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During twenty years' practical experience in bee- Iceepihg in the climate of Oanada, I have from year to ye^r, when meeting with the bee-keeping public, been continually pressed with questions relating to the successful cultivation of the honey bee. These ques- tions I have always deemed It a pleasure to answer, ei- ther with the pen or verbally, as fully as my dme and ability would permit, always believing that my light is none the less for lighting that of my neighbors. The object, therefore, of publishing thia work, is to answer in a practical and condensed form all necessary questions relative to the management of the honey bee. In writing this work it has been my object to express, in as few words as possible, the results of my own prac- tical experience, as well as that of. other eminent api- ariuus, rather than relate the process by which those I'esults were reached ; and I have not departed from this i*ule, except in some instances where my experience differs from that of other apiarians that have written before me. ' . ' As there are still many who are determined to plod \ilong In the paths of their anceslprs, and keep bees in the common box hive, I have given directions in this work for the box hive, as well as for moveable comb hives, hoping that such bee |:eepers will, after perusing the work, b^ enabled to see the great advantage to be derived from the moveable comb system. S. A. MITCHELL. St. Marys, Ont. '/ Vi'ii /jis^^f^r*'^, — 7— INTRODUCTION. There is but little doubt that the honey bee has been more or leas associat-cd with man from the earliest dawn of creation. The observing and thinking mind has in all ages been deeply interested in the honey bee and its workmanship. The study of the honey bee is well calculated to awaken in the mind of every true lover of nature not only a deep interest, but a lasting admiration of its wonderful instincts. The indomit- able energy and perseverance of honey bees in collect- ing stores for the future should put to shame the lazy, slothful loafers who are every whero to be found trying to live Without labor on the ' ^ Wastry of others. Bees are sometimes kept for pleasure or recreation, but chiefly for profit. They are the only live stock that can truly be said to be self-supporting. They not only gather their food in summer, but lay up their store for winter, and with but little care will yield a bountiful supply of delicious sweets for their owners. If bees required strict attention every day to sustain life, they would undoubtedly be better cared for than they now are by roost bee-keepers. No good farmer complains of the trouble and expense of caring for cattle, ugs, and sheep two or thi-ee times a day. Less than half this time given to studying the nature and wants of the honey bee, and putting the same into practice, would seldom fail to give abundant success. Although a great many works have been written on bee-culture, still there is no branch of rural industry ■>■ III -r^wmv 1 1 "f^^' "T"^^ ■ 6 so much negleotpd. The amount of ignorance that ex- ists in relation to the nature and management of the honey bee is truly astonishing. I have been gravely told by an old bee-keeper who had kept bees for ten years, that the drones were the mothers of the whole family. Another confidently asserted that there was a king and fi^queen in every hive. There is also a vague be- lief among a great many that gbod luck has all to do with successful bee management. Others that I have met with say that it is unlucky to sell a swarm of bees, and that they would sooner have a swarm of bees stol- en from them than to sell one. Is there any wonder that such individuals do not have success 1 They are depending upon luck and chance, instead of knowledge and care. • According to ancient history, honey was at one time the only sweet known. Over two thousand years ago, in Aristotle and Pliny's time, we learn that bees were cultivated to some extent. And even so far bach; as when the children of Israel were about to enter into the land of promise, it was spoken of as a land flowing with milk and honey. But bees were then in a wild and rude state. > Within the past few years the progress and advance- ment in bee culture has been very rapid, and more has been accomplished than for ce^aries previous. By the introduction of valuable worKs on bee-culture, and the system of moveable comb-hives, it has now become a branch of business that any one may easily learn and readily understand. • " >rHa BEE-KBEPEB'S CATECHISM. Question 1. What constitutes a good swarm of bees) Answer. Every prosperous swarm or colony of bees haj^ a fertile queen, so^le thousands of workers, and during the warm season several hundred drones. Ques. 2. Give a description of the queen. Ans. The queen differs in shape from the drones or the workers. She is larger than the workers, but not so large as the drones, and is longer than either ; her abdomen tapers gl:adually to a point ; her wings being considerably shorter than her body ; the upper side of the native queen is nearly the same color as the other bees, but the under side is of a bright cop- per color. The Italian queens are mostly of a rich golden yellow, though both the natives and the Italians vary considerably in their color. In her movements she is quick and shy, especially when disturbed. She possesses a curved sting, but may be handled with im- punity, as she will not sting except when she comes in contact with another queen. If two queens are taken and placed under a glass tumbler, a .battle im- mediately ensues, and is kept up until one or the N 1. [ 8 » other is slain. And yet it is a singular fact that the great and wise Ci'eator has qo ordered it that it is im- possible for both to be stung at the same instant. Ques. 3. What benefit is the queen to the colony ? Ans. The queen is the mother of the whole colony. Every egg is deposited by her. This fact is easily provjyi by removing the native queen from a stock of black bees and introducing an Italian mother in her place. If the change is made in June, in three months scarcely a black bee will be found in the colony. The queen will sometimes lay eggs every month in the year in strong stocks, but will lav the most in May and June. At this season she will frequently lay two or three thousand per day. Ques. 4. How long will a queen live ? . ' Ans. Probably the average age of the queen is not more than three years. 1 have kno'v^n instances where queens attained the age of five years, but they are seldom very prolific after the first three years of their life. The bodily strength of the queen is greater than that of either the workers or the drones. She is also more tenacious of life. lEt takes more pressure to kill her, and even when crushed, her body fre- quently will show signs of life for hours. Ques. 5. When the queen dies or .is taken away, what is the result ? Ans. The worker bees miss her. In an hour or two afterwards they become alarmed. Usually they set up a loud buzzing. They run up at the sides of the hive and all over the stand. They will fly away a short distance and back againl They run to each other, and strike their antennas together. If there is a young worker brood or there are eggs in the cells at the time, order will be restored in three or four hourff, and the worker bees immediately commence the labor necessary to repair their \oh», always selecting such brood as will produce a queen in the shortest possible time. If there is no brood or eggs, the excitement will be'seen at intervals, generally mornings aud even- ings, for one, two, and sometimes three dayH. After this they resume their usual labor, bringing in both pollen aad honey. The number of bees decreasesi rapidly, and as the bees die off, other stocks rob away the honey. The moth or miller takes advant>ag6 of the opportunity to deposit hundreds of her eggs in the combs. • They hatch aud devour the combs, and are blamed for the destruction of the colony, when the true cause was the loss of the queen. Ques. 6. Give a descriptV)n of the drone. Ana. The drones are the male bees, and are larger than either the queen or the workers. Their wings are long enough to cover the whole abdomen. Their movements are clumsy and awkward. Their hum when on the wing is loud and heavy. They are physically incapable of working, their proboscis being too short to extract honey from the flowers. They have no cavities on their legs for carrying pollen, and they are also destitute of a sting, so that they cannot assist in protecting the stores of the hive. They are called the lazy drones, but are more to be pitied than blamed. • •#' . Ques. 7. Of what use are the drones t Ans. it is said by some 'that they assist in keeping up the necessary animal heat of the hive. But they are of little use for this purpose, as they are not bred till the weather is warm and the colony is strong in iiumbei'S. They are bred only at the approach of the K'-'?^- ;(: §■■ \\-x- ■ if 10 swarming season, expressly to fertilize the joang queens. Without drones, the young queens woold re« main barren, and consequently the race would bood become extinct. The number of drones in a colony is often large. This Is necessary where there is but one or two hiVes'kept. As the young queen has to be im- pregnated high in the air, there -is less danger when , drones are plenty of her being caught by birds or lost by accident. Where a lai'ge number of hives aj'e kept, the drones of one hive in twenty are amply suffi- cient. Quea 8. How long will a drone live ? Ans. The life of the drone is but short af most. Whenever honey becomes scai*ce, the workers im- mediately commence to sting them to death, and in a short time they are all massacred. If the supply of honey fails suddenly, they, frequently tear the brood from the cells in all stages of development, from the egg to the full size drone, and drag them out to perish. Ques. 9. Give a description of the worker bees. Ans. The worker bees are the smallest of the family, but although the smallest, still they are the most industrious ; in short, on them devolve all the labor of the hive. They have a sack .for carrying honey. They have a trunk to insert in the flowers, out of which they run a long small tongue, with wl^ich they can lick up the smallest particle of hooey or. liquid sweet. - When the weather is warm and no wind, they iBy veiy fast — nearly a mile a minute. On their posterior legs is a small hollow or cavity ; into it they pack the pollen or dust of the flowers in neat pel- lets, to carry it to the hive for feeding the young brood. They are armed with a sting which the great and wise Creator has given them for the purpose of protecting . their stoi'es; but it is seldom used against man if they ai^ properly treated. They labor in warm weather through the day gathering honey, pollen, propolis, water, Ac. They fight invaders of all kinds night and day, with heroic fortitude and determination. They build comb, feed the queen, nurse the brood, repair broken comb, fill up cracks or crevices in the hive with propolis ; in fact, they are never idle when the weather permits them to work, except when they gorge them- selves with honey and ramain still for the purpose of secreting wax to build comb with. The sex of the workers is universally acknowledged by intelligent apiarians to be that of undeveloped females that are in- capable of fertilization by the drone. Ques. 10. How long do the workers live) Ans. The life of the worker bee is but short. They are subject to many accidents. Many get chilled in cold weather, and fall down and perish. They some- times fall into wat^r and get drowned. Many are slain in the attempt tQ rob their neighbours. . Others are devoured by birds, toads, &c., so that during the working season their life probably does not average more than six or eight weeks. During the winter they live from four to nine months. Ques. 11. When does the colony begin to rear broodt * ' Ans. In strong colonies, some brood is reared in almost every month of the year, the least brood being reared between September and January. During this time, the brood gene^rally occupies but a small ciicle in the middle of the cluster. According as the spring advances and the weather gets warmer, the circle of brood is enlarged, the queen depositing her eggs with the greatest r^pilarity, so as to concentrate the animal heat as much as possible for the development of the brood. When the weather gets quite warm and the • j^SHMIWil'Ji I., I V''!W''>' ''!')»"'' B!'*'l!'!^'!-'^''.''.''T''y e wise or safe to use the stores already eoUecttd for the purpose of reaiing much brood, and run the risk o^ starving to death themselves. Ques. 1 2. How long a time is required to deveiope a qaeen 1 Ans. From the time the egg is deposited until her Boyalty emerges fi-om her cell is about sixteen days. Ques. 13. How long time is required to deveiope a worker? ' Ans. About twenty-one days. • Ques. 1 4. How long time is required to develo)>e ft droue ) 4 Ans. Twenty-four days. Ques. 15. Is their any difierence betweeu the eggs that produce queens, workers, or drones f Ans. The eggs are all alike, the only difference boiog that those that produce queens and workers ars impregnated, while those that produce drones are un- impi^egnated. A fertile queen will lay both impreg- nated and unimpregnated eggs. It should be borne in inind that a queen once impregnated, it is for life. — She goes out to meet the drones no more. The queen has a small globular sac about one thirty-third of aa 13 inch in diameter, which communicates with the ovi- .. duct. This Hac contains the drone semen. Over this sac the queen has perfect control. When she is depos- iting eggs' in the worker cell she brings them in con- tact with the mouth of the sac, and each egg as it passes through the oviduct becomea impregnated by receiving a portion from the sac. When laying for drones, the queen withholds the contents of the sac, and the eggs pass unimpregnated. . Qiies. 