CHAPTER XVII.
Description of Nutt's newly invented Hive, for obtaining Honey without destroying the Bees.
This Hive consists of three collateral Boxes, (seefig. 8.) the centre one fourteen inches, and the side ones ten and a half square inside measure, depth eleven inches; the middle box has a number of holes in the top three quarters of an inch in diameter, bored in the circumference of a circle six inches in diameter, with one in its centre, over which a glass is placed. The side boxes (aa) have each a hole of four inches square in the centre of the top, into which is fitted a piece of tin pierced with small holes, and in its centre a hole of an inch in diameter, wherein is placed atube of tin of the same size, reaching nearly to the bottom of the Box, and supported by a shoulder resting upon the square tin, which is also perforated. This square tin and cylinder constitute the ventilator, the opening in the Boxes is covered by a piece of wood, (bb) the Boxes have each a glazed window (c). The centre Box communicates with the side ones by a grating cut in the wood and corresponding with each other, this communication is cut off when necessary by sliding tins.
The method that I have adopted for protecting this Hive from wet, is to cover the glass with a common straw hive, upon which a milk-pan is placed, and each of the side boxes by two pieces of board eleven inches by fifteen, put together so as to form an angle of ninety degrees, resembling the roof of a cottage. The whole should be made of inch deal and well painted, the board upon which the three boxes stand must be of two-inch deal and of one piece, except the alighting board which is nailed on; three strong pieces of twoinch deal will be necessary on the under side of the board as braces to prevent its warping.
In this I have differed a little from Mr. Nutt, because I think the solid board more substantial and less likely to harbour insects, his being hollow to allow the bees to escape at the time of deprivation, when the communication between the centre and the side boxes is cut off by means of the sliding tins, for which I have made provision by having an entrance at the back of each of the side boxes, to which is attached a copper slider, (fig. 10.) but without the entrance for a single Bee.
The middle Box must be stocked in the usual way, by hiving a swarm into it, and if the swarm be not a large one, it will be better to put two swarms into it as directed inChapter VIII. It will be necessary to have both the top and side tins securely fastened to the centre box at the time of hiving, and till after the union, when they may be removed, thereby giving the bees the full range of all the boxes as well as of the glassupon the centre one, nothing further will be required till the next Summer, except carefully placing the roofs to defend the boxes from wet. "Perhaps," says Mr. Taylor, "there is nothing more prejudicial to Bees than the moisture they engender during the Winter season, particularly after frost, and in certain states of the atmosphere. It accumulates on the top and sides of the pavilion, moulding and rendering offensive the combs, and producing disease. For this reason boxes with flat roofs have been objected to. I have tried different experiments to obviate this serious evil, and have found nothing better than the practice of condensing the vapour as much as possible and conveying it away. This I have done for several years by means of the bell-glasses.
"At the beginning of Winter I place over the holes on the top of the pavilion, pieces of perforated zinc, and on these I set the glasses, each within a circular leaden or zinc trough, open in the centre. As the exhalation rises from the warmth below, it is condensed on the glass, and received, often in considerable quantity, in the troughs. An imperceptible current of air is thus produced, of great advantage to the inmates; for ventilation is as much wanted in Winter as in Summer, and particularly when the population is numerous. The holes at the top of the glasses may be left open to assist this, for of two evils it is better to have too much than too little air. Nor, with good protection from weather, need the effects of cold be apprehended; for the Bees, (if not weak in numbers) will always of themselves generate sufficient warmth, and a dry, cold season is better withstood than a mild, moist one, particularly after a good honey year."
This leaden or zinc trough of Mr. Taylor's exactly resembles in form the feeder mentioned inpage 57.
In the following Summer, when the Bees are working in the side boxes and the glass, the ventilation must be particularly attended to, (for upon thisalonedepends the success of the hive,) and here I would especially recommend Mr. Taylor's ventilator as given in page 26; a small thermometer should be kept in one of the ventilating tubes, and when it is observed above ninety degrees of Fahrenheit, the covers (bb) must be taken off, and should the temperature of the boxes be found at, or above a hundred, the perforated copper slides at the back of the side boxes must be used, for if it reaches to a hundred-and thirty, a Swarm in all probability will leave the hive, which next to starvation is most fatal to this mode of treatment. When either of the side boxes or the glass upon the top of the centre one is filled with honey and sealed up, introduce the dividing tin; if the glass, remove it immediately thirty or forty yards, from the hive without changing its position, leaving room at the bottom for the Bees to escape, which they will very soon do,but if either of the side boxes are to be taken away, open the copper slider at the back of the box, and in less than an hour from the time of the dividing tin being introduced, the bees will have made their escape and joined the centre box, it may then be removed, emptied and replaced, or another may be substituted for it. All operations must be performed upon a fine and bright day. The entrance to the centre box should be opened to its fullest extent, by removing both the sliders from the first of April till the first of September.