Author: Langstroth, L. L. Title: A practical treatise on the hive and honey-bee Place of Publication: Philadelphia Copyright Date: 1875 Master Negative Storage Number: MNS# PSt SNPaAg051 .5 <578666> * *OCLC* Form:mono 2 InputJAG Edit:FMD 008 ENT: 980125 TYP: s DT1: 1875 DT2: LAN: eng 035 (OCoLC)38072156 037 PSt SNPaAg051 .5 $bPreservation Office, The Pennsylvania State University, Pattee Library, University Park, PA 16802-1805 090 00 SF523 $b.L284 1875 $crbM6161917 090 20 Microfilm D344 reel 51.5 $cmc+(service copy, print master, archival master) 100 1 Langstroth, L. L. $qLorenzo Lorraine $d1810-1895. 245 12 A practical treatise on the hive and honey-bee $cby L. L. Langstroth ; with an introduction, by Rev. Robert Baird. 250 4th ed., rev. $band illustrated with seventy-seven engravings. 260 Philadelphia $bJ.B. 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V k> Jl, 1 PKACTICAl TREATISE OX THl HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. BT L. L. LANGSTKOTH; WITH AN INTKODUCTION, BY EEV. ROBERT BAIRD, D. D. I J. \ FOURTH EDITION. WrVIfiKD, AHD ILLUSTKATBO WITH BKVEHTY-SKYEM KNOBAVING^ PIIILADELrillA : J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 1815. KWTEEED, according to Act of Clongress, in the year 1865, Bt l. l. langstrotii, In t3ie tlerk'8 Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New Tork. INTRODUCTION. -«•►- I AM happy to learn from my friend Mr. Langstrotii, that a new edition of his work on the Hive and Iloney- Bee is called for ; I consider it by far the most valuable treatise on these subjects, which has come nnder my notice. Some years before it was published, I became acquainted with the main characteristics of his system of Bee-culture, and even then, I believed it to be incompar- ably superior to all others of which I had either read or heard. This conviction has been amply strengthened by the testimony of others, as well as by results which have come under my own observation. In my early life I had no inconsiderable experience in the management of bees, and I am bold to say that the hive which Mr. Langstrotii has invented, is in all respects greatly superior to any which I have ever seen, either in tlds or foreign countries. Indeed, I do not believe that any one who takes an intelligent interest in the rearing of bees, can for a moment hesitate to use it ; or, rather, can be induced to use any other, when he becomes acquainted with its nature and merits. At length the true secret has been discovered, of • • • m iv INTRODUCTION. INTRODUCTION. malving these most industrious, interesting, and useful oi insect-communities, work in habitations both comfortable to themselves and wonderfully convenient for their aggre- gation, division, and rapid increase ; and all this without diminishing their productive labor, or resorthig to the cruel measure of destroying them. Mr. Langstkotii teaches us in his book, how bees can be taken care of without great labor, and without the risk of suffering from the weapon which the Creator has given them for self-defence. Even a delicate lady need not fear to undertake the task of cultivating this fascinating branch of Rural Economy. Nothing is easier for any family that resides in a favorable situation, than to have a number of colonies, and this at but little expense. I sincerely hope that many will avail themselves of the facilities now placed before them for prosecuting this easy branch of industry, not only for the sake of the large profit in proportion to its expense, which it may be made to yield, but also for the substantial pleasure which they may find in observing the habits of these wonderful little creatures. How remarkably does their entire econ- omy illustrate the wisdom and skill of the Great Authob of all things. I cannot but believe that many Ministers of the Gospel, residing in rural districts, will accept of Mr. Langstkoth'p generous offer to give them the free use of his Invention. With very little labor or expense, they can derive from bee-keeping considerable profit, as well a8 much pleasure No hidustrial or material employment can be more inno* cent, or less inconsistent with their proper work. There are few portions of our country which are not admirably adapted to the culture of the IIoney-Bee. The wealth of the nation might be increased by millions of dollars, if every family favorably situated for bee-keeping would keep a few hives. No other branch of industry 2an be named, in which there need be so little loss on the material that is employed, or which so completely derives its profits from the vast and exhaustless domains of Nature. I trust that Mr. Langstroth's labors will contribute greatly to promote a department of Rural Economy, which in this country has hitherto received so little scientific attention. He well deserves the name of Benefactor ; infinitely more so than many who in all countries and in all ages have received that honorable title. Not many years will pass away without seeing his important inven- tion brought into extensive use, botli in the Old and New World. Its great merits need only to be known ; and tliifl, Time will certainly bring about. ROBERT BAIRD. PREFACE -«•»- Encoukaged by the favor with which the former edi- :ions of this work have been received, I submit to the public a Revised Edition, illustrated by additional w^ood- cuts, and containing my latest discoveries and improve- ments. The infoi-mation which it presents, is adapted not only to those w ho use the Movable Comb Hive, but to all who aim at profitable bee-keeping, with any hive, or on any system of management. Debarred, to a great extent, by ill-health, from the ap- pi'opriate duties of my profession, and compelled to seek an employment calling me as much as possible into the open air, I cherish the hope that my labors in an impor- tant department of Rural Economy, may prove service- able %o the community. Bee-keeping is regarded in Europe as an intellectual pursuit, and no one who studies the wonderful habits of this useful insect, will ever find the materials for new ol Jervations exhausted. The Cre- ator has stamped the sed of his Infinity on all his works, 80 that it is impossible, even in the minutest, " by search- ing to find out the Almighty to perfection." In none vu Vlll PREFACE. of them, however, has he displayed himself more clearly than in the economy of the Honey-Bee : " What well-appointed commonwoalths I where each Adds to the stock of happiuess for all; Wisdom^s own forums ! whose professors teach Eloquent lessons in their vaulted hall ! Galleries of art ! and schools of industry I Stores of rich fragrance ! Orchestras of song I What marvellous seats of hidden alchemy I How oft, when wandering far and erring long, Man might learn truth and virtue from the BEE I BOWRINO. The attention of Ministers of the Gospel is particularly invited to this branch of Natural History. An intimate acquaintance with the wonders of the Bee-IIive, while beneficial to them in many ways, might lead them, in their preaching, to imitate more closely the example of Him who illustrated his teachings by " the birds of the air, and the lilies of the field," as well as the common walks of life, and the busy pursuits of men. It affords me sincere pleasure to acknowledge my obli- gations to Mr. Samuel Wagner, of York, Pennsylvania, for material assistance in the preparation of this Treatise. To his extensive and accurate acquaintance with Bee- keeping in Germany, my readers will find themselves indebted for much exceedingly valuable information. L. L. LANGS^mOTIL Oxford, Bctlkr County, Ouio, March^ 1859. I TABLE OF CONTENTS. List of Plates and Explanation of Wood-Cuts Illustrating the Natural History of Bees »• ^^ COAPTEB. I. Facts connected with the invention of the Movable-Comb Bee-Uive ^^ II. The IIoncy-Bee capable of being tamed 24 III. The Queen, or Mother-Bee.— The Drones.— The Workers. — Facts in their Natural Ilistory 29 IV, Comb ^^ V. Propolis ''^ VI. Pollen, or **Bee Bread." ®^ YIT. Ventilation of the Bee-Uive ^8 VIII. Requisites of a Complete Ui^e ^* IX. Natural Swarming, and Hiving of Swarms. 109 X. Artificial Swarming ^^^ ' XI. Loss of the Queen 213 XII The Bee-Moth, and other Enemies of Bees.— Diseases of Bees 228 XIII. Robbing, and how Prevented 2G1 XIV. Directions for Feeding Bees 2G7 XV. The Apiary.— Procuring Bees to Stock it.— Transferring Bees from Common to Movable-Comb Hives 279 XVI. Honey ^^^ XVII. Bee-Pastura-e.— Over-Stocking 291 ix t PAOIb Ti^^i^M^JTZz^Z^ ^ TABLK OF CONTENTS. XVIII. The Anger of Bees.-Remcdiea for their Stings 808 XIX. The Italian Uouey-Bee XX. Size. Shape, and Materials for Hives-Observing-mves. 829 XXI. Wintering Bees XXIL Bee-Keeper's Calendar.-Bee- Keeper's Axioms i ioa of Wood-Cuts of Movable-Comb Hives, witb Bills of explanation Stock for making them.. . Cooioua Alphabetical Index • ••• •••• 871 88S LIST OF PLATES. PAOX. J^TwutlspIece M^r-We-Comb Illve, with full glass arran, " ; and they remarked with astonishment the smffuUir 7oJtZ his bees, and the thorough control to which ty were subjected. After a fuU detail of the proceed- ings, the Secretary goes on to say : ^rn^.tioallv V. Now that I have seen Dzicrzon's method p actically A.monZL I must admit that it is attended with fewer d Z Lt^^n I hadsupposed. ^Vith his hive and s^^^^^^^ of management, it would seem that bees ^-om -a «, - more docile than they are in other cases. I co>.siaer nis Tys :.n tie shnplest Jnd best means of el.ating bee-c« - ture to a profitable pursuit, and of spreading it -u and iTde over the land ; especially as it is adapted to d.stncts r thich the bees do not -ni skill and labor, they cost him only about one-fourth the price at which they are usually valued. In ordinary seasons, the profit amounts to from 30 to 50 percent., and in very favorable seasons from 80 to 100 per cent." In communicating these facts to the public, I take an honest pride in establishing my claim to having matured by my own independent discoveries, the system of bee- 22 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. culture which has excited so much interest in Germany ; I desire also to have the testimony to the merits of my hive, of Mr. Wagner, who is extensively known as an able German scholar. He has taken all the numbers of the Bee- Journal, which has been published monthly for more than nineteen years, in Germany ; and he is undoubtedly more familiar than any other man in this country with the state of Apiarian culture abroad. 1 wish, also, to show that the importance which I attach to my system of management, is amply justified by the success of those who, by the same system, even with infe- rior hives, have attained results which to common bee- keepers seem almost incredible. Inventors are prone to form exaggerated estimates of the value of their labors ; and the pirUic has been so often deluded by patent hives which have utterly failed to answer their professed objects, that they can scarcely be blamed for rejecting every new one as unworthy of confidence. An American Bee-Journal, properly conducted, would have great influence in disseminating information, awaken- ing enthusiasm, and guarding the public against the miserable impositions to which it has so long been subject- ed. Three such journals have been published monthly, in Germany ; and their circulation has widely disseminated those principles which nmst constitute the foundation ot any enlightened and profitable system of bee-culture. While many of the principal facts in the i)hysiology of the honey-bee were long ago discovered, it has unfortu- nately happened that some of the most important have been the most widely discredited. In themselves, they are so wonderful, and to those wlio have not witnessed them, ofter so incredible, that it is not strange tliat they have been rejected as fanciful conceits or bare-faced inventions. MOVABLE-COMB HIVE. 23 For more than half a century, hives have been in use containing onlv one comb inclosed on both sides by glass. These hives are darkened by shutters, and when opened the queen is as much exposed to observation as the other bees. I have discovered that, with proper precautions, colonies can be made to work in observing-hives exposed continually to the full light of day ; so that observations may be made at all times, without interrupting by any sudden admission of light the ordinary operations of the bees. In such hives, many intelligent persons from vari- ous States in the Union have seen the queen-bee deposit- in^r her eggs in the cells, w^hile surrounded by an affection- ate circle^of her devoted children. They have also wit- nessed with astonishment and delight, all the mysterious steps in the process of raising queens from eggs, which with the ordmary development would have produced only the common bees. Often for more than three months, there has not been a day in my Apiary in which some colonies were not engaged in rearing new queens to supply the place of those taken from them ; and I have had the pleasure of exhibiting these flicts to bee-keepers who never before felt willing to credit them. As all my hives are made so that each comb can be taken out and 'examined at pleasure, those who use them can obtain all the information which they need without taking anything upon trust. May I be permitted to ex- press°the'hope, that the time is now at hand when the number of practical observers will be so multiplied, and the principles of bee-keeping so thoroughly understood, that ignorant and designing men will not be able to im- pose Iheir conceits and falsehoods upon the public, by depreciating the discoveries of those who have devoted y(;jirs of observation to the advancement of Apiarian knowledge I 24 TUE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. CHAPTER II. THE HONEY-BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. If the bee had not such a forniidahle weapon both of offence and defence, multitudes who now fear it might easily be hiduced to enter upon its cultivation. As my system of management takes the greatest possible liberties with this irascible insect, I deem it important to show in the very outset how all necessary operations may be per- formed without incurrmg any serious risk of exciting its anger. Many persons have been unable to suppress their aston- ishment, as they have seen me opening hive after hive, removing the combs covered with bees, and shaking them off in front of the hives ; forming new swarms, exhibiting the queen, transferring the bees with all their stores to another hive ; and in short, dealing with them as if they were as harmless as flies. I have sometimes been asked, if the hives I was opening had not been subjected to a long course of training ; when they contained swarms which had been brought only the day before to my Apiary. 1 shall, in this chapter, anticipate some principles in the natural history of the bee, to convince my readers that any one favorably situated may enjoy the pleasure and profit of a pursuit which has been ai)propriately styled, " the poetry of rural economy," without being made too famil- iar with a sharp little weapon which can speedily convert all the poetry into very sorry prose. It must be manifest to every reflecting mind, that the Creator intended the bee, as truly as the horse or the cow for the comfort of man. In the early ages of the world, Plate H. Fig. 5. Fig. 4. Fig. 7. Fijr. 6. Fiff. 8. THE HONEY-BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMEL 25 r Ml and indeed until quite modem times, honey was almost the only natural sweet ; and the promise of " a land flowing with milk and honey " had once a significance whichlt is difficult for us fully to realize. The honey-bee, therefore, was created not merely to store up its delicious nectar for its own use, but with certain propensities, with- out which man could no more subject it to his control, than he could make a useful beast of burden of a lion or a tiger. One of the peculiarities which constitutes the founda- tion of my system of management, and indeed of the possibility of domesticating at all so irascible an insect, has never to my knowledge been clearly stated as a great and controlling principle. It may be thus expressed : A honey-bee when filled xoith honey never volunteers an attack, hut acts solely on the defensive. This law of the honeyed tribe is so universal, that a stone might as soon be expected to rise into the air without any propelling power, as a bee well filled with honey to oifer to sting, unless crushed or injured by some direct assault. The man who first attempted to hive a swarm of bees, must have been agreeably surprised at the ease with which he was able to accomplish the feat ; for it is wisely ordered that bees, when intending to swarm, should fill their honey-bags to their utmost capacity. They are thus so peaceful that they can easily be secured by man, besides having materials for commencing opera- tions immediately in their new habitation, and being in no danger of starving if several stormy days should fol- low their emigration. Bees issue from their hives in the most peaceable mood imaginable ; and unless abused allow themselves to be treated with great familiarity. The hiving of them might always be conducted without risk, if there were >. 26 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. I not occasionally some improvident or unfortunate ones, who, coming forth witliout the soothhig supply, are tilled instead with the bitterest hate against any one daring to meddle with them. Such thriftless radicals are always to be dreaded, for they must vent their spleen on something, even though they perish in the act. If a whole colony on sallying forth possessed such a ferocious spirit, no one could hive them unless clad in a coat of mail, bee-proof; and not even then, until all the windows of his house were closed, his domestic animals bestowed in some place of safety, and sentinels posted at suitable stations to warn all comers to keep at a safe dis- tance. In short, if the propensity to be exceedin-ly good-natured after a hearty meal had not been given to the bee, it could never have been domesticated, and our honey would still be procured from the clefts of rocks or the hollows of trees. A second peculiarity in the nature of the bee, of which we may avail ourselves with great success, may be thus 8iate% Drcalh of tno Apianuu. rr Plate III. 2& THE HIVE AND HONEY-BKE. Fig. 9. hive and drumming upon it for a short time. The van- ous processes, however, for inducing bees to fill them- selves with honey, are more fully explained in the chap- ter on Artificial Swarming. By the methods above described, I can superintend a large Apiary, performing every operation necessary for pleasure or profit, without as much risk of being stung as must frequently be incurred in attempting to manage a single hive in the ordinary way. Let all your motions about your hives be gentle and slow. Accustom your bees to your presence: never crush or injure them, or breathe upon tliem in any ope- ration ; acquaint yourself fully with the principles of man- agement detailed in this treatise, and you will find that you have little more reason to dread the sting of a bee, than tlie horns of a favorite cow, or the heels of your faithful horse. Equipped with a bee-hat (PI. XI., Figs. 25, 27) and india-rubber gloves, even the most timid, by availing themselves of these principles, may open my hives and deal with their bees with a freedom astonishing to many of the oldest cultivators on the common plan : for in the management of the most extensive Apiary, no operation will ever be necessary, which, by exasperating a whole colony, impels them to assail with almost irresistible fury the person of the bee-keeper. Fig. 10. ^.«^:^^^/^^...:.-.......^..^ i NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 29 CHAPTER III. THK QUEEN, OR MOTHER-BEE ; THE DRONES ; THE WORKERS; FACTS IN THEIR NATURAL HISTORY. Hoxey-Bees can flourish only when associated in large numbers, as in a colony. In a solitary state, a single bee is almost as helpless as a new-born child, being paralyzed by the chill of a cool Summer night. If a strong colony preparing to swarm is examined, three kinds of bees will be found in the hive. 1st, One bee of peculiar shape, commonly called the Queen-I^ee. 2d, Some hundreds and often thousands of large bees, called Drones. 3d, Many thousands of a smaller kind, called Workers, or common bees, such as are seen on the blossoms. ' Many of the cells will be found to contain honey and bee- bread ; and vast numbers of eggs and immature workers and drones. A few cells of unusual size are devoted to the rearing of young queens. On Plate XII., the queen, drone, ancf worker are represented as magnifiud, and also of the natural size. The queen-bee is the only perfect female in the hive, and all the eggs are laid by her. The drones are the males, and the loorkers, females whose ovaries, or " ^gcr^ bags," are so imi)erfectly developed that they are incapa^ ble^'of breeding ; nnd which retain the instinct of females, only so far as to take care of the brood. These facts have been demonstrated so repeatedly, that they are as well established as the most common laws in the breeding of our domestic animals. The knowledge .,1 30 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. of them in their most important bearings, is essential to all who would realize Urge profits from improved methods of rearing bees. Those who will not acquire the neces- sary information, if they keep bees at all, should manage them in the old-fashioned way, which demands the small- est amount of knowledge and skill. I am well aware how difficult it is to reason with bee- keepers, who have been so often imposed upon, that they have no fjiith in statements made by any one interested in a patent hive ; or who stigmatize all knowledge which does not square with their own, as mere '' book knowl- edge" unworthy the attention of practical men. If any such read this book, let me remind them that all my assertions may be put to the test. So long as the interior of a hive was to common observers a i)rofound mystery, ignorant or designing men might assert what they pleased of what passed in its dark recesses ; but now, when every comb can in a few moments be exposed to the full light of day, the man who publishes his own con- ceits for facts, will speedily earn the character both of a fool and an iinposter. / . The Queen-Bee, as she is the common ^^^ mother of the whole colony, may very ^' r^ properly be called the mother-hee. She reigns most unquestionably by a divine rif^ht, for every good mother ought to be a ^ queen in her own family. Her shape is widely difterent from that of the other bees. While she is not near so bulky as a drone, her body is on<^»-er ; and as it is consiilerablv more tapering, or sugar- loaf in form than that of a worker, she has a soiiiewhnt wiu«ip-like appearance. Her wings are much shorter in proportion thnn those of the drone, or worker; the under part of her body is of a goUh i color, and the upper part NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY-BEE. 31 nsually darker than that of the other bees. Her motions are generally slow and matronly, although she can, when she pleases, move with astonishing quickness. No colony can long exist without the presence of this all-important msect ;\ut must as surely perish, as the body without the spirit must hasten to inevitable decay. The queen is treated with the greatest respect and affection by the bees. A circle of her loving offspring constantly surrounds her,* testifying in various ways their dutiful rei^ard ; some gently embracing her with their antenna?, others offering her honey from time to time, and all of them politely backing out of her way, to give her a clear path when she moves over the combs. If she is taken from them, the whole colony is thrown into a state of the most intense agitation as soon as they ascertain their loss ; all the labors of the hive are abandoned ; the bees run wildly over the combs, and frequently rush from the hive in anxious search for their beloved mother. If they cannot find her, they return to their desolate home, and by their sorrowful tones reveal their deep sense of so deplorable a calamity. Their note at such times, more especially when they first realize their loss, is of a pecu- liarly mournful character; it sounds somewhat like a succession of wailings on the minor key, and can no more be mistaken by an exi)ericnced bee-keeper, for their ordinary happy hum, than the piteous moanings of a sick child could be confounded by the anxious mother with its joyous crowings when overflowing with health and happiness. I know that all this will appear to many much more like romance than sober reality ; but, believing that it is a Clime fur any observer wilfully to misstate or conceal important truths, I have determined, in writing this book, • See Uie Rroup of bees on tho Title-rage. !!l 32 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. NATURAL HISTOEY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 33 to give facts, however wonderful, just as they are ; conti* dent that in due time they will be universally received ; and hoping that the many wonders in the economy of the honey-bee will not only excite a wider interest in its cul- ture, but lead those who observe them to adore the wisdom of Him who gave them such admirable instincts. The fertility of the queen-bee has been entirely under- estimated by most writers. During the height of the breeding season, slie will often, under favorable circum- stances, lay from two to three thousand eggs a day ! In my observing-hives, I have seen her lay at the rate of six eggs a minute. The fecundity of the female of the white ant is, however, much greater than this, being at the rate of sixty eggs a minute ; but her eggs are simply extruded from her body, and carried by the workers into suitable nurseries, while the queen-bee herself deposits her eggs in their ai)propriate cells. It has been noticed that the queen-bee usually com- mences laying very early in the season, and always long before there are any males in the hive. How then, are her eggs impregnated ? Francis Iluber. of Geneva, by a long course of the most indefatigable observations, threw much light upon this subject. Before stating his discov- eries, I must pay my humble tribute of gratitude and ad- miration to this wonderful man. It is mortifying to every naturalist, and I might add, to every honest man acquaint- ed with the facts, to hear such an Apiarian, as Huber, abused by the veiiest novices and impostors ; while others, who are indebted to his labors for nearly all that is of value in their works, »'Dainn witli faint praise, assent with civil leer, And, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer.'' Huber in early manhood lost the use of his eyes. His opponents imagine that to state this fact is to discredit all his observations. But to make their case still stronger, they assert that his servant, Francis Burnens, by whose aid he conducted his experiments, was only an ignorant peasan':. Now this so-called " ignorant peasant " was a man of strong native intellect, possessing the indefatisrabl^ energy and enthusiasm so indispensable to a good v/oaer- ver. He was a noble speciuien of a self-made man, and rose to be the chief magistrate in the village where he resided. Huber has paid an admirable tribute to his intelligence, fidelity, indomitable patience, energy and skill.* It would be difficult to find in any language a better specimen of the inductive system of reasoning, than Huber's work on bees, and it might be studied as a model of the only way of investigating nature, so as to arrive at reliable results. Iluber was assisted in his researches, not only by Bur- nens, but by his own wife, to whom he was betrothed before the loss of his sight, and who nobly persisted in marrying him, notwithstanding his misfortune and the strenuous dissuasions of her friends. They lived longer than the ordinary term of human life in the enjoyment of great domestic happiness, and the amiable naturalist through her assiduous attentions scarcely felt the loss of his sight. Milton is believed by many to have been a better poet in consequence of his blindness ; and it is highly probable that Huber was a better Apiarian from the same cause. His active yet reflective nund demanded constant employ- ment ; and he found in the study of the habits of the honey-bee, full scope for his powers. All the observations • A single fact will show tho character of the mm. It became necessary, hi a certain exiH-rimeut, to examine ser^ately all tho boos in two bives. '» Burueni spent ^v^ days in i)erforming this work, and during the whole time ho scarc^-ly ^Uowoil himself any relaxation hut what the relief of his eyes requirtnl '» 9* V 34 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. and experiments of his faithful assistants being dailj reported, many inquiries and suggestions were made b} him, which might not have suggested themselves had ht possessed the use of his eyes. Few, like him, have such command of both time and money as to be able to prosecute on so grand a scale, for a series of years, the most costly experiments. Havhi^ repeatedly verified his most important observations, I take great delight in holding him up to my countrymen as the Prince of Apiauians. To return to his discoveries on the impregnation of the queen-bee. By a long course of careful experiments, he ascertained that, like many other insects, she was fecund- ated in the open air and on the wing ; and that the influ- ence of this connection lasts for several years, and proba- bly for life. He could, however, form no satisfactory con- jecture how eggs were fertilized which were not yet developed in her ovaries. Years ago, the celebrated Dr. John Hunter, and others, supposed that there must be a permanent receptacle for the male sperm, opening into the oviduct. Dzierzon, who must be regarded as one of the ablest contiibutors of modern times to Apiarian sci- ence, maintains this opinion, and states that he has found such a receptacle filled with a fluid resembling the semen of the drones. lie does not seem to have demonstrated his discoveries by any microscopic examinations. In the Winter of 18.") 1-2, I submitted for scientific examination several queen-bees to Dr. Joseph Leidy, of Philadelphia, who has the highest reputation both at home and abroad, as a naturalist and microscojiic anato- mist, lie found in making his dissections a small globular SIC, about ,8 of an inch in diameter, communicatinir with the oviduct, and filled with a whitish fluid ; this fluid, when examined rnder the microscope, abounded in the NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-REE. 35 » * spermatozoa which characterizes the seminal fluid. A comparison of this substance, later in the season, with the semen of a drone, proved them to be exactly alike. These examinations have settled, on the impregnable basis of demonstration, the mode in which the eggs of the queen are vivified. In descending the oviduct to be deposited in the cells, they pass by the mouth of this semi- nal sac, or '' sperniatheca^'' and receive a portion of its fer- tilizing contents. Small as it is, it contains sufticient to impregnate hundreds of thousands of eggs. In precisely the same way, the mother-wasps and hornets are fecund- ated. The females only of these insects survive the Win- ter, and often a single one begins the construction of a nest, in which at first only a few eggs are deposited. How could these eggs hatch, if the females had not been impreg- nated the previous season ? Dissection proves that they have a spermatheca similar to that of the queen-bee. It never seems to have occurred to the opponents of Huber, that the existence of a permanently impregnated mother- wasp is quite as diflicult to be accounted for, as the existence of a similarly impregnated (pieen-bee. The celebrated Swam- merdam, in his observa- tions npon insects, made in the latter part of the seventeenth century, has given a highly magni- fied drawing of the ova- ries of the queen-bee, a reduced copy of which I rs^^^-FiMirv^^^ ■ !• « 36 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. present (Plate XVIIL), to my readers. The small globu- lar sac (7>), communicating with the oviduct {E), which he thought secreted a fluid for sticking the eggs to the base ot*the cells, is the seminal reservoir, or spermathcca. Any one who will carefully dissect a queen-bee, may see this sac, even with the naked eye. It will be seen that the ovaries ( G and II) are double, each consisting of an amazing number of ducts* filled with eggs, which gradually increase in size.f Huber, while experimenting to ascertain how the queen was fecundated, confined some young ones to their hives by contracting the entrances, so that they were more than three weeks old before they could go in search of the drones. To his amazement, the queens whose impregna- tion was thus retarded never laid any eggs but such as produced drones ! He tried this experiment repeatedly, but always with the same result. Bee-keepers, even from the time ot Aristotle, had observed that all the brood in a hive were occasionally drones. Before attempting to explain this astonishinor fact, 1 nmst call the attention of the reader to another of the mysteries of the bee-hive. It has already been stated, that the workers a^e proved by dissection to be females which under ordinary cir- cumstances are barren. Occasionally, some of them appear to be sufl[iciently developed to be capable of laying ^^^'^ ; but these eggs, like those of queens whose impreg- nation has been retarded, always produce drones! Some- • The ducts in this cut arc represents us more numerous than those in Swam merdam's drawing, f S.Mf'O the flrst edition of this work was issued,! have ascertained that Posel 18. (page 51) des<;ribes the ovi(hict of tlie queen, tlie spennatheca and its cont<'ii and the use of the latter in iniprofinaliiig the passing egg. Hi.* work was j)nbli*4h?l Fig. 14. VTA i!n.iiiii|i,ii,!,i ,„i!. I .Tl„l..l- !■' -.UMI,,.! Ill ■fgggifgW Mil— ■■■—I— ^^MWI ■ ' I - ii'p;riil'M:i!!|lii"itli'!tl""j'""i';'i'M : y. '■ 1 llih!!i'l'l!!!y''ii!i!M'' 'y!'''''"i''''i''i-i'ii'j-'i'-' ''^-^ AM \ "H". ."tCiJ ti't'-i , ,. , , |.-t,, ,....^.i>..M.,-'. -■'.... jj.. .. «. Fig. 15. NATURAL niSTOKT OF THE HONET-BEB. 37 times, Mhen a colony wliich has lost its queen desp-ftirs of obtainins another, these drone-laying workers are exalted to her place, and treated with equal regard by tl-e bees. Iluber ascertained that fertile workers are usually reared in the neighborhood of the young queens, and thought that they received some particles of the peculiar food or jelly on which these queens are fed. He did not j,retend to account for the effect on the queen of retarded impregnation ; and made no experiments on the fecunda- tion of fertile workers. Since the publication of llaber's work more than sixty years ago, no light has been shed upon the mysteries of dronelayin.' queens and workers, until quite recently. Dzierzon appears to have been the first to ascertain the truth on this subject ; and his discovery must certainly be ranked among the most astonishing facts in all the range of animated nature. It seems at first view so absolutely incredible, that I should not dare mention it, it it were not supported by indubitable evidence, and if I had not detern.ine.1 to state all important and well-ascertamed facts, however contrary to the prejudices of the ignorant and conceited. Dzierzon asserts, that all imi.regnatcd eggs produce females, either workers or queens ; an,) that it was a natural inferen e that this acute and thoroughly honest observer made no microscopic dissections of the insects whicli he examined. I consider myself peculiarly fortunate, in liavin^r obtained the aid of a naturalist so celebrated for microscopic dissections as Dr. Leidy. On examining this same colony a few days later, I found satisfactory evidence that these drone-eggs were laid by the queen which had been removed. No fresh eggs had been deposited in the cells, and the bees on missing hei had begun to build royal cells, to rear, if possible, another .^ueenfthis th(>v would not have done, if a fertile worker .tj^iVk^MMjutiumajtfmufUkiMitthtit^ 40 THE mVE AND HONEY-BEE. h ' had been present, by which the drone-eggs had been de- posited. Another interesting fact proves that all the eggs laid by this queen were drone-eggs. Two of the royal celli* were in a short time discontinued; while a third wag sealed over in tlie usual way, to undergo its changes to a perfect queen. As the bees had only a drone-laying queen, whence came the female egg from which they were learing a queen ? At first I imagined that they might have stolen it from an other hive ; but on opening this cell it contained only a dead drone ! Iluber had described a similar mistake made by some of his bees. At the base of this cell was an unu- sual quantity of the peculiar jelly fed to develop young queens. One might almost imagine that the bees had dosed the unfortunate drone to death ; as though they hoped by such liberal feeding to produce a change in hia sexual organization. In the Summer of 1854, I found another drone-laying queen in my Ai)iary, with wings so shrlcelled that she could not liy. I gave her successively to several queen- less colonies, in all of wliich she deposited only drone-eggs. On the 14th of July, 1855, a queen in one of my observ- ing-hives began to lay, when nine days old, a few eggs on the edges of the combs, instead of in the cells. She per- sisted in this for some een delayed for about three weeks, the organs of the queen-bee are in such a condition that it can no longer be effected ; just as the parts of a flower, after a certain time, wither and shut up, and the plant becomes incapa- ble of fructification. Perhaps, after a certain time, the queen loses all desire to go in search of the male. The fertile dione-laying workers would seem to be physically incapable of impregnation. There is somethiuir analogous to these wonders in the " aphides " or green lice, which infest plants. We have undoubted evidence that a fecundated female irives birth to other females, and they in turn to others, all of which without impregnation are able to bring forth young; until, after a number of generations, perfect males and females are produced, and the series starts anew ! However improbable it may appear that an uniinpreg- nated ii^^^ can give birth to a living being, or that sex can depend on impregnation, we are not at liberty to reject facts because we caimot comprehend the reasons of them. lie who allows himself to be guilty of such folly, if he aims to be consistent, must eventually be plunged hito the dreary gulf of atheism. Common sense, philosophy, of drones, aiul given to bees which have noithcr queen nor brood of any kind, I behuvc that quoen j, workers, and drones, may be raised from them. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 48 and religion alike teach us to receive, with becoming reverence, all undoubted facts, whether in the nat nral or spiritual world ; assured that however mysterious they may appear to us, they are beautifully consistent in the siiifht of Him whose " understandino: is infinite.'* All the leadinijj facts in the breedinu: of bees ouirht to ])e as familiar to the Apiarian, as the same class of facta in the rearing of his domestic animals.* A few crude and half-digested notions, however satisfactory to the old-fash- ioned bee-keeper, will no longer meet the wants of those who desire to conduct bee-culture on an extended and profitable system. The extraordinary fertility of the queen-bee has already been noticed. The process of laying has been well described by the Rev. W. Dunbar, a Scotch Apiaiian. " When the queen is about to lay, she puts her head into a cell, and remains in that position for a second or two, to ascertain its fitness for the deposit she is about to make. She then withdraws her head, and curving her body downwards,! inserts the lower pait of it into the cell : in a few seconds she turns half round upon heiself and withdraws, leaving an eg^r behind her. When she lays a considerable number, she does it equally on each side of the comb, those on the one side being as exactly opposite to those on the other as the relative position of the cells will admit. The effect of this is to produce the utmost possible concentration and economy of heat for developing the various changes of the brood !" Here, as at every step in the economy of the bee, we • *• If it were possible,'* said an able German Apiarian, In 1846, " to ascertain the rcprotliictive process of bees with as much certainty as ttiat of our domestic ani- mals, boe-cultMre mii^'ht unquestionably be pursued with positive assi ranee of protlt ; and would assume a high rank among the various branches of ruraJ • loncimy." t Bho \a Uius sure to deposit the egg in the selected cell. 44 TEE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE behold, ill the perfect adaptation of means to ends, a saijaeity which seems scarcely inferior to that of man. '^ The eggs of bees* are of a lengthened, oval shape (PI. XIII., Fig. 39), with a slight curvature, and of a bluish white color: being besmeared, at the time of laying, with a glutinous substance, they adhere to the bases of the cells, and remain unchanged in figure or situation for three or four days ; they are then hatched, the bottom of each cell presenting to view a small white w^orm. On its grow- ing (PI. XIII., Figs. 40, 41), so as to touch the opposite angle of the cell, it coils itself up, to use the language of Swamraerdam, like a dog when going to sleep ; and floats in a whitish transparent fluid, which is deposited in the cells by the nursing-bees, and by which it is probably nourished ; it becomes gradually enlarged in its dimen- sions, till the two extremities touch one another, and form a rin"-. In this state it is called a larva, or worm. So nicely, do the bees calculate the quimtity of food which will be required, that none remains in the cell when it is trans- formed to a nymph. It is the oi)inion of many eminent naturalists, that farina does not constitute the sole food of the larva, but that it consists of a mixture of farina, honey, and water, partly digested in the stomachs of the nursiniij-bees. " The larva having derived its support, in the manner above described, for four, five, or six days, according to the season, continues to increase during that period, till it occupies the whole breadth, and nearly the length of the cell. The nursing-bees now seal over the cell with a light brown cover, externally more or less convex (the cap of a drone-cell being more convex than that of a worker), and thus difi^ering from that of a honey-cell, which is paler and somewhat concave." The cap of the brood ♦ '* Re van on the Hon«y-Bco " Plate V ^'■>'^ .T,uU Fig. 17. rrr:-^^?