16. How are queens impregnated ? Ana. The queens axe impregnated on the wing, high io the air. After issuing from the cell, the queen makes what is termed by apiaiians her bridal tour in about three or four days, coming out of the hive to meet the drones in the air seldom earlier than eleven o'clock, a. m., or later than three o'clock, p. m. I have several times seen them go out on their excursion to meet the drones, and have timed them by the watch. They I'emain in the air from ten to twenty-five minutes, when they re^ium. If they have succeeded in meeting with a drone, the male organs will be se«»n to adhere to the abdomen of the queen. In the month of July, 1 869, I watched a young queen hatched in one of my observing hives, until I became weary. I then set my man to watch. After some titne, the queen came out, mounted high in the air, and was soon lost to sight. In about fifteen minutes she returned to the hive with the male organs adhering to her. She enter- ed the hive, when the worker bees removed them from her, and in two days she began to lay worker eggs. If she does not succeed in meeting with the drone the first day, she will usually come out every fine day until im- pregnated. Ques. 17. What is the result of retarding impreg- nation t Ans. It was discovered by the celebrated apiarian^ ^p^ I*." w ^ ' :|^ u Francis Huber, that if a young queen is not able to fly to meet the drone (on account of faulty wings, bad weather, or other causes) during the first twenty-one days of her life, she never lays anything but drone eggs, and hence is worse than useless. Subsequent experi- ments of all careful observing apiarians have fully con- firmed his truth. Ques. 18. What is the difference between a fertile and an unimpregnated queen 1 Ans. There is a perceptible change in the form of a fertile queen, her abdomen becoming somewhat swoll- en, and lengthened a little. This difference will show itself mostly at the height of the breeding season. Late in the fall and winter, when there is scarcely any breeding, there is but very little difference. A fertile queen lays chiefly worker eggs in regular order, com- mencing in a small circle in the centre of the clustered 8warm,and deposits them just opposite each other in the combs, gradually widening each circle and spreading them into the adjoining combs, so that the distance from the centre or point where sh6 commenced, to the outside of the brood, will be nearly equal on all sides. When the young bee emerges from the cells in the cen- tre, she returns and deposits eggs in them again. Sealed^ worker brood should present a flat smooth surface. A fertile queen will lay unimpregnated or drone eggs, only when the colony becomes strong and they anticipate ■warming, always depositing them in the drone cells. An unfertile queen lays chiefly if not all drone eggs, and deposits them irregularly, sometimes in drone cells, and aometines in worker cells. Queens sometimes be- come unfertilethrough old age, and lay drone eggs only. They should then be removed. When drones' eggs are deposited in worker cells, the bees lengthen them out, and cover them with an oval cap. When this is the case, it indicates a drone-lajring queen. Mr. Quimby says a drone queen when laying in work- ■ f, 15 t able to tringu, bad wrenty-one rone eggs, Qt experi- fally con- 11 a fertile le form of rhatswoU- will show g season, urcely any A fertile pder, com- ) clustered bher in tbe spreading 9 distance ced, to the all sides, in the cen- in. Sealed irface. A 3 eggs, only anticipate rone cells. Irone e^, Irone cells, letimes be- t eggs only, rones' eggs [then them Vlien this er cells does it more irregularly, or the bees do not nurse all that are laid. About half the cells are sealed over after being lengthened at least one-third. Ques. 19. How is it possible for unimpregnated es^gs to hatch ? Ans. It is eaKier to ask than answer this question. It is probable that the eggs laid by the queen bee and fertile worker have from the previous impregnation of the egg from which they sprung, sufficient vitality to produce the drone, which is a less highly organized in- sect than the queeo or worker. Ques. tained ? 20. How is the wax for building combs ob- ' Ans. The wax is a natural secretion of the worker bees. When it is necessary for them to build combs, they gorge themselves with honey, and lie clustered to- gether for some hours. The wax then exudes from the folds of their abdomen, in thin, almost transparent flakes or scales. These are ramoved as fast as formed, and used for building combs. When I have been re- moving combs covered with bees, I have fi-equently seen some of the workers with the scales of wax pro- truding from them, causing them to present quice a novel appearance. Qnes. 21. What is the value of a pound of wax in the comb? Ans. As animals consume large quantities of food to enable them to secrete a few pounds of fat, so I have proven by careful experiments that it requires about twenty pounds of honey, or liquid sweet, to enable bees to secrete one pound of wax. I would not, howtsver, ba understood to estimate thatever^*^ ponndof comb is 16 worth twenty pounds of honey to the apiarian. I have re- peatedly tested its real practical value to a swarm of bees by putting a swarm in a hive filled with empty combs and putting another of equal size the same day into an empty hive, and I have always found that the swarm in the combs, during the time they were filling them, stored, about twenty-five pounds of honey for every ten pounds of those that had their combs to build. A hive containing two thousand cubic inches inside, will re- quire about two and a half pounds of wax in the combs to fill it, and will hold, leaving ordinary room for breeding, about fifty pounds of honey. A swarm of bees will fill these combs, while those in the empty hive are building combs and storing twenty pounds. It will be seen by this that every pound of comb is -worth tv/elve pounds of honey to the apiarian. The pound of wax would be worth in market about thirty cents ; the twelve pounds of honey, worth, at eighteen cents per pound, two dollars and sixteen cents ; show- ins; a loss, of one dollar and eighty-six cents for every pound of wax sold. But this is not all. The combs are of great value, especially in frames for natural swarms. If a frame oi two of comb ia put into the empty hive, the bees biiild after the pattern, and sel- dom, if ever, build crooked, and I never knew a swai*m that had clean empty combs to leave for the woods. A comb in each hive will often save several swarms in a season that otherwise would have departed to parts un- known without the gracious ceremony of bidding you farewell. Ques. 22. How many kinds of cells are there 1 Ans. There are three different sizes of cells. The smallest size are called worker cells, and are abbut half an inch in depth and one-fifth of an inch in diameter. They are used for rearing worl^er bees in, and also for storing honey. Occasionally a few drones are raised in them, but this rarely happens except when there is iarian. The 17 a drone-laying queen, or when there is no queen, and a fertile worker j» depositing eggs in her pUoe. When drones are reared in worker cells, they beicome dwarfed, and are but little, if any, larger than workers. The dix>ne cells are larger — about one-fourth of an inch in diameter and'a little more than half an inch in depth. Drone cells are seldom made dinwtly in the top of the hive, but are usually joined on the worker cells about the centre of the hive or a little below. As thtf bees cannot pass immediately from one size t^ another, there will be some irregular intermediate cells between. Both the worker and the dime cells are built hexagonal, or in other words six-sided, and are used both for rearing brood and for storing honey, according to the wants of the colony. The next size are the queen cells. IHitae differ greatly from the others. They are built cylin- drical, or round ; are about an inch in length, and hang generally from the edge of the combs one or two in a place, with the open end downwards. They are built thick and heav^ at the sides, requiring about as much wax to complete one as would make forty or fifty other cells. Ques. 23. How do bees get propolis, and what use do they make of it ? Ans. Propolis, or bee-glue, is.resinous gum gather- ed by the bees from differont kinds of trees and plants. In this section it is gathered chiefly from the Balm of Gilead. It is earned on the legs of the bees, the same as pollen, but in smaller pellets. The bees use it^ fill up all hole|L cracks and crevices about the hive, and no matter how sbaky or shattered their domicile may be when they enter it, they soon make it waterproof with propolis. Ques. 24. What is pollen, and what do the bees use it fori 38 Aiiet. Pollen or beebread is the fine niealy dnst froUi the authei^s of the flowers. It is of diiierent col- ors varying according to the flowers from which it is gathered. Corn, pumpkinn, squaHhes, melons, and cu- cumbers, are very 'valuable to the bees, yielding large qoantities of pollen late in the season ; thus giving the bees a liberal supply to store for winter. Pollen is used for the purpose of feeding the young larvse. The Intes gather hB'onishing quantities of it in the breeding season, and stare in empty cells ciose to the brood, to l>e njixed up with honey and water, and used as re- quired. Qnes. 25. What can be given to bees as a substi- tute for pollen ? Ans. Unbolted rye meal has been successfully used as a substitute for pollen. Two years ago I discover- ed that they would work better still on wheat flour, if mixed with one-third oatmeal. Place it in shallow dishes out of the wind, and drop among it small pieces of comb wet with honey or molasses to induce the bees to commence taking it. It is beneficial to promote early feeding, and checks the propensity to rob ; for idleness is the forerunner of mischief among bees as well as among the human family. Ques. 26. Describe the process of natural swarm- ing, and how queens are reared ? Aus. The swarming season is one of gi*eat interest to the bee-keeper. He is now anticipating in a short, titue the i-eward of his labor and care. The issue of natural swarms is in a great measure dependent on (;ontinuous tine weather and a bounteous supply of honey. The first swarms will not issue in bad weather or when honey is scare. If such weather continues, the bees will destroy the drones, and allow the old , queen to dvstrv)y the young queens in their cells. I 19 3 as a Bubsti- tiiral swarm- have repeatedly witnessed their animosity to each other, and have seen the old qneeu in the very act of tearing and biting the queen cells open, and then sting- ing the unfortunate young queen to deaV,h in her cell ; after which the worker bees would retoove them. The first indication!) of swarming are seen in the breeding of drones. When they begin to fly in cousidembl© numbers, the supposition is that the bees are begin- ning to prepare for swarming. But the only sure token is the presence of queen cells nrith royal larv» in them. W.e occasionally get a swarm as early as the last of May, but the great swarming month with us is June. When the hive becomes crowded with bees, and all the cells are full of honey or brood, the work- ers construct a few queen cells at different times, so that the last made will be about four or five days younger than the first, and will mature accordingly. In moveable comb hives the frames of comb can be lifted out, when the cells will be readily discovered even by the inexperienced. Ton cannot easily mis- take them, although you never saw one before. If you wish to find them in the common box hive, take a piece of rotten wood, or make a roll of cotton rags about an inch in diameter ; set fire to one end of it ; now go to the hive ; blow a few whiffs of smoke under it ; tip it gently back, giving the bees more smoke at the same time ; now carry the hive from its stand a little, and turn it bottom up without jarring it, being careful to turn the hive edgewise with the c6mbs, so as not to break them down ; now drive the bees down into the hive with your smoke ; and some of the cells can almost always be seen when they exist. There is a possibility, however, that eome of the cells are out of sificht If cells are seen, nearly or quite sealed over, we may confidently look for a swarm the first fine day. iThe progress of these cells is the only sure indi- cation of swarming. The average number of queen cells reared in a strong colony is about eight. I never . !' 20 knew tbem to build less than three. lo the year ^ 870 I bad a strong stock of Italians that J had made queenless for the purpose of getting queen-cell for raak- inK artificial swarms. I gavQ them only one frame of worker hrood oomh. They built thirty-six queen-cells on it. I never saw or even heard of so many on one comb before. Queens are always raised from worker eggs. Some tell us that the bees build queen oells^. and the queen deposits the eggs in them. Others say they are transferred' by the workers from other .cells and placed in the queen-cells. In my experience I have not found either of the above theories correct ; but I have observed that the bees select worker eggs in the cells best adapted for the purpose, and cut them down ' and then build the queen-cells around the eggs. In this process, two or three of the adjoining cells ara sacri- ficed to make room for the queen-cells. The young larvffi in these cells are supplied bountifully with roytd jelly, a pungent stimulating substance, of a light cream color, resembling a mixture of starch and milk. Those cells, when only about half finished will have the larve in them actually floating in royal jelly. They are grad- ually lengthened downwards until the eighth day, wheju they are sealed over. The cell now resembles a pea- nut in shape and appearance. In about eight days more the perfect queen emerges from the cell and helps herself to honey, if she can find it. The effects pro- duced upon the royal larvte by the above treatment are so wonderful that those who have not been eye-wit- nesses to them almost universally reject them as the idle whims of those who are afflicted with the disease called " bee on the brain." Some of these effects I will briefly notice : — (1.) By the above treatment the wonn chosen fo' a queen arrives at maturity almost one third soonei^ than if it had been reared a worker. * ■ ' ■ ■■ . (2) Its productive organs are perfectly developed, se Mi 21 that it fulfills the office of a mother. (3.) Its life is leDgthened to a remarkable extent. Had it been reared a Worker bee, it «eould not have lived more than seven or eight months ; as a queen, it may live thrae or four years. (4.)' It is changed in size, shape, and color. Not only is the body changed, but its limbs are changed also, and the sting is more curved. (5.) Its instincts are entirely changed. Reared as a worker, it would have been ready to sting as soon as provoked in any way ; but as a queen it may be tortuied in any manner, and will not attempt to sting. As a worker, it would have treated a queen with veneration and respect. But now if it comes in contact with another queen, it fights a duel at once, and does not give up until it either falls a victim or slays its adversary. As a worker, it would have left the hive frequently, to gather honey, pollen, propolis, w4ter, ic. ; but as a (](ueen it never leaves after impregnation, except in company with a new swarm. The old queien always accompanies the first swarm except son^^e accident befalls her, and then there may be ex- ceptions to this rtde. For example, if the oM queen should die at any time when the hive £b full of bees, and brood and honey is plentiful, this bees will construct queen cells to replace her, and will be almoErt; sure to swarm once or twice wi^ the virgin queens reared. The same result fo)*- lows sometimes when the first swarni issues and returns. The old queen sometidies catinot fl;;, being overloaded with eggs, or some other causd. ^e crawls out, falls down, and cannot regain the hive, llie iswarm then retulms, and abotit a week after comes otit with the first vit'^n qaeeo. ma- txaed. ■ !