CHAPTER IV.

Method of placing the small Hive,[5]Box, or Glass, upon the Improved Cottage Hive, by which means fine Honey may be obtained, without destroying the Bees.

[5]To avoid repetition, we shall in future use the term, "Box," to express any receptacle employed to obtain Honey on the Improved System, whether it be in wood, glass, straw, or any other material.

Atthe end of April, or very early in the month of May, take the moveable piece of straw, from the top of the Improved Cottage Hive, (fig. 3,) and place upon it the adapter, (fig. 5,) then put the Box or small Hive (fig. 7, and 4,) upon thisadapter, and cover the whole with a milk-pan, to defend them from wet. A glass may be used instead of the small Hive or Box, with equal success, providing it be covered with something that will effectually exclude light; a cover of straw, is perhaps preferable to any other.

The boxes which I use, and that I would recommend, are made of inch deal: nine inches square, and eight inches deep, inside measure: with a piece of glass six inches by seven and a half, let in on one side and covered by a shutter to exclude the light. The small hives are in diameter eight inches, and seven inches deep, with a bit of glass on one side, some are made with a hole in the top, that they may, when required be placed between a glass partially filled, and the stock hive.

When the Bees are beginning to work in a glass, a cold night generally obliges them to forsake their newly made combs, sends them down into the hive, and compels them to discontinue their labours which are seldom resumed till themiddle of the next day; to prevent this delay, I would recommend the space between the glass and its cover to be filled with fine tow or wool, the temperature of the glass being thereby kept up, and the Bees enabled to carry on their labours without interruption. The latter is to be preferred, it being not so good a conductor of heat as the former.

Experience has proved that the milk-pan is the best of all protections for a hive, provided it be six inches in diameter larger than the hive itself.

When the Box is filled with honey, and the combs partially sealed, or when the Bees are seen to cluster at the mouth of the Hive, at nine or ten o'clock in the morning, let no time be lost in lifting up the Box, and placing between it and the Stock-hive, another Box with a hole in the top; the adapter (fig. 5.) will be found very useful in this operation. It is necessary to use this precaution at all times, but more especially in a rainy season, as a greater disposition amongst theBees to swarm then prevails. "Dry weather makes plenty of honey, and moist, of swarms."[6]However incorrect this position may at first sight appear, the attentive observer will quickly become convinced of its truth.

[6]Purchas, on Swarms.

Since the publication of the First Edition of this little Treatise, many persons have said to me, "their Bees would swarm, although the small hive had been placed on as directed above, and sometimes after they had commenced working in it," the reason for which, in my opinion is, that the second small hive was not supplied soon enough, for the like has never in a single instance occurred with my own Bees. I have not had a swarm these twenty years, from any of the hives worked upon the Depriving System, occasionally I have compelled a hive to swarm, to fill up a vacancy in my number, where the Queen hasdied, or some other accident destroyed the stock.

The population of a hive increases rapidly in April and May, and consequently the internal temperature rises in proportion, a very high temperature causes swarming, (Mr. Nutt says 130°) although the Bees may have abundance of room—I have frequently seen a glass lamp that has no opening at the top, placed upon a hive, and the result has been that the Bees swarmed before they had filled it. If bothroom and ventilationare carefully attended to,swarming may be prevented altogether, and that the one may be as completely under the control of the proprietor as the other, I would recommend Mr. Taylor's Ventilator, which I believe to be a perfect one, for when properly arranged, it will reduce the temperature of a hive at the swarming season, from ten to twenty degrees in a few minutes—I would recommend its insertion in the top of the small hive, box, or glass, before it is placed upon the larger one.

"The Ventilator I use," says Mr. Taylor, "(andI have made them of various forms) consists of double tubes, both resting on a flauch in the holes prepared for them, the outer tube is of one inch diameter and six inches long, with six half-inch holes dispersed over it.

"It is soon fixed down in its place by the Bees, and so must remain, the inner tube is of perforated zinc, with a[7]tin projecting top as a handle, and a cap to put on or off this as required. TheBees will stop up the inner tube where they can get at it, when it may be turned round a little to present a new surface. When wholly stopped, it may be withdrawn from its place, and a clean tube substituted. This may be done without the least danger to the operator, but it should be inserted carefully, to avoid crushing any Bees that may have crept within the outer tube, an exit to these is afforded by the hole at the bottom. The substance with which Bees glue up all crevices and attach their combs is called Propolis—a resinous exudation from certain trees, of a fragrant smell, and removable by the aid of hot water.

[7]In adopting Mr. Taylor's Ventilator to the small hive, the inner tube must be made without "the projecting top as a handle," and the cap made even with the flauch.

"In order occasionally to know the temperature of any of the boxes, a thermometer made to fit the ventilator may be inserted in it. This is chiefly useful as a matter of precaution towards the swarming season.

"Some have thought it necessary to cut holes in the floor-board, or have placed drawers underneath, to aid the ventilation, but I have alwaysfound the mouth of the hive sufficient for all purposes."

All operations except joining swarms or stocks, should be performed on a fine day, about noon, they may then be done with much less annoyance to the Bees, as well as with less chance of danger to the operator.

I have for some years past performed almost all the operations required in this system without the defence, even of gloves, but I would not recommend any person to attempt it, until he has had several years' experience in the management of Bees.

The being perfectly defended in every part against their stings, gives that coolness and confidence to the operator, upon which the happy accomplishment of his intentions so much depends. I cannot too strongly urge, that coolness and confidence on the part of the operator are essential qualification, for any thing approaching to hurry irritates them beyond measure; indeed whilst engaged with them the hand ought neverto be hastily removed from one position to another. Dr. Bevan says, "quietness is the surest protection against being stung."

The best defence is a mask of wire, very similar to, but much finer than a fencing mask, with a rim of tin made to fit the head, to which a silk handkerchief is attached, a pair of thick worsted gloves, and stockings or gaiters of the same material; stout leather gloves are as good protection as those of worsted, but leather, from the closeness of its texture, will not allow the Bees to withdraw their stings from it and the consequence is, that many perish.

It is recommended to persons during their operations on Bees, to carefully avoid breathing upon them, as nothing is more offensive, or more irritating to them than the human breath; this however, is partially obviated by closing the mouth, and suffering the breath to pass gently through the noise, by which a full current is not allowed to fall upon them.

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