*^^^-'''"*''''*"*'**^^'''**'*''^*'*''**** NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 45 cell is made not of pure wax, but of a mixture of bee- bread and wax ; and appears under the microscope to be full of line holes, to give air to the inclosed insect. From its texture and shape it is easily thrust off by the bee when mature, whereas if it consisted wholly of wax, the insect would either perish for lack of air, or be unable to force its way into the world. Both the material and shape of the lids which close the honey-cells are different: they are of pure wax, and thus air-tight, to prevent the honey from souring or candying in the cells ; and are slightly concave, the better to resist the pressure of their contents. To return to Bevan. " The larva is no sooner peifectly inclosed than it begins to line the cell by spinning round itself, after the manner of the silk-worm (PI. XIII., Fig. 42), a whitish silky film, or cocoon, by which it is encased, as it were, in a pod. When it has undergone this change, is has usually borne the name of nymph^ ov impa. It has now attained its full growth, and the large amount of nutriment which it has taken serves as a store for devel- oping the perfect insect. "The working hee-iiymph spins its cocoon in thirty-six hours. After passing about three days in this state of preparation for a new existence, it gradually undergoes so great a change (PI. XIII., Fig. 43) as not to wear a ves- tige of its previous form. " When it has reached the twenty-first day of its exist- ence, counting from the time the Q^^ is laid, it comes forth a perfect winged insect. The cocoon is left behind, and forms a closely attached and exact lining to the cell in which it was spun ; by this means the breeding cells become smaller, and their partitions stronger, the oftener they change their tenants; and may become so much dimiuishecTin size, as not to admit of the perfect develop, meut of full-sized bees. J I . t M iQ THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. « Snch are the respective stages of the ^^'O'-^'^S^'^ ;- those of the royal bee are as follows: she passes three davsin the egl and is five a worm ; the workers thc^ Se hen- celir^nd she immediately begins spmnm^ he cocoon, which occupies her tw-ty-fo-u- hours On he tenth and eleventh days, and apart of the ^^e ^h a^'f exhausted by her labor, she remams m ^r^'f ^ ' "H Then she passes four days and a part of fl^^'l^H nymph. It is on the sixteenth day, therefore, that tho perfect state of queen is attained. »The drone passes three days in the egg, and six and a half as a worm, and changes into a perfect insect on the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth day after the egg is lai-l. "The development of each species likewise proceeds more slowly when the colonies are weak, or the an- cool Dr Hunter has observed that the eggs worms and ^:mphs all require a heat above 70« of Fahrenhe.t i.. tleir evolution. Both drones and workei-s, on e.nerg.ng from the cell, are at first gray, soft, and comparatively lless, so that some time elapses before they take w.ng. »The workers and drones spin complete cocoons, or inclose themselves on every side, while the royal arvje construct only imperfect — YH o'f\he a" dt opin- only the hea.l, thorax, and first rmg of the .abdo- men- and lluber concludes, without any hes.tat.on, that the final .-ause of this is, that they may be exposed to the mortal stin- of the first hatched queen, whose instinct "rher inltantly to seek the destruction of those who would soon become her rivals. " If the royal larva> spun complete ..oeoons, the stmgs of the queens seeking to destroy their rivals might be so entan.ded in their meshes that they could not be d scn^ leZ ' Such,' says Iluber, ' is the instmct.ve enmi y of youn- queens to each other, that I have seen one of them. NATURAL IIlSTOPwY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 47 immediately on its emergence from the cell, rush to those of its sisters, and tear to pieces even the imperfect larvae. Hitherto, philosophers have claimed our admiration of na^ tiire for her care in preserving and multiplyinj^ the species. But from these facts, we must now admire her precautions in exposing certain individuals to a mortal hazard.' " The cocoon of the royal larvae is very much stronger and coarser than that of the drone or worker, — its texture considerably resembling that spun by the silk-worm. The young queen dees not ordinarily leave her cell \mtil she is quite mature; and as its great size allows the free exercise of her wings, she is usually capable of flying as soon as she quits it. While still in her cell, she makes the fluttering and pi})ing noises so familiar to observant bee-keepers. When the eggs of the queen are fully develo[)ed, like those of the domestic hen, they must be extruded ; but some Apiarians believe that she can regulate their devel- opment so that few or many are produced, according to the necessities of the colony. That this is true to a cer- tain extent, seems liighly probable ; for if a queen is taken from a feeble colony, her abdomen seldom aj)pears greatly distended; and yet if put in a strong one, she speedily be- comes very prolific. Mi\ Wagner says, " I conceive that she has the power of regulating or repressing the develop- ment of her eggs, so that gradually she can diminish the number maturing, and finally cease laying and remain in- active, as long as circumstances require. The old queen appears to qualify herself for accompanying a first swarm by repressing* the development of eggs, and as this is done at the most genial season of the year, it does not seem to be the result of atmospheric influence." It is certain that when the weather is uncongenial, oi the colony too feeble to maintain sufticient heat, fewei • Hubor attribute* her reduced s'zc before swarmiiig to a wrong cauao. 48 THE HIVE AND IIONET-REE. ill ecrcrg are matured, just as unfavorable circumstances diminish the number of eggs hiid by the hen ; and when the weather is very cold, the queen stops laymg m weak colonies. In the latitude of Northern Massachusetts, I have found that the queen ordinarily ceases to lay some time in Octo- ber; and bL'gms again, in strong stocks, in the latter part of December. Oii the Uth of January, 1857 (the previ- ous month having been very cold, the thermometer some- times sinking to 17^ below zero), I examined three hives, and found that the central combs in two contained eggs and unsealed brood ; there were a few cells with sealed bix)od in the third. Strong stocks even in the coldest cli- mates usually contain some brood ten months in the year. It is amusing to see how the supernumerary eggs of the queen are disposed of. If the workers are too few to take charge of all her eggs, or there is a deficiency of bee-bread to nourish the young; or if, for any reason, she does not judge best to deposit them in the cells, she stands upon a comb, and simply extrudes them from her oviduct, the workers devouring them as fast as they are laid. I have repeatedly witnessed in observing-hives the sagacity of the queen in thus economising her necessary work, in- stead of depositing her egg-, m cells where they are not wanted. What a difference between her and the stupid hen, which so obstinately persists in sitting upon addled eggs, pieces of chalk, and often upon nothing at all ! ^The workers devour also all eggs which are dropped or deposited out of place by the queen ; thus, even a tiny egg, instead of being wasted, is turned to good account. One who carefully watches the habits of bees will often feel inclined to speak of his little favorites as having an intelligence almost if not quite akin to reason ; and I have sometimes queried, whether the workers who are so fond Fig. 18. Plate VI. \ \ K ^ \ y y / / ^ \ \ ^^ / / ^^ V. \ \ Fig. ?2. Fig. 19. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE IIONET-BEE. 49 I)! of a tit-bit in the shape of a newly laid egg^ ever experi- ence a struggle between appetite and duty ; so that they must practice self-denial to refrain from breakfasting on the eggs so temptingly deposited in the cells. It isAvell known to breeders of poultry, that the fertility of a hen decreases with age, until at length she may become entirely barren. By the same law, the fecundity of the queen-bee ordinarily diminishes after she has entered her third year. An old queen sometimes ceases to lay worker-eggs ; the contents of her spermatheca becoming exhausted, the eggs are no longer impregnated, and pro- duce only drones. The queen-bee usually dies of old age in her fourth year, although she has been known to live much longer. There is great advantage, therefore, in hives which allow her, when she has passed the period of her greatest fertility, to be easily removed. Before proceeding farther in the natural history of the queen-bee, I shall describe more particularly the other inmates of the hive. The Drones are, unquestionably, the male bees ; dissection proving that they have the appropriate organs of genera- tion. They are much larger and stouter % 3 ^^^*^^ eitlier the queen or workers; although their bodies are not quite so long as that of the queen. They have no sting with which to defend themselves ; and no suitable proboscis for gath- ering honey from the flowers ; no baskets on their thighs for holding bee-bread, and no pouches on their abdomens for secreting wax. They are, therefore, physically dis- qualified for the ordinary work of the hive. Their proper office is to impregnate the young queens, and they are 3 50 THE UIVE AND HONEY-BEE. usually destroyed by the bees soon after tbis is accom- •^"Sr 'Evans, an English physician and ^^-e autho,-^ of » beautiful poem on bees, thus appropriately descub.^ ihcm: . . „ " Their short proboscis sips No luscious nectar irom tlie »iia tliymc's lips. From the lime's leaf no amber drops they steal, Nor bear their grooveless thighs the foodlul meal: On other's toils in pamper'd leisure thrive The lazy fathers of the industrious hive.' Tlie drones be-in to make their appearance in April or May • earlier or later, according to the Ibrwardness of he s'o'n, and the strength of the stock. In colontes too weak o swartn, none as a general rule are reared ; foi m luth hives, as no young qt.eens are raised, drones .vott^d be only useless cousuineis. The nuu.ber of drones in a hive is often very great, amottnting not n.crely to hundreds, but sometnnes to hou- sands. is a single one .ill impregnate a queen fo. h , it would seem that only a few should be reared. 1 . t as sexual intercourse always takes place high up m the .ir the votm- queens must necessarily leave the hive ; ad t is verylmVtant to their safety that they shot, d be sure to find a drone without being compelled to make frequent excursions ; for being larger than workers and less active on the wing, queens are more exposed to be caught by birds, or destroyed by sudden gusts of wmd In a large Apiary, a few drones in each h.v-e, or the ,.„,nber usually fo.md in one, would sufhce. but under such circumstances bees are not in a state of nature like a cohmy living in a forest, which often has no neighbors for miles. A^good stock, even in our climate, sometnnes sends out three or more swarms, and m the tropical NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 51 climates, of which the bee is probably a native, they increase with astonishing rapidity.* Every new swarm, except the first, is led off by a young queen ; and as she is never impregnated until she has been established as the head of a separate family, it is important that each should be accompanied by a goodly number of drones: this requires the production of a large number in the parent- hive. As this necessity no longer exists when the bee is domesticated, the breeding of so many drones should be discouraged. Trapsf have been invented to destroy them, but it is much better to save the bees the labor and ex- pense of rearing such a host of useless consumers. This can readily be done, when we have the control of the combs ; for by removing the drone-comb, and supplying its place with worker-cells, the over ])roduction of drones may be easily prevented. Those who object to this, as interfering with nature, should remember that the bee is not in a state of nature; and tkit the same objection might, with equal force, be urged against kilhng oil' the supernumerary males of our domestic animals. When a new swarm is building its combs, if the honey-harvest is abundant, the bees will frequently con- struct an unusual amount of drone-combs, for storing it. In a state of nature, where bees have plenty of room, as in the hollow of a tree, or cleft of a rock, this excess of drone-comb will be used another season for the same pur- pose, and new worker-comb made to meet the enlarged wants of the colony; but in hives of a limited capacity this cannot be done, and thus many stocks become so crowded with drones as to be of little value to their owner. ♦ At Sydney, in Australia, a single colony is stated to have multiplied to 800, U three years t Such traps were used in Aristotle's time. 52 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. In July or August, or soon after the swarming season is over, the bees usually expel the drones from the hive ; though, when the honey-harvest is very abundant, they often allow them to remain much later. They sometimes sting tliem, or gnaw the roots of their wings, so that when driven from the hive, they cannot return. If not ejected in either of these summary w\ays, they are so persecuted and starved, th' ^ they soon perish. At such times they often retreat trom the comb, and keep by themselves upon the sides or bottom-board of the hive. The hatred of the bees extends even to the unhatched young, which are mercilessly pulled from the cells and destroyed with the rest. How wonderful that instinct which, w^hen there is no longer any occasion for their services, impels the bees to destroy those members of the colony reared but a short time before with such devoted attention ! Kone of the reasons previously assigned seem fully to account for the necessity of so many drones. I have repeatedly queried, why impregnation might not have taken place i7i the hive, instead of in the open air. A few dozen drones would then have sufficed for the wants of any colony, even if it swarmed, as in warm climates, half a dozen times, or oftener, in the same season ; and the young queens would have incurred no risks by leaving the hive for fecundation. For a long time I could not perceive the wisdom of the existing arrangement ; although I never doubted that there was a satisfactory reason for this seeming inipeifection. To have sn[»posed otherwise, would have been highly unphilosophical, when we know that with the increase of knowledge many mysteries in nature, once inexplicable, have been fully cleared up. The disposition cherished by many students of nature, to reject some of the doctrines of revealed religion, is nol NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 63 prompted by a true philosophy. Neither our ignorance of all the flxcts necessary to their full elucidation, nor our inability to harmonize these facts in their mutual relations and dependencies, will justify us in rejecting any truth which God has seen fit to reveal, either in the book ot nature, or in His holy word. The man who would substi- tute his own speculations for the divine teachings, has embarked without rudder or chart, pilot or compass, on an uncertain ocean of theory and conjecture ; unless he turns his prow from its flital course, storms and whirlwinds will thicken in gloom on his " voyage of life ;" no " Sun of Righteousness" will ever brighten for him the expanse of dreary waters ; no favoring gales will waft his shattered bark to a peaceful haven. The thoughtful reader will require no apology for this moralizing strain, nor blame a clergyman, if sometimes forgetting to speak as the mere naturalist, he endeavors to find ** Tongues in trees, books in nmning brooks, Sermons in ' bees,' and * God ^ in every thing." To return to the attempt to account for the existence of so many drones. If a firmer persists in what is called " breeding in and in," that is, without changing the blood, the ultimate degeneracy of his stock is the consequence. This law extends, as far as we know, to all animal life, man himself not being exempt from its influence. Have we any reason to suppose that the bee is an exception ? or that degeneracy would not ensue, unless some provision were made to counteract the tendency to "in and in breeding ?" If fecundation had taken place in the hive, the queen would have been impregnated by drones from a common parent ; and the same result must have taken place in each successive generation, until the whole species 54 THE HIVE AND IIONKT-BKK. would eventually have " run out." By the present arrange- ment, the young queens when they leave the hive, often find the air swarming with drones, many of which belong to other colonies, and thus by crossing the breed pro- vision is constantly made to prevent deterioration. Experience has proved that impregnation may be efiected not only when there are no drones in the colony of the young queen, but even when there are none hi her immediate neighborhood. Intercourse takes place very high in the air (perhaps that less risk may be incurred from birds), and this favors the crossing of stocks. I am strongly persuaded that the decay of many flour- ishing stocks, even when managed with great care, may be attributed to the fact that they have become enfeebled by "close breeding," and are thus unable to resist injurious influences, which were comparatively harmless when the bees were in a state of high physical vigor. When a cul- tivator has but few colonies, or is remote from other Apiaries, he should guard against this evil by occasionally changing his stocks. The Workers, or common bees, compose the bu-lk of the population of a hive. A good swarm ought to contain at least 20,000 ; and in large hives, strong colonies which are not reduced by swarming, frequently number two or three times as many during the height of the breeding season. We are informed by Mr. Dobrogost Chylinski, that from the Polish hives, which often hold several bushels, swarms regularly issue so powerful that " they resemble a little cloud in the air," It has already been stated, that the workers are all females whose ovaries arc^ too imperfectly developed to admit of their laying eggs. Bemg for a long time NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BKE. 55 regarded as neither males nor females, they were called Neul ers ; but careful microscopic examinations, by detect- ing the rudiments of their ovaries, have determined their sex. The accuracy of these examinations has been verified by the well known facts respecting fertile workers. Riem, a German Apiarian, first discovered that workers sometimes lay eggs. Iluber subsequently ascertained tliat such workers were bred in hives that had lost their queen, and near the royal cells in which young queens were being reared. He conjectured that small portions of the peculiar food of these infant queens w^ere accidentally dropped into their cells, by eating which their reproductive organs were more developed than those of other workers. In the Summer of 1854, 1 examined a brood-comb which had been given to a queenless colony. It contained eleven sealed queens; and numbers of the cells were capped with a round covering,, as though they contained drones. Being opened, some contained drone, and others worker- nymphs. The latter seemed of a little more sugar-loaf shai)e than the common workers, and their cocoons were of a coarser texture than usual. I had previously noticed the same kind of cells in hives raising artificial queens, but thought they all contained drones. It is a well known fact, Uiat bees often begin more queen-cells than they choose to finish. It seems to me probable, therefore, that when rearing queens artificially, they frequently give a portion of the royal jelly to larva?, which, for some reason, they do not develope as full grown queens; and that such larvie become fertile workers. Iluber states that those fertile workers which lay only drone-eggs, prefer large cells in which to deposit them, resorting to small ones, only when unable to find those of greater diameter. A hive in my Apiary having much worker-comb, but only a small piece of drone size, a fertile worker filled the latter r 66 TUE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 80 entirely with eggs that some of the cells contained three or four each. Such workers have, in rare instances, been tolerated in hives containing a fertile, healthy queen. The worker is much smaller than either the queen or the drone. She is furnished with a tongue, or proboscis, so exceedingly curious and complicated, that a separate volume would hardly suffice to describe its structure and uses (PI. XVI., Fig. 51). With this organ she obtains the honey from the blossoms, and conveys it to her honey-bag. This receptacle (PI. XVII., Fig. 54, ^1), is not larger than a very small pea, and so perfectly transparent as to appear, when filled, of the same color with its contents ; it is properly the first stomach, and is surrounded by muscles which enable the bee to compress it, and empty its con- tents through her proboscis into the cells. The hinder legs of the worker are furnished with a spoon-shaped hollow, or basket, to receive the pollen which she gathers from the flowers. Every worker is aniied with a formidable sting, and when provoked makes instant and effectual use 'A' her natural weapon. When subjected to a microscopic ^T.^.m- ination (PI. XVII., Fig. 53), it exhibits a very intrcate mechanism. "It is moved by muscles* which, though invisible to the eye, are yet strong enough to force the sting, to the depth of one-twelfth of an inch, throu^'Ii the thick skin of a man's hand. At its root are situated cwo glands by which the poison is secreted; these glands uniting in one duct, eject the venomous liquid along tho groove formed by the junction of the two piercers. There are four barbs on the outside of each piercer ; when the insect is prepared to sting, one of these piercer^ Laving its point a little longer than the other, first darti* • Be van. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 5'^ into the flesh, and being fixed by its foremost beard, the other strikes in also, and they alternately penetrate deeper and deeper, till they acquire a firm hold of the flesh with their barbed hooks, and then follows the sheath, conveying the poison into the wound. 'The action of the sthig,' says Paley, * affords an example of the union of chemistry and mechanism ; of chemistry, in respect to the venom which can produce such powerful effects; of mechanism, as the sting is a compound instrument. The machinery would have been comparatively useless, had it not been for the chemical process by which, in the insect's body, honey is converted into poison ; and on the other hand, the poison would have been ineffectual, without an instru- ment to wound, and a syringe to inject it.' "Upon examining the edge of a very keen razor by the microscope, it appears as broad as the back of a pretty thick knife, rough, uneven, and full of notches and fur- rows, and so far from anything like sharpness, that an instrument as blunt as this seemed to be, would not serve ^ven to cleave wood. An exceedingly small needle being also examined, it resembled a rough iron bar out of a smith's forge. The sting of a bee, viewed through the same instrument, showed everywhere a polish amazingly beautiful, without the least flaw, blemish, or inequality, and ended in a y>oint too fine to be discerned." As the extremity of the sting is barbed like an arrow, the bee can seldom withdraw it, if the substance into which she darts it is at all tenacious. In losing her sting she parts with a portion of her intestines, and of necessity Boon perishes. , AlthouLch they pay so dearly for the exercise of their patriotic 'mstincts, still, in defence of home and its sacred treasures, they I tit 53 THE tf'VE AND HONKY-BEE " Deem life itself to vengeance well rcsignM, Die on the wound, and leave their sting behind." Hornnts, wasps, and otiier stinging insects, are able to withdraw their stings from the wound. I have never seen the exception in the case of the honey-bee accounted for ; but as the Creator intended it for the use* of man, did lie not give it this peculiarity, that it might be more com- pletely subject to human control ? Without a stmg, it could not have defended its tempting sweets agamst a host of greedy depredators: while, if it had been able to sting a number of times, its thorough domestication would have been well nigh impossible. The defence of the colony against enemies, the construc- tion of the cells, and storing of them with honey and bee- bread, the rearing of the young, and in short, the whole work of the hive, the laying of eggs excepted, is carried on by the industrious little workers. There m^yhe(jentlemenonQisme in the commonwealth of bees, but assuredly there are no such ladie.^, whether of high or low degree. The queen herself has her full share of^dulies, the royal office being no sinecure, when the mother who fills it must daily superintend the proper deposition of thousands of eggs. The queen-bee will live four, and sometimes, though very rarely, five or more years. As the life of the drones is usually cut short by violence, it is difficult to asceilain its precise limit. Bcvan estimates it not to exceed four months. The workers are supposed by him to live six or • since the publication of the first edition of this treatise, T have had an opportu- ■Ity durln- a vi.it to the Mexican frontier, of studying the habits of the honey-hornet, of that re^on. Its nest. In shape and material, resembles that of our common hor- net- and%ome of them contain many pounds of .loliclous honey. This Insect, which In those rcfrL.ns Is so serviceable to man, like the honey-bee, Is unable to withdraw Its sting from the wound. It has also a queen, and Uvea la i colony state during the whole year. ^ NATURAL HISTOUY OF THE HONKV-BKR. 59 «ven moi.ths ; but their age depends very much upon their greater or less exposure to injurious influences, and severe labors. Those reared in the Spring and early part of Summer, upon whom tlie heaviest labors of the nve devolve, appear to hve not more than two or three mouths*; while those bred at the close of Summer, and eurly in Autumn, being able to spend a large part ot their time in repose, attain a much greater age. It is very evident that " the bee " (to use the words of a quamt old writei), "is a Summer bird;" and that, with the excep- tion of the queen, none live to be a year old. Notched and rag-ed wings, instead of gray hau-s and wrinkled faces, are the signs of old age in the bee and indicate that its season of toil will soon be over They appear to die rather suddenly; and often spend their last days, and sometimes even their last hours, in useful laboi-s. Place yourself before a hive, and see the indefatigable enercn- of these industrious veterans, toiling along with theirl.eavv burdens, side by side with their more youth- ful compears, and then judge if, while qualified for usefu labor vou ought ever to surrender yourself to slothful indulgence. Let the cheerful hum of their busy old age in-sinre you with better resolutions, and teach you how much nobler it is to die with harness on, in the active discharge of the duties of life. The acre which individual members of the community mav attain, nmst not be confounded with that of the col- ony Bees have been known to occupy the same domicile for a great number of years. 1 h.aveseen flourishmg oolo. nics more than twenty years ol.l ; the Abbe Delia Roccn speaks of some over forty years ol.l ; and Stoche says, that he, saw acolony, which he was assured had swarmed annua.ly . If an lulbn qu.on be given, In the working season, to aswaro of comn.oo D..e.. in at.out three month. . nly a few of the latter will bo found In tie colony ! ! I tiO THE HIVE AND IIONKY-BER. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 61 for forty-six years ! « Such cases have led to tl e erronecni opmion that bees are a long-lived race. But tins, as Dr Evans has observed, is just as wise as if a stranger, cx>n. templating a populous city, and personally unacqumnted «-ith its inhabitants, should, on paying it a second visit, ,„any years after, and finding it equally populous, unagine Vhat it was peopled by the same individuals, not ono of whom might then be living. ' Like Ic.ivcs on trees, tlie race of bees is found, Now greon in youth, now withering on the ground ; Another race the Spring or F.ill supplies, They droop successive, and successive rise.' "^^^^^ The cocoons sp.in by the larv.-c are never removed by the bees ; they adhere so closely to the sides of the cells that the labor of removal would cost more than ,t woidd be worth. As the breeding cells may eventually become too small for the proper devolop.nent of the young, very old combs should be removed from the hive. It is a groat mistake, however, to imagine that the brood-combs ougM to be changed every year. If it were desirable, this mi-ht easily be done in my hives ; but to remove them oftener than once in five or six years, requires a needless consumption of honey to replace them, and n.jures the bees in Winter, as the new comb is much colder than tho old. , ii r ^ Inventors of hives have too often been " "K-n of one idea •" and that one, itistead of being a well established ■ and important fact in the physiology of the bee, has tre- nuentlv (like the necessity for a yearly change^ of the brood-'combs), been merely a conceit of some visiotmry projector. This mi-^ht bo harmless enough, were no effort Inade to impose such crudities upon an ignorant public, ..ilher in the shape of a patented hive, or worse still, ol ai. unpatented hive, the pretended right to use which is fraudulently sold to the cheated purchaser. •^Apariansf unaware of the brevity of the bee's hfe ha.o often constructed huge " bee-palnces » and large closets, vaiily imagining th.at the bees would fill them, bemg una- ,10 see any°enson why a colony should not mciease lintil it numbers its inhabitants by millions or b. ho.s. But as the bees can never at one time -q-'^ ' ^ill less exceed, the number which the queen is capable of p.o- dul; in a season, these spacious dwellings have always ': abundance of spare rooms. It seems strange that men can be thus deceived, when often m tlu^ir own Apia.y they have healthy stocks, which, though they have not swa'med for a year or more, are no more Popu -s in the Spring, than those which have regularly parted «ith vifT^orous colonies. r ^ »^ \ is certain that the Creator has wisely set » Imut to the increase of nu.nbers in a single colony ; and I shall venture to assign a reason for this. Suppose he had given to the bee a length of life as gre.at as that of the horse or the cow, or had made each queen capable of laying daily some hundredsof thoimndsof eggs; or had given several hundred queens to each hive ; then a colony must have gone on increasing, until it became a scourge rather than a benefit to man. In the warm climates of which the bee . Hives which have never been patented have been extensively 8ol,l «» patent „ I "e, by n, en'who for years have been liable to proseeutlon (- "';'-"''>f """''y under fa^^e pre^enees. Others are dispose.! of, .m the ground that the patent Is Mm pern /when no appUca.lou for a patent has ever been made, or has ong ,1111 pcn.nn , ' ' ,,„,,,n,ed part of a hiv,., beins a worthless conceit. Is TefZXaed i^^.e . utln .n'l.lty.s displayed, in exhibiting those fe.a- . en the hive thich any one has a right to use; and yet, which the vendor I'^tlLs by in,plU.a,ion, an.i sonu-times by direct assertion, leads the purchase- to believe ar 3 essential p.^rts of the patent. . . *u . No one should ever purchase a " patent hive," until he aseertam, two thm.,^ ,.t brtherelsre.allyap.tenton the Invention; and 2d, that the part pateuU«) u. in his oplni,.n, worth to hi,n the money asked f..r the right to use .L V- 62 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BKK. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY-BEK. 63 i\ is a native, it would have established itself in some cavern or capacious cleft in the rocks, and would soon have become so pow^erful as to bid defiance to all attempts to appropriate the avails of its labors. It has already been stated that none, except the mother- wasps and hornets, survive the Winter. Had these in- sects, hke the bee, been able to commence the season with the accumulated strength of a large colony, they would, long before its close, have proved an intolerable nuisance. If, on the contrary, the queen-bee had been compelled, solitary and alone, to lay the foundations of a new commonwealth, the honey-harvest would have disap peared long before she could become the parent of a numerous family. The process of rearing Queen-Bees will now be more particularly described. Early in the season, if a hive becomes very poi)ulous, the bees usually make prepara- tions for swarming. A number of royal cells are begun, being commonly constructed upon those edges of the combs (PI. XIV., a, b, c, d), which are not attached to the sides of the hive. These cells somewhat resemble a small pea nut (PI. X HI., Figs. 49, 50), and are about an inch deep, and one-third of an inch in diameter : being very thick, they require much wax for their construction. They are seldom seen in a perfect state after the swarming season, as the bees, after the queen has hatched, cut them down to the shape of a small acorn-cup. (PI. XIV., c.) These queen-cells, while in progress, receive a very unu- sual amount of attention from the workers. There is scarcely a second in which a bee is not peeping into them ; and as fast as one is satisfied, another pops in her head to report progress, or increase the su[)ply of royal jolly. Their importance to the conununity might easily be ) inferred from their being the center of so much attrac- tion. While the other cells open sideways, the queen-cells always hang with their mouth dowiiwards. Some Apia- rians think that this peculiar position affects, in some way, the development of the royal iarva? ; while others, having ascertained that they are uninjured if placed in any other position, consider tliis deviation as among the inscrutable mysteries of the bee-hive. So it seemed to me, until con- vinced, by more careful observation, that they open down- wards simply to save room. The distance between the parallel ranges of comb in the hive is usually too small for the royal cells to open sideways, without interfering with the opposite cells. To economize space, the bees put them on the unoccupied edges of the comb, where there is plenty of room for such very large cells. The number of royal cells in a hive varies greatly ; sometimes there are only two or three, ordinarily not less than five ; and occasionally, more than a dozen. As it is not intended that the young queens should all be of the same age, the royal cells are not all begun at the same time. It is not fully settled how the eggs are deposhed in these cells. In some ftw instances,'I have thought that the bees transferred the eggs from common to queen-cells ; and this mav be their general method of procedure. I shall hazard the conjecture, that, in a crowded state of the hive, the queen deposits her eggs in cells on the edges of the comb, some of which are afterwards changed by the workers into royal cells. Such is a queen's instinctive hatred to her own kind, that it seems improbable that she should be intrusted with even the hiitiatory steps for securing a race of successors. • • i Tlie young queens are much more largely supplied with food than the other larvae ; so that they seem to lie iu a Miil m g4 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. thick bed of jelly, a portion of -^l^^JJ^^^y.^^ found at the base of their cells soon after they luv e ha hcd^ Unlike the food of the other larva;, it has a sli<,.itiy add taste ; and when fresh, resembles starch ; when old, a St aSce ielly. The bees, if confined to then- hive and sS^liTrS Jater, can secrete it from the honey and bee-bread stored in their combs. I submitted some royal jelly to Dr. Charles M. Wethe- rell of Philadelphia ; an interesting account of his ana y- sf ™iy be founi in the Report of the Proceecbngs o the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences fo July, 18o2. He p ak-f t^« -^^^-<^^ as being a « truly bread-con- taining, albuminous compound." A co.np.anson ot its ImeSs with the food of the drone and -ork-4arv ^, mi<^ht throw some light on subjects now involved m ob- ''•m 'effects produced upon the roy.al larv-a, by their pecuar treatment are so wonderful, that they have usi^Uy Teen rejected as idle whims, by those who have neither been eye-witnesses to them, nor acquainted with the op- portunhies enjoyed by others for accurate observation They are not only contrary to all common analogies, but so marvellously strange and improbable, tb at many when asked to believe them, feel that an insult is offered to then common sense. The most important of these effects I shall briefly enumerate. 1st The peculiar mode in which the worm designed for a que'en is treated, causes it to arrive at maturity .almost one-third earlier than if it had been reared a worke And yet, as it is to be much more fully developed, according to ordinary ana.ogy, it should have had a slower 2d. Its organs of reproduction are completely devclopc.1, 80 that it can fulfill the oflicc of a mother. NATURAL IIISTORT OF THE HONF.T-BEE. 65 3d. Its size, shape, and color are greatly changed ; its lower jaws are shorter, its head rounder, and its abdomen without the receptacles for secreting wax ; its legs have neither brushes nor baskets, and its sting is more curved, and one-third longer (PL XVIII.) than that of a worker 4th. Its instincts are entirely changed. Reared as a worker, it would have thrust out its sting at the least provocation ; whereas now, it may be pulled limb from iimb without attempting to sting. As a worker, it would have treated a queen with the greatest consideration ; but now, if brought in contact with another queen it seeks to destroy it as a rival. As a worker, it would frequently have left the hive, either for labor or exercise ; as a queen, it never leaves it after impregnation, except to accompany a new swarm. , i -i a « 5th The term of its life is remarkably lengthened. As a worker, it would not have lived more than six or seven months; as a queen, it may live seven or eig.t times .is long All these wonders rest on the impregnable basis of demonstration, and instead of being witnessed only by a select few, may now, by the use of the movable-comb hive, be familiar sights to any bee-keeper who prefers an acquaintance with facts, to caviling and sneermg at the labors of others.