| 22 Qties. 27. What is the diffei'^Doe between the issue of first and second swarms ? Ans. Nine-tenths of the first swarms issue between the hours of 11 o'clock, a. m., and 1 o'clock, p. m. I never knew in my experience an old quoen to come off with a swarm sooner than ten o'clock, or later than three o'clock. (The Italian bees will swarm earlier and later than the native black bees.) First swarms rarely if ever issue except the weather is very fine ; but after swarms will coqpe out sometimes with but lit- tle regard to either the time of day or the weather. I have known the Italians to issue as early as six o'clock a. m., and as late as five p. m. As a rule the af^er swarms ({o farther from the parent hive than the first swarms. They are sometimes accompanied with a plu- rality of young queens. I have known ten or twelve to be with quite a small swarm. When this is the case they are apt to cluster in two and sometimes three dif- ferent places. Each part having a queen will remain. If a part has no queen, it will eij)her find the othera and unite with them, or return to the old stock. When a number of queens are with a swarm, they are much moro restless and discontented, and it is well to remove all but one, and destroy them if not wanted. The presence of a number of these virgin queens with a swarm is almost a sure indication that the parent stock is done swarming. Some writers tell us that there are as many swarms as thei'e are young queens, and that when two or more queens issue with a swarm, it is because they have been kept back by bid weather or unfavorable circumstances. I would say here that my experience has been entirely the re- verse of this. When the weather has been the most favorable, I have frequently taken from second and third swarms from two to eleven young queens, and as before stated, I have known the bees to build as roany art thirty-six queen-cells. I cannot believe that the bee ever intended a separate swarm for each of these. ULjgdi^i lA-'iyw >etwettQ the issue 2S Queti. 28. What are the indications of second and after swarms ? Ans. After the first Hwarm leaves the hive, the bees, when thty are nuraeroua and honey is plentiful, gene- rally decide to swarm again, and sometimes three or four times. When this is the case, a number of the worker bees cluster around the cells, and so prevent their destruction by the firHt emerging queen, who makes every effort to destroy her royal sisters. This, however, is prevented by the worker guards. Enrag- ed by repeated failures, she makes a peculiar sound called by bee-keepers piping. It may often be heard a rod or more from the hive, when everything is very still. It sounds to my ear as if they were repeating the word' *♦ Toot ! Tpot ! Toot !" in a soft, mellow tone. This is, sometimes answered by ' some of the young queens still in their cells. The sound from these will be hoarse and somewhat muffled. This piping of the young queens will usually be heard the evening previ- ous to the issue of the swarm, and is almost a certain indication that the bees will swarm- again. The piping for the second swarm will usually be heard about one full week after the first swarm has come off. If the first swarm were kept back by. bad weather the piping would be heard sooner. If no piping is heard for four- teen days after the issue of the first swarm, no after swarms need be expected. • Ques. 29. How long a time will bees continue to swarm 1 " Ans. Eighteen days after the issu^ of the first swarm all swarming will be over for the season, ex- cept where buckwheat is largely grown. Occasionally a swarm will come off ; but such a swarm will not come off 'for about a month or more after the issue of the last of the after swarms, and should be looked up- on as a first swarm. It will be accompanied by a fer- 24 tile queen, and the combs will be left full of brood* queen-cells finished, &C; Ques. 30. Why do bees sometimes return after swarming 7 Ans. Because the queen is not with theza. Some- times an old queen refuses to leave the hive, and some- times she leaves, and cannot fly, being over-burtbened with eggs. I have often picked them up after the swarm had returned, and put them in the hive again. Tn a day or two she would come out again and usually fly well enough. If the old queen is lost, the swarm will return and wait for the first young queen to emi- grate with them. Ques, 31. How can it be told if^the queen is with the swarm when on the wing ) Ans. If the quee.n is not with them, they scatter more, and often alight on the leaves and grass and evezy thing else, in search of their beloved queen. How the bees can tell when on the wing if their queen is not with them is a mystery that would take a wiser head than mine to solve. But the fact that they can tell is certain. I once had a large firsc swarm that I hived, and the next day I^ observed that they were lazy, restless, and discontented. I at once came to the con elusion that an elopement was intended, and watched then) closely. All at once, they came rushing out pell- tnell, as if stark mud to be off. Before I got to the hive, fully one-half of them were in the air. I then closed the entrance, so that only one or two bees could pass at once. Forsunately the queen was still in the hive, and as she came out I caught her, and placed her uo- dfir a tumbler, and then opened up the hive, and let the refit out in a thick cloud. They at once took a bee line for the woods, and flew about as fast as I could run for about twenty-five rods. All at once they seemed 'MVWKKija )ft full of brood, nes return after th theiia. Some- hive, and some- g over-burtbened dm up after the the hive again. Again and usually 8 lost, the swarm ng queen to emi- ;he queen is with ;hem, they scatter s and grass and ved queen. How if their queen is »ald take a wiser Act that they can rsc swarm that I it they were lazy, came to the con led, and watched rushing out pell- I got to the hive, '. I then closed > bees could pass still in the hive, i placed her un- he hive, and let t once took a bee st as I could run >nce they seemed 25 to discover that the queen was not with them, and al- most as sudden as an army would stop at the word ** halt," did the cloud of bees whirl round and scatter in other directions in search of their queQu. Great numbers of them settled down all over the ground, grass, &C.J until one oonld scarcely set down his fdot on an area of half an acre without stepping upon them. In a short dme they again gathered together thickly in the air, and then again scattered until they were appar- ently lost. A.t this time I should judge they were scattered over an area of nearly three acres. They then, gathered in a thick doud in the air, and started to the empty hive they had left. I then clipped a lit- tle of the queen's wings and let her enter the hive with the swarm ,and had no trouble with them after. (I would here remark that if the wing of an old queen is clipped so that she cannot fly, the bees will not go to the woods with her. But a young unimpregnated queen should never have her wings clipped.) Ques. 32. Why do bees cluster when they swarm? Ans. Bees after issuing from their hive usually cluster in about ten or fifteen minutes. .In my experi- ence, I have hived some thousands of swarms, and I never knew but one sn^arm to leave the parent hive and depart to the woods without clustering. In fact it is almost impossible for them to do so, a& they always fill themselves with honey before they leave the old hive (so as to have a good supply to start with in their new bon&e.) By the time tl^y have flown ten or fif- teen minutes in the air to wait for all the swarm to issue, and ascertain if the queen is present with them, they become so fatigued with flying that they are al- most compelled to cluster. For this reason it will be Been that the noiseof horns, tin pans, bells, «Icc., does no good whatever. The bees will cluster just as well without the music. iiSi mm ' •*Vi':!^itV4i^ I; ^ 26 ' Ques. 33. How can bees be prevented from going I to the woods ? Ans. If the bees are on the wing, get before them if. possible and thro>^ water among tbem with a long- handled dipper, throwing ihe water so as to cause it to scatter like rain through the bees. Tliia will seldom fail to cause them to cluster. If tlie wai- ter is very cold, it will bo all the more efficient. To prevent bees thai are hired from leaving, if moveable comb hives are used, go to any stock that can spare a comb containing brood and honey. Brush back all the bees, and see that there are no queen cells in it. If therd are put it back, or else cut them out ; then place the comb in the hive that is to receive the new swarm. The advantages of this plan are — first, that the bees will never leave ; second, it greatly encour- ages them, and should bad weather confine them in the hive, there will be no danger of starvation ; third, if the frame containing the comb is placed in the centre of the hive, the bees will be certain to build straight combs. If the swarms are in a box hive, place over them a box of honey taken from the old stock. But the best and surest way of preventing the escape of swarms is by taking the matter into your own hands, and making all swarms by artificial means. Ques. 34. How can swarming be prevented in move- able comb hives ? Ans. The prevention of first swarms is notdesirik bleor adrantageousf except perhaps in extremely poor seasons. It may be done by examining the combs every ten days while the swarming season lasts, and removing all the queen-cells. Combs that are full of honey may be removed from the body of the hive, and plenty of room be given for storing surplus honey. My hive, having room for two large honey-boxes at the top, will be found especially adapted to stocks that Qted from going 9vented in move- 27 do not Bwarm, as all the bees may be kept at work. Second swai*ms may be prevented by removing the combs and cutting out all the queen-cells but one. It may be done any time after the first swarm has come off, and befpre the second issues. Ques. 35. How can swarming be prevented in box hives? '• Ans. The first swarm cannot easily be prevented, and it is best always to let them swarm once. Put the iirst swaroi in a hive and then remove the parent stock to a new location, and set the new hive in its plaoe. The result will be that the old bees of the parent stock that are under the influence of the swarming propen- sity will join the new stock in the old location, and they will seldom swarm again. This plan may be prac- ticed with moveable comb hives to advantage, when for lack of time or any other reason the bee-keeper will not take the trouble to cut out the queen-cells. Ques. 36. What should be done with after swarms? Ans. If second swarms are allowed to issue and it is desirable to keep them, it is always safest, and best to unite two of them together. They will then nkake a good stock to winter. It should be remembered that it will pay to unite them, even supposing they ai-e to be destroyed in the fall for their honey. The reason is simply this — that when the swarm is small they can- not generate heat sufficient to work the wax and carry on breeding to advantage. Take for example two swarms of bees, three quarts in each swarm ; hivo them separately, and sii^jpose in the fall that each swarm has collected ten pounds of honey, that is full amount for both twenty pounds. Now if the two swarms h^d been united together they would have collected at beat thirty pounds. It will be seen by this that there is a great loss by hiving small swarms separately, but the ques- 1 'iSii*! _' .Mr 28 tion is asked why should it be so? As before stated, the small swarms cannot generate sufficient heat. To make it plain, suppose that it takes two quarts of bees to generate and keep up the heat necessary to work the wax, build combs, rear brood, dec. If then the swarm contained only three quarts of bees, it oould send only one quart out to gather honey. But two such swarms, if together, could send to the fields four quarts of workers, and still retain two quarts in the hive, and would also have the advantage of all the bees during the night, when heat is most required. As a rule, every swarm when first established E^ould have at least seven or eight quarts of bees. E]arly in the season the swarm may be somewhat smaller ; later in the sea- son it should be larger. For the reason given above, artificial swarms should not be made until the old stock is well filled with bees. Of course, if combs or brood are on hand to give them, swurms may be made correspondingly weaker. If third swarms come off, it is beat always to return them. The best way to do it is to hive them in a box hive, and set them beside the parent hive till the next morning, then set a wide board about three or four feet long up slanting in front of the old hive, one end close to the entrance and the other resting on the ground ; shake out the bees, about a quart at a time at the end of the board, and as they run up, the queen will easily be seen and should be taken away. If the swarm is returned immediately and there is more than one queen left in the old hiv^, they will be apt to come out again, but if hived and left till morning, they will seldom come out again. ' Ques. 37. swarm t How after should bees be allowed to Ans. In the climate of Canada, as a rule it will be found that one swarm is enough, and the surest road to successful bee culture. The greatest curse to bee be allowed to ^29 culttire is to allow the bees to swarm three or four tim^, and hiving each small after swarm by itself. By so doing the old stock is reduced iu numbers until it oa^mot guard its comb or honey, and it falls an easy prey to robbins; bees or the moth worm, and the after swarms are but'little better. New beginners in bee culture are almost sure to make this great mistake. , Ques. 38. How should bees be hived f Ans. Before swarms issue, everything should be ready. Hives should be on hand, cool and clean, to put bees in at once, so that there will be no d^lay. Iii hiving bees, it is a good plan if no protection i^ usdd', to wash the face and hands in cold water just before commencing, and go at the work at once without ttsin^ a towel, and the bees will seldom sting. It is be^t for new beginners to use a veil and pair of gloves, not that it is really necessary ; for bees when swarming, b^ing filled with honey, rarely ever sting, but the ineiperi*- enced are apt to be cowards, and therefore fail to do the work proi)erly. As soon as the bees have clustered, lose no time, but put them in the'hive at once. Niyt that there is great danger of their leaving, 1>ut if other stocks are kept and another swarm should come off, it would be almost certain to unite with them, and e&&^ trouble. For this r^on, be expeditious but attlfe same time be deliberate and cool, and take isufficiecit time to do everything right. For the bdx hive and most 'other hives, a table or stool will be wanted. A stool four feet square, made by nailing inch boards up- on two by four scantling, will be found the' most 0(M- venient. Set the hive on it, with its back dose to thfe edge of the stool, so that the stool will project well in front of the hive. M^ke the entrance to the hivfe llir^e. If it is a box hive, put a bit of ' wood under thia frt>nt edge that will raise it about an inch ; now takeatiii pan. Any common milk pan will do. If the cltister is large, put your pan under them, and raise it slowly •i \ 1 ! 