusive. The outer case is closed on all sides except the top and back. (SeeFig. 2.) Upon it rests the floor-board of the stock-hive, which may be of inch wood, showing a projection all round of an inch, except at the front, where an additional three inches is given, to form the alightingboard, this part bevelling forwards. A square of half inch wood must be screwed to the under side of the floor-board, of a size to drop easily within the square of the outer case, and thus retaining it in its place. Between the two pieces of which the floor-board is composed, a groove is ploughed out, from front to back, two inches wide, to receive a zinc dividing slide, pushing in from behind. An opening, about three inches long, is cut through the floor-board, towards the front, and also through the cover of the Nether, to correspond, so that a passage for the bees can be opened on withdrawing the divider. (SeeFigs. 6, front and back.)

A reversal of this proceeding enables possession or inspection to be had of the Nether box, by withdrawing it (upon its bottom board) from behind,the stock-hive being entirely undisturbed by the operation.

It is well here to remark that experience has shown that it is seldom expedient to apply the Nether principle to any but strong and populous stocks, and especially in only moderately warm weather, as otherwise the bees will prefer to follow the warmth upwards, into a super. On their first admission into the Nether, a few bees will often be lost in consequence of their inability to find the way out, so that, as a precaution, a frequent inspection of the window is at such time desirable. A small aperture behind, at the bottom or side of the Nether, may be made, as a mode of exit for the prisoners, to be closed at pleasure.

BEE SHEDS AND HOUSES.

Under the head ofHive-coverswe have shown in what way exposed hives can be protected from the effects of weather; and where only one or two of them are kept, any of these might suffice. The case, however, is altered when a well-stocked apiary is aimed at, requiring a more complete provision for permanent safety. For this purpose, some proprietors like a covered shed or verandah, in a well-screened spot, partially open in thefront only. There should be ample space inside for a passage behind the hives, which may be ranged far enough from the front to be beyond the reach of wet and too much sun. Atpage 49, is given a description of aHive-rangewell adapted for a position like this.

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 of weather. 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 only to have them 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. This kind of house is capable of receiving some architectural form; and, with lockeddoors at the back, gives better security than most others against depredation; for hive-stealing is by no means rare, in many localities.

A spare room in a dwelling or an outhouse may often be fitted up to serve the purpose of an apiary, with great convenience; but a lower room is to be preferred, as bees placed at a high elevation often fly a long distance before they alight when swarming, or, perhaps, may settle on the top of a tree. A shelf can be fixed along the wall, with perforated passages facing the hives, leading outside. Any space there may be between the mouth of the hive and the wall should be filled up by means of a suitably formed wooden block or covered passage, well hollowed out on the underneath side; admitting the bees freelythrough it into their dwelling, but excluding them from the room itself, and thus ensuring safety in operating. Even at a common window, I have sometimes placed a stock-hive on a doubling-board; the latter fitting within the frame of the window, which is raised, to admit of its being projected under the lower edge, so that the bees have no admission except to their domicile.

POSITION AND ASPECT.

As regards position, it is of great importance that an apiary should be as free from damp, or the drippings of trees, and as little exposed to the direct influence of the wind as possible, for which end a sheltered nook on a low level is preferable to an elevated one. A dry gravel, or well-mown grass plot, is often to be preferred; closed in with evergreens, especially the laurel and laurustinus, which are much resorted to by the bees; but always leaving an approach at the back of thehives. Let these not be placed too near water, into which the bees are apt to fall or be blown; and it is desirable that they should be within sight of some dwelling-house, to prevent losses in swarming time. The absence from noise and of bad smells ought to be studied; for no sense in bees is so acute as that of scent. Disturbers of any kind, as fowls, dogs, pigs, &c., should be kept at a distance. Experience has shown that where bees are very extensively kept, the apiary is best divided on the same premises, so as not to have the whole crowded together; often inconvenient, particularly in the season of swarming. Nothing high enough to obstruct the direct flight of the bees should be allowed immediately in front of the hives; but a few low plants are rather useful as resting-places; for bees, from fatigue, often fall to the ground just on reaching home, especially in an evening, and numbers in consequence fall a prey to cold, and various enemies. Many lives may be saved by spreading out a cloth or mat in front of a hive, when this is observed. Shrubs or bushes, at no great distance, are convenient in the swarming season for the bees to alight upon; and often prevent a longer flight, or collecting on high trees, &c.