* . A brief extract from the celebrated Pr. Boerhaavc", memoir of Sw«mmenla|is .hCXut to I'h the .rro.ar.ee of tbo,e ,„perfte.a. observer, who are too wUe ;rthe,r-o«n conce.t t,. avaU --'«-:, -^^";rnlttSwam,„er.,a,„ »This trcat..e on "-'J";;;^';, ''"^^i:,:, m, former health and ...or. ';;z:^':^:<::^^'^^'y^ "^ — "-va..o„. a„d ^ co. "IIU dillv labor hosnn at six in the morninff, >micu '^ „*t„.,„.i 66 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. I"> The process of rearing queens to meet some special emergency, is even more wonderful than the one ah-eady described. If the bees have worker-eggs, or worms not more than three days okl, they make one large cell out « f three, by nibbling away the partitions of two colls adjoining a third. Destroying the eggs or woi*ms in two of these cells, they place before the occupant of the other, the usual food of the young queens; and by enlarging its cell, give it ample space for development. As a security against failure, tliey usually start a number of queen-cells, although often the work on all, except a few, is soon dis- continued. In from eleven to fourteen days, they are in possession of a new queen, in all respects resembling one reared in the natural way; while the eggs in the adjoining cells, which have been developed as workers, are nearly a week longer in coming to maturity. The beautiful representation of comb, in Plate XVIIL, is taken, with important alterations and additions of my own, from Cotton's '' My r>ee-Book," to which I am also indebted for the group of bees in the title-page. The royal cell {b\ is a perfect queen-cell, from which the inmate has not yet emerged. The queen-cell (a), repre- sents the cap or lid as it often appears just after the young queen has hatched. The qu<}en-cell (d), which is open at the side, is one from which a young queen has been vio- lently abstracted ; the other {r), is one which the bees have nearly reduced to the acorn shape. It also resem- Wfttkened by the extraordinary afflux of light, and the use of microscopes, to con- tinue any longer upon such small objects. " He often wished, the better to accomplish his vast, unlimited views, for a year of perpetual heat and light to perfect his Inquiries; with a polar night, to reap all the advantages of them by proper drawings and descriptions." NATURAL HISTORY OF THP: HONEY-BEE. 67 f, «4 I bles one only a few days old. On the face of the comb is a cell (n), just begun for the artificial rearing of a queer., this behig the usual position of cells built to meet some unexpected emergency. To bring the points illustrated into a compact compass, the cells are drawn smaller than the natui'al size. I shall give, in this connection, a description of an inter- esting experhnent. A populous stock was removed, in the morning, to a new place, and an empty hive put upon its stand. Tlious- ands of workers which were ranging the fields, or which left the old hive after its removal, returned to the lamiliar spot. It was tiuly affecting to witness their grief and despair ; they flew in restless circles about the place where once stood their happy home, entering the empty hive continually, and expressing, in various ways, their lamen- tations over so cruel a bereavement. Towards evening, ceasing to take wing, they roamed in restless platoons, in and out of the hive, and over its surtace, as if in search of some lost treasure. A small piece of brood-comb was then given to them, containing worker-eggs and worms. The eftect produced by its introduction took place much quicker than can be described. Tliose which first touched it raised a peculiar note, and in a moment, the comb was covered with a dense mass of bees ; as they recognized, in this small piece of comb, the means of deliverance, despair gave place to hope, their restless motions and mournful voices ceased, and a cheerful hum j)roclaiined their delight. If some one should enter a l)uilding lilled with thousands of persons tearing their hair, beating their breasts, and by piteous cries, as Avell as frantic gestures, giving vent to their desj>air, and could by a single word cause all these demonstrations of 2L<^ony to give place to smiles and congratulations, the ♦ 6S THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. change would not be more instantaneous tlian that pro- duced when the bees received tlie brood-coinb ! The Orientals call the honey-bee, ''Deborah : She that speaketh." Would that this little insect might speak, in words more eloquent than those of man's device, to those who reject any of the doctrines of revealed religion, with the assertion that they are so improbable, as to labor imder a fatal « priori objection. Do not all the steps m the develoi.m»nt of a queen from a worker-egg, labor under the very same objection ? and have they not, for this reason been always regarded, by many bee-keepers, as unworthy of belief? If the favorite .argument of nifi- dels will not stand the test, when applied to the wonders of the bee-hive, is it entitled to serious weight, when, by objectincr to relii^ious trutlis, they arrogantly take to task the Infinite Jehovah for what lie has been pleased to .lo or to teach ? With no more latitude than is claimed by such objectors, it were easy to prove th.at a man is under no obli<'.ation to believe any of the wonders of the bee-hive, even aTthough he is himself an intelligent eye-witness to their substantial truth. Fig. 20. Plate VII. COMB. 69 r-» CHAPTER IV. COMB. Wax is a natural secretion of bees, and may be called theh oil or fat. When gorged with honey, or any liquid sweev, if they remain quietly clustered together, it is secrei<;d in the shape of delicate scales, in small pouches on thvir abdomen. (PI. XIII., Figs. 37, 38.) Soon after a swatin is hived, the bottom-board will usually be covered with tiiese scales. The bees seem to loosen them from their bodies by violently shaking themselves as they stand upon the combs. ** Thus, filtered through yon flutterer'a folded mail, Clings the cooled wax, and hardens to a scale. Swift, at the well-known call, the ready train (For not a buz boon Nature breathes in vain) Spring to each falling flake, and bear along Their glossy burdens to the builder throng. These with sharp sickle, or with sharper tooth, Pare each excrescence, and each aniile smoothe, Till now, in finish'd pride, two radiant rows Of snow white cells one mutual base disclose. Six shining panels gird each polishM round ; The door's fine rim, with waxen fillet bound ; While walls so thin, with sister walls combined, Weak in themselves, a sure dependence find." Evans. Most Apiarians before Ruber's time supposed that wax iras made from bee-bread, either in a crude or digested Rtate. Confining a new swarm of bees to a hive in a dark and cool room, at the end of five days he found several beautiful white combs in their tenement; these fl ! . V li 70 THE HIVE ANT) HONEY-BEE. being taken from them, and the bees sui)plied with honey and water, new combs were again constructed. Seven times in succession their combs were removed, and were in each histance replaced, the bees being all the time pre- vented from ranging the fields to supply themselves with bee-bread. By subsequent experiments, he proved that sugar-syrup answered the same end with honey. Giving animprisoned swarm an abundance of fruit and bee-bread, he found that they subsisted on the fruit, but refused to touch the pollen ; and that no combs were constructed, nor any wax-scales formed in their pouches. Notwithstanding Huber's extreme caution and unwearied patience in conducting these experiments, he did not dis. cover the whole truth on this important subject. Though he demonstrated that bees can construct comb from honey or sugar, without the aid of bee-bread, and that they can- not make it from bee-bread, without honey or sugar, he did not prove that when permanently deprived of bee- bread they can continue to work in wax, or if they can, that the pollen does not aid in its elaboration. Some bee-bread is always found in the stomach of wax^ producing workers, and they never build comb so rapidly as when "^they have free access to this article. It must, therefore, either furnish some of the elements of wax, or in some way assist the bee in producing it. Further investigations are necessary, before we can arrive at per- fectly accurate results. Confident assertions are easily made, requiring only a little breath, or a few drops of ink ; and those who like them best have often the profoundest contempt for observation and experiment. To establish any controverted truth on the solid foundation of demon- strated facts, usually requires severe and protracted labor. Honey and sugar contain by weight about eight pounds of oxygen to one of carbon and hydrogen. When con- COMB. 71 t f i verted into wax, these proportions are remarkably (^hanged, the wax containing only one pound of oxygen to more than sixteen of hydrogen and carbon. Now as oxygen is the grand supporter of animal heat, the large quantity consumed in secreting wax aids in generating that extra- ordinary heat which always accompanies comb-building, and which enables the bees to mould the softened wax into such exquisitely delicate and beautiful forms.* This interesting instance of adaptation, so clearly pointing to the Divine Wisdom, seems to have escaped the notice of previous writers. Careful experiments prove that from thirteen to twenty pounds of honey are required to make a single pound of wax. As wax is an animal oil, secreted chiefly from honey, this fact will not appear incredible to those who are aware how many pounds of corn or hay must be fed to cattle to have them gain a single pound of fat. Many bee-keepers are unaware of the value of empty comb. Suppose lioney to be worth only fifteen cents per pound, and comb, when rendered into wax, to be worth thirty cents, the Ajnarian who melts a pound of comb loses largely by the operation, even without estimatmg the time his bees have consumed in buildhig it. It should, ' therefore, be considered a first principle in bee-culture never to melt good combs. A strong stock of bees, m the height of the honey-harvest, will fill them with very great rapidity. ^ Unfortunately, in the ordinary hives but little use can be made of empty comb, unless it is new, and can \)e put into the surplus honey-boxes ; but by the use of bars, or movable frames, every good piece of worker-comb may be given to the bees. . According to Dr. Donhoff. the thtok„e» of the side, of . cell In a new comt M only the ono hundred and eightieth part of an nch I :i |; t 72 THK HIVK AND HONKY-BEE. When new, it maybe easily attached to frames, or spare lioney-receptacles, by dipping the edge into melted wax, and firmly holding it in place until it hardens; if it is old, or the pieces large and full of bee-bread, a mixture of melted wax and resin AviU secure a firmer adhesion. When comb is put into tumblers, or small receptacles, it may be simply crowded in, so as to keep its place until fastened by the bees. As bees like " a good start m life," they prefer receptacles which contain some empty comb. All suit.able drone-comb should be put into such recepta- cles, instead of being allowed to remain in the breedmg apartment of the hive. . . No one, to my knowledge, has ever attempted to imi- late the delicate mechanism of the bee so clpsely, as to construct artificial combs for the ordinary tises of the Live If store-combs could be made of gutta-percha, they m\f/(/>, occupving, at the s.ame time, the least space, and consmning the le.ast labor in its construction. When this problem is solved by the most refined mathematical processes, the answer is the hexagonal or six-sided cell of the honey-bee, with its three four-sided figures at tho ^ The shape of these figures cannot be altered ever so lit- tie except for the worse. In addition to the desirable qualities already enumerated, they serve as nurseries for rearing the young, and as small air-tight vessels for pre- serving the honey from souring or candying. Every pru- dent housewife who carefully stores her preserves m COMB. 75 receptacles excluding the air, can appreciate the vahie of such an arrangement. "There are only three possible figures of the cells," says Dr. Reid, " which can make them all equal and similar, without any useless spaces between them. These are the equilateral triangle, the square, and the regular hexagon. It is well known to mathematicians, that there is not a fourth way possible in Avhich a plane may be cut into lit- tle spaces that shall be equal, similar, and regular, with- out leaving any interstices." An equilateral triangle would have made a very uncom- fortable tenement for an insect with a round body ; and a square cell would have been but little better. A cir^\e seems to be the best shape for the development of 1 .e larvaj ; but such a figure would have caused a needl n. fines herself to the kind of blossom on which she begins even if it is not so abundant as some others ; thus a ball of this substance taken from her thigh, is found to be of a uniform color throughout ; the load of one insect being Yellow, of another, red, and of a third, brown; the color v-vryin- with that of the plant from which the supply was obtaine.l. They may prefer to gather a load from a single species of plant, because the pollen of different kinds .Iocs not pack so well together. Bees, by carrying the pollen or fertilizing substance of plants, on their bodies, fro... blossom to blossom, contribute essentially to their impreg nation. , Though the hnportance of pollen has long been known ,. is only of late that any attempts have been made t. S4 THE HIVE ANP 110NE1 «KK. furnish a siibstitute. Dzierzon, early to the Spring, observed his bees bringu.g rye-nieal to their hives from a neighboring mill, before they could procure any pollen from natur-xl supplies. The hint was not lost ; and it is now a common practice in Europe, where bee-keei.mg is exten- sively carried on, to supply the bees early nv the season with this article. Shallow troughs are set m front of the Apiaries, filled about two inches deep with finely ground, dL unbolted rycmeal. Thousands of bees, when the weather is favorable, resort eagerly to them, and rolling themselves in the meal, return heavily laden to their hives In fine, mild weather, they labor at this work with great industry; preferring the meal to the oW pollen stored in their combs. They thus breed early, and rapidly recruit their numbers. The feeding is continued till, the blos- soms furnishing a preferable article, they cease to carry off the meal. The average consumption of each colony is about two pounds. , . • .v, Mr F Sontag, a German Apiarian, says, that in the Sprin- of 1853, he fed one of his colonies with rye-meal, placed in the hive iii an old comb ; continuing the supply till they could procure fresh pollen abroad. Tins colony produced four strong swarms that Sprhig, and an adjoin- Ing stock not supplied with the meal, only one weak swarm. i i, „» Another German bee-keeper says, he has used wheat flour with very good results ; the bees forsaking the honey furnished them, and engaging actively in carrying in the flour, which was placed about twenty paces in front of tlieir hives. The construction of my bives permits the flour to be c-isily placed where the bees can get it, without losing time in going abroad, or suUering fur the want of it, wh.M, Ihc weather confines them at home. J POLLEN. 85 The discovery of this substitute removes a very senoua obstacle to the culture of bees. In many districts, there is for a short time such an abundant supply of honey, that almost any number of strong colonies will, in a good sea. son, lay up enough for themselves, and a large surplus for their owuers. ^In many of these districts, however, the supply of pollen is often quite insufficient, and in Spring, the swarms of the previous year are so destitute, that unless the season is early, the production of brood is seriously checked, and the colony cannot avail itself properly of the superabundant harvest of honey. While the honey-bee is regarded by the best informed horticulturists as a friend, a strong prejudice has been excited against it by many fruit-growers in this country ; and in some communities, a man who keeps bees, is con- sidered as bad a neighbor, as one who allows his poultry to despoil the gardens of others. Even the warmest friends of the " busy bee," may be heard lamenting its propensity to banquet on 1 1.. ir beautiful peaches and pears, and choicest grapes and plums. In conversation with a gentleman, I once assigned three reasons, why the bees could not inflict any extensive injury upon his sjrapes. 1st, that as the Creator appears to have intended both the honey-bee and fruit for the comfort of man, it was difticult to conceive that lie would have made one the natural enemy of the other. 2d, that as the supplies of honey from the blossoms had entuely failed, the season (1854) being exceedingly dry, if the numerous colonies in his vicinity had been able to help themselves to his sound grapes, they would have entirely devoured the fruit of his vines. 3d, that the jaws of the bee, being adajned chiefly to the manipulation of w.lx, vc4 too feeble to enable it reandofat^g;^y plyin.^ their busy wings, are not engaged in idle amuse- I g2 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. ment ; nor might they, a8 some shallow utilitarian may imaKiue, he better employed in gathenng honey, or superintending son.e other department in the economy of the hive. At great expense of time and labor, they are supplying the rest of the colony with the pure an- so con- ducive to their health and prosperity. ^ , , „ Impure air, one would thh.k, is bad enough ; but all its inherent vileness is stimulated to still g.^ater activ- ity by air-tight, or rather hmg-tight stoves,* winch can • f \ ^„i-.r 1w sniiinderinff health and endan- economize luel only oy squ.iuuciiuf, gering life. Not only our private houses, but all our places of public assemblage, are either unprovided with any means of ventilation, or to a great extent, supplied with those so deficient, that they only " Keep the word of promise to our ear, To break it to our liope." That ultimate degeneracy must inevitably follow such cross neglect of the laws of health, cannot be doubted ; Ld those who imagine that the physical stamma of a people may be undermined, and their intellectual, moral and religious health suffer no decay, know little of the intimate connection which the Creator has established between body and mhid. Men may, to a certain extent, resist the injurious influ- cnccs of foul air ; as their employments usually compel them to live more out of doors : but alas, alas ! for the poor women! In U.e very land where they are treated with such merited deference and respect, often no pr(> vision is made to furnish them with that first element of health, cheerfulness and beauty, heaven's pure, fresh air. . The beautiful open or Franklin stoves, for coal or wood, manufaetured by Me Jr^ T^^"^.., Perry * Korton, of Albany New York. .e«.rv. the Ughe.. cmmendation as economizers of life, health, and fuel. VENTILATION. 93 The pallid cheek or hectic flush, the angular form and distorted spine, the enfeebled appearance of so large a por- tion of our women, who, to use the language of the lamented Downing, "in the signs of physical health, com- pare most unfavorably with all but the absolutely starvmg classes in Europe ;" aU these indications of debility, to say nothincr of their care-worn faces and premature wrinkles, proclaim our violation of God's physical laws, and the dreadful penalty with which He is visiting our transgressions. . The man who shall convince the masses of the impor- tance of ventilation, and whose inventive mind shall devise some simple, cheap, and efficacious way of furnish- ing a copious supply of pure air for our private dwellings, public buildhigs, and travelling conveyances, will be a greater benefactor than a Jenner or a Watt, a Fulton or a Morse. . -, 3 e In the ventilation of my hive, I have endeavored, as far as possible, to meet the necessities of the bees, under all the varying circumstances to which they are exposed m our uncertain climate, whose severe extremes of tempera- ture forcibly impress upon the bee-keeper, the maxim of ' " Utraque vis pariter apibus mctucnda." "Extremes of heat or cold, alike are hurtful to the bees." To be useful to the m.ajority of bee-keepers, artificial ventilation must be simple, and not as in Nutt's hive, and other labored contrivances, so complicated as to require almost as close supervision as a hot-bed or green- house. , - , By furnishing ventilation independent of the entrance, we may improve upon the method which bees, ui a state of nature, are often compelled to adopt, when the openings into their hollow trees are so small, that they must employ 94 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. BEQCISITES OF A COMPLETE HIVB. 95 I in hot weather, a larger force in ventilation, than would otherwise be necessary. By the use of my movable blocks (PI. v.. Fig. 17), the entrance may be kept so small, that only a single bee can go in at once, or it may be entirely closed, without the bees suffering for want of air. While the ventilators afford a sufficient supply, they may he easily controlled, so as not to injure the brood by admitting too strong a current of chilly air. In the chapter on wintering bees, directions are given for ven- tilatinff the hives in cold weather, so as to carry off all superfluous moisture. The construction of my hives allows of ventilation from above ; and it should always be used, when bees are shut up for any length of time, to be moved, that the colony may not be suffocated, by the lower ventilators becoming clogged by dead bees. As the entrance of the hive, may in a moment, be enlarged to any desirable extent, without perplexing the bees, any quantity of air which the bees may require, can be admitted ; the ventilator on the back allowing a free current to sweep through the hive. The entrance may be fourteen inches and upwards in length ; but as a general rule, in a large colony, it need not, in Summer, exceed four inches; while, during the rest of the year, one or two inches will suffice. In very hot weather, especially if the hive stands in the sun, the bees cannot have too much air ; and the ventilators in the upper part of the main liive should all be kept open. CHAPTER VIII. REQUlSrrES OF A COMPLETE UIVE. In this chapter, I shall enumerate certain advantages svhich seem essential to the idea of a complete hive. In- svead of disparaging other hives, I preler "-^^-S ^^^ attention of bee-keepers to the miportance of these requisites; some of which, I believe, are contamed m no hive but my own. If, after careful scrutiny, they commend themselves to the judgment of practical --'''; ^'^^^^^^^ will serve to test the comparative merits of the vanous hives in common use. 1 A complete hive should give the Apianan such perfect control of all the combs, that they may be easily taken out without cutting them, or enraging the bees. 2 It should permit all necessary operations to be per- formed without hurting or killing a single bee. Most hives are so constructed, that they cannot be used without injuring or destroying some of the bees ; and the destruction of even a few, materially increases the difficulty of mana , on the snow, auu frequently retains for a bee, in flying away with the dead, cq y "'°J''B.„»,,ia nffora MUics for feeding bcC ■,..1. in ''r.:;;:\"lt:M;^ ™v*,e.o,„. ,«-. l,ns ,,n„.,,al ,a^ r 1 , wnrn. .o»ll.er, rixty colonies mny, n. lea rr:ii;,;-ivee-l. «,.;.;.. or foo,l,.i.l,on..ny r.e,ler, »,, .i,,, no 'f^^^':^ , ,„„„,.,*. oQ Tt should permit tne easy iumh-, v^ r. ^i ^ „„r;„>Hi:g ™y "»■• " «»• *» """'"""'" "" "" ""ITu *o..l.l ».lmi« of tl.e -fe tn,n.porution of .he bee, -rr:i::TotonS::lt,:2^^^ ->. ... "' «:°U iSr„...h hee. »i,h »i. ...en .he e„.™ne. r.r nnv rinse must be entirely shut. 26 iH o';id furnish fncilitios for enlarging, con ractn.g, and clo it the entrance, to protect the bees agamst rob ." rs and The bee-moth ; and when the entrance « altered, KEQUI8ITE8 OF A COMPLETE HIVE. 99 the bees ought not, as in most Lives, to lose valuable time in searching for it. 27. It should give the requisite ventilation, without en- larging the entrance so much as to expose the bees to moths and robbers. 28. It should furnish facilities for admitting at once a large body of air, that the bees may be tempted to lly out and discharge their faeces, on warm days in Wmter, or early Spring. If such a free admission of air cannot be given, the bees, by losing a favorable opportunity of emptying themselves, may suffer from diseases resulting from too long confine- ment. 29. It should enable the Apiarian to remove the excess of bee-bread from old stocks. (See p. 82.) 30. It should enable the Apiarian to remove the combs, brood, and stores, from a common to an improved hive, so that the bees may be easily able to attach them again in their natural positions. A colony transferred to my hive will repair their combs, in a few days, so as to work as well as before their removal. 31. It should permit the sale and easy dislodgement of the bees from the hive. This requisite is especially important, when it becomes necessary to break up weak stocks, to join them to others. . , 1 1, i 1 32 It should allow the bees, together with the heat and odor of the main hive, to pass in the freest manner, to the Burplus honey-receptacles. In this respect, all other hives with which I am ao- quainted arc more or less deficient : the bees being forced to work in receptacles difficult of access, and in which, in cool nights, they find it impossible to maintain the requi- site helt for comb-building. Bees cannot, in such hives, M ' ! •: r I I 100 THE HIVK AND HuNEY-BKE. KKQUISITES OF A COMPLETE HTVE. 101 II work to advantage in glass tumblers, or other small ves- Bols One of the most unportant arrangements of my hive, is' that by which the heat passes h.to the upper recepta- cles for storing honey, as naturally as the warmest air ascends to the top of a heated room. ^ . , • 33 It should permit the surplus honey to be taken away, in the most convenient, beautiful, and salable forms, and without risk of annoyance from the bees. In my hives, it may be made on frames m an upper chamber, in tumblers, glass boxes, wooden boxes, small or larcre, earthen jars, flower-pots, in short, m any kmd ot rec^eptacle which may suit the fancy or convenience of he bee-keeper. Or these may all be dispensed with, and the honey taken from the interior of the main hive, by remov- in- the full frames, and supplying their places with empty **'T4 It should admit of the easy removal of good honey from' the main hive, when its place can be supplied by the bees with an inferior article. In districts where buckwheat is raised, any vacancies made by removh.g the choice honey from the hive will be rapidly filled. , , . , » 35 When quantity and not quality is the object sought, it should allow the greatest yield, that the surplus of strong colonies may be given, in the Fall, to those which have an insufficient supply. 15y surmounthig my hive with a box of the same dimen- sions, and transferring the combs to this box the bees, when they build new comb, will descend and fill the lower frames, using, as fast as the brood hatches, the upper box for storin.' honey. Ti.e combs in this box, containmg a lar-e anwunt of bee-bread, and being of a size adapted to Ihe breeding of workers, wUl be very suitable for aiding weak colonies. 36. It should be able to compel the force of a colony to be mainly directed to raising young bees; that brood may be on hand to form new colonies, and strengthen feeble 37. It ought to be so constructed that, while well pro- tected from the weather, the sun may be allowed in early Spring to encourage breeding, by warming up the hive. 38. The hive should be equally well adapted to be used as a swarmer, or non-swarmer. In my hives, the bees may be allowed to swarm as in common hives, and be managed in the usual way. Even on this plan, the control of the combs will be found to afford unusual advantages. Non-swarming hives, managed in the ordinary way, are Uable to swarm unexpectedly, in spite of all precautions. In my hives, the queen may be prevented from leavmg, and a swarm will not depart without her. 39. It should enable the Apiarian to prevent a new swarm from forsaking its hive. • This vexatious occurrence can always be prevented, by so adjusting the entrance, for a few days, that the queen cannot leave the hive. 40. It should enable the Apiarian, if he allows his bees to swarm, and wishes to secure surplus honey, to prevent their swarming more than once in a season. 41. It should enable the Apiarian, who relies on natural swarming, and wishes to multiply his colonies as fast as possible, to make vigorous stocks of all his small after- swarms. Such swarms contain a young queen, and if they can be judiciously strengthened, usually make the best stock- hives. My hives enable me to supply all such swarms at once with combs containmg bee-bread, honey, and matur- inc: brood. 103 TlIK HIVE AND HONKYBEE. 42. It should enable the Apiarian to multiply his cola- nies with a certainty and rapidity which are impossible d he depends upon natural swarming. ;, .., ^ 43 It should enable the Apiarian to supply destitute colonies with the means of obtaining a new queen. Every Apiarian, for this reason alone, would fand it to nis advantage to possess, at least, one such hive. 44. It should enable him to catch the queen, for any purpose ; especially to remove an old one whose lertihty is impaired by age. 45 While a complete hive is adapted to the wants of those who desire to manage their colonies on the most improved plans, it ought to be suited to the wants of those ^vho, from timidity, ignorance, or any other reason, prefer the common way. . , 40. It should enable a single bee-keeper to supenntend the colonies of different individuals. Many persons would keep bees, if an Apiary like a garden, could be superintended by a competent ind.v.duah Ko person can agree to do this with the common uves. If the bees are allowed to swarm, he may be called in a dozen different directions at once, and if any accident, such as the loss of a queen, happens to the colonics ol hi. customers, he can usually apply no remedy. On my plan, those who desire it, may witness he mdus- try of this sagacious insect, and gratify their palates with its delicious stores harvested on their own premises, with- out incurring either trouble, or risk of annoyance. 47 All the joints of the hive should be water-tight, and there should be no doors or shutters liable to shrink, Bwell. or get out of order. The importance of this requisite will be obvious to any one who has had the ordinary share of vexatious expen- ence will such iixtures. i I REQUISITES OF A COMPLETE HIVE. 103 48. It should enable the bee-keeper entirely to dispense V 'th sheds, or costly Apiaries ; as the hive itself should aj ke defy heat or cold, rain or snow. 49. It ought not to be liable to be blown down in high vi nds. My hives may bo made so low, for very windy situa- ti ms, that it would require almost a hurricane to upset tl em. 50. A complete hive should have its alighting-board so c< nstructcd, as to shelter the bees against wuid and wet, tl us facilitating to the utmost their entrance with heavy b' 'rdens. If this precaution is neglected, the colony cannot be en. ^^'\^, .^^^ ,,^,^ add another to the useless eontmjc ^^^ deluded and disgusted a too -f ^ '^^^ ,^^ '^i'^,,i,ed even eu-ects, w.th aU their ^e^ons, ^^J^^:^^ ,,, nothing formed the Lnnerse. I'o ^^^ l..i,cl of perfection upon any work of his own, both his folly and j.resumpt.on. ^^.^ The culture of bees is confessedly a^-J«^ ^^ ^.^^^ country, when thousands can ^^^^^"J^^^os of ,.,aeh are in ^^^^ ^^:^^:;X^ ^^ ^-'- common sense as we a t^ien ^^P^^^ ^1^^^^^^^^^, ^„, :: tSat tt bonder they turn from everything REQUISITES OF A COMPLETE HIVE. 107 offered in the shape of a patent bee-hive, as a worthless conceit, if not an outrageous swindle. So deleterious has been the influence of the so-called "Improved Hives" that, as a general thing, only those who have used hives of the simplest Ibrm, have derived much profit from their bees. They have wasted neither time money, nor bees, upon contrivances which can secure nothing in advance of a simple box-hive, with an upper chamber. . ■ . A hive of the simplest 2wssible constnicHon, is a close imitation of the abode of bees in a state of nature ; bemg a mere hollow receptacle, where, protected from the weather, they can lay up their stores. An improved hive, is one which contuins .in additional, separate apartment, where bees can store their surplus honey for man. Most hives in couunon use are only modilicalions of this latter hive, and, as a general rule, arc b;ul, exactly n, propor- tion as thev depart from it. While they tempt the com- mon bee-keeper to ruinous departures from the beaten path, they fr.rnish him no remedy for the loss of the queen, or the casualties to which bees are exposed. Such hiv es, therefore, form no reliable basis for any improved system of management; and hence, the cultivation of bees m this country, has declined for the last fifty years, and the Apiarian is as dependent as ever upon the caprices ot an msect, which n.ore than any of his domestic animals, may be completely subjected to his control. I would respectfully submit, that no h.ve which does no frunisb a thorough control over every eomb, can give ,ha substantial advance over the simple unproved or clu n b hive, which the bee-keeper's necessities demand. 01 .ucl hive , the best are those which best umte cheapness aiul simjiucU,, with ..otection in Winter, and ready access to tl.c spare honoy-boxes. II ,08 THE niVE AND HONEY-BEE. Hnvin- tbns enumerated the tests to ^vhich all hives ou"" t"\e subjected, I suhuut them to the cand.d con^ siLn or ^-:j\:^2:^^^z the manngement ^f^^'^^rif on full trial, they find ::.^tttoS:irre L aie these tests, they nv b wmin^- to endorse the enthusiastic language of an .nay be ™ = , „ examh.ing its practical work- ::^Tc r'e^ t,r"'it intl-oaueed not simply an im^o^ 2nt, but a complete revolution in bee-keepmg." I I I BWARMING AND HIVING. 109 CHAPTER IX. NATURAL SWARMING, AND HIVING OF SWARMS. The swarming of bees is one of the most beautiful sic^hts in the whole compass of rmal economy. Although mmiy who use movable-comb hives prefer the artihcial multiplication of colonies, few would be willing entirely to dispense with the pleasing excitement of natural swarm- ing. «' Up mounts the chief, and to the cheated eye Ten thousand shuttles dart along the sky ; As swift through tether rise the rushing swarms, Gsiy dancing to the beam their sun-bright forma ; And each thin form, still lingVing on the sight, Trails, as it shoots, a line of silver light. High poisM on buoyant wing, the thoughtful queen, In°gaze attentive, views the varied scene, And soon her far-fetch'd ken discerns below The light laburnum lift her polish'd brow, Wave'her green leafy ringlets o'er the glade, And seem to beckon to her friendly shade. Swift as the falcon's sweep, the monarch bends Her fli-ht abrupt ; the following host descends. Round^the tine twig, like clustered grapes, they close In thickening wreaths, and court a short repose. Evans. The multiplication of colonies by swarming, both guards the bee against the possibility of extinction, and makes Us labors in fhe highest degree useful to man. The laws of reproduction in insects not living in regular colonies, secure an ample increase of their numbers. Ihe same ,s true of those which live in colonies dunng the warn, weather only, as hornets, wasps, and huml.h-b..cs. In the 11 n I 110 THE inVE AND llONKY-BKK. BWARMINO AND HIVING. m Fall, tl>c males perish, while the -l-S^^^f ."^ retrc-utinc^ into Winter quarters, remain dc.rmant t.U ^^a.m weaJiler restores them to activity, that each may become the mother of a new family. The honey-bee, however, is so orgamzed that it m st live in a community during the entire year ; for while the bllmy breezes of the Spring will quickly thaw the frozen body of a torpid wasp, the bee is chilled by a temperature no lower than 50' ; and it would be as ""PJ-'^'^ « - store a frozen bee to anim.ation, as to recall to life the stiffened corpses in the charnel-house of the Convent^of the Great si Bernard. Bees, therefore, h, cool weather must associate in large numbers, to mamtam the heat necessary for their preservation ; and the formation of new colonies, after the manner of wasps and home s, is out of the question. Even if the young queens, like the mothei- wasps, were able, without any assistance, to found new colonies they could not maint.-iin the warmth requisite ioi u'e Xdopment of their young. And it" this were pos- sible and they were furnished with a proboscis, for gath- Sn': honey, as long as that of a worker, baskets on their thighs for carrying bee-bread, and pouches on their abdo- mens for secreting wax, they would st.ll be unable to amass treasures for our use, or even to lay up the stores requisite fur their own j.reservation. ,..,,,,„ How admirably are all these diflicuU.es obvia cd by the present arrangement ! Their domicile being well supplied ,vith all the requisite materials, the bees have add.^l thousands, in the full vigor of youth, to their already nn- merous population, while sueh insects as depend u,...n the heat of the sun are still dormant. They can tl.M. send off early colonies, strong enough to take full advan- tage of the honey-harvest, and to provision the new hue a-Tainst the approach of Winter. From these consider:. r tions, it is evident that swarming, so far from being tlie forced or unnatural event which some imagine, is one, which could not possibly be dispensed with, in a state of nature. Let us now inquire under what circumstances swarm- ing ordinarily takes place. The time when new swarms may be expected, depends, of course, upon the climate, the forwardness of the season and the strength of the stocks. In our Northern and Middle States, they seldom issue before the latter part of May ; and June may there be considered as the great swarming month. In Brownsville, Texas, on the lower Rio Grande, bees often swarm quite early in March. In the Spring, as soon as a hive well filled* with comb, can no longer accommodate its teeming population the bees prepare for emigration, by building a number of roval cells. These cells are begun about the time tha the drones make their appearance in the open air ; and when the young queens arrive at maturity, the males are usuJiUv very numerous. The first swarm is invariably led off by the old queen, unless she has died from accident or disease when it is ac- companied by one of the young ones reared to supply he OSS The old mother, unless delayed by unfuvorabl wea'ther, usually leaves soon after one or "-- f J^^' -j;;)^ cells are sealed over. There are no signs ^[^u M the Apiarian can predict the certain issue ot ; .fi, st m -xun For years, I spe,.; much time in the van. attempt to d.s- cover some iMle indications of first swarming ; until e"^er some i/j -^ ,„^^n.atlons. focts convinced me that theit cm nc no , V 1 vii.t.Il« «itttto. bees fUom swarm unless the htvc it • In ..nr Northern an HIVING. 115 ping them, is to flash the sun's rays among them, by a lookino-.glass ! I never had occasion to try it, but an anonymous writer says he never knew it fail. If forcibly prevented from eloping, they will be almost sure to leave, soon after hiving, for their selected home, unless the queen is coufmed. If there is reason to expect desertion, and the queen cannot be confined, the bees may be earned into the cellar, and kept in total darkness, until towards sunset of the third d.ay, being supplied, in the mean time, with water and honey to build their combs. The same precautions must be used when fugitive swarms are re hived. « It is always very easy to prevent a new colony from abandoning the movable-comb hive, by regulating the entrance so that, while a loaded worker-bee can just pass, the queen will be unable to leave ; or a piece of comb, with unsealed worker-brood, may be transferred to the new hive, when a swarm will seldom forsake it_. It may generally be ascertained, soon after luving a Bwarm, whether or not it intends to remain It, on ap- olyin- the car to the side of the hive, a sound be heard, Jof "gnawing or rubbing, the bees are getting ready for comb-building, and will rarely decamp. _ If a colony decide to go, they look upon the h.v^ m which they are put .-v. only a temporary stopp.ng-pj'ee and seldom trouble themselves to bmkl .any comb. If the hive permits inspection, we may tell at a glance when bees .ire disgusted with their new residence, and mean to forsake it. They not only refuse to work with the cha - act eristic energy of a new swarm, b.it their very attitude, hlX as they do, with a sort of dogged or supercih- ous'rtirras though they hated even so much as to toud. their detested abode, proclaims to the expenenced ej e th.at they are unwilling tenants, and mean to be oif as soo., I • < ;-""' ■:iTi7irffataiB»aJi 116 THE HIVK AND HONEY-BEE. „ ,„cj e». Numerous '■^>""'^';^ZI7.tlZ^. T rl" do n a "kn«» r«; »>ve»l day., h«o cocdings before thoir dep""™' ,„, ;„ Bee, sometime, atodou ttar ki^^ ,,' „,,,, J,; Spring, or late >" Summe « ,^^^. ^^, ^,,. the api-arance of natu a s« g, J ^^.^^^ ^^ cause the P^^^'^f ?' ;;;;j T i, either so small, or the form new colonies, l^vit ^^f'^"^*' "; ^..j^.^.^ to des- ^"^ ron'trr tTirr ;^^;^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^-^ -- ^ T"/ thtv St ° instead of awaiting the sure approach P^r . hevtalVout to see if they cannot better their of famine, they saiiy oui, . . ^^ leave their condition. I have knowna sta. ^ mg colony hive on a Spring-like ^^^y ^ ^^^^^^^^^^ ,f 30 provident It may seem strange that ^1^'^ "J "'^ '^ .^HaUe an insect should not always "-^^ ^^ ^" jj*^^^„., . ,,,ee aomicile before venturing to abandon he old ,^^^^ ^^ ■J, row thrprLnt arrangement conduces to the advan- tage of '"2 ^^„ ^f little service to him, if, instead Beeswoulda cbee .^^^ them, their instincts of tarrying till he Had ui . , t delay, from the ,ad impelled them to ^^^^^^^^^^^^y other • restraints of «--- J^^^ ,,ew see^ned nn Siri:re:^:n:"oves, on eU .am^^^^^^^^ to . »Tottrr:rnrrr-v:^---^ SWAFvMINO AND HIVING. 117 alights first, and sometimes joins the cluster after it has begun to form. The bees do not usually settle, unless she is with them ; and when they do, and then disperse, it is frequently the case that, after first rising with them, she has fallen, from weakness, into some spot where she is unnoticed by the bees. Perceiving a hive in the act of swarming, I, on two oc- casions, contacted the entrance, to secure the queen when she should make her appearance. In each case, at least one-third of the bees came out before she joined them. As soon as the swarm ceased searching for her, and were returning to the parent-hive, being placed, with her Winers clipped, on a limb of a small evergreen tree, she crawled to the very top of the limb, as if for the express purpose of making herself as conspicuous as possible. The few bees which first noticed her, instead of alighting, darted rapidly to their companions; in a few seconds, the Mhole colony was apprised of her presence, and flying m a dense cloud, began quietly to cluster around her. l.eos when on the wing intercommunicate with such surprising rapidity, that telegraphic signals are scarcely more mstaii- That bees send out scouts to seek a suitable abode admits of no serious question. Swarms h.ave been traced directly to their new home, in an an-line flight either from their hive, or from the place where they clustered after ali-hting. Now this precision of flight to an un- known home, would plainly be impossible, if some of their number, by previous explorations, were not competen to act as guides to the rest. The sight of bees for distant obiects is so wonderfully acute, that, after rising to a suffi- ci^nt elevation, they can see, at the distance of several miles, any prominent objects in the vicinity of their m- tended abode. ^mm SWAKMINO AND HIVING. 