4''\ .^i > : 30 • up, separating a part of the bees with the edge of the pan, letting them roll back into it, and pour them di- rectly in front of the entrance. Shake the remainder into the pan and pour them in front of the hive as fast as they will run in. They will come out of the pan very easy, as they cannot get their toes into it to stick fast. If the bees should clog up the entraijce, move tbem back a little with your finger or a small stick. If they cluster outside, brush them down, and get them all to enter lest the queen should be left out. Sometimes they cluster on the body of a tree, or in the crotches or some other difficult place. If this is the case, use a tea cup with a handle to it, and dip them off a tea cup full at a time^ and then brush off the remainder with a quill or wing. When they cluster high up in a tree, ascend with a ladder, shake the bees in a basket, cover the basket with a cloth, and lower them with a cord. Some- times the limb may be carefully cut off and lowered, and the bees shook in front of the hive. My hive is 80 constructed that no table or stool is wanted when hiving, or at any other time. When putting bees into it set the hive close to the cluster. See that the frames and moveable ends are in their places, put the honey boxes on upside down, so that the bees can- not enter them. ]Now draw the alighting board for- ward to a level or a '".ttle more, and drop the bottom of the hive down oii it, so as to make the entrance as large as possible, and pour the bees on the alighting board close to the entrance. As the sides are a guide to them and the entrance is large, it will be fcund that they will run up the inclined bottom in half the time required to get them into any other hive. When first swarms are issuing it shonld be remembered that they are accompanied with the old queen. About one in twenty-five of these cannot fly, sometimes through old age, but generally on account of being overburdened with eggs. When this is the case, she will drop down in front of the hive and run about on the ground. When swarms remain long in the air and scatter great- I 31 ly, it ia an indication that the queen is not with them. Look carefully for her in front of the hive, and in the direction that the swarm went. If she is founds catch her carefully by the wings, so as not to injure her. Put her in a wire cage, or under a tumbler. Have an empty hive close beside the old hive. In a few min- utes the swarm will return to the old hive to search for their queen. As soon as they commence to enter, move the parent stock away, and put the empty hive in its place, and as they commence to enter it let the queen run in with them. When all are in, set them on ano- ther stand and return the parent stock to its old stand again. This will be found leas trouble than if the bees had clustered, and the queen will be saved, and her value would be about half the worth of the swarm. ^ As soon as bees are hived, they should be moved to the stand where they are to remain. Give plenty of air. A box hive should have the front raised at least three- fourths of an inch. The front of my hive may be left open one inch, and it will require no shade. But all single boarded hives should be shaded from the sun. I believe that the leaving of fully nine-tenths of the swarms after being hived is caused by heat from want of suffi - cient ventilation. If a swarm leave after being hived and cluster again, it is well to let them have their own way to a certain extent, and put them into another hive, and set them in another location, 'and they are almost sure to stay. But if they are put in the sanie hive again, and in the same place, they are almost sure to come out again, and leave for parts unknown. Ques. 39. How can bees be separated when they cluster together? Ans. When large first swarms cluster together it ia best by all means to separate them, as they would not collect so much honey by fully one-third if left together^ and the stock wiU not be worth more at the end of the season than .either one would be if they had been sepa- ■•M 32 I rated. To separate them, take a wide board four or five feet long, set a box hive on each end, now sprin- kle the bees well with cold water. This will cause them to move slowly, and give a better chance to get the queens. Now pour the be<^8 out, a few at the en- trance of estch hive to start thenl running in. Now pour them out a quart or two at a time in the centre, between the hives, and watch for ^he queens. Capture them, and put them under a tumbler; or; what is bet- ter, put them inco a wire cloth queen cage, and tie a piece of cotton over the end of it. If you do not find them at firsts shake out the bees of one hive a quart or two at a time on the end of the board. They will immediately march the length of the board to the oth- er hive, and enter it. Now set down the empty hive and shake out the full one, and the bees will march back again, and so keep on until both queens are caged. Now divide the bees equally and put them into hives whera they are to remain, and give a queen to each ; and the work is done. Set the hives at least ten yards apart immediately. The bees being restless by being mixed, part of them not having their own mother, if near together will sometimes unite afi;ain, and cause more trouble. When bees are mixed up and two or three queens are with them, they are not long together before a knot of bees about the size of a hen's egg gather around each* queen, and keep her a prisoner. This lump of bees may be rolled about without separating. When this is the case, there is certain to be a queen in the centre of the lump. I have sometimes found them dead in the lump, and believe that occasionally the bees smother them by clustering so tightly round them. If the knots of bees are found, secure them under a tumbler, and saturate them with thin honey or molasses. Put a lump in each hive, and divide the bees. The honey will cause the bees to separate, and release the queen. Th«» other bees will gather round to lick up the honey, and will %.- 33 receive her all right. It is well to remember that ' there is not always a queeu with each swarm that clus- ters together. Of course if there is only one queen, two cannot be found. A queen may not have come out with each swarm, or one may have fallen down and been lost. If there should be only one queen, and you desire to separate the bees so as to increase your stocks as fast as possible, go to either of the parent stocks and take out a card of comb that has a queen cell on it. Put in a hive and fill up the rest of the hive with empty combs. If combs are. not on hand, the bees should have a queen cell given them that would come at least within two days, or the bees would build too much drone comb to be profitable. Another wayto dispose of them would be if there is a small se- cond or third swarm in the yard that has been hived not more than three days, put the queenless part in with them, and a good strong stock will be the result. An- other way would be to hive the half with the queen. Set it in its place, cover it up with a sheet so that the others cannot enter it ; now scatter the remainder about, a few here and there. The bees will separate and return to the stocks where they belong. If left to return in a mass they would be almost sure to all enter one of the parent hives, and the part that did not be- long there would sometimes be killed. When bees are returned, they usually stvarra again in a few days, and have a queen with them. Ques. 40. swarming 1 "What are the advantages of artificial Ans. (1.) Where artificial swarms are made, no swarms are lost bj'- flight to the woods. (2.) The api- arian can choose his own time for swarming his bees, and the time and trouble of watching his bees the whole of the swarming season is avoided. Strong stocks of beos that could well spare a ^warm frequen t »■ pft 84 ]y refuse to swarm at all, even after being watched the whole season. By artificial swanning you are sure of iacroase. The swarraing is in the hands of the apiarian. He can increase or limit the swarraing to suit the season and his wants. Ques. made ? 41. When should artificial swarms be Ans. Artificial swarms should not be mado until the drontiS appear, and stocks are scrong and full of bees . Tittsy should never be made when there is a scarcity of honey or in bad weather. As a rule bees may be divided any time after they begin to work in the honey boxes, provided the weather is good. If a fertile queen is on hand to give to the queenless part, they can be divided two weeks sooner. If a mature cell is given them, they may be divided a week or t^i days sooner than if left to develope a queen from brood. Ques. 42. swarms 1 I>escribe the method of making artificial Ans. To those using only box hives, I would em- phatically say, do not attempt to make artificial swarms, as they will in most cases prove only a source of loss, trouble, and annoyance. The way to do it is to drive into an empty hive a little more than half the bees and the old queen. Move the parent hive to a new stand, and set the new hive in its place. There are a number of methodk practised for making artificial swarms. Most bee-keepers who use moveable comb hivts have some favorite way of making new colonies. I will first describe the method adopted by me, as it differs from any now before the public in some respects. About ten or twelve days before I intend makins; my artificial swarms — ^genertdly about the middle of May, but soon-, er or later according to the strength of the bees, earli- g watched the |rou are sure of hands of the swarming to I swarms be be made until ong and full of hen there is a As a rule bees ^n to work in is good. If a queenless part, If a mature ed a week or te a queen from oaking artificial es, I would em- rtificial swarms, a source of loss, io it is to drive lalf the bees and to a new stand, re are a number tificial swarms, omb hivLshave ies. I will first 3 it differs from aspects. About ing my artificial May, but soon- - the bees, earli- 35 ness of the season, &o. — I select a strong stock, look over the combs, find the queeu, put her in a wire cloth cage, tie over the end of the cage a small bit of thin cotton, and put back -all the combs. I now go to ano- ther strong stock and take out two combs. One of them should have plenty of worker brood in it j the other should contain chiefly honey. Look carefully over the two combs until sure the queen is not on them. If she is on them, return her to the hive, out a hole in the comb close to the brood, but where there is some honey for the queen to feed on, and put in the queen, cage and all. Now set the frame in an empty hive close to one side, but leave room enough for the bees clustering over the brood. Put the frame, containing mostly honey, in ne^t to it, and fill up with «mpty frames, or combs, if on hand. There should be bees enough to cover the brood. If there are not enough, some bees may be shaken in with them from other cards of comb. Now move the parent stock away to another stand, and set the hive with the two combs in its place. The next day, in the evening, take out the queen cage, drop some thin honey through the wire until the queen is well smeared with it, so she cannot fly ; now take her out carefully, and put her in with the bees, and she will be well received. If by bad weather coming on or any other cause the swarm should be too weak for profit, give it a frame or two of worker brood from a strong colony. The result of this process is that you have a strong colony queenless. They have not been weakened by taking away any of the brood or bees, and they will generally build eight or ten queen cells. Those cells, all but one, are to be cut out ten or eleven days froR!i the time they were made queenless, and im- mediately used to form new colonies with. If more cells are wanted than is likely to be built in one stock, a strong stock may be made queenless in the same manner every two or three days, or all the cells may be cut out of them when ready, and another card 36 of comb containing young larvo) and eggs bo given thetu, and they will construct queen-cellH again and again aa often as brood is given them. The colls to be used may be out out one at a time, and the comb from which thoy are taken returned to the hive. If more are cut out at once, while you are forming a colony with one, the otlicrs are apt to get chilled if the air is cool, or if laid in the suu tlie heat may destroy them. • Cut out the cells with a sharp thin-bladed pen-knife, leaving about an inch of comb attached to the upper end of the cell. Now proceed to make your new colo- nies according to the directions given above; only in- stead of the caged queen, 3'ou will insert a queen cell. Cut a hole the shape of a wedge, the large end up, in the comb among the young brood, where the bees will cluster on it and keep it warm. Make the comb attached to the cell a little wedging in shape, and put it in so that as it lowers it will fasten itself. If it will not stay otherwise, a little piece of comb can be squeez- ed between the fingers and put in over it, so as to tighten it. If it will only stay in, the bees will fasten it secure as soon as they cluster upon it. Great care should be taken not to press or injure the cell in hand- ling it. Three or four days after examine and see' if the young queen is out all right. About one queen cell in twenty-five will be destroyed. In the year 1869, I made fifty Italian stocks in this way, putting a cell raised from Italian brood in each one. I only lyst two cells.. Those were evidently de- stroyed by the bees, as they were torn open at the Bides. If the young queen is not to be found, another cell should be given to them. If they are found weak, build them up by giving them combs of brood from other stock'" that are strong. 