As regards aspect for bees, many and conflicting have been the recommendations relative to it, influenced by locality and climate. So many circumstances have to be taken into account, thatit is difficult to lay down any rule of universal application, and they have been known to prosper in all positions, from due south to north. We know that it has been sometimes advised to turn the hives from the sun in winter, and to screen them from its direct rays in summer: this has led to an opinion that a permanent north aspect is the best; and often it is so. Still local considerations must have their weight, and we are to look to these as regards shelter from cutting winds; the more necessary where no sun reaches the front of the hives. A north aspect need not necessarily be an exposed one in winter; nor at other times one wholly uninfluenced by the effects of the sun. We have recommended doors at the back of a bee-house, by opening which at proper times, in the case of a north frontage, the sun’s rays have access from behind, with sufficiently good effect in producing a genial general warmth. In forming a decision as to aspect, we ought to take into account the position of buildings, trees, &c., for we have already observed that the flight of the bees from the hives should be uninterrupted. Moreover, the kind of house must have its weight in the scale; for where this is one closed at the front from the immediate influence of the sun, aspect is of less importance. Dr. Bevan placed his hives around the interior of an octagon erection, without perceiving any sensible difference in their well-doing. It may, however, beremarked that, occasionally, in a hive exposed to the earliest rays of the sun, the bees have been prematurely tempted out in the spring months, and fallen victims to the effects of a damp and chilly atmosphere.

When once fixed, do not move your bees, the mischief of which is self-evident. I cannot enforce this recommendation better than Gelieu has done. “I have seen people,” says he, "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 themselves nearly 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." This removal should only be attempted in winter or early spring, under usual circumstances. It might, however, happen that it was required to move a hive only a very short distance, in the summer time; when no harm would arise were the change of location made by daily shifting it a few inches.

BEE PASTURAGE, AND NUMBER OF HIVES.

It is almost needless to say that on the nature and extent of the vegetable productions, following in succession, in the immediate neighbourhood of an apiary, must mainly depend its prosperity. After every care has been bestowed on all pointsof housing and management, it is in vain to expect a large harvest of honey where nature has limited the sources of supply, or restricted them to a particular season of the year. The most highly-cultivated corn districts are rarely so favorable to bees as those in which wild commons, woods, and heathy moors prevail; or where some such farm products as Dutch clover, trefoil, saintfoin, buck-wheat, tares, mustard, colewort, turnip and cabbage blossoms, &c., do not enter largely into the staple of the country. The neighbourhood of certain kinds of willows, and of hazels, in the opening spring, is of great advantage to our little collectors in furnishing farina; as also the blossoms of the furze, broom, bramble, wild thyme, &c. To these we may add the large early stores of honey and farina available from many of the products of our horticultural gardens and orchards, as gooseberries, currants, raspberries, apples, pears, plums, and other fruits. Payne says, "I have always found the advantage of planting in the vicinity of my hives a large quantity of the common kinds of crocus, single blue hepatica, helleborus niger, and tussilago petasites, all of which flower early, and are rich in honey and farina. Salvia memorosa (of Sir James Smith), which flowers very early in June, and lasts all the summer, is in an extraordinary manner sought after by the bees; and, when room is not an object, twenty or thirty squareyards of it may be grown with advantage. Origanum humile, and origanum rubescens (of Haworth), and mignonette may also be grown. Cuscuta sinensis is a great favorite with them; and the pretty little plant anacampseros populifolium, when in flower, is literally covered by them. Garden cultivation, beyond this, exclusively for bees, I believe answers very little purpose."

It will follow as a matter of course from what we have said, that the size of an apiary in any district must be mainly determined by circumstances. In some seasons, so prolific a harvest of blossoms and honey comes all at once, that a large number of hives may abundantly be filled together. The locality must be the chief guide; and I have known instances where fewer stocks would have yielded a much better return; for one rich colony is worth more than two or three half-starved ones.

The distance to which bees will resort during the honey harvest has been the subject of controversy; some limiting their flight to one mile, and others extending it to three or four. When pressed for stores, they will doubtless fly a long distance, directed probably by their very acute sense of smell; but I am inclined to believe, with Dr. Dunbar, that the ordinary range of their excursions is comprised within the radius of a comparatively small circle.

SUMMER MANAGEMENT.