119 I 118 THE HIVS AND HONKY-BEE. vcnience of the queen, oi a jr ^^^^ excitement of --^^f J^^t^l^y o^ n rlain until sient tarrying. Instead of this, ^^^ey o t ^^^^ the n-t day, and instances are n^^^^^^^^^ .^ ^,^.^ ,nore protracted ^f^^y-JJ^/^Sel with these views ; r iVthe raST' i?o whTtr; ^rst Custer, and the for if the ANcatner ^^^^.^ 1^^^^^ sun shines duectly ^^on^^^.' ^^^o.. Sometimes the they have found a ^^'^^^'^ j,^^ ,,ith eggs, queen ^^ -/"''f ^"| "^Homi "ed to alight, hefore and "— -"f^/^J;^^:a ,onI Queens, under such she can reach their mt^naeu ^^, ^^.j ^■"•^nr p::: c r e?me::;tipt t. lay the fou. S:;:o?tirc:io:y on fence-rails, hay-stacUs, or other unsuitahle places. ^^^.^^^ ^^ ^,,3 T'l'IrderTh' otniosrUnib of an isolated oalc- to lodge ""de. the 10 ^.^^^^...^ „ntil the corn tree, in a '=°'"/?''^./'Xr Those who found it, mis- was harvested, m Septcmbc. 1 ^^^ ^^ » ^r ;♦ fnr 1 recent swarm, and m uiusiuno took It for a iccent , ^_^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^,^^,4 'i::i it remained there for some tin,e, and the hoys pelted ri;h stoTe; to get possession of its -b -U>-y. The necessity for scouts or explorers see.ns to be unq tionable, unless we can admit that bees have the faculty of flying in an " oiV line,'' to a hollow tree which they have never seen, and which may be the only one among thous- ands where they can find a suitable abode. These views are confirmed by the repeated instances m which a few bees have been noticed inquisitively prying into a hole in a hollow tree, or the cornice of a buildmg, and have, before long, been foUow-jd by a whole colony. llavin"une as to be barely able to fly. 5i ■ I Plate XI, » ^ i no THE HIVK AND HONK Y-BEE. Aft. t.c,t«.«lt of s« is ov- --^^^^^^^^^^^^ did not participate >n ^'^^''^^''J^^.^ ^yhat determines and not one that did, seeks o letmn ^^^^^ rr^'^'llT:^^^^^^^ ,,, .^p^ession of knowing. How ^^ ondc ^^ ^.^^^^^^ ^^ ^^,^^. made upon an insect, to cause ti ^^^^^ ,,etely to lose its strong affeon ^^ ^le ^^^^^ .^ when established u. a hne o..l> a tov their new domicile is iemo% tu the fields-from thepl- where l-e^^--^^^ ^. V,, their return, they often fly ^^^ '^;"'' ' ,j . ^„d somv ahoiit ^^^^^^^::^:::Z^ SlXlmpUns, unt. t;rr: :"::!: they perish ^ .ose proximity %tti::^-n statecUhat, if^e^^^^^^^^ ahie, the old ^-:^-:^^z :^i:'::,.. mto nymi-hs. In f "^'^ "J^^^'^.^ether or not, any more col- question must be deciata « i*, ,„„1, c>rc«.ratan,-o.. some "»«;"-,„, .„„,„i„s of after-swarms. ^ ^ ^ hatched TK fhP hees decide to swarm but once, me in»t ^ diately to tne ceiis u murderous trans- The other bees P-^^ ^ -^,^^^^ .^X of the slaugh- action; they certainly teai o, en ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ •VBred mnocents (1 I. Ai v ., i^ ^o- ' '' Fig. 24. Fiir. 25. Fig. 26. Fig. 28. > \ L. ■•^j Fisj. 2T. Fig. 2a. (T Fig. 30. r ::>'^y^a:aag^rT^r^^?' »iv^!»sE-«awg 6WAEMING AND IIIVINO. 121 I from the cells. Their dead bodies may often be found on the ground in front of the hive. When a queen has emerged from her cell in the natural way, the bees cut it down (PI. XIV., Fig. 47, c), till only a small acorn-cup remains ; but if she met with a violent end, they usuall}' remove the whole cell. By countinir these acorn-cups, we can ascertain how many queens lia\ e hatched in a hive. If the bees of tne parent-stock decide to send out a 8C:Cond colony, the tifst hatched queen is prevented from killing the others. A strong guard is kept over their cells, and as often as she approaches them with murderous intent, she is bitten, oi given to understand by other most uncourtier-like demonstrations, that even a queen cannot, in all thmgs, do just as ahe pleases. Like some human beings who cannot have their own way, she is highly oltended when thus repulsed, and utters, in a quick succession of notes, a shrill, angry sound, not unlike the rapid utterance of the words, "peep, peep." If held m the closed hand, she will make a similar noise. To this angry note, one or more of the unhatched queens will respond, in a somewhat hoarser key, just as a cock, by crowing, bids defiance to its rivals. These sounds, so entirely unlike the usual steady hum of the bees, or the fluttering noises of unhatched queens, are almost infallible indications that a second swarm will soon issue. They are occasionally so loud as to be heard at some distance from the hive. About a week after first- swarming, the Apiarian should place his ear against the hive, in the morning or evening, when the bees are still, and if the queens are "])iping," he will readily recognize their peculiar sounds. The young queens are all mature, at the latest, in sixteen days from the departure of the fir«t awarm, even if it left as soon as the royal cells were 6 122 THE niVE AND HONEY-BEE. i i 1 i 1 ' i If in begun. If, during this period, these notes are not heard, it is an infallible indication tliat the first hatched queen lias no rivals ; and that swarming, in that stock, is over for the season. The second swarm usually issues on the second or third day after piping is heard ; though they sometimes delay coming out until tlie fifth day,* in consequence of an un. favorable state of the Aveather. Occasionally, the weather is so extremely unfavorable, that the bees permit the oldest queen to kill the otliers, and refuse to swarm again. This is a rare occurrence, as young queens are not so par- ticular about the weather as old ones, and sometimes ven- ture out, not merely wlien it is cloudy, but when rain is falling. On this account, if a very close watch is not kept, they are ol\en lost. As piphig ordinarily commences about a week after first-swarming, the second swarm usu- ally issues nine days after the first ; although it has been known to issue as early as the third, and as late as the seventeenth ; but such cases are very rare. It frequently happens in the agitation of swarming, that the usual guard over the queen-cells is withdrawn, and sev- eral hatch at the same time, and accompany the colony ; in which case, the bees often aliglit in two or more separate clusters. In my observing-hives, I have repeatedly seer young queens thrust out their tongues from a hole in their coll, to be fed by the bees. If allowed to issue at will, they are pale and weak, like other young bees, and for some time unable to fly ; but if confined the usual time, they come forth fully colored, and ready for all emergencies. I have seen them issue in this state, while the excitement caused by removing the combs from a hive, has driven the guard #om their cells. The folio wine: remarkable instance came imder my ob- Bcrvation, in Matanioras, Mexico. A second swarm de. BWARMING AND HTVINO. 123 \ii serting its abode the second day after being hived, settled upon a tree. On examining the abandoned hive, Jive young queens were found lying dead on its bottom, board. The swami was returned, and, the next morning, two more dead queens were found. As the colony after- wards prospered, eiffht queens, at least, must have left the parent-stock in a single swarm ! Young queens, whose ovaries are not burdened with eggs, are nmch quicker on the Aving than old ones, and frequently fly much farther from the parent-stock before they alight. After the departure of the second swarm, the oldest remaining queen leaves her cell ; and if another swarm is to come forth, piping will still be heard ; and so before the issue of each swarm after the first. It will sometimes be heard for a short time after the issue of the second sw\arm, even when the bees do not intend to swarm again. The third swarm usually leaves the hive on the second or third day after the second swarm, and the others, at intervals of about a day. I once had five gwarms from one stock, in less than two weeks. In warm latitudes, more than twice this number of swarms have been known to issue, in one season, from a single stock. In after-swarming, the queen sometimes re-enters the hive, after having appeared on the alighting-board. If she does this once, she will be apt to do it repeatedly, and the swarm, in each instance, will return to the mother- hive. In the Apiaiy of a friend in Matamoras, when his first swarm issued, there was no tree for it to alight on. The wind was so strong, that the bees did not leave the vicin- ity of their hives, but began to settle on a hive near their own. Although the queen was secured, with a portion of her colony, a large part of the swarm entered the adjom- ing stocks. When these stocks swarmed, although a tree I M' 124 Tnh HIVE AND HONEY-BKE. 8WAKMING AND HIVING. 125 Id ! II had been set out for them to cluster on, the bees which had returned on the first occasion, did the same thing airain, drawinor with them the rest of their companions. The only way in which we could obtain a single swann, was by covering with sheets all the hives in the Apiary as soon as one swarmed, and thus the bees, being unable to enter them, were compelled to alight ! It would be difficult to find a better illustration of the folly of neglect- ino- the old adagre, "A stitch in time saves nine." Afler-swarms, or casts — these names are given to all swarms after the first — seriously reduce the strength of the parent-stock ; since by the time they issue, nearly all the brood lefl by the old queen has hatched, and no more ocro-s can be laid until all swarming is over. It is a wise arrangement, that the second swarm docs not ordi- narily issue until all the eggs left by the first queen are hatched, and the young mostly sealed over, so as to require no further feeding. Its departure earlier than this, would leave too few laborers to attend to the wants of the young bees. If, after swarming, the weather sud- denly becomes chilly, and the hive is thin, or the Apiarian continues the ventilation which was needed only for a crowded colony, the old stock being unable to maintain the requisite heat, great numbers of the brood oflen perish. The effect on the profits of the Apiary, of too frequent swarming, is discussed m the next chapter. If the bee- keeper wants no casts, he can easily prevent their issue from my hives. About five days afler the first swarm comes out, the parent-stock may be opened, and all the queen-cells removed, except one. If done earlier than this, the bees may start others, in the place of those re- moved. Those only who have thoroughly tried both plans, can appreciate how much better this is, thin to attempt to return the after-swarms to the parent hivc% The Apiarian who desires by natural swanning to mul- tiply his colonies as rapidly as possible, will find full directions in the sequel, for building up all after-swarms, however small, so as to make vigorous stocks. It will be remembered, that both the parent-stock from which the swarm issues, and all the colonies, except the first, have a young queen. These queens never leave the hive for impregnation, until they are established as heads of independent families. They generally go out for this purpose, early in the aflernoon of the first pleasant day, after being thus acknowledged, at which time, the drones are flying most numerously. On leaving their hive, they fly with their heads turned towards it, often entering and departing several times, before they finally soar into the air. Such precautions on the part of a young queen are highly necessary, that she may not, on her return, lose her life, by attempting, through mistake, to enter a strange hive. More queens are thus lost than in any other way. When a young queen leaves for impregnation, the bees, on missing her, are often filled with such alarm that they rush from the hive, as if intending to swarm. Their agita- tion is soon quieted, if she retui*ns in safety. The drone perishes in the act of impregnating the queen. Although, when cut into two pieces, each piece will retain its vitality for a long time, I accidentally ascer- tained, in the Summer of 1852, that if his abdomen is gently pressed, and sometimes if several are closely hold hi the warm hand, the male organ will often be perma- nently extruded, with a motion very like the popping of roasted pop-corn ; and the insect, with a shiver, will curl up and die, as quickly as if blasted with the lightning's stroke. This singular provision is unquestionably intended to give additional security to the queen, when she leaves her hive to 126 THE HIVE AND HONET-BEK. SWARMING AND HIVING. 127 'fM AfiJttieOrttV^ ^ 'L ' i a^V liave intenjourse with the drone. Iluber first discovercil that she retintied with the male organ torn from the drone, and still adhering to her body. If it were not for this arrangement, her spermatheca could not be filled, unless she remained so long in the air with the drone as to incur a very great risk of being devoured by birds. In one instance, some days after the impregnation of a queen, I found the male organ,* in a dried state, adhering ♦ On page 50 of the English translation of Prof. Siebold's work on " Partheno- genesis" (that Is, production without Intercourse with the male) "of Moths and Bees,'' may be found the following extract of a letter to Prof Siebold, dated Slst July, 1853, from the celebrated German Apiaiian, the Baron Von Berlepsch. »* I succeeded, to-day. In Impaling upon a pin, a queen which had flown out to copulate, just as she was about to re-enter the hive. The signs of copulation stand far out. ♦ * * Will you have the kindness to settle, by dissection: 1, If any, and what, parts of the dr<.ne occur In the royal vulva; and 2, what Is the condition of the seminal receptacle. If there be parts of the drone in the vulva, people will, at last, admit that the drones are the males, and that the copulation takes place outside of the hive. * * ♦ Moreover, If you find the seminal roceptacle filled with semen, Dzlerzon's hypothesis— according to which the ovary is not fertilized, but the seminal receptacle filled with male drone-semen, by copulation-is raised into cvlring penis which Is to be protruded." "The following interesting experiment" (Parthenogenesis, p. 54) "was made by Berlepsch, In order to confirm the drone-productiveness of a virgin queen. He contrived the exclusion of queens at the end of September, 1854, and, therefore, at a time when there wms no longer any males; he was lucky enough to keep one of thenj through the Winter, and this produced «l rone-offspring on the 2<1 of March, In the following year, furnishing fifteen hundred evils with brood. That this drone- bearlnjr queen remained a virgin, was proved by the dissection which Leuckart nndert<»ok, at the request of Berlepsch. He found the state and contents of tho seminal pciucb of this queen to be exactly of the same nature as those foimd in virgin queens. The sendnal receptacle In such females never contains semen- masses, with their characteristic spermatozoids, but only a limpid flul.1, destitute of cells and granules, which is pnKluccd from the two appendicular glands of the sendnal capsule; and, as I suppose, serves the purpose of keeping tho semen transferred into the seminal capsiile in a fresh state, and the spermatozoids active, and, consequently, capable of Impregnation." By referring to pnges 88, 89, the reader will «oe that Prof. Leldy dissected for mo a drone-laving queen, nearly three years before this examination of Leuckart. Prof. Sleb(dd, In 1848, examined the spermatheca of the queen-bee, and found It after copulation, filled with the seminal fluM of the drone. At that time, Api- arlans paid no attention to his views, but considered them, as he says, to be )nly " theoretical ntnffr It seems, then, that Prof. Leldy's dissection (pp. ^4, 35) was not, as l had hitherto supposed, the first, of an impregnated spermatheca. • Dzlerzon supposes that the «oMnr/ of the queen's wings, when she Is In the air, excites the drones. In the interior of the hive, they are never seen to noMc« nrE nivTi: and honey-bee. collected around her in very large numbers. Afler remaiiiincr in the air a short time, she returned to the entrance of her hive, exhibiting to the spectators the organs of the drone still protruding from her body. The queen usually begins laying about two days after impregnation, and for the first season, lays almost entirely the eggs of workers ; no males* being needed in colonies which will throw no swarm till another season. She is seldom treated with much attention by the bees until after she has begun to replenish the cells with eggs; although if previously deprived of her, they show, by their despair, that they fully appreciated her importance to their welfare. A first swarm will sometimes swarm again, about a month after it is hived ; but in Northern climates this is a rare occurrence. In South-western Texas, I have known even second swarms to do the same thing, and colonies often swarm there in September and October, while in tropical climates, swarms issue at any season when forage is abundant. In our Northern and Middle States, swarm- mg is usually over, three or four weeks after it begms. Inexperienced bee-keepers, unaware of this, often watch their Apiaries, long after the swarming season has passed. I shall now, while jjivinc: such directions for hi vino swarms as may aid even some experienced Apiarians, at- tempt to make them suftlciently minute to guide those, her ; so that she is not molested, even If thousands are members of the 8am«» colony with herself. ♦ 1 1 uber supposed that male cfrgs were not developed in her ovaries until the second year; but as the sex depends upon the impregnation of the ejr^rs, ho waa evidently mii>taken. In warm climates, wlure after-swarms swarm a^aln, dronoa are bred in large numbers in hives liavinjr younia: queens. The bee is evidently a nat've of a hot climate, although it can live wherever there is a Summer long enough lor it to prepare for Winter. Its complete development, however, can be witnessed only in tropical regions, ami I am persuaded that many things which. In colder climates, have been regarded as fixed laws, are only exceptional adap tatlons to unfavorable circumstances. Fig. 31. I Fig. 33. Fig. 34. Fig. 35. Fig. 36. SWARMING AND HIYING. 129 1 < who, having never seen a swarm hived, are apt to imagine that the process must be quite formidable. Experience in this, as in other things, will speedily give them the requi- site skill and confidence; and the cry of "the bees are swarming," will oflen be hailed with even greater pleasure than an invitation to a sumptuous banquet. The hives for the new swarms should be painted long enough beforehand to be thoroughly dry. The smell of fresh paint is well known to be very injurious to human beings, and is so detested by bees, that they will oflen desert a new hive sooner than endure it. If the hive^ cannot be seasonably painted, paints should be used which contain no white-lead, and which are mixed so as to dry as quickly as possible. The following recipe, taken from the Bienenzeitung, Cot a cheap and durable paint, for rough hives, is said to be preferable to oil paint : " Two paits, by measure, of f ne sand, well sifled ; one of best P]nglish cement* ; one of curd, from which the whey has been well expressed ; one of buttermilk. These are to be thorouglily mixed. The paint is to be applied, amid repeated stirring, to the hives, by means of a common j)aint-brush. A second coat is to be given after the lapse of half an hour. When this has become thoroughly dry, which will be in two or three days, it is to be brushed over lightly with a thin coat of boiled lii.seed oil, to which any desirable color may be given. The boards to which tlie paint is to be api)lied should not be planed, but remain rough as the saw leaves them. Xo more of the paint should be prepared at any one time, than can be used in the course of half an hour, as it quickly hardens. The hive may be used as soon as the paint stiffens." Hives that have stood in the sun, ought never to be • Roman, or common Ilydrniilic cement is probably meant, or would answer «* ij 130 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. osed for iiew swarms. Bees, when they swam being .lurally excited and heated, often refuse to enter such hives, and at best, are slow in taking possession of then.. The emperature of the parent-stock, at the moment of swarming, rises very suddenly, and many bees are often s drendled with perspiration, that they - -able o take wing and join the emigrath.g colony. To at erop to make swarnung bees e.uer a heated hn^ m a bla.mg sun, is, therefore, as irrational as it would be to force a pantincr crowd of human beings into the suffocating at- Lspirere of a close garret. If the process o Invmg can- not be conducted in the shade, the hive should be cove.ed with a sheet, or with leafy botighs. . In the movable-comb hive, the Apiarian can use all his good worker-comb, by fastening it in the frames. Such, however, is the shape of the artificial g.nde-combs m these frames, that the bees, even in an empty h.ve, will almost always build their combs with great regularity, if they are not furnished with too much empty room. 1 hive in a/eio insfances-knov^n them to build their combs directly across, from frame to frame, so that they could not be removed without cutting them to pieces This may easily be prevented, by attaching a piece of guide- comb to a single frame (see p. 72). While the hive sho.Ud be set so as to incline from rear to front, to shed the rain, there ought not to be the least pitch from side to side or it wilT prevent the frames from hanging i-lumb, and'coinpel the bees to build crooked combs. Drone- combs should never be put in the frames, or the bees wi 1 follow the pattern, and build comb suitable only for breed- iucr a horde of useless consumers. Such comb, it white, may be used to great advantage in the surplus honey boxes; if old, it should be melted for wax. Every piece of good worker-comb, if large enough ty hiving, in a larrre box, swarms which have settled together, and leaving them undisturbed till the following morning, they would probably be found in separate clusters, and mifrht easily be put into different hives. Swarming bees make a singular hissing or wluspering sound, which often causes other hives in the Apiary to swarm. This is a frequent occurrence with disc;>urngod or dissatisfied stocks, and I have occasionally had «Nvarnis which had only immature queens in their hive iesue, on I. 138 ITTE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. SWARMING AND HIVINO. 139 hearing this sound. This peculiar swarming sound may be produced merely by the great numbers of bees flying idly, at such times, to and fro in the air ; but it seeihs to me to difter in its character, as it certainly does in its effect upon the bees, from the noise produced by the ordinary flight of busy workers, however numerous. ]\ly observations on this point, have satisfied me that thosi» Apiarians are mistaken who deny to the bee the sense ol* hearing. This sense, on the contrary, seems to be acute. If the Apiarian fears that another swarm will issue, to unite with the one he is hivhig, he may confine its queen with my movable-blocks ; or he may quickly envelope the swarming hive with a sheet. If his new colony has been shaken upon the swarming-sheet, he may cover it from the sight of other swarms, with another sheet. The hive, with the new swarm, should be removed to its permanent stand as soon as the bees have entered ; or the scouts, on their return, will find them, and will oflcn entice them to flee to the woods. There is the more danger of this, if the bees remained long on the tree be- fore they were hived. I have almost invariably found that swarms which abandon a suitable hive for the woods, were hived near the spot where they clustered, the bee- keeper intending to remove them in the evening, or early next morning. Bees which swarm early in the day, will generally begin to range the fields in a few hours ai\er they sre hived, or even in a few minutes, if they have empty comb ; and the fewest bees will be lost, when the hive is removed to its pcrmnnent stand, as soon as the bees have entered it. If it is desirable, for any reason, to re- move *.he hive before all the bees have gone in, the sheet, on wh'ch the bees are lying, may be so folded that the colony can be easily carried to their new stand, where the bees may enter at their leisure. Swarms sometimes come off when no suitable hives are m readiness to receive them. In such an emergency, hive them in any old box, cask, or measure, and place them, with suitable protection against the sun, where their new hive is to stand ; when this is ready, they may, by a quick, jerking motion, be easily shaken out before it, on a hiving-sheet. I have endeavored, even at the risk of being thought too minute, to give such directions as will qualify the novice to hive a swarm of bees, under almost any circum- stances ; knowing that however necessary, suitable infor- mation is seldom found even in the best treatises on bee- keeping. Vague or hicomplete directions flul, at the very moment that the inexperienced attempt to put them into practice. Natural swarming may, unquestionably, be made highly profitable ; and as it is the most obvious way of multiply- ing colonies, and requires the least knowledge or skill, it will undoubtedly be the favorite method with most bee- keepers, for many years, at least. I shall, therefore, show how it may be conducted more profitably than ever, by the use of my hives ; many of its most embarrassing difli- culties being eflectually obviated. 1. A serious objection to reliance on natural swarming, is the vexatious fact, that most swarming-hives are so con- structed, that, although bees often refuse to swarm at all, they cannot furnish to their crowded occupants the proper accommodations for storing honey. Under such cir- cumstances, hordes of useless consumers often blacken, for months, the outside of the hives, to the great loss of their disappointed owners. In the movable-comb hives, an abundance of storage-room can always be given to the bees ; so that, if indisposed to swarm, they have recepta- cles easily accessible, and made doubly attractive by empty m If 140 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. comb, in which to store np any quantity of honey they can possibly gather. 2. Another objection to natural swarming arises from the disheartening fact, that bees are liable to swarm so often, as to destroy the value of both the parent-stock, and its afler-swarms. Experienced bee-keepers obviate this difficulty, by making one good colony out of two second swarms, and returning to the parent-stock all swarms after the second, and even this if the season is far advanced. Such operations often consume more time than they are worth. By removing all the queen-cells but one, after the first swarm has left, second swarming may be prevented in my hives ; and by removing all but two, provision may be made for the issue of second swarms, and yet all further swarming be prevented. After-swarms, in many instances, have to be returned again and again, before one queen is allowed by the bees to destroy the others. In this way, a large part of the gathering season is wasted; as bees often seem unwilling to work with their wonted energy, so long as the pretensions of several rival queens are unsettled.* 3. Another very serious objection to natural swarming, as practiced with the common hives, is, that it furnishes no facilities for making vigorous stocks of late and small swarms. The time and money devoted to feeding small ♦ Before invcntinjr the movable-comb hive, I obviated, as far as possible, the evils of after-swarming, by the following plan: the seconecs, for building up the smallest after-swarms into vi^^-orous stocks, and for strengthening such colonies as are feeble in the Spring. 4. As both the parent-stocks and the after-swarms very frequently lose their young queens after swarming, a hive by w^hich this misfortune can be easily remedied, yviW be of great service to those who practice natural swarming. An Intelligent bee-keeper once assured me that he should use one movable-comb hive in his Apiary, for this purpose, at least, even if it had no merit in other respects. 6. In the common hives, but little can be done to dis- lodge the bee-moth, when it has gained the ascendency ; wlicreas, in mine, it can be easily extirpated. (S(»e remarks on the Bee-Moth.) 6. In the common hives, it is difficult to remove an old Hi Hi 142 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. queen when her fertility is impaired ; whereas, in mine, it can easily be done ; and an Apiarian may always have queens in the full vigor of their reproductive powers. Intelligent Apiarians will see, from these remarks, that with movable-comb hives, natural swarming can be carried on with greater certainty than ever before, many of the perplexing discouragements under which they have hith- erto prosecuted it, being effectually remedied. ARTIFICIAL SWAJBMINQ. U3 CHAPTER X. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. The numerous efforts made for more than fifty years, to dispense with natural swarming, show the anxiety of A]uarians to find some better mode of increasing their colonies. Although, by the control of the combs, bees may bo propagated by natural swarming, \nth a rapidity and cer- tainty hitherto unattainable, still, there are difficulties in- herent to this mode of increase, and therefore incapable of being removed by any kind of hive. Before describing the various methods which have been contrived for in creashig colonies by artificial means, these difficulties will be briefly enumerated, so that every bee-keeper may decide- intelligently which is his best way to multiply his stocks. 1. The numerous swarms lost every year is a strong argument against natural swarming. An eminent Apiarian has estimated, that taking hito account all who keep bees, one-fourth of the best swarms are lost every season. While some bee-keepers seldom lose a swarm, the majority suffer serious losses by the flight of their bees to the woods ; and it is next to impos- sible, even for the most careful, to prevent such occur- rences, if their bees are allowed to swann. 2. Natural swarming is objectionable, on account of the time and labor which it requires. The Apiary must be closely watched during the whole ewarming-season ; and if this business is hitrusted to thoughtless childi-en, or careless adults, many swanns wiD If !^ -yk Plate XI IT. Fig. 37. 1^ THE HIVE AND HONEY-BKE. be lost. If many colonies are kept, a competent person should always be on hand, in the height of the season, to attend to the bees. Even the Sabbath cannot be observed as a day of rest ; as the bee-keeper is often compelled to spend it in hard work among his bees. Although it is as proper for him to hive his bees on that day, as it is to take caie of his other stock, still, the liability to such labor de- ters many from Apiarian ])ursuits. i\Iany mercliants, mechanics, and professional men, 'who wish to keep bees, cannot superintend them during the Bwarming-season ; and are thus often kept from a pursuit intensely fascuiating to an inquiring mind.* No man who spends some of his leisure in studying the wonderful in- stincts of bees, will ever complain that he can find nothing to fill up his time, out of the range of liis business or the gratification of his appetites. Bees may be kept with great advantage, even in large cities, and those who are debarred from rural pursuits may still listen to their sooth- ing hum, and harvest annually their delicious nectar. If the Apiarian could always be at home during the swarniing-season, it would still l)e oftentimes very incon- venient for him to attend to his bees. The farmer, for instance, may be interru])ted in the business of hay-mak- ing, by the cry that his bees are swarming; and by the time he has hived them, perha])s a shower comes up, and his hay is injured more than the swarm is worth. Thus, the keeping of a few bees, instead of being a source of profit, may j)rove an expensive luxury ; while in a largo Apiary, the embarrassments are often seriously increased. If, after a succession of days unfavorable for swarming, the weather becomes pleasant, it often happens that ♦ •* Bee-lIfe," says Prof. Blebold, "does not merely servo to ftirnlsh man witb wax, Lon.y, and mead, but eoiioUtutcs an extremely Important link in the greni •nd most multifiiriously-composed chain of animal existence.*' Fig. 39. Fig. 41 Fig. 44. cjV Fig. 38. Fig. 40. Fig. 59. Fig. 49. Fig. 40. Fiff. 60. Fij:. fil. Fig. 02. Fig. 03. Fig. 04. »-ii""l';n,,„,,» ; Fig. 43. Fig. 50. Fig. 45. Fig. 65. sii lil t ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 145 several swarms rise at once, and cluster together ; and not un frequently, in the noise and confusion, other swarms fly off, and are lost. I have seen the bee-master, under such circumstances, so perplexed and exhausted as to be almost ready to wish he had never seen a bee. 3. The multiplying of bees by natural swarming, must, in our country, almost entirely prevent the establishment of large Apiaries. The swarming season is, with most bee-keepers, the busiest part of the year, and if they keep a large number of swarming-hives, they must devote nearly all their time, for a number of weeks, to their supervision ; and at a season when labor commands the highest price, they may also be obliged to hire additional assistance. To keep a few colonies in swarming-hives, often costs more than they are worth, while the supervision of a large number can be made profitable, only by those who can de- vote nearly all the Summer months to their bees. The number of such persons, in this country, must be very small ; and hence there are few who have succeeded in making bee-keeping anything more than a subordinate pursuit. 4. A serious objection to natural swarming, is the dis- couraging fact that bees often refuse to swarm at all ; thus the Apiarian finds it impossible to multiply his colonies with any ceitainty or rapidity, even although he may be favorably situated for conducting bee-culture on an exten- sive scale. Many of the most careful bee-keepers have fewer stocks than they had years ago, although they have sought to increase them to the extent of their power. Few in- telligent Apiarians believe that there are half as many colonies in our Northern and Middle States, as there were twenty years ago ; and most of them would abandon bee- 146 THE HIVK AND llONEY-BEK. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 147 1 • w ihov aid not reffard it as a source of pleasant S2 'e.U:: of f.ec.nua.y profit; .vl.ile othe.s 10 oti. itutc to say tl.vt nuu-h ,nove ,noney hnyf late r, been spent upon patent hive, than those who have .se.l them have realized tVon, then- bees. It is an easy matter to make calculations on paper .vl ,no t s dattedng as an imaginary tour to the gold nnnes of Australia or California. Only purchase a patent ee- hive and if it fnlfflls the pron.ises of its sangume nnentor, I o,: n.e nn,st be realized in a few years ; but such are tlisappoiutnu.nts resulting from bees refusing to swam t if tie hive could remedy all other difficulties, it won d i,. fail to answer the reasonable wishes o the expenc"-^ \„-,ni.n If every swarm of bees could be made to jiclU a Xf tleniy !h.llars a ye.ar, the ^^ee-.eeper coul not ,n„ltiply his stocks, by natural swarmmg, so as to meet " Sya«.rff-8 Treutie. ,«. Beos," I.ublished in tnglan.l. In 1 .02, is per 6 its kind: , - ** „^.t ift« fi.i oiul neither thcni nor the ^'Suppose a swarm of hees at the first to cost 10s. ^\^''^'_^^^^^ ,„„,t be teen years, ami what the pruflt. if each blve U sold at 10s. 6,l.f Years. 1 .. Jlivea. 8 4 14 1 4 8 PrqflU. £ B. «1. 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 4 4 0 ♦ ♦ ♦ ,, :;::8i92;:; ^'^^^" .N. B.-i;^iu;M;;:;^:;;:.at the nr. hive -x:x:rt:^'^i:^ profit; s.pposing the second ---^^.^X^as^ ^ f^^ ^n his bee. as in the .ithwhi.h this writer, who seems to y^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^, ,„^^^,,„ doctrine that "figures cannot ^^^^^ ^^^ , ,,y,, ,.ad to wealth, could year.s, is truly r.fresh.n.. ^o ^^^ ;;;";; ^^^^^ ,.,,,,^ ^^ ^.i,,eh time his stocks ever find It in his heart to stop under tw ntj one j «^ ' - ^^.,,^, would huve increased to n.ore than a nulhon, when ;^ ^^f ;^^ ^^^^^^ ,,,,,,„3 to close his bee-huslness, by sellin, them fov "^•^"•/^^""'^l ! ^^ ^^' ,,pectfully lo- of dollars! The attention of all venders of hun.bug bee.hi^es, Is respectlu y vlted to this antique specimen of the art of puffing. the demand for them ; but would be entirely aepenaent upon the caprices of his bees, or rather upon the natural laws which control their swarming. Every practical bee-keeper is aware of the uncertainty of natural swarming. Under no circumstances, can it be confidently relied on. While some stocks swarm regularly, and repeatedly, others, equally strong in numbers, and rich in stores, refuse to swarm, even in seasons in all respects highly propitious. Such colonies, on examination, will often be found to have taken no steps for raising young queens. In some cases, the wings of the old mother are defective, while in others, she seems to prefer the riches of the old hive, to the risks attending the for- mation of a new colony. It frequently happens that, when all the preparations have been made for swarming, the weather proves so unpropitious that the young queens approach maturity before the old ones can leave, and nro all destroyed. Under su'^h circumstances, swanning, foi that season, is almost certain to be prevented. The young queens are also sometimes destroyed, because of some sudden, and perhaps only temporary, suspension of tlie honey-harvest; for bees seldom colonize, even if all tluir preparations are completed, unless the' blossoms are yiohb ing an abundant supply of honey. From these and othei causes, which my limits will not permit me to notice, it has hitherto been found impossible, in the uncertain dim- ate of our Northern States, for any but the most expe- rienced and energetic Apiarians, to muhiply colonies very rapidly by natural swarming. The numerous per])lexities pertaining to natural swarm- ing, have, for ages, directed the attention of cultivators to the importance of devising some more reliable method for increasing their colonies.* • Dr. Scudamore quotes ^'olumelh^ who, about the middle of the first cen- tury of the Christian lira, wrote twelve books on husbandry-" De re rustica "-a» a 148 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. The ancient methods of artiticial increase appear to have met with little success ; but towards the close of th^ last century, a new interest was awakened on the subject, by the discovery of Schirach, a German clergyman, of the fact, previously known to a few, that bees are able to rear a queen from worker-brood. For Av\*xnt, however, of an acquaintance wdth some important j^rinciples in the econ- omy of bees, his efforts met with but slender encourage- ment. lluber, afler his splendid discoveries in the physiology of the bee, felt the need of some way of multiplying col- onies, more reliable than that of natural swarming. His hive consisted of twelve frames, each an inch and a quar- ter in width, which were connected together by hinges, so that any one could be opened or shut at ^^leasure, Uke the leaves of a book. He recommends forming artificial swarms, by dividing one of these hives, and adding six empty frames to each half After using his hive for years, I found that it could be made serviceable only by an adroit and fearless A])iarian. The bees fasten the frames with their propolis, so that they cannot easily be opened, with- out jarring the combs, and exciting their anger ; or shut, without constant danger of crushing them. Huber no- where speaks of having multiplied colonies extensively by such hives, and although they have been in use more than sixty years, they have never been successfully employed lor such a purpose. If he had contrived a plan for giving his frames the requisite play, by suspending them on fivinjj directions fur making artificial swarms. Although he taught how to furnlsk a queon to a destitute colony, and how to transfer brood-comb, with maturing bee>, from a strong stock to a weak one, he does not appear to have formed entirely ocw colonics by any artificial process. His treatise on bee-keeping shows not only that he was well acquainted with previous writers on the subject, but that he was also a successful practical Apiarian. Its precepts, with but few exceptions, are truly admirable, nnd prove that in his time bee-keeping, with the ma^ca. inuat Uave been far in advance of what it now ia. DIRECTIONS FOR U ALLEY TRAP. ;li«eMy in ffbi) avln«- the wide' n such n \vn%- 1 i-'divy^. To atiacij )• tuHChj^' the front of the hivewitll a unite driven t«.i»' OP so, and the dronef in the u ill either worry th«n$Helvc» fp sinivtfc^ou. if fou -mtsht^, (Ironc^ n-mtive llie U;^ lu^i stjiirs," ana tafc^HigQi mrotir Dr««iit the ' rap V *' flyingr the t ^u*m ho air) 4't of jueeiv \V ! 1 1 S( llM-ywHBr'J IS lo be It Is II .* 3 wlOi ^^ . tp^toiHr)I%if; neitiiprls it ad rap ont«€r1iivf» for any jrreat iQr it Jg sonte iiindrafice to tlie An AperMire, thn>ug:h wttlcb nail, will be found In one end of If yon wish the quesen to gt.'t ' .ijrAin into the colon v, draw th'» pitiK drones this naif should be Price hv mail, ft5ceius; by freijr* .")