37 When dividing swarms, the entrance to each should 1)6 uonHtructed ho that only two or three bees can pass in and out at a tinio, to keep out the cool air and pre- vent robbing. The advantage of this method of making swarms is that queen coll is obtained two weeks sooner than it would be safe to divide the bees, and liave one patt to build cells. And a stock when divi<'ijd, and a mature queen coll is given to the queenless part, it will not be more than two or three days before it has a queen, and the swarm will build but little if any drone comb in that time. It will be easy to ascertain where there is but two or three combs, if the swarm has a queen. And there will be no trouble of cutting out this queen cells to prevent swarming. Again, by this method all swarms may be made early about two weeks in advance of natural swarming, and every bee-keeper knows that the surplus honey is ob- tained every year from the early svarras, or those that swarmed but once. It is best to malie swarms always in the middle of a warm day, as the bees are less irri- table, and there will be less danger of chilling the brood. Another method of making swarms, and a very safe one, is to select two strong and populons stocks, anij take four frames of comb, and brood from each ; brush back all the bees into their respective hives, put the combs into an empty hive, placing those combs that have iheJj0St brood on the outside. Fill up the vacant spaces ''wTth empty frames, then move a populous stock five yards or more from its location, and set the new hive with the combs in it on its stand. The bees that are roaming the fields will enter it. Nurse the brood and raise a queen. In ten or eleven days after the hive piust be opened, and all the queen cells but one cut out, or swarms will issue and spoil the colony. To ■ 38 make swarms by this method, always choose the early part of a fine warm day, when the bees are flying briskly. Another method is to divide by taking out of the parent hive two cards of combs. Put them and all the bees that are clustered on them, and the queen, into the centre of an empty hive; move the parent hive away five yards or more, and set the one containing the queen, two cards of comb, and the bees that are on them, on the old stand. The parent stock must be looked over ten days after, and all the queen cells cut out except one. The parent stock, while queenless, will be almost certain to build the two empty fmmes put in full of drone comb. For this reason, and because of the trouble of finding the queen in a hive overflowing with bees, I do not like it so well as the other methods described. Ques. 43. What rules should be carefully observed when making artificial swarms? « Ans. (1.) Be sure that the stock is populous enough. If swarmed when too weak it will be robbed of its pow- er to generate heat for breeding. When this is the case, both swarms will not breed half as fast as the one would if it had not been divided. '(2.) Swarms should never be made when honey is scarce or when the weather is bad. (3.) If frames of empty comb are on hand, they should always be given to the queenless part. (4.) If the queenless part is given a mature queen cell, it will have a fertile queen about twelve days sooner than if left to rear one from worker brood. And it will be less trouble to insert a queen-cell than to have to cut out all the cells but one to prevent warms from issuing. 39 (5.)|| When empty frames are put into queenless stocks tbey should be put in next the sides of the hive, so that if drone comb is built in them it will be used to store honey in instead of raising a horde of useless drones. When empty frames are put into stocks that have a queen and a good stock of bees, it is best to put them in the centre of the hive alternately — first a full one, and then an empty one, and the frames will be filled rapidly, and the bees will breed faster. (6.) It is always best to have a stock or two in the yard to supply comb and brood to any that may be ^eak. (7.) Stocks that are raising queens should be examin- ed in about three weeks from the time they were made, or if given a mature queen cell in twelve days, to see if they have a fertile queen. If there are no eggs, and the queen cannot be found, introduce a fertile queen or a queen cell, or give them two or three combs of brood and eggs. This will not only give them the means of rear- ing a queen, but will strengthen them greatly, Ques. 44. How can bees be quieted and handled without danger from their stings ? Ans. The whole secret of taming bees is very simple. When a honey bee has his sack full of honey or liquid sweet it will not sting of its own accord. Hence bees may be tamed by sprinkling them over with thin honey or sweetened water. They cannot endure to see honey or molasses going to waste, and will always accept of it,, and fill their sacs to their utmost capacity. If bees have smoke blowed upon them when in their hive, they become alarmed,, and retreat before the smoke, and seeming to think that their honey is to be taken from them, they rush to the cells, and cram themselves with honey. They may now be handled with impunity, and will not sting unless compelled by pressure to do so. If 40 the hive ia shut up, and you then rap on the hi«e for a few minutes with a stick, it will alarm the bees, and they will fill, themselves, and may be handled without danger from their stiogs. Ques. 45. Describe th» method of opening a move- able comb hive 1 Ans. Have a roll of cotton rags about an inch in diameter, or a piece of half rotten wood, commonly called touchwood ; set fire to one end ; go to the hive you wish to open, blow a few whifis of smoke into the ' entrance, and then wait a minute or two, and blow in Diore smoke. Now contract the entrance so that only one or two bees can pass in at the same time. Take off the moveable cover, and blow in some smoke at the top of the hive. In my hive it is best to raise one of the honey boxes a little, but not sufficient to let out any of the bees, and blow in some smoke. After the bees are driven back with the sraolke, lift off one of the honey boxes, and blow a little more smoke in among the combs. The strongest stock may in this way be sub- dued in five or ten minutes. Now take off the other honey box and the comb frame stops that- cover the end of the frames. You can take them off with your fingers by lifting the outside edge first. Sometimes it is necessary to separate small bars of comb that connect one comb to another with a knife. Now take hold of the end of the frames with your fingers, raise them a little, and move two of them together a little (but not enough to crush the bees on them) so as to have a little more room next the outside comb. Then lift the out- side comb out first. In all moveable comb hives bees will sometimes build their combs somewhat crooked, and will always build them more or less wavy ; or in other words a comb will be full and prominent on one side and there will be a corresponding depression in the adjoining comb, so that it cannot be lifted straight out without breaking the combs ; and sometimes two combs 41 opening a move- rs, raise them a S8 wavy ; or in will be attached to one frame. And here the bee keeper finds thatinmost hives he cannot get the frames out with- out braaking the combs to pieces. When this is the case, it is evident that the hive is but little if any better than a common box hive. This di^culty is entirely over- come when my hive is used. If the frames will not come out readily, take a small chisel or screw diiver, put it into the hole made for the purpose in the centre of the deet, and pry out the moveable end. There is no difficulty in getting it out, as the shape of the hive is such that it cannot fasten except when the bees glue It, and there will be no danger of the combs being broken, as the bees are compelled to build a straight face on the side of the comb next the moveable end, in order to leave room for themselves to get to the ends of their cells. Both ends may be taken out, but it is sel- dom necessary to take out more than one. When the moveable end is out, crooked combs can be taken out without difficulty. If two combs are fastened to one frame, put your hand in where the end came out, and cut it apart with a knife. It will be necessary with most hives to have a chisel or screw driver to pry the frames loose^ But with my hive it will not be needed unless you wish to take out the moveable end. When examining hives, it is well to have an empty hive on hand to put the frames in, as th^y are taken out, and as you put them in, cover them up to keep away robbers. If you wish to set my frtimes down, turn them bottom up, and lean them against the side of the hive. If it is necessary to examine hives when honey is scarce, it is best to take them inside some building, where the robbers will not trouble. Set an empty hive in its place to catch the bees that may oe out until the hive is returned. 42 Ques. 46. When is the best time to open moveable «omb hives 1 Ans. The best time is during the warm part of the day, when the bees f^re flying. Early in the mofning and late in the evening, and also on cool and cloudy days, it is always more difficult to subdue and handle bees. Especially avoid opening hives after sundown, as they wUI be almost sure to sting. Ques. 47. How can bees and combs be transferred from the box hive to the moveable comb hives 1 Ans. Blow some smoke into the entrance of the box hive you wish to transfer, and rap on it for a minute or two until the bees fill themselves with honey. Now move the hive away to a shaded place, and set an empty hive in its place ; now proceed to drive out the bees. Turn the hive carefully upside down. Have ready a driving box. (An empty hive will do.) Put it on the old hive, so that it will fit closely mouth to mouth, wrap a cloth round where the hives unite, so that not a bee can escape. Now take a light stock and xap smartly round the lower hive for twenty or twenty-five minutes, and the bees will ascend into the empty hive. Lift it carefully off, and put it on tho old stand. Now pry off the side of the hiVe next to the face of the combs, and cut out a comb and lay it on the table. Now lay on a frame, and mark inside. Now trim off the comb, 60 that when fitted into the frame it will be in about the same position (top edge up) that it occupied in the old hive. If a comb is not large enough to fill a frame, take two pieces ; cut a straight face to each ; put them together, and then mark out and trim them. It is best to cut the combs a trifle larger than the the inside of the frames, and spring the frame over them. The frames of my hive, being somewhat wedge shape and not very wide, make them particularly moveable . )art of the le mofaing tnd cloudy Ind handle sundown, transferred eal ) of the box k minute or ley. Now and set an Lve out the wrn. Have I do.) Put j^ mouth to Qite, so that ck and rap twenty-five impty hive, rnd. Now ^ the combs, Now lay rthe comb, e in about pied in the II a frame, ; put them r than the rame over rhat wedge articularly 43 adapted for holding combs that are transferred. To hold the combs into the frames, put through the sides of the frame small pins of wood about two inches long. Now put the frames of comb into an empty hive. Set it on the old stand and shake the bees out of the box, and let them run into it. ^ Ques. 48. What rules should be observed when transferriTig bees ? - ' Ans. (1.) Be careful not to injure the brood, and put it together as compact as you can, so that the brood will be in the centre of the hive as much as possible. * (2.) Always do it on a warm day, so that the brood will not get chilled. (3.) The best time is when the white clover be- gins to blossom. If the stock has cast a swai*m, it ^ould not be transferred until a young queen has be- come fertile, about three weeks after it has cast a swarm. (4.) Leave out all the drone comb and the drone brood. The drone comb that has honey in and the scraps should be put in a honey box, and set on the top of the hive if the bees need it, and they will soon cairy the honey down into the body of the hive. (6.) If there are other bees near by, the transfer- ring should be done in some out building, where robber bees can be kept out, or the stock is almost sure to be ruined by robbers. Ques 49. How can the largest amount of surplus honey be obtained ) Ans. Carefully observe the following rules : 44 . (1 .) Be oareftd not to allow the bees to over Rwarra and weaken themselves too much. Weak swarms ne- ver lay up surplus honey. (2.) The boxes should be large, but not more than five inches deep. They should have glass on at least one side, to see when the bees have filled them. Bees will not store as much honey by about one quarter in a number of boxes that will hold only four or five pounds each as they would in boxes that will hold from fifteen to twenty pounds each. (3.) Blvery hive should have two honey boxes. Turn over one box first so the bees can enter it (Put a piece of clean comb in it, if you have any, to inducQ the bees to commence early.) When this box is about one third full, turn over the other. The result will be that when the first box is filled, the second one will be about half full. Now take ofi^ the fuil box, and put on an empty one immediately on, an4 so continue through' out the season. By this method you will have room for the whole colony to work to advantage throughout the season. When a hive has only one honey box, and it is more than half full, nine-tenths of the bees must remain idle while 'the tentii part are filling the re- maining portion of the box. And again, when the box is removed, the bees seem instinctively to know that they have been robbed, and are very reluctant to com- mence again in an empty box ; and if honey be not very plentiful, they will seldom commence again for four or five days, and often do no more for the season. to (4.) After the bees have commenced in the honey boxes, if the weather is very hot, and the bees cluster- ing outside the hive, when flowers are plentiful, remove the front stop that covers the ends of ihe frames, set it up edgeways close to the honey box, letting the thick edge rest down cm the frames. Baise the front of the outside cap and shift it back until it will touch the stop, 45 ' and let it rest oa the moyeable ends. This will not only give them ample ventilation, but the beiefa will • have a short road directly into the honey boxes, with- out passing through the body of the hive, and they will store more honey. But if the weather is rather cool,or if the stock is not very strong, it should not be done. Under such circumstances it would dimish the amount of surplus honey. (6.) By using my patent honey boxes directly over the frames, they are so constructed that the bees and heat of the hive can enter them from every card of comb ; thus enabling the bees to store as much honey in them as they would in the body of the hive. Ques. 50. V^hen should honey boxes be put on ? Ans. The honey boxes should be prt <^ old stocks about the time the white clover commences to blossom. They should not be put on young swarms for five or six days after they are first hived. When putting on boxes, it is well to blow in some smoke, to drive the bees down out of the way. Ques. 51. What is the best plan of taking ofi* honey boxes and getting rid of the bees t Ans. In taking off boxes of honey, most apairians recommend to blow smoke under them. But this should never be done ; for when smol^e is blown on them they bite open the cells in the box, and fill themselves with honey. This causes the>honey in the box to leak i moi-e or less, and the bees being full of honey ,are reluc- tant to fly, and sometimes will not all leave the box. If no smoke is used, the bees will leave in half the time* When you wish to take off boxes, pry them loose ftt both ends,.i^d put in a small bit of wood under each end, but not thick enough to raise it sufficient to let out the bees. Let it remain for about five minutes, for 46 • the excitement caused by loosening the box to cease. Then lift the box gently and slowly up, and step back for two or three steps, and then walk deliberately away with it, and there will bfe little or any danger of fi;etting stung. In putting on another box, drive tJie bees out of the way with a little smoke, or slide the box on from the side, so as to push the bees out of the way, and not kill them. The boxes as taken off may be set in some out-building, and left bottom up, so that the bees will come out rapidly. Leave the door open for the bees to escape, and it is seldom that any of the bees will return to carry honey from the box. If bo:(es are left until honey in the flowers is scarce, it will be necessary to put the boxes in a barrel or tight box, and cover with a white sheet. The bees, seeing the light, will leave the boxes and cling to the sheet. It should be turned over and over until all the bees have left. Que&. 