The question has often been put to me, “How and at what time can an apiary be best commenced?” Some remarks in reference to this subject will be found under the heads both ofAutumnalandSpring Management. At present the reader is supposed to have been put in possession of a prime swarm, in the season, which is the best method of stocking a new hive of whatever kind, and the earlier the better.[O]On this head we may with advantage quote the words of Mr. Golding. “Notwithstanding,” says he, "all that has been said about tenanting hives by the removal of the bees of other hives into them, there is no plan so safe or certain as peopling them by good early swarms. When these are brought from a distance, it should beon the day in which they are hived, and in a cloth of coarse texture, which should be tied round near the bottom of the hive, so as to prevent the escape of the bees. Tie up the cloth by its corners over the top of the hive; and, if carried by the hand, or properly suspended, a swarm may be removed in this manner for miles."

[O]All careful bee proprietors will take the precaution to record the weight of the empty hive, and of its floor-board, before stocking it; a matter of subsequent importance in ascertaining the contents. A journal, also, recording dates, and the various operations of the hive, as they arise, will be useful in many ways.

All experienced apiculturists know that no colony of bees thrives, or works so well, as one that is populous at the outset. Should any doubt exist on this point, it is often expedient to unite a second smaller swarm to the first, but this can only be attempted within a few days, before many combs are made, or mischief would result. Our recommendation applies with greater force in a late season, or to the case of second swarms, which are rarely strong enough, separately, to collect sufficient winter stores. Of the mode of proceeding in effecting these junctions we shall hereafter speak, when treating of Uniting Swarms, under the sectionSpring Management.

The plan originally proposed in theBee-keeper’s Manualsupposes, as has before been intimated, an arrangement embracing directions for the management of an apiary, “according to the order of the seasons.” Our legitimate commencement, therefore, must practically date from the separate existence of the recently established colony; noticing, as we proceed, the various substancesstored or used in a hive, and collected more or less abundantly, according to circumstances and season.

Should the weather now be fine, operations are commenced with astonishing activity, the bees being at first solely intent on preparing their new dwelling for its intended objects—the rearing of young, and storing supplies for the future requirements of the family. If, however, circumstances are such as to prevent them from quitting the hive for several successive days following swarming, and before provision is accumulated, recourse to feeding becomes expedient, or starvation might ensue. Under any circumstances, some apiculturists have advised giving honey, or a syrup of sugar, to a newly-hived colony. It is well known that, on leaving the parent stock, the bees carry with them a good deal of honey. There is little doubt that the main object in this provident proceeding is to enable them at once to commence the work of building: this they do almost as soon as they are hived, a piece of comb being frequently made on the same day, which is as quickly appropriated, either as a receptacle of honey or of eggs, if the Queen is already fertile. Where a young Queen has accompanied the swarm, such is not always the case, and this occasions a delay in laying of several days.

The entrance of the hive should now (and atall times when the bees are at full work) be opened to its whole extent.[P]

[P]To the spectator the view of a recent swarm is animated in the extreme, and probably suggested theSONG OF THE BEES.We watch for the light of the morn to break,And colour the gray eastern skyWith its blended hues of saffron and lake;Then say to each other, "Awake, awake!For our winter’s honey is all to make,And our bread for a long supply."Then off we hie to the hill and the dell,To the field, the wild-wood and bower;In the columbine’s horn we love to dwell,To dip in the lily, with snow-white bell,To search the balm in its odorous cell,The thyme and the rosemary flower.We seek for the bloom of the eglantine,The lime, pointed thistle, and brier;And follow the course of the wandering vine,Whether it trail on the earth supine,Or round the aspiring tree-top twine,And reach for a stage still higher.As each for the good of the whole is bent,And stores up its treasure for all,We hope for an evening with hearts content,For the winter of life, without lamentThat summer is gone, with its hours misspent,And the harvest is past recall!

[P]To the spectator the view of a recent swarm is animated in the extreme, and probably suggested the

SONG OF THE BEES.

We watch for the light of the morn to break,And colour the gray eastern skyWith its blended hues of saffron and lake;Then say to each other, "Awake, awake!For our winter’s honey is all to make,And our bread for a long supply."Then off we hie to the hill and the dell,To the field, the wild-wood and bower;In the columbine’s horn we love to dwell,To dip in the lily, with snow-white bell,To search the balm in its odorous cell,The thyme and the rosemary flower.We seek for the bloom of the eglantine,The lime, pointed thistle, and brier;And follow the course of the wandering vine,Whether it trail on the earth supine,Or round the aspiring tree-top twine,And reach for a stage still higher.As each for the good of the whole is bent,And stores up its treasure for all,We hope for an evening with hearts content,For the winter of life, without lamentThat summer is gone, with its hours misspent,And the harvest is past recall!