(> cents: 10 for #4.00. - »*4 C » the swarm lly pass xho the tMUJM' back int.) tment \>\ have dis- tjiey will without red to ive the g" the u pn n er way are in with a nvr the Ijees one, v.i*t.., t!!:;^ .dmirabU., .i,. prove that In his tln.e beo-ltceplng. with the m.^.. u.«.t Uftve bo«n far in udvanco of what it now In. DIRECTIONS FOP H«?««l THE 1 AIXEY TRAP. '4^, /m- 1 eciiy iJi dB with wcinn: 1 ■■■ \'1nirtViP ■ vs-.' ■I i aytb^^K >n<'s ■ 1 "iS •o r^ It of ^^K '.vire m L_: - ■ " 1 ^1^1 ^HlBKutr 1 ^^BL ^^' !^ Cholrc yfl BIF"" after a Mc-d "up H r^n, will 1 varin till 1 J to * ^^1 liey will •'^hoiit '3d to J 1 jiyt'r w;iy ^m are in ^'^H Wm^^'^' - e with a V ' n t \ U ' 7 ? the ' ■ ' : . 'J. .;,. liWi beos pike r^OUt [ ,v ir fjiiliiiK »-'>♦> &tty 1 , . ,,:i I .^r- ;w 5t -1(1 \ l^ive 1 an n< It', 1 h\Vf> fi l In «v A ire i4iion. » the ' i«» K » , r ,, iliaw ' wH tup- (should I ... \>W i,Hn»-^nis;byfrciK« .Vtoenls; lu kji* *4.U0 :O.^Meilli us THE HIVK AND HONEY-BEE. The ancient nn met with little su century, a new ii the discovery of fact, previously k ' a queen from W' acquaintance wit omy of bees, his nient. lluber, after I of the bee, felt t onies, more relia hive consisted ol ter in width, wl so that any one the leaves of a swarms, by divi* empty frames to found that it co and fearless Ap their propolis, s out jarring the without consta where speaks o Buch hives, and sixty years, the for such a purj his frames tlu ARTIFICIAL SWAKMING. 149 i\ I <» J? 4f <^t>' :*^^ i r 1 r -> 11 givinf^dlrcctlona for I ^ y- "'-■ i / ^ ^ ^ >^2 II from a»tron,,t„c>l-/rw"..K'"..., u.,.,^ ..... ,.f.,...r-.1Vat^'f„ .ncWly „cw colonic, by any artiflclal pr„ce». Hi,, trcall^, on b«<-kee,„n« ,:,ow, n,.t only :Z he wa, will a4,aintc,i with ,„evio,„ writers on t..e .,ui,i.ct. bnt tba i.e waa L a .ucec..fal practical Apiarian. It, precept,, with '>"'./«" "-'I""*' »" 'r„ly admirable, ,n.l provo that in hi, time bcc-kccping, wth the m««iL m«.t Uave been far in advance of what it now la. rabbets, instead of folding them together like the leaves of a book, he would have left much less room for subse- quent improvements. " Dividing-hives,^ of various kinds, have been used in this country. The principle seems to have all the ele- ments of success ; and it was only after j^rotracted experi- ments, that I was able to ascertain that, however modi- fied, such hives are all practically worthless for purposes of artificial swarminv« built combs nearly four inches thick; and have afterwards pieced their )ow«r ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 15j t>y dividing the old hive, the queenless part has thousands ot cells filled with brood and eggs, and youi g bees will be hatching for at least three weeks : by this time, the young queen will ordinarily be laying eggs, so that there will be an interval of not more than three weeks, during which the colony will receive no accessions. But when a new swarm is formed, in the way above described, not an eg^^ will be laid for nearly three weeks, and not a bee ha4;ched for nearly six. During all this time, the colony will rapidly decrease ;* and by the time the progeny of the young queen begins to m iture, the new hive will have so few bees, that it would seldom be of any value, even if its combs were of the best construction. After thoroughly testing this last plan of artificial swarming, I have found that it has not the least practical value ; and as this is the method which Apiarians have usually tried, it is not strange that hitherto, they have almost unanimously condemned artificial swarming. Another method of artificial swarming has been zeal- ously advocated, which, seeming to require the smallest amount of labor or skill, would be everywhere prac^ticed, if it could only be made elTectual. A number of hives are to be connected by holes, so as to allow the bees to travel from any one to all the others. The bees, on this plan, are to colonize tlieniselve^^ and it is asseited that in due tiine, edffo with worker-cells, for the accommodation of the young queen. So uniformly do bees with an unhatched queen build coarse, or drone-ciary will contain queens that have passed their prime, and some which may die when there are no eggs from which others can be reared. On no subject has the author of this work experimented more fully than on that of Artificial Swarmhig ; and those bee-keepers to whom this chapter may, at first, seem need- lessly difiuse, will find that it contains many important principles, which, in any other connection, would probably have required even more fullness of detail. Before detailing the various methods of Artificial Swarming which may be practiced in the movablc-cunib II it 154 THE HIVE AND HONKY-BEE. hives, I shall describe one which may be used with almoRt any hive, by those who have sufficient confidence to man- age bees. Tin About the season of natural swarming, what 1 shall call a forced sicarm, may be obtained from a populous stock,* by the following process. Choose that part of a pleasant day, when many bees are abroad, and if any are clustered on the bottom-board or outside of the hive,puft among them a few whiifs of smoke— that from spunk is best— so as to drive them up among the combs. The bees will go up more readily if the hive is tipped back, or ele- vated by small wedges, about one-quarter of an inch above the bottom-board. Have in readiness a box— which I shall call the forcin(/- box— y^hosQ diameter is about the same with that of the hive from which you intend to drive the swarm. Lift the Live from its bottom-board without the slightest jar, turn it over, and carefully carry it off about a md, as bees, if disturbed, are much more inclined to be peaceable, when removed a short distance from their fami- liar stand. If the hive is gently placed upside down on the ground, scarcely a bee will fly out, and there will be little danger of being stung. The timid and inexperienced should protect themselves with a bee-dress, and may gently sprinkle the bees with sugar-water, or blow more smoke among them, as soon as the hive is inverted. After placing it on the grotmd, the forcing-box must be put oyer it, and'^every opening between it and the hive, from which a bee might escapef, should be stopped with paper, or any convenient material. The forcing-box, if smooth inside, • "Driving succeeds best in warm weather, and with populous stocks; for if the combs be not worked down to the floor-board, the bees are apt to colle-jt In the open space Instead of ascending into the upper box."— Bevan. t In my own practice, I use a b<.x, the Inside edges of which are beveled, to faoilllate the ascent of the bees, and the back hinged, so that It can be opened for seeing the queen as she goes up with them. The few bees that may escape, even if not full of honey are too bewildered by their change of position, to make any attai-k. ARTIFICl A L SW AUMINO. 155 should have slats fastened one-third of the distance fi'om the top, to aid the bees in clustering. As soon as the Apiarian has confined the bees, he should place an empty hive — which I shall call (he decoy-hive — upon their old stand, which those returning from the fields may enter, mstead of dispersing to other hives, to meet, perhaps, with a most ungracious reception. As a general rule, however, a bee with a load of honey or bee-bread, after the extent of his resources is ascertained, is pretty suix3 to be welcomed by any hive to which he may carry his treasure ; while a poverty-stricken unfortu- nate that presumes to claim their hospitality is, usually, at once destroyed. The one meets with as flattering a recep- tion as a wealthy gentleman proposing to take up his abode in a country village, wliile the other is as much an ol)ject of dislike as a poor man, who bids fair to become a public charge. To return to our imprisoned bees : their hive should be beaten smartly with the palms of the hands, or two small rods, on the sides to which the combs are attached, so a? to run no risk of loosening* them. These "rappings," although not of a very "spiritual" character, produce, nevertheless, a decided effect upon the bees. Their first impulse, if no smoke were used, would be to sally out, and wreak their vengeance on those who thus rudely assail their honied dome ; but as soon as they inhale its fumes, and feel the terrible concussions of their once stable abode, a sudden fear that they are to be driven from their treas- ures, takes possession of them. Determined to prei)are for this unceremonious writ of ejection, by carrying olV what they can, each bee begins to lay in a supply, and m • There Is little dinger of loosenlnir the combs of an old stock, but the greales' caution Is necessary when the combs of a hive are new. If, In Inverting such :- hiv«, the b'-ntifj fiitfes of the c(mibs, instead of their eifffe^.&re Inclined downward? tb«i h«at, and weight of the bees, may loosen the combs, and ruin the stock. 156 THE HIVE AND ITONET-Bi^R about five minutes, all are filled to their utmost capacity. A prodigious humming is now heard, ns they begin to mount into the upper box ; and in about fifteen minutes from the time the rapping began — if it lins been continued with but slight intermissions — the mass of the bees, with their queen, will hang clustered in the forcing-box, like any natural swarm, and may, at the proper time, be readily shaken out, on a sheet, in front of their intended hive. If the forced swarm could now be put on the old stand, and the parent-hive removed to a new place in the Apiary ; or if the latter could be returned to its usual position, and the former be put somewhere else, it would simplify very much the making of artificial swarms. Neither method, however, can be pursued without serious loss ; for if the position of a colony has been changed by the bee-keeper^ the bees will not adhere to the new place, as they do when they swarm of their own accord. In every case when the position of its hive has been changed, each bee, as it sallies out, flies with its head turned towards it, that by marking the surrounding objects, it may find its way back. If, however, the bees did not emigrate of their oion free icill, most of them appearing to forget that their location has been changed, return to tlie familiar spot ; for it would seem that, " A ' bee removed ' against its will, Is of the saiiwj opinion still. " Should the Apiarian, ignorant of tliis fact, place the forced swarm on the old stand, and remove the parent- stock to a ne^o place, the latter would lose so many of the riees which oum its stan.l, an-l then the rest, an. in ^/"-"'^J^,^^^ 17; ,„^ t^.^ ,,tlflcial another, so as to lose not a mo.nent's Un.^n^ ;»^ ;;Cln hou. after sun- Bwarms, or even more, may be made, in this way, m rise or before sunset. which she Is given. U t The queen should be looked for, and the hive noted to wnicn sn k Ac ba8 entered the empty hive, she n.ay be easily secured. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 163 fdthout any f\irther trouble, your parent-stocks and forced swarms will alike prosper. One great advantage which this method has over all others, is, that it secures, so simply and effectually, the necessary number of bees for the parent-stocks. Inexi)e- rienced persons, instead of being perplexed to know how many bees they shall leave in the forced stocks, may drive from them, if they can, every bee. If the bee-keeper can- not conveniently obtain a swarm from a distance, he may use, for this purpose, the first natural swarm which comes off in his own Apiary ; and by delaying to make artificini' colonies until natural swarms begin to issue, every such swarm may be used for forming at least four artificial swarms. Or, by the method recommended by Dr. Don- hoff, of Germany, he may secure a colony, which, when divided in the way above mentioned, will adhere to their new locations : " On an evening, when the next day promises to be clear and warm, drive out a swarm, and set it in the place of the parent-stock. Next day, when it is warm, pour some honey among the bees in the box, and in a few hours they will swarm."* The directions given for the formation of artificial colo- nies, differ, in some hnportant respects, from any furnished by other writers, and are so simple that any one accustomed to handle bees can easily follow them. They enable the ♦ A forced swarm mav be made to adhere to its new location as follows : Secure their queen, when they' are shaken out of the hive; and when they show that they miss her, confine them to their hive, until their agitation has reuchoyingitfandRe^ acknowledges that he was many years h.fore he had that pleasure. -Be^ an. Swam ne'ln, ,vho wrote his wonderful treatise on bees, before the invention of ir h vet was obliged to tear hives to pieces in making his inve.t^gat»on 1 Whn we see what in^portant results ti.ese great geniuses obtained, with means so imperfect, if compared with the facilities which the veriest tyro may now posse.^ It ought to teach us a becoming lesson of humility. The sentiments of the following extract from Swammerdam ought o be engraven upon the hearts of all engage.l in investigatmg the works of God. I wo^m not h'ave any one think that I say this from a love of fault-findmgY^e had Tec:; c:itici.ing some incorrect drawings -^ '^-^'if -.7" ^^^h olhers m^ have the true face and « "-" P^^> ^^ books filled only with the fancies of their brain, and thus nusrepresent God and his work" God'forbid that I should ever do thi. Truth and a -H.^- -upu- lousness of mind, ought everywhere to prevail ^^ ^^--\^'"^"''^^7^,;^' "^^^^ they are the Bibles of the divine miracles. If he who writes aims to deceive Wui »clf and others, let him know that in due time all things will be revealed. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 165 may be easily and quickly performed. An empty hive, with its frames properly arranged, must be in readiness to receive the new swarm ; and before carrying the parent- stock from its stand, a little smoke should be pufied into the entrance, which should then be closed with the movable-blocks. Remove, now, one or two of the tins that cover the holes on the spare honey-board (PL VIII., Fig. 21), and blow smoke into the hive, until the bees begin to make a loud humming, when the honey-boaid may be loosened with a knife, and safely removed, care being taken to set it on its edge, so as not to crush the bees Avith which its under surface is usually covered. No danger need be apprehended from these bees, as th>ey aie completely bewildered by their sudden exposure to the light, and removal from the hi\'e. Any of the large " supers''* used in my hives, or any other box of suitable dhnensions, may now be set over the bees, into which they may be driven, in the way described on page 155. A iittle more smoke blown into the entrance of the hive, will obviate the necessity of much rapping, and materially quicken the ascent of the bees.f After they have been driven from the parent-stock, the directions must be fol- lowed which have already been so minutely described. Whtinever the bee-keeper learns how to handle safely the movable-frames — full directions for doing which will soon be given — he may dispense with the forcing-box, and make his swanns by lifting out the frames from the pnrent- stock, and shaking the bees from them, by a quick jerking motion, upon a sheet, directly in front of the new^ hive. As soon as a comb is deprived of its bees, it should be re- turnee^ to the parent-stock. If one or two combs contain- • This term Is used by Apiarians to designate any upper box placed over tb« nain lower-hive. An empty hive, like that in Tl. I., Fig. l.,or a hive like that ii PI. III., Fig. 2.— if inverted— will answer for a forcing-box. t '^lue will be saved by arranging (p. 1G2) to force several swarms at once. 1G6 THE HIVE AND HONhr-BEE. mg brood, eggs, and stores, are given to the forced swarm, it will be much encom-aged, and will need no feedmg, if the weather should be unflivorable. In removing the irames, the bee-keeper should look for the queen, and give the comb on which she is, to the forced swarm, without shakhig off the bees. If he does not see her on the e(;mbs,''he will seldom fail to notice her, after a little prac- tice, as she is shaken on the sheet, and crawls towards the new hive. The queen is seldom left on a frame after it has been shaken so that most of the bees M off. As soon as the necessary number of bees have been transferred to the new hive, the precautions previously given must be used to obtain adhering bees for the parent-stock. If the proper allowance of bees is secured for the parent, stock by the method described on page 1G2, the hive for the forced swarm may be placed at once on the old stand, and the bees from the parent-stock shaken from the frames upon a sheet, so placed that they can easily run into their new hive. , If the forced swarms were made a short time before natural swarmmg would have taken place, some of the parent-stocks will contain a number of maturing queens, which may be removed, a few days before hatching, and given to such as have started none. r>y making a few forced swarms, about a week or ten d:iys before the time in which the most are to be made, there will be an abundance of sealed queens, almost niRr ture, so that every parent-stock may have one. If an un- hatched queen can be given, on her frame, to each stock that needs it, so much the better; but if there are not enough frames with sealed queens, while some contain two or more, the bee-keeper must proceed as follows : With a sharp pen-knife, carefully remove apiece of comb, an inch or more square, that contains a queen-cell ; and in ARTIFICIAL SVV AIMING. 16' one of the combs of the hive to which this cell is to be given, cut a place just large enough to receive and hold it in a natural position. If it is not secure, apply, with a feather, a little melted wax, where the edges meet, and the bees will soon fiisten it to suit themselves. Unless very great care is used in transferring a royal cell, its inmate will be destroyed, as her body, until she is nearly mature, is so exceedingly soft, that a slight com- pression of her cell — especially near the base, where there is no cocoon — generally proves fatal. For this reason, it is best to defer removing them, until they are within three or four days of hatching. A queen-cell, nearly mature, may be known by its having the wax removed from the lid, by the bees, so as to give it a hroicn ai)i)earance. The forcing of a swarm ought not to be attempted when the weather is so cool as to chill the brood ; and never unless there is sufficient light not only to enable the Apiarian to see distinctly, but for the bees that take wing to direct their flight to the entrance of their hive. I>ee8 are always much more irascible when their hives are dis- turbed after it is dark, and as they cannot see where to fly, they will alight on the person of the bee-keeper, who will be almost sure to be stung. It is seldom that night work is attempted upon bees, without the operator having occasion to repent his folly. If the weather is not too cool, early in the morning, before the bees are stirring, is the best time for most operations, as there will then be the least danger of annoyance from robber-bees. To some of my readers, it may appear almost incredible hat bees can be dealt with in the summary ways that Iku e been described, without becoming greatly enraged ; so far, however, is this from being the case, that in my operations, I often use neither smoke, sugar-water, nor bee-dress, although I by no means advise the neglect of 1 168 THK HIVE AND HONICY-BEE. ill i 1 I such precautions. While the timid, if unprotected, are al- most sure to be stung, there is something in the determined aspect and movements of a courageous and skillful opera- tor, that seems often to strike bees with instant terror, so that they become perfectly submissive to his will. Artificial swarms may be created with perfect safety, even at mid-day, as the thousands of bees returning with their loads, never make an attack, while those at home can be easily pacified. The arrangement which permits the top of the movable- comb hive to be easily removed, and the sugar-water to be sprinkled upon the bees, before they attempt to take wing, has great advantages. If the hive opened on the side, like Dzierzon's, it would be impossible to make the sweetened water run down between all the ranges of comb, and it would be necessary to use smoke* hi every operation. The use of smoke frequently causes the queen to leave the combs, for greater security. This often causes great delay in the formation of artificial swarms by removing the frames, and in operations where it is de- sirable to CJitch the queen, or to examine her upon the comb. lluber thus speaks of the pacific effect produced ui)on the bees by the use of his leaf-liive : " On opening the hive, no stings are to be dreaded, for one of the most shigular and valuable i)roi)erties attending my construc- tion, is its rendering the bees tractable. I ascribe their tranquillity to the manner in wliich they are aftected by the sudden admission of light ; they appear rather to testify fear than anger. Many retire, and entering the cells, seem to conceal themselves." lluber has here fallen • After using smoke soTnetlines two or three times a day, to open a hive upon which I was experimenting, 1 found that, at last, the cunning creatures, instead of filling themselves with honey, rushed out to attack me! A colony will n»vM refuse the sweetened water, however often It may be presented to theno. Fig. 47. Plate XIV. It ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 169 li into an error which he probably would not have made, Jiad he used his own eyes. The bees are, indeed, bewil- dered by the sudden admission of light, and will enter the cells, unless provoked by a sudden jar, or the breath of the operator ; not, however, " to conceal themselves ;" but imagining thnt their sweets, thus unceremoniously ex- posed, are to be taken from them, they gorge themselves almost to bursting, to save what they can. They will always appropriate the contents of the open cells, as soon as their frames are removed from the hive. It is not merely the sudden admission of light, but its introduction from an unexpected quarter^ that for the time disarms the hostility of the bees. They appear, for a few moments, almost as much confounded as a man would be, if, without any warning, the roof and ceiling of his house should suddenly be torn from over his head. Before they recover from their amazement, the sweet libation* is poured upon them, and their surprise is quickly changed into pleasure ; or they are saluted with a puff of smoke, which, by alarming them for the safety of their treasures, induces them to snatch wliatever they can. In the work- ing season, the bees near the top are gorged with honey; and those coming from helow are met in their threatening ascent, either by an avalanche of nectar, which, like " a soft answer," most effectually " turneth away wrath," or a harmless smoke, which excites their fears, but leaves no unpleasant smell behind. No genuine lover of bees ought ever to use the sickening fumes of tobacco. The greatest care should be taken to repress, by the ♦ If, when the hive is first opened, honey-water Is used, Instead of engar water or smoke. In sprinkling the bees, its smell will be very apt to entice marauden ft-oni other hives. When the honey-harvest is abundant — and this is the best time for forcing swarms— bees are seldom inclined to rob, if proper precautions are used. It Ig sometimes diflicult to induce them to notice honey-couabsi, even when put in ftn exposed situation. 8 170 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. sweetened water or smoke, the first manifestations of ano-er • for as bees communicate their sensations to each other 'with ahnost magic celerity, wliile a whole colony will quickly catch the pleased or subdued notes uttered by •i few it will be roused to instant fury by the shrill note c,f an-er from a sinole bee. When once they are thor- cuohly excited, it will be found very difficult to subdue ihem, and the unfortunate operator, if inexperienced, will (>ften abandon the attempt in despair. It cannot be too deeply impressed upon the beginner, that nothin- irritates bees more than breathmg ui-on them or jaiTing their combs. Every motion should be deliberate, and no attempt whatever made to strike at them. If inclined to be cr6ss, they will often resent even a a^<^^ pointhuj at them with the linger, by darting upon it, and leavino- Ihoir stings behind. A novice, or a person liable to be stung, will, of course, protect his lace and '^Directions have been given (p. 165), for removing the ^pare honey-board from the hive. As soon as it is dis- posed of, the Apiarian should sprinkle the bees with the sweet solution. This should descend from the watering- pot in a line stream, so as not to drench the bees, and should fall upon the tops of the frames, as well as between the ranees of comb. The bees, accepting the proffered treat, wTll be-in to lap it up, as peaceably as so many chickens helping themselves to corn. While they are thus en-aged, the frames which have been glued fast to the rabbets by the bees, must be very gently pried loose ; this may be done without any serious jar, and without woundhig or enraging a single bee ; the rabbets being wide enough to allow the frames to be pried from the rear to the front, or vice versa. If the rabbets were only just wide enough to receive the shoulders of the frames, ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 171 it would be necessary, in loosening the frames, to pry them laterally, or towards each other, by which they might be brought so close together, as to crush the bees, injure the brood, disfigure the combs, or even kill the queen. The frames may be all loosened for removal in less than a minute :* by this time the sprinkled bees will have filled themselves, or if all have not, the intelligence that sweets have been furnished, will diffuse an unusual good nature through the honied realm. The Aj)iarian should now (jently push the third frame from either end of the hive, a little nearer to the fourth frame ; and then the second as near as he can to the third, to get ample room to lift out the end one, without crushing its comb, or injuring any of the bees. To remove it, he should take hold of its two shoulders which rest upon the rabbets, and carefully lift it, so as to crush no bees by letting it touch the sides of the hive, or the next frame. If it is desired to remove any particular frame, room must be gained by moving, in the same way, the adjoining ones on each side. As bees usually build their cond^s slightly waving, it will be found impossible to remove a frame safely, without making room for it in this way ; and if the tops of the frames have not sufficient play on the rabbets, and between each other, the frames cannot be lifted out of the hive, without crush- ing the combs, and killing the bees. In handling the frames, be careful not to incline them from their perpen- dlcnlar, or the combs will be liable to break from their own weight, and fall out of the frames. If more combs are to be examined, after lifting out the ♦ Witliout smoke or sweetened water, ton minutes may be spent in opening: «nd sliutting a single frame in a lluber-liive, and even then some of the bees will [»robably oe crushed. The great cauticm recommended by lluber In opening his hives, shows thai he did not know how to make himself independent of the anger "/ the bee* If M 172 THE HIVK A.ND UONEY-BEK. outside frame, set it carefully on end, near tlie hive,* when the second one maybe easily moved towards the vacant space, and lifted out. After examination, put it in the place of the one first removed ; in the same way, examine the third, and put it in place of the second, and 80 proceed until all have been examined. If the bees are to be removed, they must, of course, be shaken off on a sheet, as previously described. If the comb first taken out will lit, it may be put in the place of that last taken out ; if it will not fit, and cannot be made to do so by a little trimmincT, the frames must be slid on the rabbets back to their former places, when this first comb may be returned to its old position. The inexperienced operator, who sees that the bees have built some small pieces of comb between the outside of the frames, and the sides of the hive, or slightly fastened together some parts of their combs, may imagine that the frames cannot be removed at all. Such slight attach- ments, however, offer no practical difficulty to their removal.! The great point to be gained, is to secure a sincrle comb on each frame ; and this is effected by the use of the triangular comb-guides. If bees were disposed to fly away from their combs, as soon as they are taken out, instead of adhering to them with such remarkable-tenacity, it would be fiir more diffi- cult to manage them ; but even if their combs, when re- • If the frames, ns Uiey are removed, are put Into an empty hive, they may l« protected from the cold, and from robber-bees. t If sufficient room for storing surplus honey is not given to a strong stock, in Its anxiety to amass as much as pos^ble, it will fill the smallest accessible pl:ie remarks npply more particularly to stocks enjrnjred In storing hont-y in ff^ceptacles r\(>t in the main hire. The experience of Dzierzon anM myself, ^how• 'at « nefling the hiv^s, ordinarily interrupts their labors for only h few minutes. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 181 Thousands of the bees that belong to J?, as the} return from the fields,* will enter .1, which thus secures enough to develop the brood, rear a new queen, and gather, If the season is favorable, large surplus stores. If B had been first forced, and then removed, it would (p. 15G) have been seriously injured ; but as it loses fewer bees than if it had swarmed, and retains its queen, it will soon become . Imost as powerful as before it was re- moved.f This method of forming colonies may be prac;iced, on any pleasant day, from sunrise until late in the afternoon ; for if no bees are abroad to recruit the drummed hive, it may be shut up, until it can be put upon the stand of any strong stock which has already begun to fly with vigor. Of all the methods which I have devised for prac- ticing artificial swarming,J with almost any kind of hive, this appears to be one of the simplest, safest, and * It is quite amusing to observe the actions of these bees, when they return to their old stand, if the strange hive is like their own in size and outward appear- ance, they go in as though all was right, but soon rush out in violent agitatioi;. Imagining that by some unaccountable mistake, they have entered the wrong place. Taking wing to correct their blunder, they Und, to their increasing surprise that they had directed their flight to the proper spot; again they enter, and again they tumble out, in bewildered crowds, until at hnglh if they find a queen, or tlie means of raising one, they make up their minds that if the strange hive is not home, it looks like it, stands where it ought to be, and is, at all eventa, the only homo they are likely to get. No doub* they often feel ♦hat a very hanl bargain has been iiiH)o>ed upon them, but they are generally wise enough to make the best of it They \s'\\\ be altogether too much disconcerted to quarrel with any beei that were left in the hive when it was forced, who on their part give them a wel- come reception. t Might not a forced swarm bo made to adhere to a new location, by thoroughly shaking them in an empty box — see note on p. 163 — and then setting them on their new stand, and permitting them to fly ? The queen uught be confined, for safety, in a queen-cage, * The Apiarian, by treating a natural swarm as he has been directed to treat a •"oreed one, can secure an increase of one colony from two; and of all the methods «.f conducting natural swarming, in regions where rapid Increase is not profltabio, il:i» i» the best, yro\ided the colonies do not stand too close together, and lh< |iive.< u>ed in the process are alike ly her loss, or because it fails in the attempt. If it raises several queens, it may become reduced by after-swarming ; and, at all events, its yoimg queen must run the usual risks in meeting the drones. AVhen all goes right, it will usually be from two to three weeks before any eggs are laid in the mother-stock; and when tlie brood left by the old queen has all matured, the number of the bees will so rapidly decrease, before any of the brood of the young queen hatches, that she will not have a fair chance, seasonably to re})lenish the hive. Again ; while the system that gives no hatched queen to the mother-stock, exposes it to be robbed if forage is scarce, the presence of a fertile mother emboldens it to a much more determined resistance. If the mother-stock has not been sup})lied with a fertile queen, it cannot, for a long time, part with another colony, without being seriously weakened. Second swarming — ARTIFICIAL 8WAKMING. 183 as is well known — often very much injures the parent- stock, although its queens are rapidly maturing ; but the forced mother-stock may have to start theirs almost from the QQ^, By giving it a fertile queen, and retaining enough adhering bees to develop the brood, a moderate swarm may be safely taken away in ten or twelve days, and the mother-stock left in a far better condition than if it had parted with two natural swarms. In favorable seasons and localities, this process may be repeated four or five times, at intervals of ten days, and if no combs are removed, the mother-stock will still be well supplied with brood and mature bees. Indeed, the judicious removal of bees, at proper* intervals, often leaves it, at the close of the Summer, better supplied than non-swarming stocks with maturing brood ; the latter having — in the expressive language of an old writer — " waxed over fat."f I have had stocks which, after parting with four swarms in the way above described, have stored their hives with buck- wheat honey, besides yielding a surplus in boxes. This method of artificial increase, which resembles * If a strong stock of bees, in a hive of moderate size, is examined, at the height cf the honey-harvest, nearly all the cells will often be found full of brood, honey, or bee-bread. The great laying of the queen is over — not as some Imagine, be- cause her fertility has decreased, but simply fi)r want of room for more brood. A qieen in such a colony, or in a hive having few bees, often appears almost as slentler as one still unfertile; but if she has plenty of bees ani>Iyinj? them with y ung queens, bee- keeping will take .mother important step in advance. AUTTFICIAL SWARMING. 185 to the mother-stock, instead of stopping short Avith an increase of one from two, may be (Expanded to any rate of increase that can possibly be secured ; while it has this admirable peculiarity, that each step in advance is entirely independent of any that are subsequently to be made; and the process may be stopped at any time when forage fails, or the bee-keeper chooses— from any cause— to carry it no further. If it is used for doubling the stocks, proceed as follows : Let a fertile young queen be given to A (p. 180) as soon as it is forced, and in ten days force a swarm from B, which I shall call D. Put D on the stand of J5, and ifler removing ^ to a new place, set B where A stood, giving to i? a fertile young queen. If another colony, E, is to be formed, make it in the same way, by forcing A^ and transposing with B ; and so continue, by the transposition of A and i? — forcing the new colony alternately from each— to make successively, at intervals of about ten days, F, G, IT, &c, ; A and B being siq> plied with a fertile queen as often as they are forced. To make this process more intelligible, let A and B represent the first positions, in the Apiary, of the original stocks : Original stocks, A, B. Position after 1st forcing, (7, A, B, " 2d " C,B,B,A. " 3d " C, A, D, E, B. " " 4th " C,B,D,E,F,A. ** « 5th " (7, A, 7>, E, F, G, B. ** " 6th " C, B, D, E, F, G, IT, A, By looking at this table,* it will be seen that *.he new (4 CC ♦ The Uble Is not Intended to recommend setting? hives In rows, close tojrether. A and B may be anyuhert in the Apiary, and C, A E, tfec, as far apart as i» at all ifbirable. (See Chap, on Loss of Queen.) 186 THE HnE AND HONEY-BEE. =, -^, &c., always remain undistxtrhed on the stands where they are first put. Dzierzon has noticed the great number of bees which may, at intervals, be removed from a stock-hive, if it onlj retains a fertile qnee7i^ and sufficient adhering bees ; and says that he lias known as many bees to be lost, in a single day, from a strong stock, by high winds* or sudden storms, as would suflice to make a respectable swarm. This able Apiarian, who unites to the sagacity of Iluber, an immense amount of practical experience hi managing s bees, has for years formed his artificial colonies chiefly by removing the forced swarms to a distant Apiary. Though this plan has some decided merits, and might suit two persons — sufficiently far apart — who could agree to manage their bees as a joint concern, the expense of transporting the bees makes it objectionable to most bee- keepers. From the beginning, my plans for artificial in- crease were mainly with reference to a single Apiary ; and it would seem, from the recent discussion in the Annual Apiarian Convention (p. 20), that the German bee-keepers are fast adopting the same method. I5y making holes on the inside of the bottom-board of mv liivesf — the glass ones excepted — artificial swarming may be practiced in a way approaching still nearer to natural swarming than any yet described. About a week or ten days before the artificial swarm is to be made, ))ut an empty hive C, on the top of a strong stock A — making the entrance of C to face in the opposite way • If forage is very nbundjint, bees .ire almost crazy to get It, however windy the weather, and some Apiarians, on such days, confine them to their hives. + These holes are similar to those in the spare honey -board (PI. VIII., Fig. 21X »nc are closed in tht sjime way, when not in use. They permit the bei-« to com. nninlcate, where the hives are piled one on the top of the other; ang a queen. ARTIFICIAL SWAKMINa. 189 l^ the comb used in forcing such a colony— which I shall call a nucleus — was removed at a time of day when the bees tipon it would be likely to return to the parent- stock, they should be confined to the hive, until it is too late for them to leave ; and if the number of bees, just emerging from their cells, is not large, the entrance to the hive should be closed, until about an hour before sunset of the next day but one (see p. 161). The hive contain- ing this small colony, should be properly ventilated, and shaded — if thin — from the intense heat of the sun ; it should always be well sup])lied with honey and water.* Suitable precautions should also be taken to guard against .* If the colonies are to be multiplied more rapidly still, then from the first nucleus only its queen must be tJ»ken, after she has begun to lay, and her colony will at once begin to raise another. If she is removed before she has laid any eggs, the comb of the nucleus— after all the bees ai-e shaken from it— nuist be returned to A or i?, and re- placed with another that is well supplied with eggs : and if, at any time, the number of bees in the nucleus is too small, it may be reinforced by exchanging its comb for one that is as full of hatching brood as when it was first formed (p. 188). The same process must be adopted with the second nucleus, and thus— at regular intervals- enough queens may be obtained from the two, to multiply the colonies to any desired extent. To make this matter perfectly plain, let us suppose that C is to be forced on the 1st of June, and />, B, F, , this name when speaking of more than one nucleus — and /», //^ represent them when each has a queen ; /2, //^, when each has raised its second queen ; /^, //^, when each has its third, and so on, it being always understood that /, //, without the small numbers above them, hidicate that the nuclei are at that time rearing queens. The first nucleus will be formed May 10th, and the second May 20th. June 20th, /2, //, " 30th, /, //2, July 10th, r\ II, " 20th, /, //^ &c., &Q. As it may often be desirable to remove the queen of a nucleus, before she has begun to lay eggs, if her colony is supplied with a sealed royal cell from another nucleus, no time will be lost, and much trouble saved. The following, from the pen of Rev. Mr. Kleine, one of the ablest German Apiarians, will be interesting in this connection : — '' Dzierzon recently intimated that, as Huber, by introducing some royal jelly into cells containing worker-brood, obtained queens, it may be possible to in- duce bees to construct royal cells where the Apiarian pre- fers to have them, by inserting a small portion of royal jelly in cells containing worker-larvae ! If left to them- selves, the bees often so crowd their royal cells together'* — see PI. XV. — " that it is difficult to remove one, without fatJilly injuring the others ; as, when such a cell is cut into, the destruction and removal of the larva usually follows. To prevent such losses, I usually proceed as follows : When I have selected a comb with unsealed l^rood, for rearing queens, I shake or brush off the bees, and trim off", if necessary, the empty cells at its margin. I then take an unsealed royal cell — which usually contains an excess of royal jelly — and remove from it a portion of the jelly, VJ2 TU^: HIVE AND HONKY-BKE P on tbe point of a knife or pen, and by placing it on tlw inner margin of any Avorker-cells, feel confident that the larvse in them will be reared as queens; and as these royal cells are sej^arate^ and on the margin of the comb, they can be easily and safely removed. This is another import- ant advance in practical bee-culture, for which we are m- debted to the sagacity of Dzierzon." — Bie7ie7izeitu7ig^ 1858, p. 199. Translated by Mr. Wagner, If the spare queen-cells are cut out (p. IGG) from JT, be- fore the first queen matures, other nuclei may be formed by similar processes; indeed, with movable combs, any number of queens may be raised, and kept where, when wanted, they can be readily secured.