52. How are queens usually lost ? Ans. If queens are lost when there are eggs or young larvae in the hive^bees will rearanotherqueen. (See ques. '5.) All virgin queens must run some risk of Deing lost in their flight to meet the drones for impregnation, and if lost at this time, it is always fatal to the stock ; be- cause the colony have no brood from which they can rear another queen. The first swarm being accom- panied with the old queen that is already impregnated, will run no risk of being lost. But the old stock from which the swarm came, and all after swarms, will have young queens that will fly ouc to meet the drones when they are four or five days old. During the queen's flight she may be caught by birds, or some other acci- dent may befall her ; but it is usually the result of placing hives too close together. The younff queen on returning, is liable to make a mistake, and enter an- other hive, and is sure to be slain. There is another way the queens are lost, that has probably escaped the cease. |p back iy away Jfl;ettiDg lees out ]>n from id not p young Mqiies. inglost on, and ck; be- ley can acoom- Sfnaled, k from II have I when [ueen's r aoci- sult of >en on er an- Dotber 9d the 47 notice of all previous writers. During the year 1 869 I was raising a great many Italian queens. I had s warms of black bees that were coming off during the time those queens were making their bridal tour. When hiving the black bees, I repeatedly caught a bright Italian queen with them. As I had no Italians that were allowed to swarm naturally, the wonder was where the Italian queens came from. By examining those swarms where I had inserted Italian queen cells seven or eight days previously, I found in every instance that a queen was missing, and when the queen was put back the bees received her all right, thus showing that it w:as their own queen. I may add that those hives had been examined three days after the cells had been put in, to see that they had come out all right, and the young queens were found on the combs. From the above, and similar observations since, I am led to believe that if a queen meets a swarm just issued from a hive when on her bridal tour, she is attracted by their peculiar hum, and unites with them, and the hive where she belongs is left queenless. The only way to prevent queens be- ing lostvin this way, is to make all swarms artificially, and so prevent natural swarms from issuing. y Ques. 53. queen ? What are the indications of thel oss of the Ans. The motherless colony will exhibit marked signs of distress, especially early th« next morning after thd loss. The bees will be seen running about the hive up its sides. Some will fly a short distance off, and re- turn again. This agitation will often be seen for a week or more. , If it be an after swarm lately hived, the bees will sometimes all leave and join anothei* swarin. A stock of bees ^vhile queenless build almost all drone comb. If on opening the hive of a young t (. 48 ■warm it is seen that three-fourths of the oonbs are drone, it is almost certain that the stock is queenless. Another indication that a stcck is queenless, is, when the drones are allowed to live after other stocks have killed them off. A queenless stock never destroys their drones, but there are occasionally stocks that are not queenless that allow their drones to live a month or more after other stocks have destroyed their drones ; but such cases are rare. An experienced bee-keeper will seldom fail to de- tect a queenless stock by the action of the bees. They hang around the hive in a careless, sluggish way. They do not repel moths or robber bees witii half the courage or vigor that is manifested by a stock that has a fertile queen. Whenever a stock begins to get weak in numbers, or any of the above indicatiozui are seen, opei)i the hive at once, and see if there are any brood or eggs. If there are none, look for the queen, and if she cannot be found they should have a queen given them with as little delay a^ possible. Ques. 54. What should be done with queenless stocks 1 Ans. If a stock is found queenless when the bees first beein to fly in spring, it is best to break it up and unite the bees with another stock that is weak, but that has a fertile queen. If they ha.ve honey in frames, it can be given to any stock that is in want by ex- changing frames, or if box hives are used, it can be fed at the top of the hive and covered with the cap. If a stock is found queenless after drones begin to fly, give it a fertile queen, if one can be spared, or if you have after swarms to come off", give it a second or third swarm. Blow some smoke into the queenless stock, and then hive the new swarm with them. ;•. ' -49 If you have no fertile queen or after sv. nn to come off, give them a queen cell nearly mature, or give them H frame or two of worker brood and eggs. This will not orly enable them to rear a queen, but greatly bti-engtfaen them. Whenever queenless stocks are to be saved, some plan must be adopted to keep up their strength, until they have mature brood of their own, or else they are sure to fall a prey to moths or robber bees. Always supply them with bees from natural swarms, or give them a frame of worker brood from strong stock. Ques. 65. How can boes be united successfully 1 Ans. There is but little difficulty in uniting swarms, early in the spring before they have commenced labor for the season, or during the swarming season, vfhen honey is plenty. To unite early in the spiing, or in cool weather in the fall, take out the combs with the bees adhering to them, and put them together in the same hive, leaving out the frames that have the least honey and those that contain no brood. Smoke them a little until the fill themselves with honey. Second swarms are worth but little, if hived sepa^ rately. Two or three of them should be united. (See questica 36.) They will then seldom fail to fill their hive and make a good stock to winter. Swarms that issue the same day will unite without quarrelling. But if you put a second or third swarm in with one that have been hived for some time, it will be neces- sary to smoke them well with tobacco smoke, and it will be well to sprinkle them with thin honey if on hand, and then introduce the others with them at once. Watch them for some time. If they commence to fight, ■moke them again until they quit. In the autumn when honey is scarce, if you wish to m K ,■*■ M unite stocks in moveable comb hives, move the strong- est one of the two from its stand. Set an empty box hive in its place. % Take out the frames, wing off the bees in front of the box, and let them run in. Fetch the other swarm to it, and wing them off the same in the box. Now select all the best combs of brood and . honey, and arrange them nicely in one of the hives, and then hive the bees into it, like a natural swarm, and they will not quarrel. If at a time when the weather is warm and the bees can flj , some of them will be apt to return to their old location. To pre- vent this, they may be shut up for a day or two. Put a board over the top of the hive, with a hole four inches square through it, and covered with wire cloth to give them plenty of air, and if the weather is warm shade it from the sun. Ques. 56. How can it be known when bees are robbing ' . * Ans. Whenever honey is scarce, bees will be in- clined to rob each other. This is often a source of loss and vexation to the bee-keeper. It is difficult for the inexperienced to distinguish between the honest in- habitants of a hive and the robbers. An expert bee-keeper will, however, detect a robber at once by its actions. When attempting to enter a hive, it will not alight and go honestly in, but will dart forward and then away again in a cowardly, roguish manner, always trying to enter where there is no guard to oppose its entrance. When robbing hea commenced to any extent, there will often be seen a number of bees around one bee, each one pulling and biting it, and one ready to take its honey if it has any. k Again, when bees that are robbing come out of a 51 bive with their load, they always run a little way from the entrance, and fly up with their head towards the hive, lising up slowly and heavily, making a circle or two in opder that they may know their way back for another load. If this is seen late in the evening, when other swarms are quiet, they are certain to be rr»bbers. During the breeding season, about noon on fine days, the young bees sally . out in considerable numbers tu play in the air. They also turn their heads towards the hive similar to a robber bee, when they take wing. This flight of the young bees so closely resembles the bustle of robbers that it is difficult to discover the dif- ference. Those young bees are lighter in color, and do not fly far from the hive before they return. It should be remembered, also, that young bees never fly except for an hour or two in the middle of warm days. If you cannot tell them by these peculiarities, kill one or two of them as they come out of the hive, and examine them. If their sacs are full of honey, they are robbers. Another way to tell is to sprinkle flour upon them, and then watch and see if they enter other hives. When robbing is goin^ on in a large apiary, and the robbers are fully to work at a stock (except when the weather is cool) it may be known by the cross disposi- tion of the bees. At such times one can hardly walk among them without being attacked. The whole api- ary will often be in a commotion, and fighting and kill- ing more or less at every hive. When such is the case, the bee-keeper may rest assured that there are one or more stocks in the yard that are being robbed in a wholesale manner, and should endeavor to stop it at once. ^ Ques. 57. What rules should be observed to pravent robbing 1 > Ans. (1.) It should be remembered that prevention is 52 ♦ bett^' than cure. Therefore never crowd hives togelfa- er in bee sheds so close to each other that the hives are only a ioot or two apart. When they are so thick it is very difficult to tell when robbing is going on ; and again, if one hive in a shed is robbed as soon as there is no more honey in it, or if it is removed, the robbers will attack the next, and so keep on until all tare ruined. Bees after they have robbed one hive become perfectly infatuated, and will riish into another hive near by in thousands, although they may be slain as fast as they enter. Therefore set all hives at least ten feet apart. More would be better, if there is plenty of room in the yard. (2.) In the spring of the year observe the strength of all your stock, and close the entranoe of all weak ones, 8o that only one or two bees can pass in at once. The stronger stock may be left so th&t three or four bees can pass at once. If any of the stock is very weak, as Moon as any of the stronger ones can spare it, take a card or two of brood from them and give it to the weak ones, and when all are strong spare no |)ains to keep them so. (3.) As soon as honey begins to fail in the fall, keep a close watch, especially on the weakest stocks. If the robbers commence early in the fall at a stock it is usu- ally queeul»ss. It' should then be examined, and see if it is queenless, and if it has but a weak supply of bees it is generally best to sweep the bees from the combs and put them in with another stock. If there is a stock in the yard that is weak, and has a fertile queen, a good stock may be made out of the two. (4.) Be careful to leave no refuse bits of honey about whei-e the bees can get at them, for they are sure to ex> cite the bees to rob. Feeding bees also has a tendency to induce robbing. 63 To avoid this, always feed in the evening, so that the bees may store the food, and the excitement caused by feeding them be over before morning. Ques. 58. How can robbing be stopped 9 Ans. When it is discovered that robbing is com- menced, shut up the hive so that only one bee can pass at a time, and see that the hive doe^ not get choked up altogether. If many robbers cluster round the en- trance, sprinkle them until they are nearly drowned with cold water. This hydropathic treatment will cool their thievish propensity very suddenly, and as soon as their jackets are dry, they will return home apparently ashamed of their conduct. If you cani\pt. succeed in stopping them in this way, after sundown stop the hive entirely. Provide upward ventilation, using wire cloth to keep the bees in, and remove the hive to a cellar or some dark place for three or four days, when they may be returned to the stand in the evening, and opened so that only one or two bees can pass in at once. Those who use my hive will find it admirably adapted to prevent robbing. The inclined bottom gives the bees an immense advantage over the robbers or moths or any other insects that attempt to enter. Again, the hive is so constructed that the bulk of the honey is stored at the top of the hive. Bees instinct- ively store their honey as far from the entrance as pos- sible, always clustering below it to protect it. My hive being large at the top where the honey is stored, and small at the bottom where the bees cluster, it does not require more than half the number of bees to protect the stores that are required in hives that have a broad surface at the bottom. When my hive is used, if rob- bing is commencey- ed with the moth-worm except they are queenle£». When I see a bee-keeper spending nearly all h^ time in chasing moth-millers and hunting out the wormis, and setting traps to destroy them, &c., while he totally n^lects his bees, and allows them to over^swarm, tb become queenless, t ed when nej. The rames by removing leir place. H>x hives, that need , boxes of soon as d not do eather to my hive ley board 9, and the tt will be off three ther one. into it in ck syrup suKar) it itake the m flat on ilf pitch, enough the cells d of the hen turn ,and they b the top the cells. }, are apt ihealthy. 