Then off we hie to the hill and the dell,To the field, the wild-wood and bower;In the columbine’s horn we love to dwell,To dip in the lily, with snow-white bell,To search the balm in its odorous cell,The thyme and the rosemary flower.

We seek for the bloom of the eglantine,The lime, pointed thistle, and brier;And follow the course of the wandering vine,Whether it trail on the earth supine,Or round the aspiring tree-top twine,And reach for a stage still higher.

As each for the good of the whole is bent,And stores up its treasure for all,We hope for an evening with hearts content,For the winter of life, without lamentThat summer is gone, with its hours misspent,And the harvest is past recall!

Wax and Combs.—The material of which the combs are so curiously formed is wax,secreted bythe beesthemselves, and not any substance directly conveyed into the hive, as is generally, but erroneously, supposed. Its component parts are carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. To enable them to form this secretion, the workers must have access to honey or some other saccharine matter; and this is the first thing sought by a new colony. The quantity required is very great, it being estimated that thirteen to twenty pounds are necessary to make one pound of wax. The common opinion is, that the substance often seen adhering so abundantly to the legs of bees is wax, and as such is the basis of the combs. Has it never appeared strange to the observer of a new swarm, that at the time when comb-building is proceeding more rapidly than at any other period, the bees are loaded with but little of this substance? On the other hand, is it not equally clear, that in the early spring, when few or no combs are constructed, they carry it into the hive with the utmost avidity? “To see the wax-pockets in the hive-bee,” observes Kirby and Spence, “you must press the abdomen, so as to cause its distension; you will then find on each of the four intermediate ventral segments, separated by the carina or elevated central part, two trapeziform whitish pockets, of a soft membranaceous texture; on these the laminæ of wax are formed, in different states, more or less perceptible.” "Whenever combs are wanted," says Dr. Bevan, "beesfill their crops with honey, and, retaining it in them, hang together in a cluster from the top of the hive, and remain apparently in a state of profound inactivity about twenty-four hours. During this time, the wax is secreted, and may be seen in laminæ, under the abdominal scales, whence it is removed by the hind legs of the bee, and transferred to the fore legs; from them it is taken by the jaws, and after being masticated, the fabrication of comb commences." An extraordinary degree of heat always accompanies comb-building, supplied no doubt by the large quantity of oxygen at that time generated.

“In the height of the honey season,” Dr. Dunbar observes, “in one day the bees will construct no fewer than 4000 cells. The whole structure is so delicately thin, that three or four of their sides, placed upon one another, have no more thickness than a leaf of common paper.” The best authorities have estimated that about half a pound of wax is yielded to fifteen pounds of honey.

The form and number of the combs in a hive vary considerably, the bees adapting them according to the shape of their domicile, so as to fit and fill in every part, and often very irregularly. At first they are beautifully white, but soon, from the heat of the hive, become tinged, and finally turn nearly black. The worker-breeding cells are made the first: they are invariablyhexagonal in form, and of one uniform size and depth; but those intended only for the storing of honey are often somewhat larger and elongated; sometimes more so on one side than the other. A small dip or inclination upwards is given to the cells, the better to prevent the honey from running out, assisted, moreover, by a small bar or thickened border of wax, at the entrances. The cells in which the drones are bred are larger in diameter than the common ones, and they are generally placed nearer the outside of the hive, though occasionally joined on to the others. When this takes place, our little architects have the sagacity to interpose two or three rows of cells of an intermediate size, gradually enlarged to the proper dimensions. In this, as in everything else, the bees adapt their operations according to circumstances; constructing their combs, either by suspending them from the top of their dwelling, or occasionally by working them from the bottom, upwards.

Propolis.—To attach the combs firmly in their place, the bees employ a pliable substance of balsamic odour, calledpropolis, a glutinous exudation from certain trees, or their buds, of a grayish colour, which they collect immediately on swarming, blending with it a portion of wax. With this material they varnish the lids of theclosed honey-cells, glue up all crevices in the hive, and cement it down to the floor.

Honey.—We have seen that the first want of the swarm is honey, for the purpose of comb-building. This valuable article the bees collect, by means of their proboscis, from the nectaries of certain flowers, from whence it derives a higher or less degree of flavour, together with its colouring matter; sometimes nearly transparent, to various shades of brown. They receive it into their first stomach or honey-bag, the greater portion being subsequently regurgitated into the cells, employing for the purpose those of both workers and drones. As these become severally filled, they are coated over or sealed with a thin covering of wax. The honey-cells, when thus closed, are distinguishable from those containing brood, by being whiter in appearance, and often slightly concave. The brood-cells are more coloured, besides being a little convex. In some seasons honey is abundantly collected when in the state of what is termedhoney-dew, a viscous substance found adhering to the leaves of particular trees, especially the oak. This only occurs in certain years, for in others it is found very sparingly, or not at all.