* Both the original nuclei, /and 77, and those made from their sealed queens, may be formed by bringing from another Apiary, in a small box, the few adhering l^ees which are wanted (p. 1G2) ; and as many may be returned in it, to be used for a similar purpose. The expert will also be able to catch up adhering bees, by dlghtly inovingf the parent-stocks (p. IGl), and in various other ways, which will readily suggest themselves. ^ Dzlerzon estimates a fertile queen to be worth, in the swarming season, one- half the price of a new swarin. t If the a, we h.ve «.en. over an.l over a..a.v .lu.ln.^ .he pcrio,! .,f ei.h. year, which we have en.pio.ve.i in maUn. our "--":■<;"»;; bees It 19 ln„.o»siWe to form a just i.leu of the patume an.l skill >uth»h.eh ^.rnens ha, earrie.1 o„t .he experin.on.s whi,h I a.n about to .leseribe; he ha, often wa,.he,l so.ne of ,he working bees of our hive^ which we bad reason ,„ think fertile, for the spaee of twen.y-four hours, without distraction • • • .•.«■. h« coun.e-l fa,i.„e and pain as nothing, eo,upare.l with ^(.e .rreat '-'- »"/'"'» know the results. If. then, there be any n.erlt In our diseove.le^ I mus share th. honor with blm; and I have groat s:,.isfnc.lon in rendering hi.n this act of public *" An'rvet the man who was too noble to appropriate the merits of hi, servant ha^ by n>.nv. been considered base enon.-h to atte.»,.t to in.pose upon «»■«'">'■'•'■" well established facts, things «arcely nmre probable than tho fiction, of Slnbrf the Sailor.* daily till the 29th, they came forth about noon, disporting ill front of the hive, in the rays of the sun. Tliey, how- ever, manifestly, did not issue for the purpose of gathering honey or pollen, for during that time none were noticed returning with pellets ; none were seen alighting on any of the flowers in my garden ; and I found no honey in the stomachs of such as I caught and killed for examina- tion. The gathering was done exclusively by the old bees of the original stock, until the 29th of May, when the Italian bees began to labor hi that vocation also— being then 19 days old. " 2. On the feeding troughs placed in my garden, and which were constantly crowded with common bees, I saw no Italian bees till the 27th of May, seventeen days after the first had emerged from the cells. " From the lOtli of May on, I daily presented to Italian bees, in the hive, a stick dipped in honey. The younger ones never attempted to lick any of it ; the older occasion, ally seemed to sip a little, but immediately left it and moved away. The common bees always eagerly licked it up, never leaving it till they had filled their honey-bags. Not till the 25th of May did I see any Italian bee lick up honey eagerly, as the common bees did from the begin- ning. "These repeated observations force me to conclude that, durin^r the first two weeks of the worker-bee's life, the impulse for gathering honey and pollen does not exist, or at least is not developed ; and that the development of this impulse proceeds slowly and gradually. At first tho young bee will r^t even touch the honey presented to her; some days later she will simply taste it, and only aflcr a further lapse of time will she consume it eagerly. Two weeks elapse before she readily eats honey, and nearly three weeks pass, before the gatherinrj impulse is 196 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 197 siiffici'^ntly developed to impel her to fly abroad, and seek for honey and pollen among the flowers. " I made, further, the following observations respecting the domestic employments of the young Italian bees : ** 1. On the 20th of May, I took out of the hive all the combs it contained, and replacori them after examination. On inspecting them half an hour later, I was surprised to see that the edges of the combs, which had been cut on removal, were covered by Italian bees exclusively. On closer examination, I found that they were busily engaged in re-attaching the combs to the sides of the hive. When I brushed them away, they instantly returned, in eager haste, to resume their labors. " 2. After making the foregoing obsei-vations, I inserted in the hive a bar from which a comb had been cut, to as- certain whether the rebuilding of comb would be under- taken by the Italian bees. I took it out again a few hours subsequently, and found it covered almost exclusively by Italian w^orkers, though the colony, at that time, still con- tained a large majority of common bees. I saw that they were sedulously engaged in building comb ; and they prosecuted the work unremittingly, whilst I held the bar m my hand.* I repeated this experiment several days in succession, and satisfied myself that the bees engaged in this work were always almost exclusively of the Italian race. Many of them had scales of wax visibly protruding between their abdominal rings. These obsen^ations show that, in the early stage of their existence, the impulse for comb-building is stronger than later in life. "3. Whenever I examined the colony during the first three weeks after the Italian bees emerged, I found the brood-combs covered jjrincipally by bees of that race : • I have had a queen which continued to lay eggs in a comb, after it waa removed from the hive. and it is, hence, probable that the brood* is chiefly attended to and nursed by the younger bees. The evi- dence, however, is not so conclusive as in the case of comb- building, inasmuch as they maj/ have congregated on the brood-combs because these are warmer than the others. "I may add another interesting observation. The faeces in the intestines of the young Italian bees was viscid and yellow ; that of the common or old bees was thin and limpid, like that of the queen-bee. This is confirmatory of the opinion, that, for the production of wax and jelly, the bees require pollen ; but do not need any for their own sustenance." — i?. Z. 1855, p. 163. S. Wagner. If the colonies are to be multiplied rapidly, the nuclei must never be allowed to become too much reduced in numbers, or to be destitute of brood or honey. With these precautions, the oftener their queen is taken from them, the more intent they usually become in supplying her loss. There is one trait in the character of bees which is wor- thy of profound respect. Such is their indomitable energy and perseverance, that under circumstances apparently hopeless, they labor to the utmost to retiieve their losses, and sustain the sinking State. So long as they have a queen, or any prospect of raising one, they struggle vigor- ously against impending ruin, and never give up until their condition is absolutely desperate. I once knew a colony of bees not large enough to cover a piece of comb four inches square, to attempt to raise a queen. For ♦ I onc« had a colony which, after It had b<«n queenlesa for some time, not only 'efnsed to make royal cells, but even dovourod the eggs which were given to thiin. Similar facts have been noticed by other observers. When a colony which refiis<*^ to rear a queen, has a comb given to it containing maturing bees, these motherless innocents will at once proceed to supply their loss. Dr. DiinhoflTs observation! account for these facts. 198 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. two wliole weeks, they adhered to their forlorn hop«; until at last, when they had dwindled to less than one half of their original nnniber, their new queen emerged, but with wings so imperfect that she could not fly. Crippled as she was, they treated her with almost as much respect as though she were fertile. In the course of a week more, scarce a dozen workers remained in the hive, and a few days later, the queen was gone, and only a few. dis- consolate wretches were left on the comb. Shame on the faint-hearted of our race, who, when overtaken by calamity, instead of nobly breasting the stormy waters of affliction, meanly resign themselves to an ignoble fate, and perish, where they ought to have lived and triumi)hed ! and double shame upon those who, living in a Christian land, thus " faint in the day of adversity," when if they would only believe the word of God, they might behold, with the eye of faith, his " bow of promise" spanning the still stormy clouds, and hear his voice of love bidding them trust in Him as a " Strong Deliverer!" In the previous editions of this work, with other methods of artificial swarming, very full directions were furnished for increasing colonies, by giving to the nuclei a second comb with maturing brood, as soon as their queens began to lay eggs, and then, at proper intervals, a third, and a fourth, until they were strong enough to take care of themselves. This mode of increase is laborious, and requires skill and judgment which few possess: it is also peculiarly liable to cause robbing among the bees, requiring the hives to be too frequently opened, to remove the combs needed in the various processes. As a numbei of nuclei are to be simultaneously strengthened, the Apiarian cannot complete his artificial processes by a single operation, and must always be on hand, or incur tne risk of ending the season Avith a number of stai vintion. In several instances, the workers have stung a strange queen to death, while I was holding h**r in my fingers, to be able to remove her if she was not kindly welcomed. To prevent accidents, it will bo wen lo confine a queen— when given to a strange colony ^hi what the Germans call a " queen-cage," which may I 202 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. be made by boring a hole into a bloc!., -"J^^;--"^ J with wiro-gauze, or any perforated cover. The bees .11 cultivate an acquahitance with the imprisoned niother, by thrusting their antenna3 through the openings, and the next day she may be safely given to them. Queens bent on escaping to the woods, may be confined m the same way. A pasteboard box, pierced with holes, answers equally well or even a match-box, properly scalded. If the cage is put with its small openings oxov one of the holes on the spare honey-board, or set inside of the hive, the bees will be as quiet as though the queen had her liberty. Such a cage will be very convenient for any temporary confinement of a queen. In catching a queen, she should be gently taken, with the fingers, from among the bees, and if none are crushed, there is no risk of being stung. The queen, although slie will not sting, even if roughly liandled, will sometimes, when closely confined, bite the hand of the operator so as to cause a little uneasiness^her jaws, which are intended for gnawing into the base of the royal cells, being larger and stronger than those of a common bee. If she is allowed to fly, she may be lost, by attempting to enter a 8t range hive. As a fertile queen can lay several thousand eggs a day, it is not strange that she should quickly become exhausted, if taken from the bees. '' Ux nihilo nihil fiV'—^vom nuthinrr, nothing comes — and the arduous duties of maternity compel her to be an enormous eater. ARer an absence from the bees of only fifteen minutes, she will Rolicit honey, when returned ; and if kept away for an hour or upwards, she must either be fed by the Apiarian, or have a few bees, gorged with honey, given to her to supply her wants. One which I sent by express, in a ARTIFICIAL SWARMTNG. 203 queen-cage, with a suite of well-fed workers, arrived in Bafety, at the Apiary of a friend, on the next day. Great caution is not only requisite in giving a live a strange queen, but in all attempts to mix bees bdoJiging to different colonies. Bees having a fertile queen will almost always quarrel with those having an unimprcgnatcd one; and this is one reason why a furious contest, in which thousands perish, often ensues when new swarms attempt to mingle. Members of diiferent colonies appear to recognize their hive-companions by the sense of smell, and if there should be a thousand stocks in the Apiary, any one will readily detect a strange bee ; just as each mother in a large flock of sheep is able, by the same sense, in the darkest night, to distinguish her own lamb from all the others. It would seem, therefore, Jhat colonies might always be safely mingled, by sprinkling them with sugar-water, scented with peppermint or any other strong odor, which would make them all smell alike. A few seasons ago, however, I discovered that bees often recognize strangers by their actions, even when they have the same scent; for '\ frightened bee curls himself vp loith a cowed look, which unmistakably proclaims that he is conscious of being an intruder. If, therefore, the bees of one colony are left on their own st'ind, and the others are suddenly introduced, the latter, even when both colonies have the same smell, are often so frightened that they are discovered to be strangers, and are instantly killed. If, however, both colonies are removed to a new stand, and shaken out together on a sheet, tliey will peaceably mingle, when scented alike.* ♦ I find 8ubst.intlally Uie same tliinjj recotninended, in 1778, by Thomas Wll.l- nmn (pajfc 230 of the 3r:RBKrK's GloHftarium MeUitnrgiHm'"^T^rbmcr\, ITG*), p. S9— in which the origin ut wax is claimed, more then 20 years before the «late of that work— say I74r>— for a llanovorlnn I'astor, named Herman C Horn- hostel. He gave his discoveries to the world in the so-called *' IlAHuunr.ii Library," vol. 2, p. 45; and they are Bo particularly described as to leave nc doub* uf tbelr correctness. ATITIFICIAL SW AIMING. 205 more deeply among the clustering thousands, and will never use her sting, except when engaged in mortal com- bat with another queen. When two rivals meet, they clinch, at once, with every demonstration of the most vindictive hatred. Why, tlien, are not both often de- stroyed ? We can never sufficiently admire the provision so simple, and yet so effectual, by which such a calamity is prevented. A queen never stings, unless she has such an advantage that she can curve her body under that of her rival, so as to inflict a deadly wound, without any risk to herself— the moment the position of the two combat- ants is such that neither has the advantage, but both are liable to perish, they not only refuse to sting, but disengage themselves, and suspend their conflict for a short time! The following interesting statements were furnished to the New England Farmer (Oct. 1855), by Hon. Simon Brown, Lieutenant-Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in 1855. "On the irth of July last, we placed in our dining- room window one of Mr. Langstroth's observing bee-hives, constructed of glass, so that all the operations of the bees could be plainly and conveniently seen. A comb about a foot square was placed in it, containing some brood, with plenty of workers and drones, but without a queen. The hive was then carefully observed by one of the ladies of the family, who has given us the following account of their doings. "'The first business the bees attended to, was to com. mence cells for a cpieen, and they prosecuted it with energy for two days. At the end of that time, a queen was taken f)-om another colony and ])laced with them, upon which they pulled down the cells they had made, in less than half the time it had required to construct them, and then -206 THK niVE AND HONKY-BEK. began to piece out and repair the comb which needed a corner. The queen at once commenced laying, and soon filled the mioccupied cells, when she was again removed, and the bees once more began the construction of queen- cells. " ' The young bees now began to hatch forth, and m two weeks the family increased so fast as to make it necessary for them to prepare to emigrate. They had built six queen- cells, and in about twelve days the fii st queen was hatched. As soon as she was fairly born, she marched rapidly, and in the most energetic manner, over the comb, and visited the other cells in which were the embryo queens, seemmg at times furious to destroy them. The workers, however, surrounded her, and prevented such wholesale murder. But for two days she was intent upon her fell purpose, and kej)t in almost continuous motion to effect it. On the fourteenth day, the second queen was ready to come out, piping and making various noises to attract attention. "'A part of the colony then seemed to conclude that it was time to take the first queen and go, but by some mis- take she remained in the hive after the swarm had left. The second queen came out as soon as possible after tlie others had gone, and then tliere were now Uco hatched queens in the hive ! they ran about on the comb, which was now nearly empty, so that they could be distinctly seen. But they had not, apparently, noticed each other, while the workers were in a state of great uneasiness and commotion, seeming impatient for the destruction of one of them. The mode they adopted to accomplish it was of the most deliberate and cold-blooded kind. A circle of bees kept one queen stationary, while another party dragged the other up to her, so that their heads nearly touched, and then the bees stood back, leaving a fiiir field for the combatants, in which one was to gain her laurels. AUTIFICIAL SWAK^IINO. 207 ! f, i and the other to die ! The battle was fierce ana sanguinary. They grappled each other, and, like expert wrestlers, Btrove to inflict the fatal blow by some sudden or adroit movement. But for some moments the parties seemed equally matched ; no advantage could be gained on either side The bees stood looking calmly on the dreadful affray, as though they themselves had been the heroes of a hundred wars. But the battle, like all others, had its close ; one fell upon the field, and was immediately taken by the workers and carried out of the hive. By this time, the bees which had swarmed made the discovery that then- queen was missing, and although they had been hived without any trouble, came rushing back, but not in season to witness the fatal battle, and the fall of their poor slam queen, who should have gone forth with them to seek a future home.' "* Tlie Apiarian has already been reminded of the import- ance of securing straight worker-combs for his stocks. To a stock-hive, such combs are like cash capital to a business man ; and so long as they are fit for use, they should never be destroyed (p. 60) .f Those who ha%-e plenty of good worker-comb, will unquestionably find it to their .advantage to use it in the place of the artificial guides (PI. I., Fig. 2, w).X Those who use the guides, . " We Introduced a queen Into . hive." wys Iluber. " after pnintin,; her thorai. to ,lbtln«ui,h her from the reigning queen. A circh, of bee» for.m.d «. clo«-,j .r. n the .trangor. that In .earcely a n.luute »hc lost her liberty Other worker. " the s.a„.e ti.ne collected aroun.l the reigning queen, and rertralne.l her moth.n,. . . . They retained their prisoners only when they appeare.l to withdraw fro.n each other; and If one, lea, restrained, seoned desirous of approaehing her rival, .11 the beesfornung the cluster, gave way, to allow her full liberty of attack; then, If Ih.y showed a disposition to fly, they returned to inclose them t Mr 8. Wagner has a colony over 21 years old, whose young bees appear to b. as Ihree as any others In his Apiary. . i „ ^f X Sec E.M>lanaUon of Plates of Hives for a description of the various styles of movable frumea 208 THE HIVE AND H0NP:Y-BEE. should exninine a swarm two or three days after it it hived, when, by a little inanageinent, any irregularities in their combs may be easily corrected Some combs may need a little compression, to bring them into their proper positions, and others may even require to be cut out, and fastened as guides in other frames ; but no pains should be spared to see that they are all right, before the w^ork has gone so far as to make it laborious to remedy any defects. If a colony is small it ought to be confined, by a movable partition, to such a space in the hive as it can occupy with comb — as well for its encouragement, as to economize its animal heat, and guard against irregularities in comb-building. Varro, who flourished before the Christian Era, says (Liber III., Cap. xviii.), tliat bees be- come dispirited, when placed in hives that are too large. The possession of five frames of straight worker-comb, may be made to answer an admirable end, if given to a new swarm, so as to alternate with its empty frames. After the bees have had possession of them two or three days, they may be j)olitely informed that these worker- combs were only loaned to them as patterns, and their new combs may be alternated with empty frames. Five combs may thus be used for many successive swarms. As the artificial guides increase the expense of the frames, and cannot be invariably relied on^ the practical Apiarian will aim, as far as possible, to dispense with their use. I have devised a plan — which will be elsewhere de- scribed— for superseding them, and enabling the beginner to compel his bees, without any comb, to build in the frames with entire regularity. It must he obvioifs to every intellif/ent bee-7t'eeper^ t/utt the perfect control of the co7nbs of the hive is the soul of a system of practical manafjement^ which may be inodi- fied to suit the wa?its of all icho cultivate bees. Even tho AKTTFICIAL SW ARMING. 209 old-fashioned bee-keeper can, with movable combs, destroy his faithful laborei's quite as speedily as by setting them over a sulphur-pit ; thus preserving his honey from dis- gusting fumes, while he secures it on frames from which it may be conveniently cut, and preserves all empty comb for future use (p. 7l). As many who would like to keep bees are so much afraid of being stung, that they object entirely even to natural swarming, how, it may be asked, can such persona open hives, lift out the combs, shake or brush off the bees, and practice other processes which seem like bearding a lion in its very den ? The truth is, that some persons are so timid, or suffer so dreadfully when stung, that they are every way disqualified from having anything to do with bees, and ought either to have none upon their premises, or to entrust the care of them to others. With the direc tions furnished in this treatise, almost any one, however, by using a bee-dress, can learn to superintend bees with very little risk. I find, in short, that the risk of being stung is really diminished by the use of my hives ; although it is very difficult for those who have not seen them in use, to believe that this can be so. The ignorance of most bee-keepers of the almost un- limited control which may be peaceably acquired over bees, has ever been regarded by the author of this treatise as the greatest obstacle to the speedy introduction of movable-comb hives. He might easily have invented con- trivances which, by adapting themselves to this ignorance, would, at first, have proved much more lucrative to him, had he thought it just, either to the community or to himself, to have taken such a course. Such ignorance has led to the invention of costly and complicated hives,* • I have before me ft small pomphlet, published In London in 1851, describing the ronstructlon of the '' Bar and Frame Hive" of W. A. Munn, Esq. The object !. 1 i u 210 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. al] the ingenuity and expense lavished upon which, are known, by the better informed, to be as unnecessary as a costly machine for lifting up bread and butter, and gently pushhig it into the mouth and down the throat of an active and healthy child. The Rev. John Thorley, in his " Female Mo7iarchy,'' published at London, in 1744, appears to have first intro- duced the practice of stupefying bees by the narcotic fames of the " puff ball " {Fimgus pulcerulentns), dried till it will hold fire like tinder. The same effect has been produced by pushing a rag, saturated with chloro- form or ether, into the entrance of the hive, and closing all tiglit, to prevent the escape of the fumes. The bees soon drop motionless from their combs, and recover again after a short exposure to the air. Some of my readers may suppose that such an easy mode of stupefying bees would very greatly facilitate the of this invention is to elevate frames, one at a time, into a caae "mth glass «,'««, BO that they may be examined without risk of annoyance from the bees. Great ingenuity is exhil>ite(l by the inventor of this very costly and very complicated hive, who seems to imagine that snioke " must be injurious both to the bees and their brood." Even if a little smoke is so injurious, the Apiarian, by sweetened water, or by drumming upon a hive, after closing its entrance, can cause the bees to lill themselves with honey (p. 27), when all their conibs mav be safely lifted out. A lluber-hive, or one with movable bars, may be muet more safely managed than any one which pn)poses to elevate the frames, wit)» .ui permitting them to he pushed apart (p. 150). A single hive, the arrangeme> fi of which are such as to maim an- ::\ IJ '■A 216 THE HIVE AND UONEY-BKE. mize room, and to gire easier access to his setting hens, he had partitioned a long box into a dozen or more separate apartments. The hens, in returning to their nests, were deceived by the similarity of the entrances, so that often one box contained two or three unamiable aspirants for the honors of maternity, while others were entirely for- saken. Many eggs were broken, more were addled, and hardly enough hatched to establish one mother as the happy mistress of a flourishing family. Had he left his hens to their own instincts, they would have scattered their nests, and gladdened his eyes with a numerous oft- Fig. 51. Plate XVI I or. sprin^. Through the length and breadth of our land, bee- keepers who suffer heavy losses, from the proximity and similarity of their hives, unsuspicious of the true cause of their misfortunes, impute them to the bee-moth, or some of the many enemies of the bee. Judge Fishback, of Batavia, Ohio, informed me, in the Fall of 1854, while on a visit to his large Apiary, that he had for many years guarded against the loss of young queens, by painting the fronts of his hives of different colors, and maldng their entrances face in various ways.* Every bee-keeper, whose hives are so arranged that the joung queens are liable to make mistakes, must count upon heavy losses. If he puts a number of hives, under circumstances similar to those described, upon a bench, or the shelves of a bee- house, he can never keep their number good without con- stant renewal. The first swarms, and those stocks which do not swarm, as they retain their fertile queens, will do well enough ; but many of those that swarm will be robbed ♦ John Mills, In a work published at London, In 1766, gives (p. 93) the folloTrlng directions :— " Forget not to paint the mouths of your colonies with different colors, tif led, white, blue, yellow, ifec., in form of a half-moon, or square, that the bee« may the better linow their own home." Such precautions preserved the stocU from Ucoming queenleaa, although they were not adopted for that end. Fig. 52. LOSS OF TUK '^UEEN. 217 by other bees, or fall a prey to the moth, or gradually dwindle away. As the bee-keeper, from limited space or other reasons, may prefer to keep his colonics close together, I have de- vised a Avay of effecting it, without risking the loss of the young queens : — If he relies upon natural swarming, he should remove the moiher'Stock^ as soon as it has swarmed, to a nev^ posi- tion^ giving it two or three quarts of bees from the swarm, before they have entered the new hive, which is to be put on the old stand. These bees having the swarming propensity, will supply the place (p. 156) of those which subhcquently leave. If artificial swarming is practiced, the entrances to the hiv^.s of the nuclei sliould be marked with a leafy twig, and, if possible, made to face differently (p. 189) from tho-se of the adjoining stocks. The new colonies should be formed as directed on page 18G. If two Apiaries are used, the artificial swarms may be made in any of the ways previously described, and those colonies which have queens to be impregnated, removed to the second Apiary. The bees are sometimes so excessively agitated when their queen leaves for impregnation, that they exhibit all the appearance of swarming. They seem to have an in- jitinctive perception of the dangers which await her, and I have known them to gather around her and confine her, ad though they could not bear to have her leave. If a queen is lost in what the Germans call " her weddmg ex- cursion," the bees of an old stock will gradually decline ; those of an after-swarm, will either unite with another jolony, or speedily dwindle away. It would be interesting, could we learn how bees become informed of the loss of their queen. When she is taken tiom them, undei circumstances that excite the whole 10 218 THE HIVE IKD HONEY-BEE. toss or THE QTIEEN. 219 colony, we can easily see how they find it out ; for as a tcTder mother, in ti.ne of danger, is all anxiety for her heli-Iess children, so bees, when alarmed ahv;ays seek fi.^t to assure themselves of the safety of their queen. If, however, the queen is very carefully removed a day, or even more, nuxy elapse, before they realize their loss* How do they first become aware of it? Perhaps some dutiful bee, anxious to embrace her mother, rnakes d.h;4ont search for her through the hive. The mtelhgence tlua she cnnot be found being noised abroad, the whole farm y is speedily alarmed. At such times, instead of calmly conversing, by touching each other's antenna they may be seen violently striking them together, and by the most i.npassioncd demonstrations manifesting their agony and ^''I'once removed the queen of a small colony, the bees of which took wing and filled the air, in search of her. Although she was returned in a few minutes, royal cells were found two days later. The queen was unhurt, and the cells untenanteiury. LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 227 them to competent persons. The business of the gardener seems naturally associated with that of the Apiarian ; and practical gardeners may find the management of bees, for their employers, quite a lucrative part of their profession. With but little trouble, they can make new colonics, re- movft the surplus honey, and on the approach of Wint^^r prepare the bees to resist its rigors. i •223 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. CHAPTER XII. iHUi BKBralU-lU, AND OTHER ENEMIES OF liEES— DISllABEa U* . BEES. The Bee-Moth {Tinea mellonella) is mentioned by Aristotle, Virgil, Columella and other ancient authors, as one of the most formidable eneinies of the honey-bee. Modern writers, almost without exception, have regarded it as the plague of their Ai)iaries ; while in this country its ravages have been so fUal, that the majority of culti- vators liave abandoned bee-keeping in despair. Most of the contrivances devised against it have proved worthless, and not a few have aided its nefarious designs. Having closely studied its habits, I am able to show how careful bee-keepers may protect their colonies Irom being ruined by its assaults. The careless ^^ ill obtain a ''moth-proof' hive only when the sluggard finds a '' vieed-proop' soil. Before stating how to circumvent the moth, its habits will be briefly described. Swannnerdam speaks of two species of the bee-moth (called in his time the ''hee-wolp% one much larger than the other. Linnaeus and Beaumur also describe two l;ir els — Tinea cerea?ia and Tinea mellonella. Most writers suppose the former to be the male, and the latter the female of the same species. The following description is abridged from Dr. Harris' Report on the Insects of Massachusetts : " Very few of the Tinece exceed- or even equal it in size. In its adult state it is a winged moth, or miller, mcasuiing, from the head to the tip of the closed wings, enemies of bees. 229 from five-eighths to three-quarters of an inch in length, and its wings expand from one inch and one-tenth to one inch and four-tenths. The fore-wuigs shut together flatly on the top of the back, slope steeply downwards at the sides, and are turned up at the end somewhat like the tail of a fowl. The female is much larger than the male, and much darker-colored. There are two broods of these insects in the course of the year. Some winged moths of the first brood begin to appear towards the end of April or early in May — earlier or later, according to climate and season. Those of the second brood are most abundant in August ; but some may be found between these periods, and even much later." No writer with whom I am acquainted has given such an exact description of the difference between the sexes, that they can always be readily disthiguished. The beautiful wood-cuts of the moths, larva?, and cocoons, which I present to my readers, were dmwn from nature, by Mr. M. M. Tidd, of Boston, Mass., and engraved by Mr. D. T. Smith, of the same city. A large number of specimens were furnished to Mr. Tidd, and great accuracy has been secured. He seems first to have noticed that the tongue of the female projects so as to resemble a beak, while that of the male is very short.* While some males are larger than some females, and some females much lighter-colored than the average of males, and occasionally some males as dark as the darkest females, the peculiarity of the tongue of the female is so marked^ that she may cdicays be distinguished at a glance. » Dr. ITiirHs speaks of the tongue of the moth a» "very short, and hardlf Tifihle." Thi» ii true oniy of that of the iiiale. I'euiulti. Mule. \i\ , ■1 M; I 230 THE HIVE AND H(1NKY-BKW. Female. Suiall Male. The tongue of the female is double, and the line of separation is shown in the figure in which she is repre- sented as lying on her back. Both male and female were accurately copied from specimens of the average size and form. In this sketch, an under-sized male is represented.* His color was so dark that, but for the tongue, he might easily have been mistaken for a female of a different and much smaller species.f , . , ^ These insects are seldom seen on the wing, unless started from their lurking places about the hives until towards d.irk On cloudy days, however, the female may be liced endeavoring, before sunset to ga n an entrance into the hives. "If disturbed in the daytime," says Dr Harris, "they open their wings a little, and sprmg or glide Swiftly away, so that it is very difficult to seize or to hold them.t In the evening, they take wing, when the >,.«,« In this fl-are In the sitting position, they are usually In Plate XIII. ^ ^^^^ two adjoining ' A. an the 'P'f---;-;-";!;.! hi observation, »t .,n,e other ^^n. hives, very late in the Fall, It is posaiu believe that there „„. .„ ..er.„t •"-"-^7- - ;:r:r irr tie ..e. .>,., .hat - r ro;^rth:'rra;::rprereoi was thei. cut off, an. 1 the egg lay . P dis.«^cted, so as to show rercL"o^r:"revln:::h":„..tnate.. eo„,Ut.o„, .he thr.,t out h Ivinlltor all the while earefnlly Peking for ap,.ro„r,ato erevice. In wbkh to repollt her e,„ , 1 have repeate.l. with Mnular result,, these e,perlm.„t^ «, sug. restive of curious speculations as to insect volition. t Thov are surprisingly agile, both on foot an^l on the wing, the motions o a be. X Thoy are ^^'^^'^^''^^'^ "*: ' ,, ^, ,, ^^ys Reatimur, " the most nimble- being very slow, in compaH8<»n. l iie> are, »»>» footed creatures that I know." ENEMIES OF BKES. 231 bees are at rest, and hover around the hive, till, having found the door, they go in and lay their eggs " " If the approach to the Apiary," says Bevan, " be observed of a moonligVit evening, the moths Avill be found flying or running round the hives, watching an opportunity to en- ter, whilst the bees that have to guard the entrances against their intrusion, will be seen acting as vigilant sentinels, performing continual rounds near this important post, extending their antennae to the utmost, and movhig them to the right and left alternately. Woe to the un- fortunate moth that comes within their reach !" " It is curious," says Huber, " to observe how artfully the moth knows how to profit by the disadvantage of the bees, which require much light for seeing objects, and the pre- cautions taken by the latter in reconnoitering and expel- ling so dangerous an enemy." "Those that are prevented from getting within the hive, lay their eggs in cracks on the outside ; and the little worm-like caterpillars hatched therefrom, easily creep into the hive through the cracks, or gnaw a passage for them- selves under the edges of it."*— Dr. IIakuis. " As soon as hatched, the worm encloses itself in a case of white silk, which it spins around its body ; at first it is like a mere thread, but gradually increases in size, and, during its growth, feeds upon the cells around it, for which purpose it has only to put forth its head, and find its wants supplied. It devours its food with great avidity, and, consequently, increases so much in bulk, that its gal- Icry soon biicomes too short and narrow, and the creature is obliged to thrust itself forward and lengthen the gal- lery, as well to obtain more room as to procure an addi- ♦ If movable bottom-boards are used, It will be next to Impossible to prevent the moth from laying her eggs between them and the edges of the hives. The •p.allest opening will enable her to thrust in her ovipositor, and place her cggi wLere ner progeny will find an easy admission to the hive. M I I I > ', ?sr'^e"«..*>'&.'''-»i.a;3¥^.;*;v-;r*ja»:i.s'-= „«0 Tin: HIVE AND nONET-BEr.. , f f^..^ Its au<-mentea size exposing il to tional supply of food. Its an .^^^^^^ ^^^.^^j,^^ attacks from surroundrng ^ «'^^J /„,^ .^^iekness, by its new abode with additional «tm.fetU ^ ^.^_ .lending witb the ^1-- -/^ ^1^ ,,, ,,e external ENF.MIES OF BEES. 233 ^iijl „^t>, «iii-face of white silk, which ..hich are lined w.th a ^^^'^^'^ the insect, . ithout admits the occasional " "'^^'"^^^^..fo,,,,; these opera- ,.j„ry to its ^^^^^'-^.^^^'t'expJld to ,neet with opposi- tions, the insect might ^^/'^f^"'^.^, ^.^^^ rendered more tion from the bees, ani o ^« J^^^^^^^^^, however, assailable as it ^^ ^^^ X U of which exposes any part ^^^^ scales, impenetrable to Terngof at:"s is the composition of the galleries that surround jJ-'-f ;;^^; ^, f„„ ,.„e, and with all its The worm is here S^^ *^» ^^^^_^.^^ ,,,,Mly repre. sented. The scaly head is si.own in one of the worms; Nvhile the three pairs of claw- . like fore legs, and the five pairs The tail is also tuimsm-u " breathing holes are seen on the back. .station of the -eb, or gallery of the worm, «» eou.ed fro- • This represcntauon oi t"« •> Wax is the chief food of these worms ♦ When obliged to steal their living among a strong stock of bees, they Beldom fare well enough to reach the size which they attain when rioting at pleasure among the full combs of a discouraged population. In about three weeks, the larvae stop eating, and seek a suitable place for encasing them- selves in their silky shroud. In hives where they reign unmolested, almost any place will answer their purpose, and they often pile their cocoons one on another, or jom them together in long rows. They sometimes occupy the empty combs, so that their cocoons resemble the cappuig of the honey-cells. In Plate XIX., Fig. 56, Mr. Tidd has given a drawing, accurate in size and form, of a curious uistance of this kind. The black spots, resembling grauis of gunpowder, are the excrements of the worms. In hives strongly guarded by healthy bees, many a worm, while prying about to find a snug hiding place, is seized by the nape of the neck, and served with an instant writ of ejectment. If a hive is thoroughly made, it runs a dangerous gauntlet, as it passes, in search of some crevice, through the ranks of its enraged foes. Its mo- tions, however, are exceedingly quick, and it is full of cunning devices, being able to crawl backwards, to twist round on itself, to curl up almost into a knot, and to flat- ten itself out like a pancake. If obliged to leave the hive, it gets under some board or concealed crack, spins Its cocoon, and patiently awaits its transformation. In most hives, it readily finds a crack into which it can creep, or a small space between the movable bottom- ♦ "Larv« fed exclusively on pure wax will die, wax being a non-nltroponon. substance, and not furnUhlng the ailment required for their perfect develop. 1-nl. statement a^ees with the fact, that the larv« prefer the brood-combs, and that thr combs of an old stock are more liable to be devoured than those of • new one. 4 \\ i^ii 2S4 THE HIVE AND HOKKY-BEE. ENEltrES OF BEES, 235 board and the edges of the hive. It can pass through a verv small crevice, and as soon as safe from the bees, it wUlbecrin to enlarge its cramped tenement, by gnawmg into the solid wood. The time required for the larv^ to break forth into winged msects, varies with the tempera, ture to which they are exposed, and the season ol the year when they spin their cocoons.* I have known tl>e,n to s,.in and hatch in ten or eleven days ; and they often spin so late in the Fall, as not to emerge untU the cnsumg ^^?hf male usually keeps away from the hive, but the female seeks in every way to gain an entrance. It the stock is weak and discouraged, she lays her eggsf among . ,„ November (185SX I procured . large number of cocoons '- j'"';^ -j^-; .• 1 From many of them, the moths quickly emerged. In others, the lar^ n vations. From many or lue • „, ^f^„ being exposed Btute. A few were exposed for six ^^eks to a un i and only one passed into the winged moth. Some, after btin. t„40^ and entirely torpid at a '"-V'-';— !