57 (4.) Bees may be fed ia my hive in the easiest pos- sible way. When the weather is warm, early iu the fall, take a large pan that will hold enough honey to winter the bees, ^ill in the honey. Bi-eak into it bits of old comb about au inch square, until the surface is well covered with it, so that the bees will not drown in the honey. Lift the hive from its place, and set on the pan. Draw out th^ alighting board, and drop down the bottom of the hive, and set the hive back over the pan. A little of the honey may be smeared on the bottom of the hive to start the bees at the feed. Now put the alighting board in for a door, and turn the buttons. See that the base sets down close, so that not a single bee can get out. Give upward venti- lation by tacking wire cloth over the bottom of a honey box ; take off the glass and set it on ; leave the bees shut up a day or two until all the honey ia carried up into the hive; putthe pan injust before dark when all the bees are at home. By this process all the feeding is done at once, and not a robber can interfere. If the weather is cold, it will be necessary to feed at the top of the >hive in the honey boxes. Put in a shallow dish or saucer (a flower pot saucer is best), break it half full of bits of comb, or put in some cut straw ; bore a hole with a half-inch bit through the top of the box ; pour the feed through the hole as often as the saucer is emptied, and stop up the hole with a (5.) When bees have honey sufficient to carry them safely through the winter until the first of April, it is best not to feed io-the fall but to feed in the spring in small quantifies. About one pound every other day, and feed regularly until flowers are abundant. Fed in this way, it will not only keep the bees alive, but stim- ulate them to raise a large amount of brood, so that when flowers appear they will be strong in numbers. IS "i 08 Candy may be fed to bees to good advantage by ma- king a crib two inches deep, the size of the top of the hive. Set it on directly over the frames ; lay the candy sticks on the frames erossways of each other, so as to leave room for the bees to crawl through them in every direction. Covjjr over the crib with boards; lay over the boards and around the sides of the crib several thicknesses of old thick cloth, if the bees are to be wintered out of doors ; put over all the outside cap, and , the bees will cluster among the candy and feed on it even in the coldest weather, if thera is a good swarm of bees. It has been said thai bees will not winter on candy alone. In order to test it I took one season a swarm of t)ees that had only about one pound of honey in the fall. I gave them about seven pounds of candy on the frames as directed above. They passed through a severe winter successfully, and came out strong in the Spring. Probably there is no feed as cheap as candy, as a pound of it lasts a swarm about aa long as two pounds of honey or sugar syrup. (6.) Whatever method is adopted to feed bees, the i^reatest care should be taken to prevent robbing. When a swarm of bees are fed, it excites them to fly out in great numbers,and they are careless about guard- ing the hive. Robbers that are running around seem instinctively to knew this, and p,t once attempt to rob them. For this reason it is best always to feed at night just after sunset, and always contract the en- trance so that only one or two bees can pass. (7.) Aa a rule, it seldom pays to winter many light stocks that need feeding, especially when the work has not been done early in the fall. It is far ba the I stock dry 01018- . A wet. way vent h the f knife three-fourth of an inchsquar. , to enable the U«h in very cold weather to reach theii litorea without (mv- ' ing the clnster to crawl arouod the edge of tb j frame. It is not HO necessary in my hive, beoa.He t%e frames are not very wide. Therefore I ha\ i never taken the ' trouble. ""¥01^ the last three years, while using my ' 've and wintering in the open air, I have been vei*y 81. pojpulated again much faster than the black bees do. ; ' . • (4.) They gather honey from flowertf thft the black . bees do not frequent. I have frequently seen them ^working on the second grgwth^ of red clover ^^ but I ^ ''^are never yet seen th0 lAauck bioes work upon it. Ques. 71. How can a stock Hidth success? of bees be' Italianised M'- " Ans. Look over the combs and find the black queen and remove her. NoW piit the Italian queen into a ifrtre,.citge> and introduce according to directions given in question 42: Ih about three months^ if lin the biieedingsesson,. nearly all the stock will be Italians. Quels. 72. How can a large i4>aiiy be Italianised 1 Ans. Firsti be sure to get a pure Italian queen. In- troduce her in a strong stocdc,'' after removinff the black '^queen. Leave her in a week. Then take her out, and ; introduce her into another stock. The queenlesii istock will build queen cells from her brood. Those cells, all but one, are to be cut out in aboyit ten, days„and re- move as many black queens as you have queen cells, and insert a, queen cell according to directions given in question 42. B^move the Italian queen ims often as necessary. To get the number of cells want^, go over every stock untUall have Italian mothers. Th^ queens .the first season will probably nearly all matct with black drones. The worker bees from tttem will be hy- breds, but the drones will be pure. Hence the next n seaaon^i^il the dron«s in the itpiary being pure Italians, t^9 work will be half done. Then rear another qneen for each hive from the qriginal pure one. There now being iidne but pure drones in the apiary, the young queens will seldom mate with a black drone. Should there be one mate with a black drone, it may easily be l^nown by the workers being hybrids. When this is the case, remove her and introduce another, or give another queen cell. Ques. 73. Describe the honey extractor and its usiBs) Ans. The honey extractor is a maqhine in which combs are emptied of their honey by means of centri- fugal force. When moveable comb hives are used, the outside frames and those containing the most honey can be taken out of the hive; the bees swept off with a' small wing or goose quill ; then with a sharp honey Knife, shave off the caps, if the honlSy is sealed over. Then place the comb, frame, and all into the honey ex- tractor. Give it a few turns, and sdl the honey will fly out of one side. Then change sides with the combs, and throw the honey out of the other side. Put the combs back into the hive, and they will soon be filled again and may be emptied as oiften as filled. The bees, not having to build any comb, will store nearly double the amount of Iiouey, but the honey will npt be as saleable as that stored in boxes. Still there is biit little doubt but that the honey extractor yfHi shortly coDuS into general use, because it will be found that extracted honey can be sold for about one-thii'd less than box honey. Ques. 74. What care do bees need in January I Ana. Bees that are housed should not be disturbed any more than is actually necessary to see that all is ■f- 74 right. Bees that are wintered in tho open air shyald be allowed to fly when the weather is luild and the sun -warm, unless there is light uewly-fallen snow on the groand, in which case the hive should be shaded bj C'ting a board before it. Wbeii hives are donble- rded, the bees will. not come oat except when it is warm eDoug^i for them to risturn. If the weather is very cold, and there is plenty of snow on the ground, it may be shovelled on the hives to protect thera from the cold. (See ques. 62.) If the bees are in the box, and have no upward ventilation, examine the hives oc- casionally to see that the dead bees and ice do noi stop the entrance and smother the bees. Ques. 75. What care do bees need in February t Ans. Hives that have flat bottom boards should be cleansed whenever the weather is sufficiently warm for the bees to fly. Stocks that are short of stores may be fed with candy or honey. (See ques. 60.) Bees that are housed should be left undisturbed as mudi as possible. Should any become uneasy, it may be known by some of them leaving the hive and smearing the combs with feces. They should be set out of doors the first day that is warm enough for them toMy^and returned again atmght Ques. 76. What care do bees need in March t Ans. When warm days occur give the bees flour fof pollen. (See ques. 25.) Clean out all dead bees anijf filth out of flat-bottomed hives. R^pilate the entraneij according to the strength of the colony. Remove bees that are housed on warm days, and set them oH the stands where they are to remain during the seasbn. Be sure and feed all needy stocks, and keep a sharp lookout for robbers whenever the weather is wsorro. Ques. 77. What cure do bees need ia April t 8UD the >Ie- T6 Ans. The labors of the season fairly commence with bees in this month. Gontinne to give flour for |Mw[en until the bees begin to collect it from other •Quroes. Remove the absorbing material and stop all apwurd ventilation, so as to give the bees the benefit of lUi the heat they can generate. Immature bees or eggi may often be found on the bottom of the hives, and Are a sure indication that the bees have a laying quemu If no such indications appear, and the bees are if«»k, they should be examined to see that they are not qa«enlesil If queenless, add bees to a weak stock that juMft fartile queen. When examining hives, do it towards evening, and it will not bo likely to induce robbing. Be careful not to expose any honey or sweet for the bees to get a taste of, as it is sure to induce rob- bing. Turn box hives bottom up on a fine clear mom> ing, atul place them so that the sun will shine down be tween the oombs, and then see that there are no clumps of dead bees wedged in between the oombs. If there •re, remove them with a bent piece of wire. Feed all needy stooks until the apple trees Uossom. Quea. 78, What care do bees need in May 1 Aus. X^ not give the bees access to the boxes until the fir»t white clover blossoms appear, because it allows part of the heat to escape, and thereby retards breeding. As soon as boxes are put on, induce the bees to commence in them at once, by taking a piece of white comb and dipping one edge in melted bees wax,, and stick it fast in the top of the box before cooling. Give ventilation and entrance room according to the weather and the strength of the colony. If the bees are to be swarmed artificially, steps should be taken to- ward the endof tlie month to have queen cells ready for oine when wif^ted. (See ques. 42.) Should a stock be found queenless at this season, a 76 queen may be taken from a strong stock and given to it, leaving tlie strong stock to rear a queen. Stocks that are weak should have a comb or two of brood given to them, taken from strong stocks that can spare them. When examining stocks, if there is much drone comb in them, r move it, and put in worker comb, if oa hand, or place the drone comb at the sides of the hive where it will be used for storing honey in. All the hives that may be needed should be painted and ready for nse. White lead and linseed oil is the best paint. It stands the weather best, and is cooler both in sum- mer and winter. Ques. 79. What care do bees need in June) ^ Ans. Give honey boxes to all strong stocks as soon as the white clover blossoms. As soon as one box is partly full, givp another, so as to have plenty of room for every ber to work to advantage. (Seeqqes. 49.) If the WPather is hot, and stocks very strong, remove front stop of my hive. This will give the bees upward ventilation and a short ro:id to the honey boxes. If the bees are permitted to swarm naturally, close atten- tion will be required. Be very careful not to allow the bees to over swarm. One good swarm is enough to prevent swarming. (See ques. 34.) If any stocks seem less prosperous than others, the cause should bo sought for and removed. Ques. 80. What care do bees need in July t Ans. Bemove honey boxes as fast as fillied, and put empty ones immediately on. If boxes remain only for a few days after they are filled, the combs become darker, and the honey will not sell as well. Paste thick paper over the bottom of the honey boxes, and store them in a cool dty place, top side up, or take im- mediately to market. Return after swarms to the pa- . 79- vent hive, or unite two or three of them together. (See ques. 36.) Strengthen all weak colonies by giving them comb'^ of brood taken from strong Htooksi. When the yield of honey is very great, a strong stock will of- ten store its combs so full of honey as almost to stop breeding. The bees will then cluster idly about the en- trance. The remedy is to use thehouey extractor, or remove the outside {v ides of honey, and shift the. other frames out in the' . place, and put empty frames in the centre of the hive, and the bees will work as vigorous as a young swarm. Transferring may be done now. For directions see ques. 47. Ques. 81. What care do bees need in Augtist f Ana. The honey harvest will usually fail during this month. The bee-keeper should keep a sharp look- out for robber bees. They will try stocks that are queenless most. When this is observed, they should be examined, and if weak or queenless, take out the bees and unite them with another stock, and save the con- tents in the frames to feed other bees with. When opening hives, be careful that otW bees dia not commence to rob them, for if they once begiti, it will be hard to stop them. (See ques 45.) . Ques. 82. WTiat care do bees need in September ? 4 Ans. Scarcely any honey "will be obtained this month. Stocks that have not destroyed their drones are probably queenless, and sh^ uld be examined, and the remedy applied. Decide what stocks are to bo wintered, and if they have not sufficient honey, give them honey in frames, or feed str lined honey or thick syrup sufficient to carry the bees through the winter. (See ques. 60.) Stocks that are to be winterod should have about twenty-five pounds. 78 Quo8. 