Pollen, or Farina.—The hive will be rapidly filled with combs, and progressively with anincreased population, for the eggs, as we have seen inpage 13, are matured in three weeks. In the mean time, the bees will have commenced a new labour—that of collecting pollen or farina. This is the anther-dust of the stamina of flowers, varying in colour according to the source from whence it is derived; and it may be remarked that the bees in their collection never mix together the pollen of different plants, but in each excursion visit only one species of flower. By a peculiar adaptation, they are enabled to brush this off, and pack it into the spoon-like cavities (or baskets as they have been termed), furnished for this object, on the centre joint of their hind legs; being often, as has been already pointed out, mistaken for wax. The powder or meal thus conveyed into the hive is by other bees afterwards kneaded up into paste, and stored for use in the worker cells, adjoining those containing brood. To preserve it from the air, a small portion of honey is put on the top of each cell, coated over with wax. Thus prepared, it is a very heavy substance; and this often leads to a false estimate of the value of a hive; for the annual collection of pollen has been variously estimated at thirty to one hundred pounds in a single family.

Naturalists are, I believe, pretty well agreed that the store of pollen or farina is used (with a mixture of honey and water) chiefly for feeding the larvæ; though a portion of such compoundmay form, occasionally, the sustenance of the bees themselves. Indeed, it has been asserted that pollen is often found in the stomach of bees engaged in the fabrication of wax.

Water.—At certain dry periods, but always in the breeding time, bees require a supply of water, which is necessary in preparing the farina and honey for the brood, as well as to enable them to secrete wax. If no pond or brook is within a reasonable distance, a shallow vessel will do, filled frequently to the brim, having a piece of thin perforated wood floating on it and covering the whole surface; or it may be filled with moss or pebbles, pouring in water to the top, and placing it near the apiary. Precaution is necessary, for the bees easily slip into the water and are drowned. So essential is water, that it has been recommended to place a supply, early in the year, within the hive.

Shade.—It has already been observed that out-door hives ought not to be left exposed to the mid-day and afternoon sun in sultry weather; the heat not only rendering the bees extremely irascible, but subjecting the combs to melting, and especially in wooden boxes, with most disastrous consequences. In all such cases it is well, therefore, to give the comfort of a mat, or something of the kind, thrown over them. In thewords of Gelieu, “they delight best in thick forests, because they there find a uniform temperature and a propitious shade. It is a mistake to suppose that bees exposed to the sun produce the earliest and strongest swarms: I have often experienced the reverse. Bees like the shade when working, and the sun only when in the fields.”

Moths, Wasps, Hornets, and other Enemies.—In the warm summer evenings, bees are often much annoyed by the attempted inroads of moths, particularly the smallWax Moth (Tinea Mellonella), of a whitish gray colour. These are sometimes formidable foes, and their appearance at dusk on the alighting-board is the signal for a commotion. It is difficult to eject them if they obtain a footing in a hive, where they will deposit their eggs, spinning their silken webs, and they now and then increase so as to cause its entire destruction. When these vermin have established themselves, there is no remedy but driving the bees into another hive. To prevent the ingress of these troublesome invaders, it is sometimes desirable for an hour or two in an evening to close the entrance, by placing before it a screen of gauze, wire-grating, or perforated zinc, to be removed at dark.[Q]

[Q]A difficulty sometimes occurs when it is necessary to confine bees, or drive them into the hive, as the alighting-board is often covered with them in an evening, and the numbers are increased on the least alarm. In this case take a small watering-pot, and gently sprinkle the board and entrance, when the bees, mistaking this for rain, will retire withinside.

Poultry, and some kinds of birds, are destroyers of bees; and many, that from weakness or other causes fall to the ground, become a sacrifice to them. In particular, that little marauder, the Blue Tomtit or Titmouse (Parus majorof Linnæus), must not be tolerated. In summer he will devour bees, and feed his young with them; and in winter he will even try to force an entrance into the hive.[R]Rats and mice must also be guarded against, as well as slugs and snails.

[R]In some parts these birds are very numerous; and poison has been found efficacious, placed at the hive mouth, in little balls of lard, oatmeal, and nux vomica, mixed together.