„» anrp^d tt^,, thei, .Viuter in his -;;';-^--J^::t "„ ror!':.::::s:fui t^n myse.f in indue natural changes. "« "N^"^ '" by artificial heat; but this .nay be owing to the l„g then, to develop in Wmter, bV « ""'^ ^^^ .,.,„ ^„ ib„„,, '"*vr::;rr;r: :r:::X- .*eic<,.oo,«. Furth. eM.er.. and not a, I d^U w« determine whether dilatory deveiop.nent is pecuhar nrr:::.rg mlT.- >- ^he Fan. or i. caused by the .«...» W... *'::;;::h:r:— neteptoodaUOcld^^^^^^^^^^^^ but congealed ^'-'-f^'f;''^'^"^ tt hiv he chrysalids and larv«, in the vital force Is sufhcent to reMst f'"''' .""''' ''"•. „, , ,„ e„rners and varioua stage, of develop.nen, pass he ^ 2:.blrdrrn March or April, they r:r :h:7:s%rore:::n-ri^ operations for dlslod^ng them.- "some llr';.e which I exposed to « temperature of 6" below zero, froze solid and .et: ev^d. Others, after ren.ainlng for 8 hours in a ten.p.raturc of ahout .2 . «e,„ed. after reviving, to ren.du Tor -^^ J » -I'P'^^ -" - tly round, and + "The c'-'-s of the bee-moth (see Phitt- XUl., H,^. «) "re I ^ T * "'- «-c«r-^ . I .1 . «• ,. liMo in ill'Lini'tfr. In the ducts oi lu« tlie coml)S, or inserts them in the comers or crevices, or among the refuse wax and bee-bread on the bottom- board, where her progeny can be concealed and nourished till they are able to reach the combs. In Plate XX., Fig. 57, Mr. Tidd has faithfully de- lineated, and Mr. Smith skillfully engraved, the black mass of tangled webs, cocoons, excrements, and perfo- rated combs, which may be found in a hive where the worms have completed their work of destruction. The entrance of the moth into a hive and the ravages committed by her progeny, forcibly illustrate the havoc which vice often makes when admitted to prey unchecked on the precious treasures of the human heart. Only some tiny eggs are deposited by the insidious moth, which give birth to very innocent-looking worms ; but let them once get the control, and the fragrance* of the honied dome is soon corrupted, the hum of happy industry stilled, and everything useful and beautiful ruthlessly destroyed. The honey-bee is not a native of the New World, and, when brought here, was called by the Indians the consecutively, like those of the queen bee, but are found in the ducts, fully and perfectly formed, a few days after the female moth emerges from the cocoon. She deposits them, usually, in little clusters on the combs. If we wish to witness the dischar<'e of the e-jjs, it is only necessary to seize a female moth, two or three days olcy tread, beneath them Springs a flower unknown among us, Springs tlie Wliite Man's Foot in blossom." As the hccs flourished for years undisturbed by the moth it seems probable that it was not brought over m Te first hives, bttt at a much later period In whatever way it was introduced, it has so multiplied m our prop.- tiotts climate of hot summers, that few districts are now exempt from its ravages. ^ ,„♦.„„ Fifty years ago our markets were proportionably better supplied with honey than they now arc, and larg^ tubs filled with snow-white combs were a common sigl.t _ Many Apiarian, contend that ncwly-scttled co-^ntncs are most favorable to the bee; and an old Germar adage runs thus : — , ,. , « Bells' ding dong, And choral song, Deter the beo From industry : But hoot of owl, And ' wolf's long howl,' Incite to moil And steady t^.'* • Mt I8 ^mprlsln. In what countless swarms the bees have overspread t> Ur We.t within bTamoJrate number of years. The In.lians eon^Kler them the Men TTe white man, as the bu.alo is of the rea man a„a say that. "^^^^^^^^^^^ the bee advances, the Indian and the buff ilo reti e. .... ^''^JJ^ hernlds of elvlUzation, steadily preceding It as It advances from tl 3 Ati. t c Wders- and some of the ancient settlers of the West pretend to ,ive th. -^. y a when the honey-bee mst eroded the Mlssl^ippL At present u swa.* Others affirm that our colonies are too numerous to find sufficient food. That neither of these reasons account for the change, Avill be subsequently shown. Others lay all the blame on the moth, and others still, on our departure from the old-fashioned mode of keeping bees. It is undoubtedly true that the moth so super-abounds in many districts, that no profit can be derived from managing bees in the simple way which was once so suc- cessful. Often the old bee-keeper, after hiving his swarms, never .looked at them again until the Fall, when all the colonies which had too few bees, or were too light to survive the Winter, were condemned to the brimstone pit. Some of the heaviest were also killed for the sake of their honey, and the vert/ best were reserved for stock hives. In a newly-settled country, where weeds are almost unknown, the farmer who plants his corn and "lets it alone," may often harvest a remunerative crop. If, in process of time, as the weeds increase, he continues to plough and plant in the "good old way," he will only bo laughed at for complaining that the pestiferous weeds have caused his corn to "run out." And yet, with equal folly, many bee-keepers do not understand why plans which answered when moths were unknown Or were very scarce, cannot be made to succeed at the present time. If the old plans had been rigidly adhered to, the ravages of the moth, destructive as thoy must have been, would never have been as great as they now are. The use of patent hives has contributed to Jill the laiid with myriads in the noble groves and forests that skirt aid Intersect the pralrieN a'^d extend along the alluvial bottoms of the rivers. It seems to mo as if these beauti- ful regions answer literally to the description of the land of promise-' a land flow- Ing with milk and honey;' for the rich pasturage of the prairies is calculated to tustaii herds of cattle as countless as the san is upon the sea-shore, while the flowers with which they are enamelled render them a very paradise for the nectar- seeking bee."— Washington Ikvino, Tour on the Prairies, Chap. IX. 238 THE HIVE AMD HONKT-BEE. ENEMIKS OF BEES. 239 -* H'vi^r vince thcir introduction, tlie the devouring pest. Ever since inc notion has almost universally prevailed that stocks must ^t under any circumstances, be voluntarily dest.-oyed nd' hence, thLands of colonies, ^v^ch, under the oM Bjsteni, were mercifully killed, are no.- left to Pensh by jow starvation, .hile thousands more -e;<>/««^^^;"; J«^ Si.ring that they serve only to breed a host of moths to bo the DCSt of the Apiary. . tLo truth is, that improved hives, without an improved system of management, have done, on tho -ho e, more harm than good. In no country have they been so extcn- sh'ely used'as in our own, and no where has t e moth so completely gained the ascendency. Just so far as they hlve'discoufaged ordinary bee-keepers from the o d plan of " taking uiT" their weak swarms in the Fall, just so far have they extended « aid and eomfort" to the moth. So.ne of them might, unquestionably, be so managed as, in ordinary cases, to protect the bees against the moth ; but no hive which does not give the control of the combs, can be relied on for all emergencies. As for many of the complicated contrivances, which have been devised by men i-norant of the first principles of bee-keeping, and the "swindle-traps" of sharpers, who, to fill their own pockets, would be glad to kill all the bees m the wor d, thev not only afford no more security against tlie motli, than the old box-hive, but are full of fixtures, which sene no end but to annoy the bees and multiply lurkmg-places for moths and worms. The more they are used, the worse the condition of the bees ; just as the more a man nses the nostrums of the lying quack, the farther he gets from health.* . An Intomsent man infonned me th.thepald ten '"'"«"*"''" ^''■»"":f, \us strong stocW he felt that he had been as grossly Imposed upon, as If, afte, While freely admitting that the old plan of killing the bees has, in the hands of the ignorant, met with the best Buccess, I am persuaded that a more humane and enlight ened system can be made much more profitable. The use of movable frames permitthig, as they do, the weakest stocks to be strengthened or united to others, will, I trust, in due time, introduce the happy era when the following epitaph, taken from a German work, might properly be placed over every pit of brimstoned bees ;* HERE RESTS, CUT OFF FROM USKFUL LABOR, A COLONY OP INDUSTRIOUS BEES, BASKLY MURUEKKD BY ITS UNGRATEFUL AND IGNORANT OWNER. To the epitaph should be appended Thompson's verses • *' Ah, see, where robbed and murdered in that pit, Lies the still heaving hive! at evening snatched, Beneath the cJoud of guilt-concealing night, And fixed o'er sulphur ! while, not dreaming ill, The happy people, in their waxen cells, Sat tending public cares. Sudden, the dark, oppressive steam ascends, And, used to milder scents, the tender race, By thousands, tumble from their honied dome Into a gulf of blue sulphureous flame !" The following letter, on the first appearance of the bee-moth in this country, from Dr. Jared P. Kirtland, of p«}1nff a large sum for an infallible llfe-preservin- secret, he had been tnrned off with the truism that, to live forever, one must keep welll • Killlnj? bees for their honey wa.s, unquestionably, an invention of the dark ipes, wlu-n the human family had lo.st-in Apiarian pursnitn, as well as in othoi ihings-the skill of former a«es. In the Umes of Aristotle, Varro, Columella, and Piinv, such a Darbaroun practice did not exist. The old cultivators took only what Ihclr b»)e» could spare, killing no stocks, except such as werefe«ble or diseased. 240 TIIK HIVE AND IIONKY-BEE. Clevelaiul, Ohio, who is so widely known for bis interest ii. Horticultural and Apiarian pursuits, will Le read with great interest : » Cleveland, Feb. 1 9th, 1 85 9. "Deak Sir:— Until 1805, the honey-bee flourished in the United States. At the commencement of the present century, a majority of the farmers and mechanics in the State of Connecticut cultivated the bee. Few, if any, unfavorable contingencies interfered with that pursuit ; the simplest form of box-hives was usually employed, though, occasionally, a hollow gam, and, in a few instances, the conical straw skci) supplied their place. " In Autumn, the weak colonies, and such of the old as were depreciating in value, were destroyed by fire and brimstone. The honey thus obtained was sufficiently abundant to satisfy the demand ; hence, in tliosc days, caps, drawers, and side-boxes, for robbing bees, were not employed. "Duiin Fig. 53. Plate XVII. Fig. 54. 1 ENEMIES OF BEKS. 241 " Since that period, a succession of patent hives, whose originators were ignorant of the habits of the moth, has appeared as its auxiliaries, and the two combined, have nearly exterminated the bee from that section of the country. The efforts of a few individuals, of more than usual perseverance and ingenuity, were occasionally attended with limited success. "In the Sununer of 1810, I resided in the county of Trumbull, Ohio. The moth had not reached this part of the country, and bee-culture was extensively pursued, and with a success I have never witnessed elsewhere. The rich German farmers were on a strife to excel each other in the number of their colonics. Two or three hundred they frequently attained. "In 1818, I again visited that county, and permanently located there in 1823, and at both periods found that pursuit still prospering. In August, 1828, while visiting a sick family in ]\Iercer Co., Pa., I observed that a large Apiary was suffering severely from the attacks of the worm. The proprietor informed me that it had made its appearance for the first time the ])resent season. Within another year, it spread over all of Northern Ohio, and in tlie Winter of 1831-2, I learned, from members of the Legislature, that it had reached every part of our State. Similar results followed its progress here, as in the New England States. "Until the introduction of your system of movable frames, no successful means of counteracting its ravages were devised. I am happy to say that, by the aid of your hives, I have not the least difficulty in meeting it, " With great respect, yours, &c., " Rkv. L. L. Lanostrotii. *' Jarkd P. K'irtland."" out the larpe doath-liead moth {Sphinx atropo%\ % single one of which can swallow ft tahU'spoonfuI of honey. ' An Apiarian, from Ohio, sent me some honey-eating moths, much larjjer than the bee-moth, which entered his wealt hivoa and (forged thenwelves with honey. il 2-12 THE mVK AND IIONKT-BBK. ENEMIES OF BEES. 243 Almost anything hollow will often, for a series of yea. s be successfully tenanted by bees. To see hues w.U. ' ..c, open cLus, whose owners are ignorant and ca e- Ls, bidding defiance to the moth, may, at first .ght, .np'air confidence in the value "f -X F--^^^- ^'^ , stocks often flourish in such lo5|-cal>'n »-- ' j/''^' '^ costly " Bee-Palaces," are frequently devoured by tht. ;: L_their owner, with all tite newest ^evtces m he A,ia.ian line, being unable to protect ^ 'cu aga. t t a r ene.n.ies,or to explain why so.ne «"— ^' "'^•^/ ' „ ^ dren of the poor, appear ahnost to thrive upon negkc , twie otherl, Uke the ollspr-g of the ruh are eeWe a,.„are,.tly in exact proportion to the care lavished on them "' 1 .11 now explain why some stocks flourish m sp. e of ne^^lect, while others, most cared for, ial a prey o the I^th mid shall show how, in suitable hives, and vs. h Xl^r precautions, the moth may be kept from seriously aiinoyini; the Lues. A feeble colony being unable to cover its cond.s, they are often filled with the eggs of the moth, and, Irequen ly, their owner becomes aware of their condition only when ,.eir ruin is completed. But how, ca.i the novice know whe,. a stock, in a common h.ve, is seriously t in- fc ted with these all-dcvouri.ig worms? The d.scouraged ;;;:et of the bees plainly indicates that there is trouble of some kind within, and the bottotu-boaid w .11 be cov- ered with pieces of bee-b.ead .nixed with the ex-rancnt of the wo.-.n., which looks like grains of ,jani>modc.r.\ dc.i-n.l ahno>t entirely u,.on what i. ^f^^^^'^A a colony is noarlv mined ^hon + lnexi.enenceee.keei,er.,>vho in..M^Mne thn a colony is - til V llnl a few worms, should re.non.ber that al.nost every old stock, ho vc X Whenbce« in the Sprinjr prepare ^^^''^ ^^'"'* ^'" '"7 ^th^rare not ndxe4 often covered with small piece, of comb and bee-bread ; but » ;^^f^ ^/^ ^^.^ with the Ua.k excreD.ent, they are proof, of industry, instead of .igns of ruin. Early in the Spring, before the stocks become populous, the bees should be dinven up among their combs by Bmoke, and the bottom-boards cleansed (p. 221). It too frequently hapi)ens that, in the common hives, nothing can be eifectually done, even when the bee-keeper is aware of the plague within. With movable frames, however, the combs, and all parts of the hives, may be carefully cleansed, and if a stock is weak or queenless, the proper remedies may be easily applied. If a feeble stock cannot be strengthened so as to protect its empty combs, they may be taken away until the bees are numerous enough to need them. If the bee-moth wxn'e so constituted as to require but a small amount of heat for its full development, it would become exceedingly numerous early in the Spring, and might easily enter the hives and deposit its eggs where it pleases: for at this season, not only is there no guard maintained by the bees at night, but large portions of their comb are quite unprotected. How does every fact in the history of the bee, when properly investigated, point with unerring certainty to the wisdom of Him who made it ! Combs having no brood, maybe smoked with the fumes of burning siili)hur, to kill the eggs or worms of the moth. If kept from the bees, they should be carefully protected, in a dry place, from the moth, and examined occasionally, to be smoked again if any worms are found. Directions have been given on page 140 for preventing common hives from swarming so often that they cannot protect their empty combs. If not prevented from over-swarming, in the movable-comb hives, by methods which have been so fully described, some of the combs of the mother-stock may be given to the after-swarms, : l..n. ^^ 1 believe no hive i. destroyed by efficient quocn remains in it." 5 m no r tan t fact by any This see...s to be the earliest published notice of this Importan American observer. t ,^«« ruTihicVa and Dr. Klrtland'i t This poAver of rapid increase accounts for Judpe Flshback s ana Uct« respecting the rapid dissemination of the m-«ii. ENEMTKS OF BEK8. 245 make no effectual opposition to the bee-moth, hut, by their forlorn condition, they positively invite her attacks. She appears to have an instinctive knowledge of their con- dition, and no art of man can ever keep her out. She will pass by other colonies to get at a queenless one, as if aware that she will find in it the best conditions for the develop ment of her young ; and thus the strongest colonies, after losing their queens, are frequently devoured by the worms, while small ones, standing by their side, escape unharmed. It is certain that a queenless hive seldom maintains a guard at the entrance, and does not fill the air w^ith the pleasant voice of happy hidustry. Even to our dull ears, the difference between the hum of a prosperous hive and the unhappy note of a despairing one is often suffi- ciently obvious ; may it not be even more so to the acute senses of the provident mother-moth ? Her unerring sagacity resembles the instinct by which birds that prey upon carrion, single out from the herd a diseased animal, hovering over its head with their dismal croakings, or sitting in ill-omened flocks on the surround- ing trees, watching it as its life ebbs away, and snapping their blood-thirsty beaks, iini)atient to tear out its eyes, just glazing in death, and to banquet on its flesh, still warm with the blood of life. Let any fatal accident befuli an animal, and how soon will you see them, — " First a speck anil then a Vulture," speeding, from all quarters of the heavens, their eager flight to their destined prey, when only a short time before not one could be perceived. The common hives not only furnish no reliable remedy for the loss of the queen, but, in many cases, their owner i',aimct be sure that his bees are queenless until their 240 TUE UIVE AND HONEY-BEE. desuuction is certain; .l.ile -^i ^<^^^^J^2 Pxpericicc of years, he does not boUeve that theic is such n 1 ' as a q«ecn-bec! In the Chapter on the Los of the Que^n, full directions have been given for protectmg clSe in movable-co.nb hives, fron. a ca annty which, nil than all others-the want of food* excepted- exposes them to destruction. When a colony becomes hopelessly qnccnless, its destruction is certain. Even should the bees retain their touted zeal in gathering stores and defending ten.elve against the moth, they must as certau.ly pensh (p 58 a a carcass must decay, even if it is not assailed by h thy flics and ravenous worms. Occasionally alter the dea h of the bees large stores of honey arc found m their h.ves. Such instances, however, though once not uncommon, are now rare- for a motherless hive is almost always assaulted by stronger stocks, which, seeming to have an instinctive knowledge of its orphanage, hasten to take possession of its spdls ; or, if it escape the Scylla of these p.uless p lun- derers, it is dashed upon a more merciless Charybd.s, when the miscreant moths find out its destitution. Every yea.-, multitudes of hives arc bereft of their queens, most ot ^vhich are either robbed by other bees or sacked by the ,noth, or both robbed and sacked, while their owner im- putes all the mischief to sometlnng else than t^he re.a cause To one acquainted with the habits of the moth, the bee-keeper who is constantly lamenting its ravages, eeems almost as much deluded as a farn^er would be who, after dili-'cntly searching for his missing cow and hndmg her nearfy devoured by carrion worms, should denounce these worthy scavengers as the primary cause ot her untimely end. • colonies which are al:nost starved become almost as Indifferent to the attaclc tf the moth as those which have no queen. ENEMIES OF BEl^S. 247 The bee-moth is the only insect known to feed on wax. It has^ for thousands of years, supported itself on the labors of the bee, and there is no reason to suppose that it will ever become extern inated. In a state of nature, a queenless hive, or one whose inmates have died, being of no further account, the mission of the moth is to gather up its fragments that nothing may be lost.* From these remarks, the bee-keeper will see the means on which he must rely, to protect his colonies from the moth. Knowing that strong stocks which have a fertile queen, can take care of themselves in almost any kind of hive, he should do all that he can to keep them in this condition. They will thus do more to defend themselves than if he devoted the whole of his time to lightuig the moth. It is hardly necessary, after the preceding remarks, to pay much upon the various contrivances to which^ so many resort, as a safeguard against the bee-moth. The idea that gauze-wire doors, to be shut at dusk and opened again at morning, can exclude the moth, will not weii^h much with those who have seen them on the wing, in dull weather, long before the bees have ceased their work. Even if they could be excluded by such a con- trivance, it would require, on the part of those using it, a regularity almost akin to that of the heavenly bodies. An inoth can enter, but winch do not adm t her to the hive. These openings, which resemble htlvices between the comn.on hives and th-r bottom- boards, she wiU enter, rather than .attempt to force he, way through the guards; .and, finding here the n.bbhngs of comb and bee-bread, in which her yom.g «>n flourish she deposits her eggs where they may be reached a.^ destroved. AH this is on the supposition that the hive Ins a healthy queen, and that the bees have no more lb thL th'ey'can warm and defend ; for if then, is no guard, or only a feeble resistance, she will penetr.ate to fhe heart of the citadel to dei>osit her seeds of niischiet These blocks have also grooves which communicate ^vith the interior of the hives, and which appear to the prowling worm, in search of a comfortable nest, the very place-so warm and secure-in which to sp.u its web, Lid " bide its time." When the hand of the bee-master lights upon it, it finds that it has been caught m Us own "lu'such contrivances, instead of helping the careless bee-keeper, will but give hi>n greater iacilities for injuring his bees. Worms will spin undisturbed mider the blocks, and moths lay their eggs ; his traps only aflord.ng them more cifectual aid. If such incorrigibly careless persons will persist in the folly of keepi, g bees, they should use only smooth blocks, which, by regulating the entrance to the hives, will assist the bees in defending themse vcs against all enemies which seek admission to their castle. ° 1„ Plate V Fl?. 16, « »maU entrance Is shown In front of the hives ahote the -Ic/lf the luVcr ..ae i, c.oae.1. and the b..« „f a feeUe colon, are allowed t. ENEMIES OF BKES. 251 If the worms, by any means, get the ascendancy in movable-comb hives, the frames should be removed, (p. 243), and the worms destroyed. If proper care has been exercised, such an operation will be seldom needed.* Shallow vessels of sweetened water, placed on the hives after sunset, will often entrap many of the moths. They are so fond of sweets, that I have caught them sticking fast to pieces of moist sugar candy. Whey and sour milk are said to destroy them.f I shall close what I have to' say upon the bee-moth, with an extract from that accomplished scholar, and well-known enthusiast in bee-culture, Henry K. Oliver, of Massachusetts : " The ravages of all the other enemiesj of the bee are but a baby bite to the destruction caused by the bee- moth. They are a paltry-looking, insignificant little gray- haired pestilent race of wax-and-honey-eating and bee- destroying rascals, that have baffled all contrivances that ingenuity has devised to conquer or destroy them. ''' Your connnittee would be very glad to be able to BUi^gest any effectual means by which to assist the honey- bee'^and its friends against the inroads of this foe, whose desolating ravages are more despondhigly referred to than those of any other enemy. '^ lie who shall be successful in devising the means of ridding the bee-world of this destructive and merciless jH'st, will richly deserve to be crowned ' King Bee,' in use tins, it will be kept warm by the heat rising; to the top of the hive, and will be guarded even in cool ni.-hta. Such an entrance may, in many cases, be found • ereat protection against the moth. * Old combs are much the most liable to suffer from the moth. In movable- comb hives, no combs need remain so lung in the hive as to have their value Reriouslv impaired. , ^ , ,i „u t Devices for hicrning the moth date back to the times of Clace— at length, when he was ln<*ect race, forgive the trespasses of such blr.ls, as we forgive those of cats an.l d..-3 The respect shown to binls by any pe-M-U', H^-em. to bear a certain ratio to Ihe antiquity of the nation. Hence, the sacredness with which they are regarded m Japan, where the population I. so dense that the inhabitants wouhl feel that t bey could III alTord to dlvblc the produce of their fields with the birds, unless the; were cod Inced of their yx^U\n<:^"-AtUintic Monihiy for 1h:>9, p. 82^ DISEASES OF BEES. 255 out of all hope of life, he \vas strangely delivered by the means of a great bear, which, coining thither a])out the same business that he did, and smelling the honey, stirred with his strivhig, clambered up to the top of the tree, and then began to lower himself down, backwards, into it The man bethinking himself, and knowing that the worst was but death, which in that place he was sure of, beclipt the bear fast with both his hands about the loins, and, withal, made an outcry as loud as lie could. The bear being thus suddenly affrighted, what with the handling and what with the noise, made up again with all speed possible. The man held, and the bear pulled, until, with main force, he had drawn him out of the mire ; and tlien, being let go, away he trots, more afeard than hurt, leaving the smeared swain in a joyful fear." Ants, in some places, are so destructive, that it becomes necessary to put the hives on stands, whose legs are set in water.* My limits forbid me to speak of wasps, liornets, millepedes (or wood-lice), spiders, and other enemies of bees. If the Apiarian keeps his stocks strong, they will usually be their own best protectors, and, unless they are guarded by thousands ready to die in their defence, they are ever liable to fall a prey to some of their many enemies, who are all agreed on this one point, j^t least— that stolen honey is much sweeter than the slow accumulations of patient industry. DISEASES OF ni:ES. Bees are subject to but few diseases which deserve special notice. The fatal effects of dysentery have already been alluded to (p. 90). " Tlie presence of this disorder," eays Bevan, "is indicated by the appearance of the excre- • Small ants often make their nesta about hives, to have the benefit of Lheii warmth, and neither molest the be* • nor are molested by tbcm. 4 'I 256 THE IIIYE AND HONEY-BEE. mcnl, Avhich, instead of a reddish yelloNV, exhibits a muddy black color, and has an intolerably offensive smell. Also, by its being voided upon the floors and at the entrance of the hives, which bees, in a healthy state, are particularly careful to keep clean."* Various opinions have prevailed as to the causes of this disease. All Apiarians are agreed that dampness in the hives, especially if the bees are long confined, is sure to produce it. Feeding bees late in the Fall on liquid honey- which they have not time to seal over, and which sours by attracting moisture— should be avoided ; also, all unne- cessary disturbance of colonies in the Winter, which, by exciting them, causes an excessive consumption of food. Populous stocks, well stored with honey, in hives so venti- luted as to keep the combs dry, will seldom suffer severely liom this disease. The disease called by the Germans ''foul brood;' is of all others the most fatal (p. 10) to bees. The sealed brood die in the cells, and the stench from their decaying bodies seems to paralyze the bees.f There are two species of foul-brood, one of v/hich the Germans call the dry, and the other, the moi^t or foetid. Tiie dry appears to be only partial in its effects, and not contagious, the brood simply dying and drying up in cer- ♦ I have discovered a kind of dysentery which confines its ravnsos to a few hoes In a colony. Those attacked are at first excessively irritable, and sting without any provocation. In the latter stapes of this complaint, they may often be seen on the ground, stupid and unable to tiy, their ab.h.mens unnaturally distended with an oflfensive yellow matter. I can assign neither cause nor cure for this disease. t Dzierzon thinks that this disease was pnxluced in his Apiary by feeding beet on "American honey'' (honey from the West India Islands). As this honey d(»os not ordinarily produce it, he probably used some taken from colonies having thu diseiise. Such honey is always Infectious. Mr. Quinby infiirms me that he has lost afl many as 100 colonies in a year from this pestilence. It has never made its appearance in my Api.^ies, and I should reg.ir speaks of a dlseas. which te accompanied by a dls-ustlng smell of the hive, there Is reason to believt that fuul-brood was common more than twc thousand years ago. 2i;8 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. DISEASES OF BEES. 259 to sun and air for two seasons, and stock them thereaftei -without experiencing a return of the malady. "On the whole, the disease has now lost its terrors for uie. Though my bees may re-introduce it from neighbor- ing Apiaries or other foreign sources, I no longer appre- hend that it will suddenly break out in a number of my colonies, or spread rapidly in any of my Apiaries, because I shall hereafter avoid feeding foreign or imported honey, even if, in an unfavorable year, it should become neces- sai-y to reduce the number of my stocks to one-half or one-fourth of the usual complement. "But when the malady makes its appearance in only two or three of the colonies, and is discovered early (which may readily be done in hives having movable- combs), it can be arrested and cured without damage or diminution of profit. To prcr.ent the disease from spreading in a colony, there is 7io more reliable and effi- cie7it process than to stop the prodlxtion of ijuood, for ichere no brood exists, no7ie can perish and putrefy. The disease is thus deprived both of its aliment and its subjects. The healthy brood will mature and emerge in due time, and the putrid matter remaining in a few cells will dry up and be removed by the workers. All this will certainly result from a well-timed removal of the queen from such colonics. If such removal becomes necessary in the Spring or eai-ly part of Sunmier, a super- nmnerary queen is thereby obtained, by means of which an aitificial colony may be started, which will certainly be healthv if the bees and brood used, be taken from healthy colonies Should the removal be made in tho latter part of Summer, the useless production of brood will at once be stopped, and an uimecessary consumj>tion of honey pre\cnted. Tims, in either case, we are gainers by the ^perati )n. If we have a larger number of colonies than it is desired to winter, it is judicious to take the honey from the colonies deprived of their queens, nnnie- diately after all the brood has emerged, as they usually contain the greatest quantity of stores at that time. If the disease be not malignant foul-brood, the colony may be allowed to remain undisturbed after it has bred a new queen, and, in most instances, such colonies will subse- quently be found free from disease. I have, indeed, ascer- tained the shigular fact that, if both bees and combs be removed from an infected hive, and healthy bees and pure comb be placed therein, these will speedily be infected with foul-brood; whereas, when the queen oi'nn incipiently infected colony is removed, or simply confined in a cage, and the workers are still sufficiently numerous to remove all impurities, the colony will speedily be restored to a healthy condition. It thus seems as though the bees can become accustomed to the virus which usually adheres so pertinaciously to the hive. " Foul-brood, indeed, is a disease exclusively of the larvm, and not of the emerged bees, or of brood sufii- ciently advanced to be nearly ready to emerge. Hence, the cause of the disease may exist already in the food p/rovlded for the larvcc, and have its seat in the chyle- stomach of the nursing bees, though these latter may not themselves be injuriously affected thereby. " Though the colonies treated in this manner generally appear to be free from infection during the ensuing season, and the brood proceeding from the eggs of a queen subsequently given to them, or from those of one reared bv themselves, is healthy, maturing and emerghig m due time, still, the disease, in most instances, re-appears in the following Sunmier. It is, indeed, possible that the bees may have re-introduced it from foreign sources, but it is not unlikely, also, that the infectious matter really 200 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. BOBBING. 261 remained latent in the hive. The bees do not usually remove all the putrid matter from the cells, but let some portions remain in the corners after it has become dry, merely covering it with a film of wax or propolis, through which, subsequently, when circumstances favor its action, the virus may exert a malignant hifluence and cause a revival of the disease. Hence, when I do not break up such colonies altogether in Autumn, and transfer the bees to new hives or other colonies with pure combs, I invariably regard them with suspicion, as unreliable, and keep them under strict surveillance at least a year longer. "I also use these suspected colonies, by preference, for the production of queens with which to supply queenless colonies or start artificial swarms— successively removing from them the young queens as soon as they prove to be fertile or I have occasion to use them. In this way, I make such a colony furnish three or four — nay, sometimes, by inserting sealed royal cells, even five or six young queens. But, in such operations, I invariably take the bees and brood for the artificial swarms, from colonies ^vhich are unquestionably free from the disease. For this purpose, I select strong colonies having young and vigorous queens, and which are consequently able to furnisli the required sui)plies without any serious diminu- tion of population, when the season is at all favorable to the multiplication of stocks. In such seasons, strong colonies, in good condition, with a vigorous queen in tho j)rime of life, can easily supply brood and bees sufficient for four swarms." — Blenemeltungy 1857, No, 4. CHAPTER XIII ROBBING, AND UOW PREVENTED. Bee» are so prone to rob each other, that, unless great pi^jcautions are used, the Apiarian will often lose some of his most promising stocks. Idleness is with them, as with men, a fruitful mother of mischief They are, however, far more excusable than the lazy rogues of the human family ; for they seldom attempt to live on btolen sweets when they can procure a sufticiency by honest industry. As soon as they can leave their hives in the Spring, if urged by the dread of famine, they begin to assail tho weaker stocks. In this matter, however, the morals of our little friends weem to be sadly at fault ; for, oflen those stocks which have the largest surplus are— like some rich oppressors— the mo^t anxious to prey upon the meagre possessions of others. If the marauders, who are ever prowling about in search of plunder, attack a stt^ong and healthy colony, they are usually glad to escape with their lives from its resolute defenders, lue bee-keeper, therefore, who ne- glects to feed his needy colonies, and to assist such as are weak or queenless (p. 221), must count upon suffer- in.l.r7..,„ thinks tl,«t tl,e,e Mack bee,, which lluber ha. dcscrlK..' ««. Wt..r'y pervcnt^d by the rest, .re nothing more th.» thi.reiL Artatotle m.».Il. «f . Olaci bee which U called a thi^." his spoils from their deep recesses ; they, therefore, bite and tease him, after their most approved fashion, all the time singing in his ears, " Your honey or your life,"^ until he empties his capacious receptacle, when they release him and lick up his sweets. Bees sometimes carry on their depredations upon a more imposing scale. Having ascertained the weakness of some neighboring colony, they sally out by thousands, eager to engage in a pitched battle. A furious onset is miTdc, and the ground in front of the assaulted hive is soon covered with the bodies of innumerable victims. Sometimes the baffled invaders are compelled to sound a retreat ; too often, however, as in human contests— right proving but a feeble barrier against superior might— the citadef is stormed, and the work of raphie forthwith be'rins. And yet, after all, matters are not so bad as at first they seemed to be, for often the conquered bees, giving up the unequal struggle, assist the victors in plunder- ing their own hive, and are rewarded by being .incorpo- rated into the triumphant n.ation. The poor mother, however, remains in her pillaged hive, some few of her children— faitliful to the last— staying with her to perish by her side amid the ruins of their once happy home.* ' If the bee-keeper would not have his bees so demoral- ized that their value will be seriously diminished, he will be exceeduigl!/ careful (p. 199) to prevent then from robbing each other. If the bees of a strong stock once get a taste of forbidden sweets, they will seldom stop . -BceMIke men. have their different dlspcltlon^ «. that «>•»» '"f' '"J^''^ „i„ ,„„,e,inu-.fail them. An Instance not l„n..«o caa.c to "^ ';°"»'"' ««:;^^ J probahlv fe>v bee-keeper, will crediU It U that of a hive "^^"^ ^'';'";,; ' exhausted it, store, was found, on being exa.nined ""»';•;"'■*• "''^"''^J^^ descTted. TlK. co,nb wascn„.ty, and the only symptom of l.fe ^^/^''Pr^'''';*^ Vrs..lf, • unfriended, nudancholy, slow." crawling over the ^"^'^-^^^^^ .peet^de of the fall of bee-greatness Marios au.ong the rums attendenes. Thin slices, enclosed in linen, may be pushed down between the combs. The plasticity of the mass enables the Apiarian to apply the food in any manner he may de.ire The bees have less difBculty in appropriating this kind of food than where candy is used, and there is no waste.' " Mr. Kleine grates* candy, for a winter bee-food, into cells previously dampened with sweetened water." It is impossible to say how much honey will be needed to carry a colony safely through the Winter. Much will depend (see Chapter on Wintering Bees) on the way in wliich they are wintered, whether in the open air or in special depositaries, where they are protected tigaiiist the undue excitement caused by sudden and severe atmos- pheric changes; much, also, on the length of the Winters, which vary so much in different latitudes and the for- wardness of the ensuing Spring. In some of our Northern States bees will often gather nothing for more than six months while, in the extreme South, they are seldom deprived of all natural supplies for as many weeks. In all our Northern and Middle States, if the stocks are to . orannlnted loaf-sag«r wouM probably make » good hee-fec.l, .n,V by «.t..o« lb,. Mmbs after It has been sifted Into them, it misht easily be made to 8t.j In the «.ur Neither sugar nor eandy can be used by bee. unless they have water to dU- "Vba^^n bee, floek by th«n«,nds .round the mills where the Chinese ,u^.r. «=.:.» Tw™. was ^ing ground. The value, a. a bee-food, of the raw luiee aaj the syrup should be carefully tested. FEKDING. 275 be wintered out of doors, they should have at least twenty-five pounds* of honey. All attempts to derive profit from selling cheap honey fed to bees, have invariably proved unsuccessful. The notion that they can change aU sweets^ however poor their quality, into good honey, \ on the same principle that cows secrete milk from any acceptable food, is a complete delusion. It is true that they can make white comb from almost every liquid sweet, because wax being a natural secretion of the bee, can be made from all saccharine substances, as fat can be put upon the ribs of an ox by any kind of nourishing food. But the quality of the comb has nothing to do with its c( ntcuts; and the attempt to sell, as a prime article, inferior honey, stored in beautiful comb, is as truly a fraud as to offer for good money, coins which, although pure on the outside, contain a baser metal within. Tlie quality of honey depends very little, if any, upon the secretions of the bees ; and hence, apple-blossom, white clover, buckwheat, and most other varieties of honey, have each its peculiar flavor \ ♦ In movable-comb hives, the amount of stores maybe ca.