83. Wlutt care do bees need in October f Ans. All stocks that are to be wintered shonld have plenty of bees as well as honej. Take ap stocks that have not sufficient stores, and unite the bees with stocks that have pleoty of hotaey, but are weak in num- bers. Two light stocks may be made into one good one. Oontraot the entrance to the hives to prevent robbing. * Ques. 84. What care do bees need in November t Ana. If the directions for the previous months have been carried out, but little remains to be done, ex- cept to see that no robbing is done on warm days. If anything has been neglected, do it at once, if the weather will permit Ques. 85. What care do bees need in December 9 Ans. Prepare all stocks for Winter, aooording to directions given for ques. 62. Bees that are to be housed should be put in as soon as the winter has fairly set in. (See ques. 61.) . I 79 S» Sis iSITSSS&LL S PATENT COMBINED HIVE & BEE HOUSE. DESCRIPTION OF CUT. — "A," Moveable Cover. "B," Honey Box standing on its end — bottom view. "C," Ootob Frame drawn out. "D," Button to shut up door in Winter. "E," Robber Stop. "F," Bottom of Hive. "0," Alighting Board in Summer, and Door to shut up House in Winter. THE MOST F££FEOT« THE MOST USEFCTL, THE MOST DimABLE, xstt ' ORNAMENTAL HIVE EVER OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC. X- ADVANTAGES OF THE PATENT COMBINED HIVE & BEE HOUSE. 1st. It is a combined hive and boe house, the hive beins en- «liw^ in the house ; it requires no stool or bench, and there being a perfect hoUow wall all around the bees, and door to shut then^ up in winter, it require& no protection from heat in summer or cold in winter. 2nd. It is a self -cleansing hive, summer and winter; the bot- tom being «n inclined plane of half -pitch it is kept perfectly clean, leaving no dead bees, comb dust, or filth for the miller to deposit her eggs to hatch and destrpy the bees. It is so protected by the house and outside door that it may be opened wide in wmter sufficient to be perfectly self-cleansing, thus keeping the bees dry and healthy, and the combs from mould- ing, and saving labor to the bees end their owner, and also gives the bees the advantage of robben or insects entering the hive. 3rd. It has superior comb frames to any now in use, being of suteh a shape that only one small comer of the comb andhoney oc^es near the' entrance, enabling a weak swarm to protect themselves from robbing bees and miller?, and as they are raised out of the hive they clear theihselvtis more and more ; and as the bees do not have to build their combs so wide they build them straightrr. 4th. It has moveable ends that lift out readily, giving room to examine every comb without lifting them out of the hive. They lUso give room to Uft them when the combs are built wavy or crooked. They give room when necessary to put in two extra frames in strong stocks to be filled for table use, or to supply weak swarms for winter. 6th. The bottom is hung so as to close entirely or be opened to any size, thus giving the bees entrance room or ventilation as circumstances require it, and can be adjusted so as to shut out drones and destroy them when not wanted. 6ih. It has comb frame stops that cover the ends of frames, preventing the bees fro:^ glueing them fast. They also pre- vent the necessity of rabb'^ting or grooving inside of hive, and when said stops are taken off all the frames are loosened at once, so as to lift or slide them with ease. 7th. The honey boxes are constructed with strips, the open- ings coming directly over the spaces between the comb framesi so that the heat of hive and the bees can enter the boxes at 6Tery part. The queen and drones are excluded from the boxes, p turned c and whi honiety ei iteatW tioo wit fhifting ike box m, {hat is, the eni flying ii fthttttin 81 311. [en- to in boxes, preTnntinff all risk of brood, amd wben taken off and turned orer, the oees run directly out, leaving the honey pnre and white. The glass ends are easily removed, so that the honfaKy 6an' be tiken oat without breaking the boxes. n Slffh^ It^ wiU,mve m^, box hone^ than any other hive ; the beaiiand bees m the bodir of the hive comins; in direct connec- tioii with the boxes, and by turning over the front stop and •hlfting the cap a little back, the bees can enter directly into the boxes without passing through the body of the hive. 9th,. It has outside door that answers several purposes : that is, to close up for protectipn and warmth in winter; it keeps the entrance 'perfectly dark, so that the bees are not lost by flying in winter ; when weak swarms are being robbed, by fibuttinff this door for a day or two the robbing is stopped at once. This door forme an alighting board in summer, and can be drawn out to form ^ table to shuie bees on when hiving. 10th. It has robber stop for weak swarms, so that only one or two bees can pass in and out at the same time. 11th. The alighting board is large and' the entrance pro- tected from the weather, so that L ^es are not lost by falling around the hive and getting chilled in cold weather.- 12th. It is perfectly ventilated in winter ; the cold air pass- ing around under the bottom does not come directly to the bees. The entrance being perfectly dark, the bees remain in- active, and consume less honey. The glass is taken fr6m the ll^okci and they are stuffed with straw; they thus form a screen, letting the foul aif and moisture pass out and retaining l^eheat. 13th. Tt requires no bench or stool, is simple in all its part, and easily made, and does away with the necessity of expensive bee houses. Lastly. It has all the advantages of the moveable comb system, which enables the apiarian to have perfect command of every comb, to cut out moth nests or drone comb, to take honey from body of the hive, to give queen or brood to weak swM'ms, to psactice artificial swarming, to make two or moro weak swarms into one strong stock. It is the result of over twenty years' extensive experience in Bee Culture, and is guarantesdto possess greater and more ad- irautages than any other Hive, especially for wintering bees. It is warranted to be perfectly self- protecting, and self-cleaut>- ittg, even during the longest and most severe winters. Prices were awfirded to it at the Provincial Fairs held in Hamilton, 1868, and in Loudon, 1669. 82 TESTIMONIALS. NissouRX, Marob, 1871. Mb. S. H. Mitohku., — Sib, — 1 hare need your hive Tortwir seasons, and can safely say they are all you recommend them to he. They are the best for surplns honey I have ever used. The bees winter well in them without housing, and not a par^ tide of filth remains in them (I iring our longest winters. JOSIAfl WHETSTONE, ESQ. St. Mabym, December, 1868. * Mb. S. H. Mitchbll, — Sib,— The combined hive and bee house received from you 19th June last, with young sVarm of bees, has given perfect satisfaction. Although the honey set^on was cat short by the severe drouth, the body is well tilled, and I obtained 10 lbs. of pure box honey. Although ex- posed to the severe heat and sun of the past season, theubees worked admirably, and not a particle of honey melted down. I believe it is the most perfect hive I oversaw, and unequalled for surplus honey. JAMES L, BAKRON. STK/kTPOFD, Dec. 14th, 1868. ' S. H. Mitchell, St. Marys, — Sib,— 1 used your patent hive laist season, and it gives me entire satisfaction. I have several patent moveable comb hives in use, but I find your hive un- equalled for surplur honey, and it has other advantages that no other hive with which I am acquainted possesses. Yours truly, G. W, LAWRENCE, Solicitor. NissouBi, December itHih, 1868. Mb. S. H. MiTOHBiiL,— Sir, — We find your combined hive and bee houses is just what you claim for it ; perfectly self -pro- tecting and perfectly self -cleansing, summer an^ winter. It is the bmt we have seen. J. F. OTWELL ft SONj Gardener*. THEI Is a CO direct! Mild m •warn •dvan but is neriei Folk 'duri Jnlj PBIGBS. One combined hive and bee house ▼-iuh two honey boxes, glass ends, holds 36 lbs. of honey, with Individual Rightand printed de« sription how to make, |6. I arties purchasing at the above ral<), which always includes the right to make, and preferring to order of me rather than make, will be supplied at |3^,sfi^2h*> ^ Orders promptly filled on receipt of price by mail m otherwise. of 83 THE BEE-KEEFEBS' 0ATE0HI8M, BT S. H. MTTOHELIh Is a complete reference book of nearly 90 pages, giving minute directions on the culture of the Honey Bee, both in common and moveable Comb Hives, and illustrates a system of artificial •warming by which good swarms can be made two weeks in advance of natural swarming. It is written not from theory, but is the result of over twenty years' extensive practical ex- fsrience in bee culture. Price 25 cents each ; |2 per dozen. Oft-paid by mail on receipt of price. ITALIAN BEES AND QUEENS. HaTing Italianized my large Apiary, I can now furnish about one hundred swarms of Italians every season at the fol- lowing low prices : A good swarm in my Patent Combined Hive, with two Honey E^xes, with individual right, and printed directiQgt how to make and how to use, $1^ Italian queens , , Bees sent safely by express to any j^art of Canada 'dnring the month of June. Queens ready about the Ist of Jnly. \ Practical lessons given in artificial swarming on the first and 'n^nd Tuesdays in June, free to all who may wish to attend. t» AgmUi Wanted in Eveiy Township. Oonnly and Town- ahip 2ights for Sale. S. H. MITCHELL, 'Apianaa and Market Gardener, Elgin St., St. Maryi. I -'I ■»**'l'imimtmmm,ii ■'iilMliWtfl^iH- in iWiMliiiiWia INDEX. w '^'m . Qnestion I. What constitutes a good swarm of bees ? 7 Question 2. Give a description of the queen ?. .7 Question 3. What benefit is the queen to the colony ?. 8 Question 4. Bow long will a queen live ? '. 8 , Questions. When the queen dies or is taken away, what is the result ? , 8 Question 6. Give a description of the drone ? 9 Question 7. Of what use are the drones ? 9 Qr.estion 8. How long will a drone live ? 10 ''I'lastion 9. Give a description of the worker bee ? 10 Question 10. How long does the worker live ? 11 Question 11. When do the colony begin to rear brood ?. . . 11 Question 12. How long a time is required to develop a queen? 12 Question 13 How long a time is required to develop the worker f 12 Question 14. How Irug a time is required to develop a drone ? 12 Question 15. , Is there any differehce between the eggs that produce queens, workerf, or dronos ? 12 t^aestion 16. How aro ^ueens impregnated ? 13 Question 17. W^hat iv the result of retarded impregnation ? 13 Question 18. What in the difference between a fertile and nnimpregnatdd queen T. ..... . . . v . . ; . . 11 Question 19. How is it possible for impregnated eggs to hatch ? / 15 Question 20. How is the wax for building combs obtained ? 15 7^ , ...< , -■-.^.*-..jlu-;^UiAj«wf -J. ;^;w«l*?^4*^.i ^-i.:^' 86 Question 21. What is the valae of a pound of wax in the comb ?. 15 Question 22. How many kinds of cells are there ? 16 Question 23. How do bees get propolis, and what use do they make of it ? 17 Question 24. What is pollen, and what do the bees > use it for! :/.. 17 Question 25. What can be given to bees as a substitute for pollen ? ' 18 Question 26. Describe the process of natural swa:*ming, and how queens are reared ? 18 Question 27. What is the di6ference between the issue of first and second swarms ? 22 Question 28. What are the indications of second and after swarn '8 ? 23 Question 29. How long a time will bees continue to swarm? 23 Question 30. Why do bees sometimes return after swarm- ing ?. 24 Question 31. How can it be told if the queen is with the swarm when on the wing ? 24 Question 31 . Wh> do bees cluster when they swarm ? 26 Question 33 How can bees be prevented from going to the woods ? 28 Question 34. How can swarming be prevented in moveable comb hives ? 28 Question 36. How can swarm ng be prevented in box hives ? 27 Question 36. What should be done with after swarms ?. ... 27 Questions?. How often should bees be allowed to swarm ? 28 Question38. How should bees be hived ? 29 " Question 39. How can swarms be separated when they cluster together ? 31 Question 40. What are the advantage- o7 artificial swarm- ing? 83 ^.itJll^lL' 87 Qnestion 41. When should artificial Bwarms be made ?. . . . 34 Question 42. Describe the method oi making artificial swarms ?. ^ Question 43. What rules should be carefuyy observed -when making artificial swarms ? c. . . 38 Qnetfcion 44. Row can bees be quieted and handled without ^danger from their stings ? 39 Question 45. Describe the method of opening a moveable comb hive ? 40 Question 46. When is the best time to open moveable comb hives ? , , 42 Question 47. How can bees and combs be transferred from the box hive to moveable comb hives ? 42 Question 48. What rules should be observed when trans- ferring bees ? 43 Question 49. How can the largest amount of surplus honey be obtained ? .43 Question 50. When should honey boxes be put on ? 45 Qnestion 51. What is thd best plan of taking ofiF honey boxes and getting r^d of the bees ? 46 Question 52. How are queens usually lost ? 46 Question 53. What are the indications of loss of queen ?. . 47 Question 54. What oliouldbe done with queenless stocks ? 48^ Question 55. How can bees be united successfully ? 49 Question 66. How can it b$ known when bees are robbing ? 50 Question 67. What rules should bo observed to prevent robbing ? * 51 Question 68. How can robbing be stopped ? 63 Question 69. How can the ravages of the moth miller be prevented ? 54 Question 60. What rules should be observed when feeding bees? - 66 Question 61. How can bees be wintered successfully when housed ? . . 69 "ir-- \ 88 Question 62. How can bees be wintered snccessfally in the open air? , 60 Question 63. Is it necessary to supply bees with water?... 6S Question 64. What diseases are bees subjected to ? 66 Question 65. What Irees and plants are the most reliable for bee pasturage ? 66 Question 66. What is the best location for an amary ?. . . . 68 Question. 67. Are bee houses necessary ? 68 ' Question 68. Can bee-keeping be made profitable 1 69 Question 69. What is the best remedy for bee stings ? 71 Question 70. Are the Italian bees superior to the natives? 71 Question 71. How can a stock of bees be Italianized with success ? 72 Question 72. How can a large apiary be Italianized ? 72 Question 73. Describe the honey extractor and its uses ? . 73 Question 74. What care do bees need in January ?.. 73 Question 75. What care do beesnee^in February? 74 Question 76. What care do bees need in March ? 74 Question 77. What care do bees need in April ? 74 Question 78. What care do bees need in May ? 75 Question 79. What care do bees need in June ? 76 Question 80. What care do bees need in July ? 76 Question 81. What care do bees need in August ? 77 Question 82. What care do bees need in September ? 77 Question 83. What care do bees need in October ? 78 QiMstion 84. What care do bees need in November ? 78 Question 85. What care do bees need in December ? 78 Adverttskuknts — Of Hives, 79 Of Italian bees, 83 Of ItaliaD queens, &c. 83 60 65 66 Me 66 68 . 71 8? 71 th 72 72 73 73 74 .. 74 .. 74 .. 76 .. 76 .. 76 .. 77 .. 77 .. 78 .. 78 .. 78 . 79 . 83 . 83