The nests of wasps ought to be destroyed: from their superiority in strength and activity, they are very annoying, and often destructive, to bees towards the end of summer; and the nuisance must forthwith be met by contracting the entrance to the hive, when the passage is more readily defended.[S]In this place it may be well to drawattention to a very simple mode of dealing with wasps attacking a hive. We shall have occasion hereafter to notice the fondness of bees for barley-sugar: let a piece of this be laid across, or just within, the entrance of the hive, so as greatly to narrow it. This is so attractive to the bees, that they muster at the door in greater force than the wasps durst venture to assail. As fast as the fortification is devoured, it ought to be renewed, and the out-generalled enemy will retire from a hopeless contest.

[S]Amongst well-informed apiculturists an apology might seem to be necessary in referring to so bigoted an author as Huish; but Huber’s observations on some of the habits of bees have frequently been the subject of his ignorant ridicule; and particularly where he says that they occasionally erect barricades, for greater security. Mr. Golding has given a confirmation of Huber’s assertion. He says, “At the end of summer, a kind of curtain, apparently a compound of wax and propolis, and about a sixteenth of an inch thick, was erected before the entrance of one of my hives; about two inches and a half in length, and half an inch in height, with the exception of a small aperture at each end.” Dr. Bevan, in the ‘Honey-Bee,’ exhibits a drawing of this piece of fortification. My own experience is perfectly conclusive, as the following extract from my journal will show:—“July 31, 1842. Weather fine. Removed a box of honey from a collateral hive. The wasps had been troublesome for some days, and as the entrance to the centre box was left fully open, the bees had contracted it for better defence. A thin wall of what appeared to be propolis was attached from the upper edge of the doorway, extending along its centre, and closing all up but a space of about three quarters of an inch at each end. I never witnessed a more convincing proof of the sagacity of the bees than this beautiful proceeding.” So runs my journal; to which I may add, that the entrance to the box, so contracted, was five inches in length, and three eighths of an inch high; or double that of Mr. Golding’s. From the hint thus derived from the bees themselves, I constructed the moveable blocks or mouth-pieces described and shown atpage 44.

Insects of all kinds, as earwigs, spiders, wood-lice, &c., should be cleared away from the hivesand stands, and ants' nests destroyed. Cobwebs must not be permitted to remain, or numerous deaths would ensue to the bees from entanglement in them. In short, we may sum up by a general recommendation of cleanliness, in every way, and the removal of whatever serves as a harbour to dirt and vermin.

Super-hiving.—Should the weather continue favorable for honey-gathering, the colony must be inspected in about three weeks from the time of hiving. Indeed in sultry weather, and where the swarm is a large one, it is often politic to place a glass or small super upon it very soon, as a ventilator, to moderate the temperature, and prevent the clustering of the bees at the mouth of the hive. If the combs are worked pretty nearly down to the floor, and the cells in a good measure filled, no time should be lost in supplying additional working-room; more especially if symptoms of crowding are apparent, for by this time young bees are coming forth. We may here observe that many experienced bee-keepers object to supering in the case of a new colony, preferring to give the requisite room at the bottom, by means of aNadir; which, as the bees carry their stores upwards, often ensures abundance in the stock-hive, the nadir being removed in the autumn. Under the headDepriving System, are some remarks as to the mode of using nadirs;as also under that ofNadir Hive, andNadiring Stocks.

Bell-glasses.—As these are commonly formed, nothing can be more objectionable: inconveniently high and narrow, a few misshapen combs are all that can be packed into the space; and these are afterwards only to be extracted by a general mash. The same remark applies to all supers, of any material, where breadth of surface enough is not afforded for a large number of bees to cluster and labour at one time. Can it be a matter of wonder, that a chimney-formed vessel should be twice as long in being filled (supposing that the bees do not forsake it) as a broad one, in which a genial warmth is concentrated, and where several combs can be in progress simultaneously? A reversal of the usual proportions, both in straw and glass supers, is therefore to be recommended. The latter may advantageously be from nine to eleven inches across; the depth being about half the diameter: straight at the sides, and flat on the top. A piece or two of guide-comb, slightly melted, and fixed by its edge to the top of the glass, previously made warm, will serve as an attraction; or in a large glass, four or eight pieces, radiating from the centre uniformly, will direct the bees in working with a regular design, producing a pleasing effect. A useful adjunct toa glass is a small circular tube of perforated zinc, having a rim round its upper end, by which it is held suspended within a small hole on the top. It should be long enough to reach nearly down to the level of the floor. To the tube, when a little warmed, a narrow piece of guide-comb will adhere, and act as an attraction to the bees: it will be further useful as a central support to the loaded combs.

Whatever may be said as to the pleasing appearance of glass supers, it is doubtful whether in point of utility and economy they can compete with those of straw, made as directed under the head of “Straw Depriving Hives,” and which can readily be packed and sent to a distance, if needed: or shallow supers, as wide as the stock-hive admits, may be cheaply made by means of a wood hoop, three or four inches deep, on which is fixed a thin top, by two or three small screws. These are readily withdrawn, when the top can be lifted up with the combs suspended. Under the headCircular Wooden Hivesare some remarks on the subject of wood supers.

In the use of Glasses it is always well at first to prevent the escape of warmth, especially at night, till the bees are well established in their new work-room; and the admission of light is best avoided. A little ventilation afterwards, in sultry weather, is desirable; which may be given by slightly wedging up the lower edge of thesuper. If a double adapter is in use, it is easy to insert a slip or two of tin or zinc between the two boards, so as to keep them a little separated, for the passage of air, when it seems necessary. Sometimes it is even advisable to introduce between the stock and the super a very shallow box, as a moderator of the temperature. I have found, by experiment with the thermometer, that at a temperature between 95 and 100, the combs will soften so much as to be in danger of collapsing.

Triplets and Nadirs.—In good seasons and localities, the first super is sometimes filled in time to admit of the introduction of another (or triplet), on an adapter, observing the rules laid down atpage 32. But even where the first super is completely filled, it is often politic not to remove it for a few days, as its attraction induces the bees to occupy the triplet. On the other hand, if from any cause a super has been left only partially filled upon one hive, it may be removed (the bees being first ejected), and placed upon some other for completion. Instead of a separate triplet, an addition may often be made to the first super, especially if of straw, by placing beneath it an eke, consisting merely of two or three bands of the same material; in fact a hoop. This will save the bees the labour of laying the foundations of fresh combs, as they have but to continue theold ones downwards. We may here call attention to what has been said atpage 62, respecting the use of box, No. 3, of the bar-hive, and of Nadiring.

After the main honey season is over, which is usually as soon as the dry July weather sets in, it is useless, in most localities, to give any further extension of working room; and, indeed, from the end of this month there is, under common circumstances, often rather a diminution than an increase of store.

In proportion to the wealth of the colony is the determination of the bees to defend it; and their irascibility and vigilance are now greater than heretofore, the strongest stocks showing it the most. The work of the year being pretty well over, all their attention is turned towards home. They become more and more suspicious, and the less they are approached or annoyed the better; for they are slow to forget or forgive an injury.

AUTUMNAL MANAGEMENT.

Much of what has been said in the preceding section is equally applicable in practice to the later periods of the summer. The month of August is usually associated with the collection of harvest. Though this may often hold good as regards honey, yet the storified or doubled stocks of the spring are commonly ready for deprivation at an earlier period, occasionally in May, and so on throughout July; the spring-gathered honey being usually to be preferred in point of quality. I know of no better rule as to the fitness of a super, or side hive, for removal, than an observation of the state of the combs and cells, which ought to be completely filled and sealed over, to prevent a loss of honey by running out. In this stage the sooner it is appropriated the better, as a longer continuance only leads to discoloration. As respects a colony of the same year, Dr. Bevan remarks, “as a general rule, no honey should be taken from a colony the first season of its being planted, though there may be an extraordinary season now and then, which may justify a departure from this rule:” the produce in such acase is usually denominatedvirgin honey, though that term is often applied indiscriminately to any in combs free from brood. But in any event the stock-hive should be previously examined, for there is a disposition in bees to carry their stores into a super, though afterwards they sometimes remove it into the stock-hive. In cases where doubt exists as to a sufficiency of winter store, it is often well to allow them to do this; recollecting the further advice of Dr. Bevan, that, “it should be an invariable rule never to remove an upper box or hive till an under one be quite full; nor to diminish the weight of a stock-box below seventeen or eighteen pounds, exclusive of the box itself.”

To remove a full Box or Super.—The middle of a sunny day may be recommended as the best time to take away for deprivation a box or glass of honey. The mode usually adopted is at once to remove it from its position to a distance from the stock-hive, and there get rid of the bees. I have often found it well to reverse this proceeding. Whether the box to be taken is a collateral or storified one, let the communication from the parent hive be previously cut off, and without any jarring. Entire quietness is the main requisite. Gently lift up the super on one side, inserting under it a small wedge or two, so as just to allow an exit for the bees. The positionof the queen bee will soon become apparent. If she is not in the super (and she seldom is there after it is filled), the silence that at first prevailed will be exchanged for a murmuring hum, attended by a commotion among the bees; and they shortly after begin to quit the super, without attempting any attack. Should the queen be present, however, a very different scene would ensue, and a hubbub would then commence in the stock-hive; though the loss of their queen is sometimes not discovered by the bees for a considerable time. In such a case, the box must be reinstated in its former position, and the communication reopened till some other day. The process might happen to be complicated by the presence of brood, for this the bees leave very reluctantly, and often not at all. In an emergency of this kind, it is best to restore matters to their previous state, and let the super remain till the brood is perfected. A little patience is sometimes necessary: but all attempts at ejection of the bees by tapping, smoking, or driving usually do more harm than good. So long as they continue to leave the super, it may remain where it is, for on these occasions young bees are sometimes numerous; and if the super is removed, though only to a short distance, these are in part lost, not having become sufficiently acquainted with the position of their home; or, if they enter a wrong hive, they pay the penaltywith their lives. This freedom from disturbance has the further good effect of preventing in a great degree the intrusion of robber bees, readily distinguishable from the others by their hovering about the box, instead of flying from it. These are strangers from various quarters, immediately attracted by the scent attending the removal of a full box or glass. Should a few of these plunderers once obtain a taste or sample of the honey, they speedily convey the good news to their associates, when large reinforcements from every hive in the neighbourhood will be at once on the alert, and quickly leave nothing behind but empty combs. Let the separated super, therefore, not be left or lost sight of, but if scented out by robbers, be conveyed into some room or out-building to prevent a general battle; and which might extend itself to all the neighbouring hives. The remaining bees may here be brushed out, escaping by the window or door. Mr. Golding has sometimes found the advantage of using for the purpose a darkened room, with the exception of a very small aperture, to which the bees will fly and make their exit. Others like to remove a super at once to a short distance from the stock-hive, leaving it shut up in perfect darkness, for an hour or two. Its edge is then raised up, when the bees will evacuate it. In the case of a bar-hive super, after most of the bees have left it, it can be placed across a couple of railsor sticks, when the top cover may be unscrewed and detached. It is then readily cleared of bees by brushing them downwards between the bars, with a feather or a twig.

The same general directions apply when a full glass is to be removed. If it stands on a double adapter, a piece of tin or zinc can be inserted between them, and the upper part then lifted with the glass. Payne, however, says, “I have found the process much simplified by placing an empty box between the glass and the parent hive, and leaving it a few hours. The bees by that time have quitted the glass, and by this plan robbing is entirely prevented, whilst the bees are less irritated.” It might occasionally happen that a piece of comb had been worked upwards, so as to be connected with the underneath hive, and thus causing a difficulty on attempting a separation. There is no better way of meeting such an emergency than by passing a bit of fine wire beneath the lower edge of the super, from side to side, and thus cutting through the obstruction. It may be well to observe that on removal, the box or glass ought to be kept in its original position, to prevent the honey, which at first is thin and fluid, from running out of the cells, and especially in hot weather.

Honey Harvest.—As regards the quantity of honey to be taken from a hive in any one year,there can, in our uncertain climate, be no general rule, though now and then I have known a very large amount obtained by deprivation.

Payne says, as the result of his own experience with depriving hives, “It is usual to obtain from every good stock twenty or perhaps thirty pounds of honey annually.” This would be thought too high an estimate, in many districts; as in my own, near London. It must be remembered that honey thus harvested sells at a higher rate than that procured by suffocating the bees, as in the common single hives; for then the brimstone not only imparts a disagreeable flavour, but there is no means of preventing the intermixture with the honey more or less of pollen and brood. After deprivation, the sooner the honey is drained from the comb the better, as it soon thickens, particularly if not kept warm. For the purpose of straining it off, a hair sieve is commonly used, within which the combs are inverted; the waxen seals on both sides being first sliced off. The honey will of course run off the sooner if placed before a fire, but exposure to heat is injurious to fine flavour. We may here resort to the advice of Payne, who says, "the honey should be put into jars, quite filled, and tied down with a bladder; for exposure to the air, even for a few hours, very much deteriorates its flavour. I may observe that honey in the combs keeps remarkablywell, if folded in writing paper, sealed up to exclude the air, and kept dry."

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