^ny ascertained by actual ii.ppection. The wti-ht of hives Is n.»t ahvays a safe criterion, as old combs are heavier than new ones, beshios being often over-stored (p. 82) with bee- broad. X . #tv « t When the bees are rapldlv storln- their combs, they disgorge the contents of their honey-s ics as s<»on as they r'eturn fro,., the flehls. That the honey un.lergoes no change during the short time it remains in their sacscannot positively be afllrmed, but that It can undergo only a t^ry diffH change Is evident from the fact that he d.lTercnt kinds of honey or sugar-syrup fed to the bees can be almost aa readily dls- tln'ulshed, after they have sealed then, up, as before. T he Golden Age of bec-keepin- in Avhich bees are to transmute inferior swee s Into such balmy spoils as were gathered on Hyblaor Ilymettus, U aa far from prosaic realltv as the visions of the poet, who saw— •* A golden hive, on a golden bank, Whfre goMen bees, by alchemical prank, Gather gold ln.stca«l of honey." J "That bees gather honev, but do not secrets it, is argued from the fact tbal bee keepers find cells tilled with honey (In new swarms) on the first or second day '—^riatifUe, THE HIVE AND UONEY-BEE. The evaporation* of its watery particles is the only well marked change that honey appears to undergo from its natural state in the nectaries of the blossoms, and bees are very unwilling to seal it over until it has been brought t., such a consistency that it is in no danger of becommg acid in the cells.f Even if cheap honey could be '■'made owr" by the bees so as to be of the best quality, it would cost the pro- ducer, taking into account the amount consumed (p. VI) in elaborating wax, almost, if not quite, as much as the market price of white clover honey ; and, if he feeds his bees after the natural supplies are over, they will suffer from filling up their brood cells.t The experienced Apiarian will fully appreciate the . If » strong colony i, put on a platform scale, it will bo f-'"'. /-'"^'^^ ""^l of .h» honey harvest, to gain a nu.nber of pounds on a •''"'^"^f ^^ .'^"f ;;,^ '' weight however will be lost in the night from the evaporation of the newly "t, 'red hry he water fron. which often runs in a strea.n from the bo to-u- W d The Uev. Levi Wheaton, of North Falmouth. Ma.,., is of opinion that yen tn' t In w n g e .ly aid the bees in evaporating the water from the.r unsealed honey The thorough upward ventilation which 1 now give to my h>ves n.ay. therefore contribute to increase the yield of honey. i ArWoOe notices this fact, which 1 once thought a discovery of my own. Tl,. reLrks th 1, onderful genius on the generation of bees .how that he appre- rr'th/ dimcuities Which until of late have .. - ' -P-IX^^ A,.;..rJ..na After «liscu!»sin'? this topic, he says. Aii peruiiumr, j Apuirians. Aiier uisciusi ^ i should be, then we must rer:rjrriTs:r::nr:::i':r rea.,n.„. The., ho. "TtJc following ., my recipe for a beautiful U.,uia honey, ^^f l''^";^^'^ ^^'f- hal pronounced one of the mo.t '--'--"•f-;,'';^^: /lo';.^ ta.: pounds of the purest white sugar in as .nuch ''"'"f " J^vor will an.w.r- Le pound of strained white clover >'"-;>-»^X,r t^^oC. irieflned loaf and add it warn, to the syrup, thoroughly "''■'"J '^;'° 7;^, ^,^^ ^^ fl^,,, to two .ugar is a pure and inodorous »»- ^-^rbe fr f n th I arting iaste whlc. ..undsof sugar, and '^; -7-^,,; ^,^: ^^ , ,1 who cannot eat the ht.e, i.urchonov often has, iinil Will usually agrii .Ith in.punity. Any desired ^^^^^^^^^^ Restore this mixture in Although no prom can bo roali/.od from °' -»";;J'^^^ ^^ .„ ,.,,,j,^ ,r,er td. box.s or glasses, tho amateur may ch using my movable stands (Plate V., Fig. 16), the hiv.M may be made to face in any desired direction. The plot occupied by the Apiary should be in grass, mowed frequently, and kept fiee from weeds. Hives are too • 'While Iluber resided at Cour, and afterwards at Vival, his bees suffered so nu.ch fro,n sc.nty pasturage, that be could only preserve them by feMlin^ although stocks that were but two miles from him were, in each case, storing their hives *^"'irta^«^^''-'>i-e of mu.lln to the all,htin,-board «-|the projecting i.arts of .he stand ; Plate V., Fig. 16), the bees, as they slack up, .ill alight on the cloth- to escape being bruised or blown away-and thus will easily gam their hives. Id windy sitaatl'.ns, thousands of bees (p. 186) may be thus saved. 2S0 THE HIVK AND HONEY-BEE. often placed where many bees perish by falling into the dirt, or among the tall weeds and grass, where spiders and toads find their choicest lurking-places. Covered Apiaries, unless built at great expense, afford little or no protection against extreme heat or cold, and much increase the risk of losing the queens. In the Summer, no place is so congenial to bees as the shade of trees, if it is not too dense, or their branches so low as to hiterfere with their flight. As the weather becomes cool, they can easily be moved to any more desirable Winter location. If colonies are moved in the line of their flight, and a short distance at a time, no loss of bees will be incurred ; but, if moved only a few yards, a// at once, many will often be lost. By a gradual pro> cess, the hives in an Apiary may, in the Fall, be brought into a narrow compass, so that they can be easily shel tered from the bleak Winter winds. In the Spring, they may be gradually returned to their old positions.* PROCURING BKES TO STOCK AN AriARY. The beginner will ordinarily find it best to stock his Apiary with swarms of the current year, thus avoiding, until he can prepare himself to meet them, the perplexi- ties which often accompany either natural or artificial swarming. If new swarms are purchased, unless they are large and early, they may only prove a bill of expense. If old stocks are purchased, such only should be selected as are healthy and i)opulous. If removed after the work- ing season has begun, they should be brought from a distance of at least two miles (p. 15G). ♦ By removing the strongest stocks in an Apiary the first day, and others not BO strong the next,and continuing the process until all were rernove.i,! have safely chan.'iMi the location of my Apiary, when compelled to move my bees in the work- Ing Teason. On the removal of the last hive, btit few bees returned to tho old fcput. The change, as thus conducted, strengthened the wettk«r 6U>cU, BTOCKWG THE APIARY. 281 If the bees are not all at home when the hive is to be removed, blow a little smoke into its entrance, to cause those within to fill themselves with honey, and to prevent them from leaving for the fields. Repeat this process from time to time, and in about half an hour all will have returned. If any are clustered on the outside, they may be driven within by smoke. The common hives may be prepared for removal by mverting them and tacking a coarse towel over them, or strips of lath may be laid over wire-cloth, and brads driven through them into the edges of the hive. Confine the hive, so that it cannot be jolted, to a bed of straw in a wagon with springs, and be sure, before starting, that it is impossible for a bee to get out. The inverted position of the hive will give the bees what air they need, and guard their combs from being loosened. It will be next to impossible, in warm weather, to move a hive which contains much new comb. New swarms may be brought home in any old box which has ample ventilation. A tea-chest, with wire- cloth on the top, sides, and bottom-board, will be found very convenient. The bees may be shut up in this box as soon as they are hived. Mio swarms require even more air than old stocks, being ftill of honey, and closely clus- tered together. They should be set in a cool place, and, if the weather is very sultry, should not be removed until night. Many swarms are suffocated by the neglect of these precautions. The bees may be easily shaken out from this temporary hive (p. 130). When movable-comb hives are sent away to receive a swarm, two strips of wood, with small pieces nailed to them to go between the frames and keep them apart, should bo laid over the frames. The cover, or honey-board, should then be screwed fast, and, if the strips are of proper 283 THE niVR AND UO::vo species of honey-dew. The first kind, he says, has the same orig n ^ Ith h Tn rnin theash an'd maple trees of Calabria and Briancon, ^^^^^ plentifully from their leaves and trunk^ .n^ thickens In the form in which I usually Jen. ' I have received speclmensof a honey-dew from Cahfornia, which Is .ftio to fall from the oak trees In stalactites of considerable size. '286 TUK UIVK AND HONKY-BEK. • .V. .,n which after it has passea through these organs, they ,„g the sap, ^^;<='''.'f ""' P^i^^„ „„ „„s attend then., by a keep continually discharging, wnen no ,., i„tArvilg. certain jerk of the body, which takes place at regular intervals, they ejaculate it to a distance." a Mr Kni-ht once observed a .hower of honey-dew descending ,. il-Jl::Ue sn,aU globules, near one of his oak trees. He cu oif one of the branches, took it into the house, and ho d n n a Kircain of li"hl admitted through a small opening, d.sunctlj «aw h surrounding foliage, or some other interposing body fd n the ground; and the spots may often be o»>-rved for some t me S':^.,^.,:; id"ro Jl^r bodie. seems to have been wise J Ts uled to preserve cleanliness in each individual fly, and .for the'preservation of the whole family ; ^^^'^'^^^ ',,ey d'o upon one another, -- -^ J--^ -..^^t^- S': rirruierrrs Im.^«%« -- -a-ng oT he bLk of the willow, their superior size enabled us to per- el-e so„: of them elevating their bodies and emitting a trans- parent, substance in the form of a small shower : .. . Nor scorn ye now, fond elves, the foliage scar, When the light aphids, arm'd with puny spear, Probe each cmulgent vein, till briRht below, ^ Like falling stars, clear drops of nectar glow. -Evans. u Honeydew usually appears upon the leaves as a viscid .anfparelt substance, as sweet as honey «'- ^^ --';:- j form of .lobules, at others resembling a syn p. I » .eneraUy Z abundant from the middle of June to the middle of Jul>- Bometimes as late as September. »lt i. found chiefly ui^n the oak, lU elm '^l^^ff'J flane, the .jcarnore, the lime, the hazel, and the blackberry , ocea- nONET. 287 Bioiially also on the cherry, currant, and other fruit trees. Some- times only one species of trees is affected at a time. The oak generally affords the largest quantity. At the season of it8 greatest abundance, the happy, humming noise of the bees may be heard at a considerable distance, sometimes nearly equalling in loudness the united hum of swarming." — Bkvan. In some seasons, bees gather large supplies from these honey-dews, but it is usually abundant only once in thn^e or four years. The honey obtained from it, though seldom light-colored, is generally of a good quality. The quality of honey varies very much : some kinds are bitter, and others very unwholesome, being gathered from poisonous flowers. A Mandingo African informed a lady of my acquaintance that his countrymen eat none that is unsealed until it has been boiled. In some of our Southern States, all that is unsealed is rejected. The noxious properties of honey gathered from poisonous flowers would seem to be mostly evaporated (p. 276) before it is sealed over by the bees. The boiling, how- ever expels them still more efl-ectually, for some persons cannot eat even the best, when raw, with impunity. When honey is taken from the bees, it should be put where it will be safe from all intruders, and not exposed to so low a temperature as to candy in the cells. The little red and the large black ant are extravagantly fond of it, and will carry off* large quantities if within their reach. Old honey is more wholesome than that freshly gathered by the bees.* ♦ The foUowing extract from the work of Sir J. More, London 1T07, will sho^ the extravagunt estimate which the ohl writers set upon bee-prmiucts: -Naturarwaxis altered by dlBtiUatlon into an oyl of marvelous vertue: It i» rather a Divine n.edicine than humane, because, in wounds or ^--^^^^^^^^^^ worketh miracles. The bee helpeth to cure all your ""' 'j^^'/'^^^^V'^rlo'lunlxture of wa. a... re»,n, entrance U closcl an,l ~«™' "'''^ '^bs^re broken Bo.e. containln, houe. HONEY. 291 slowly pass a thiu knife or spatula under the bo^c, to loosen its attachments to the hive ; then, before raising it enough to allow any bees to escape, blow smoke under it, and, when they have gorged themselves, it may be safely removed, the hole from the hive being closed or covered with another box. The few bees remaining in the receptacle that is taken off, will quickly fly to their hive. Those who are very timid, may use a slide to prevent any bees from escaping from the hole. Smoke, however, is altogether preferable. While the most timid may, with proper instructions, safely remove honey, even from the main hive (p. 169^., a child ten years old may learn to take off small boxes sM glasses. 292 THE HIVK AND nONEY-BEB. CIIArTEK XVII. BEE-PASTUEAGK — OVEE^STOCKING. Every bee-keeper bIiouU carefully acquaint himself with the honej-resources of his own neighborhood. My limits will allow me to mentioTi only some of the most important plants from which bees draw the.r supplies. Since Dzierzon's discovery of the use which may be made of rye flour, early blossoms, producing pollen only, are not so important. . , , , i j All the varieties of willow abound m both bee-brcad and honey, and their early tlossoraing gives them a Bpecial value : " First the gray willow's glossy pearls they steal, Or rob the har.cl of its goldjn meal, •While the gay crocus and t'je violet blue, Yield to their flexile trunks ambrosial dew "—Evans. The sugar-maple (Acer saccharinus) yields a large supply of delicious honey, and its blossoms, hangmg m •rraceful fringes, will be alive with bees. Of the fruit trees, the apricot, peach, plum, cherry, and pear, are great favorites ; but none furnishes so nmch honey as the apple. The dandelion, whose blossoms furnish pollen and honey, when the yield from the fruit trees is neariy over, is worthy of a high rank among honey-producng plants. The tulip tree (Liriodemlron), oden called " poplar " and " white wood," is one of the greatest honey-producmg trees in the worid. As its blossoms expand m succession, new swarms will sometimes till their hives from this PASTLRAGE. 293 Bonrce alone. Tlic honey, though dark,* is of a good flavor. This tree often attains a height of over one hun- dred feet, and its rich foliage, with its large blossoms of mingled green and yelljw, make it a most beautiful sight. The linden, or bass-wood {Tilia Americana) yields an abundance of white honey of a delicious flavor, and, as it blossoms when both the swarms and parent-stocks are usually populous, the weather settled, and other bee- forage scarce, its value to the bee-keeper is very great.f ** Here their dclicio is task, the fervent bees In swarming millions tend: around, athwart, Through the soft air the busy nations fly, Cling to the bud, and with inserted tube, Suck its pure esseace, its etherial soul." — Thomson. This majestic tree, adorned, so late in the season, with beautiful clusters of fragrant blossoms, is well woilh attention as an ornamental shade-tree. By adorning our villacres and country residences with a fair allowance of tulip, linden, and such other trees as are not only beautiful to the eye, but attractive to bees, the honey-resources of the country might, in process of time, be greatly increased. The common locust is a very desirable tree for the vicinity of an Apiary, yielding much honey when it is peculiarly needed by the bees. In many districts, locust and bass-wood plantatioris would be valuable for their timber alone. Hives in the vicinity of extensive beds of seed-onions will si)eedily become very heavy ; the oflensive odor of • The honey of ITymettus, which hM boon so celebrated from the most ancient tlmea, Is of a fair golden color. The lightest-colored honey Is by no means alwaya the best. t Judge Flshback says that near y all his surplus honey Is gathered from the linden. A correspondent of the Bienemeitung, In Wisconsin, states that, In 18:»a, several of his hlvea Increased In weight one hundred pounds each, while this tr<^ vas in blossom. 294 THE HIVE AND HONET-BKK. Wl the freshly-gathered honey disappears before it is sealed Tr a^ t "::Ls fro. which hees derive ^^^ white clover is usually the most important. It yields la.ge ^^ntities of very pure white honey, and >s^ereve nbounds the bee will find a rich harvest. In most pa. ts S'hk ountry, it seems to be the chief reliance of he Ap ary Blossoming at a season of the year when the tSr is usually both dry and hot, and the bees gat W i„g its honey after the sun has dried off tl- d^uit readv to be sealed over almost at once. This clovtr ou.ht to be much more extensively cuWvated than it now Z" The Hon. Frederick Ilolbrook, of Brattleboro', Ver^ Intone of New England's ablest V^^<^^^;^:^. writers on agricultural subjects, thus speaks of its value. <> Red-top. red clover, and while clover seeds, sown together, . ,lii V of Imv universally relished by stock. My prac produce a qual.ty »f >'^> ""' ^„/„,^^elly lands with this mix- t::^^:t::^^::^o;rXr.l .a.e the crop the fir 'yelrTtre second year, the red clover begins ^o ^-sappear a d .i r,Vn to take iU place ; and after that, the red-top and white :rr;r;;j.o„,:nd.ake..ve.^^^^^^^^^ iTot sir:;;'::, tes'ted by weight atM by spending .uaUty iP the Winter, it is much the more valuable. For voars I sotight in vain to procure a cross between the red "i^d white clover, having the honey and hay- prod 1' properties of the red, with a short blossonw •nto Si the dotnestic bee might insert its probosc^ Sul a variety, origh.ating in Sweden, has been unpoited „ot only .m the character of the »e««n, o ^^^^ ^^^^ bce-pasturaee. ,row. Marshy "•"""- "'Itf^u'^f:, ued by bee^ whcp that growing 1. White clover growing In the latter «m oe the former U neglected by them." PASTURAGE. 295 by Mr. B. C. Rogers, of Philadelphia It grows as tall as tie red clover, bears many blossoms on a stalk, in size rescmbUng the white, and, while it answers admirably for lees, is s-iTd to be preferred by cattle to almost any other kind' of grass. It is known by the name of Alsike, or Swedish white clover. Mr. Wagner thus speaks of it: " The views of the value of Swedish white clover, presented by reports from twelve different asriculiural societies in the dis- trict of Dresden, are the result of careful experiments, made m localities differing greatly in soil and exposure. We recapitulate the chief points : " 1 That Swedish white clover is not so liable as red clover to suffer from cold and wet weather. 2. That on dry and sandy Koils it is not so certain or valuable a crop as common white clover, but succeeds admirably on tnore loamy soils, and, on such, surpasses either of the other kinds. 3. That, in any rotation, it may safely follow the common red clover. 4. That the yield per acre of the first mowing is not inferior U> that of the red clover, but that, ordinarily, the aftermath, or rowen, is not so abundant. 5 That, for soiling purposes, it should not be mown till it is m full blossom. 6. That, when cured, it is, as hay, a highly nutri tious fodder, and is preferred, by cattle and milch cows, to that made from red clover. 7. That the aftermath is followed by a dense and excellent growth, furnishing most valuable pasturage till late in the season. 8. That it yields an abundance of seed, easily Ihrcshed out by flail or machine, three or four days after mowin". 9. That Swedish white clover is fed to most advantage after ii has fully matured its blossoms ; whilst red clover if allowed to stand to this stage, will have already lost a consider- able portion of its nutritive properties. " K Furst. the editor of the Frauen,lorfer Blaltcr, says that th . ,lover is pre-eminent, both in quality and quantity of product and .8 especially valuable for the continued succulency of tlie stalk, even when the plant is in full bloom. It requires a less fertile soil than the red clover, and is less liable to be thrown out 2v16 THE HIVE ANt) HONEV-BEE. by ftost in Winter. It also yields a heavier second crop than the common white clover." ^ The blossoms of buckwheat oaen furnish, late in tht season, a very valuable bee-food * Buckwheat is uncertainf in its honey-yicldmg qua lUes. and, in some seasons, hardly a bee will be seen upon large fields of it. Our best agriculturists are agreed tha , ou many soils, it is a very profitable crop, and every Apia.y ou<'ht to have some in its vicmity-J The Canada thistle yields copious supphes of very pme honey, after the white clover has begun to fail It 1.1; will tolerate its growth, it is interestmg to know that it can be turned to so good an account. The raspberry furnishes a most delicious honey. In flair it ii superior to that from the wh.to clover ^vhi^ its delicate comb almost melts m the mouth. The »idcs of tho oads, the borders of the fields, and the pastures of lli; of the "hill-country" of New ^^^^^^ .vith the wild red raspberry, ='"^' '^^'^l;^ f "l^^J^^tt tions, numerous colonies of bees may be kept. When . iHn blossom, bees hold even the white clover m hght »ns Is somewhat liable to sour in the cells. Honey ga 1, dry is usuHlly of the thickest ™"»'»';"^5;- „,^^„ fr„„ the suK»r-,na„h-. . t The secretion of honey in planu^ '»""^° «"^ '^ ^^^^ „„^.t .erutlny. In «e,«n.l. on a variety of causey ■"""/"'"^^.Vln other, they are «. -ieflclent „.,„e se,«..ns the saccharine Ju.ccs "l-"";^';^^^; ," j;Ve with clover. A change t:^::::::^^;^^^!!:^^ .-«.. that the ... .., . . thereby ample forage wou... be '^'l^^^^'^Zln, «> ra„i.lly a„,i maturing rating crop of grain garnere.l l--' ''"• J^ ' '^ ^;-„,„ „,„.t„,, to cleanse the lan.l. «, soon, so pro<.uctive in '■^^"'^^''^^^IZZ IL it receives ; an.l Us „...ro favorable." PASTURAGE. 297 esteem. Its drooping blossoms protect the honey from moisture, and they can work upon it when the weather is so wet that they can obtain nothing from the upright blossoms of the clover. As it furnishes a succession of flowers for some weeks, it yields a supply almost as lasting as the white clover. The precipitous and rocky landa^ where it most abounds, might be made almost as valuable as some of the vine-clad terraces of the mountain districts of Europe. " Dr. Bevan suggests the use of lemon-thyme as an edging for garden walks and flower beds. No material good, however, can be done to a large colony by the few plants that can be sown around a bee-house. Tlie bee is too much of a roainer to take pleasure in trim wardens.* It is the wild tracts of heath and furze, the broad acres of bean-fields and buckwheat, the lime avenues, the hedge-row flowers, and the clover meadows, that furnish her haunts and fill her cells. To tho.^je who wish to watch their habits, a plot of bee- flowers is important, and we know not the bee that could refuse the following beautiful invitation of Professor Smythe : ** *Thou cheerful Bee! come, freely come, And travel round my woodbine bower; Delight me with thy wandering hum, And rouse me from my musing hour : Oh ! try no more those tedious fields ; Come, taste the sweets my garden yields: The treasures of each blooming mine, The buds, the blossoms— all are thine I And, careless of this noontide heat, I'll follow as thy ramble guides, To watch thee pause and chafe thy feet, And sweep them o'er thy downy sides; Then in a flower's bell nestling lie, And all thy envied ardor ply 1 Then o'er the stem, though fair it grow, With touch rejectinif, glance and go. • I should almost as soon expect, from a small prass-plot, to furnish fbod fcr herd af cattle, aa to provision bees from garden plants, 13* 298 TDK HIVK AND IIONKY-BKE. 0 Nature kind ! 0 laborer wise ! That roam'st along the Summer's ray, Glean'st every bliss thy life supplies, Aud mect'st prepared thy wintry day I Go, envied, go— with crowded gates, The hive thy rich return awaits ; Bear home thy store in triumph gay, And shame each idler of the day '/ " , t> • London Quarterly Review. If there is any plant which would justify cultivation exclusively for bees, it is the borage iBorago offic^nal^^ It blossoms continually from June untd severe frost, and ike the raspberry, is f-quented by bees even nmo.^ .veather. Tlie honey from it is of a supenor quahty, and an acre would support a large number ot stocks. The eolden-rod {Solidago) affords a late and very valuable pasturage for bees, yielding, in some regions and s^ls, I important part of their Winter stores Some of the earlier-flowering varieties are of no value to bees but those which blossom in September abound m honey '^'r'mli^r'lpecies of asters, lining, in many dis. tnltl the road-sides and the borders of ^f^^^ -X8 va uable to the bees as the golden-rod. ^\ here these "rplants abound, bees should not be fed untd they hav passed out of bloom, as light but populous stocks « HI E obtain from them all the Winter stores they need^ The following catalogue of bee-plants, wh.ch nngh easily be enlarged, is taken from Nutt, an Lngl.h AjAarian : .:AMcr, almond, allhca frutex, alys.um, -"-*-' ^^^^ a,r.cot. arbutu., ash, asparagus, a»pu>, aster, balm, ^ -, ^e-l , betonyi blackberry, borage, box, bramble, broom, bugloss (vtvers) b Ikwheat, burned cabbage, cauHttower, celery, cherry chestnu , rkwccd clever, cole or coleseed, colufoot, cor.auder, crocus. OVER-STOCKING. 299 crowfoot, crown imperial, cucumber, currants, Cyprus, daffodil, dandelion, dogberry, elder, elm, endive, fennel, furze, golden-rod, gooseberry, gourd, hawthorn, hazel, heath, holly, hollyhock (trumpet), honeysuckle, honeywort(ceri«/^e), hyacinth, hyssop, ivy, jonquil, kidney bean, laurel, laurustinus, lavender, leek, lemon, illy (water), lily (while), lime, linden [bass-wood)^ iiquidambcr, liriodendron, locust, lucerne, mallow (marsh), marigold (French)^ marigold (single), maple, marjoram (sweet)^ mellilot, melons, mezereon, mignionette, mustard, nasturtium, nectarine, nettle (white)^ oak, onion, orange, ozier, parsnip, pea, peach, pear, pe))permint, plane, plum, poplar, poppy, primrose, privet, radish, ragweed, raspberry, rosemary (wild)^ roses (single), rud- beckiac, saffron, sage, sainlfoin, St. John's wort, savory (winter), snowdrop, snowberry, stock (single), strawberry, sunflower, syca- more, squash, tansy (wild), tare, teasel, thistles, thyme (lemon), thyme (wild), trefoil, turnip, vetch, violet (single), wallflower (single), y^oad. willow-herb, willow tree, yellow weasel-snout." OUR COUNTRY NOT IN DANGER OP BEING OVERSTOCKED WITH BEES. If the opinions commonly entertained on the danger of overstocking are correct, bee-keeping must, in this country, be always an insignificant pursuit. It is difficult to repress a smile when the owner of a few hives, in a district where as many hundreds might be made to prosper, gravely imputes his ill-success to the fact, tliat too many bees are kept in his vicinity. If, in the Spring, a colony of bees is prosperous and healthy, it will gather abundant stores, in a favorable season, even if hundreds equally strong are in its hnmediate vicinity ; while, if it is feeble, it will be of little or no value, even if it is in " a land flowing with milk and honey," and there is not another stock within a dozen miles of it. As the great Napoleon gained many of his victories by having an overwhelming tbrce at the right place, in the riix thousand and thirty-six colonies of bees. The annual product of honey appears to be about L84K800 lbs. In 1855, the export of wax from that country was 1 18,379 lbs. "In 185H, according to official returns, there were 58,964 colonies of bees in the kingdom of Wurtembcrg. '• In 1857. the yield of honey and wax in the empire of Austria was estimated to be worth over seven millions of dollars" Doubtless, in these aistricts, where honoy is so largely producea, great attention is paid to the cultivation of crops which, while in themselves profitable,' affora abun- dant pasturage for bees. mnn sot a well-stocked hive of lees on a tub turned bottom up, after havinfr made a hole through the bottom, and took fn.m the tub four handled and twenty pound, of honey." Although bees will fly, in search of food, over three miles,* still, if it is not within a circle of about two miles in every direction from the Apiary, they will be able to store but little surplus honey.f If pasturage abounds wdthin a quarter of a mile from their hives, so much the better ; there is no great advantage, however, in having it close to them, unless there is a great supply, as bees, when they leave the hive, seldom alight upon the neigh- boring flowers. The instinct to fly some distance seems to have been given them to prevent them from wasting their time in prying uito flowers already despoiled of their sweets by previous gatherers. In all my arrangements, I have aimed to save every step for the bees that I possibly can. With the alighting- board properly arrangea, ana coverea, in winay situations, with cotton cloth (p. 279), bees will be able to store more honey, even if they have to go a consiaerable aistanco for it, than they otherwise couia from pasturage nearer at hana. Many bee-keepers utterly neglect all suitable pre- cautions to facilitate the labors of their bees, as though they imaginea them to be miniature locomotives, always • " Mr. Kaden, of Mayence, thinks that the range of the bee's flight does not usually exteml more than three miles in all directions. Several years ago, a ves^d, laden with sugar, anchored oflf Mayence, and was soon visited by the bees of the ne gh- borhood'.which c<.ntinued to pass to anre ; but jTraduaUy he number dimmished, an.ould give them four minutes to reach the extremity "^ ^^f ^.^""""""J^^t'lks rich by ^ ^^ Mr. Cotton saw a man in Germany who kept all ^^V'^rf i n ' L -nd. changing their places as soon as the honey-season -"^''\ '^"'^'^'^ '^i ."^'^ thenf to'the m/>or^ son.etimes to the meadows, -^;-^^':^^'^^;Z times to the hills. In France-and the same P^^^*^« ^« ^in a boat which floaU the most ancient times they <>^- ^^^^^'^^^^^^^^^^^ ijv^n the stream by night and stops by day. -Lonaon v**" v 306 THE HIVE AND HONEY- BEE. fired up, and capable of an indefinite amount of exertion. A bee cannot put forth more than a certain amount of physical eflTort, and a large portion of this ought not to be spent in contending against difticulties from which it might easily be guarded. They may often be seen pant- in«^ after their return from labor, and so exhausted as to need rest before they enter the hive. Dzierzon's* experience as to the j^^ofi^^ ^^ bee-keci)ing has already been given (p. 21). With proper manage- ment, five dollars' worth of honey may, on an average of years, be obtained for each stock that is wintered in good condition. The worth of the new colonies I set off against * " It Is by no means easy to devise a rule for estimating the profits of bee-culture, whether we regard the number of colonies or the number of square miles. lie is not the best Apiarian who obtains the largest yield from a single hive, but Iceeps only one or two. By very judicious and careful management, a hundred colonies might yield a large profit, yet fall far short of what three hundred would have yielded in the sanie location and same season, with much less supervision and atten- tion, lie Is not the most successful farmer who produces the most extraordinary yield from a single rod of ground, but he who secures the amplest crops from an extensive area, well cultivated. The swarming system may be very advantageoua in certain localities, in spite of its manifest wastefulness ; though. In other localities, It woul«l, because of that unavoidable wastefulness, render bee-keeping a decidedly losing business, since the system involves a vast expenditure of honey for the pro- duction and maintenance of brood, which scarcely matures before It Is doomed to the brimstone-pit, leaving to Its owner often a smaller quantity of honey than the Bwarm would have produced if taken up three weeks after it was hived. '* Confine the queen of an artificial swarm, so as to prevent her from depositing eggs In the combs, and the colony will. In a short time In the gathering season, accumulate much larger stores of honey than one whose queen Is left at liberty, though equal In age and population. Thus, also, a colony having a very prolific queen, will, even In favorable seasons, lay up much less honey, unless ample store- room Is given them, than one whose queen lays fewer eggs. From these and similar facts, which iidght be enumerated, it is evident that a very large number of particulars must be taken Into consideration when endeavoring to form some general rule fo- 'Estimating the profits of bee-culture."— Dzikuzon. The old-fashioned bee-keeper should know well the honey-resources of his district, in order to decide upon the best time for ** taking up" his bees. If bees are smothered. It will be found declde|: to swell again. As most of the popular remedies are rubbed in, they are worse than nothing. If the mouth is applied to the wound, tinpleasant conse- quences may follow ; for, while the poison of snakes, affecting only the circulating system, may be swallowed with impunity, the poison of the bee acts with great power on the organs of digestion. Distressing headaches are oft-en produced by it, as any one who has been sttmg or has tasted the poison, very well knows.* Mr. Wagner says : " The juice of the ripe berry of the common coral honeysuckle {Lonicera caprifoliiim) is the best remedy I have ever used for the sting of bees, wasps, hornets, &c. The berries or the expressed juice may be preserved in a bottle well closed, and will keep their eflicacy more than a year." The milky juice of the white poppy is highly recom- mended. An old German writer states that it will instan- taneously allay the pain and prevent swelling. Others recommend the juice of tobacco as a sovereign panacea. Rehef has unquestionably been found, by diflcrent persons, from each of these remedies, and there is as little reason to expect that one remedy will answ er for all, as that the same disease can always be cured by the same medicines. In my own case, I have foimd cold water to be the best remedy for a bee-sting. The poison being very volatile, is quickly dissolved in it ; and the coldness of the water has also a powerful tendency to check inflammation. The leaves of the plantain, crushed and applied to the wound, are a very good substitute when water cannot at • An ola writer says; ** If bees, when dead, are dried to powder, and friven ts klther man or beast, this medicine will often give immediate ease in the most excruciating pain, and remove a stoppage in the body when all other means hav« failed." A tea made by pouring boiling water upon bees has recenUy been pre- icribod, by high medical authority, for violent strangury ; while the poison of th« bee, under the name of apis^ is a great homoeopathic remedy. ■if 316 THE IIIVE AND IIONEY-BEE. once be procured. Bevan recommends the use of spirits of hartshorn, and says that, in cases of severe stmguig, its internal use is also beneficial.* Timid Apiarians, and all who suffer severely from the sting of a bee, should by all means protect themselves with a bee-dress. The great objection to such a dress, as usually made, is, that it obstructs clear vision, so highly important m all operations, besides producing such exces- sive heat and perspiration, as to make one using it pecu- liarly offensive to the bees. I prefer what I call a hee-hat (Plate XI., Fig. 25), of entirely novel construction. It is made of wire-cloth, the meshes of which are too fine to admit a bee, but coarse enough to allow a free circulation of air, and to permit distinct sight. The wire-cloth should be first sewed together hke a hat, and made large enough to go very easily over the head ; its top may be of cotton cloth, and the same material should be fastened around its lower edge. If the top is made of sole leather, it will serve a better purpose. A piece of wire-cloth one foot • It may be some comfort to novices to know that the poison will produce lesa and less effect upon their system. Old bee-keepers, like Mithridates, appear almost to thrive upon poison itself. When I first became Interested in bees, a sting waa quite a formidable thing, the pain being often very intense, and the wound swelling BO as sometimes to obstruct my sight At present, the pain is usually slight, and. If th^ sting is quickly extracted, no unpleasant consequences ensue, even if no remedies are used, lluish speaks of seeing the bald head of Bonner, a celebrated practical Apiarian, covered with stings, which seemed to produce upon him no un- pleasant effecte. The Rev. Mr. Kleine advises beginners to suffer themselves to be stung frequently, assuring them that, in two seasons, their system wUl become accustomed to the poison! An old English Apiarian advises a person who has been stung, to catch as speedily as possible another bee, and make it sting on the same spot. Even an enthusiastic disciple of Huber might hesitate to venture on such a singular homreopathlo remedy; but as this old writer had stated, what I had verified in my own expe- rience that the oftener a person was stung the loss he suffered from the venom, I determined to make trial of his prescription. Allowing a sting to remain until it hai"--that is, small and round in size and shape, and variegated m color. ^ Virinola-»''/'M«<:«ortt». Ug.^rlm -pe.'U> n,.vm aitt rarU>rt>.- from "■•'I';'' » Ipl^ that Splnola accurately described all the pecuUariUesof thi, b«e. ""'"h be ?, „d in IMedMi-mt, In 1805. He fully Idcntlfled It with the bee describe, by Ar^ tolle, and call, it the Uturian Be., a r.ame oow very generally adopted U Europe THE ITALIAN BEE. 319 Italy, during part of the Napoleonic wars, he noticed that the bees, in the Lombardo-Venetian district of Valtelin, and on the borders of Lake Como, differed in color from the common kind, and seem- ed to be more industrious. At the clo.se of the war, he retired from the army, and returned to his ancestral castle, on the Rhae- tian Alps, in Switzerland ; and to occupy his leisure, had recourse to bee-culture, which liad been his favorite hobby in earlier years. While studying the natural history, habits, and instincts of these insects, he remembered what he had observed in Italy, and resolved to pr.-curc a colony from that country. Accordingly, he sent two men thither, who i)urchascd one, and carried it over the mountain, to his residence, in September, 1843. '- In May, 1847, this colony, the queen of which had never failed to produce genuine Italian brood, bciian to show signs of weak- ness, but suddenly recovered in the following month ; and it was evident that it had supplied itself with a new queen, which had fortunately been impregnated by an Italian drone, as she produced genuine, or pure brood. On the 15th of May, 1848, this queen issued with a swarm, and lie hoped that, as he had placed the parent-hive in a rather isolated location, her successor would be impregnated by an Italian drone. But in this, he was doomed to disappointment : she produced a bastard progeny, while the emi- grant queen produced genuine brood, as before. Similar disap- pointments awaited him from year to year; and in June. 1851, ho posse.«.««ed only one colony of the pure stock. "Among the points which he considered as definitely estab- lished, by his observations on the Italian bee, are the following: 1. The queen, if healthy, retains her proper fertility at least three or four years. 2. The Italian bee is more industrious, and th« queen more prolific, than the common kind ; because, in a most unfavorable year, when other colonies produced few swarms and little honey, his Italian colony produced three swarms, which filled their hives with comb, and, together with the parent-stock, laid up ample stores for Winter; the latter yielding, besides, a box well filled with honey. The three young colonies were among the best in his Apiary. 3. The workers do not, at most, live longer than one year; for, though the beet and brood in the .= m i 32C THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. parent-hive, when the first swarm and old queen left, were of th« Italian stock exclusively, few of this kind remained in the Fall, and none survived the Winter. 4. The young queen is impreg- nated soon after she is established in a colony, and continues fer- tile during life. Were this not so, the genuine queens would not liave continued to produce pure brood during those seven suecos- fcive years. 5. The queen leaves the hive to meet the drones. If not. it would scarcely have happened, that all the young queens bred in those seven years, with only one exception, were impreg- nated by common drones, and produced a bastard progeny. 6. The old queen regularly leaves with the first swarm, or the genuine Italian brood would not invariably have been the product of the swarm, but occasionally, at least, of the parent colony, which never happened in all that time. " These observations and inferences impelled Dzierzon — who had previously ascertained that the cells of the Italian and com- mon bees were of the same size — to make an effort to procure the Italian bee ; and, by the aid of the Austrian Agricultural Society at Vienna,* he succeeded in obtaining, late in February, 1853, a colony from Mira, near Venice. On the following day, he trans- ferred the combs and bees into one of his own hives, and, when the season opened, placed the hive on a stand in his Apiary, and screwed it fast, that it might not be stolen. He never moved it during the ensuing Summer, but took from it combs with workei and drone-brood, at regular intervals, supplying their place with empty comb. In this way, he succeeded in rearing nearly fifty young queens, about one-half of which were impregnated by Italian drones, and produced genuine brood. The other half produced a bastard progeny. He continued thus to multiply queens by the removal of brood, till the j.arent-stock, and several of his artificial colonies, suddenly killed oflf their drones, on the 25th of June. The bees of the ori-inal colony still labored very assiduou.sly, but • Some of the Oovornments of Europe have recently tiken (?reat interest in dis- •emlnatincr among their people a knowledge of Dzierzon 8 system of Bee-Culture. PruRsla furni>he8 annually a number of persons from different parts of the King- doin, with the means of acquiring a practical knowledge of this system ; while the Bavarian Government hao prescrli>ed instruction in Dzierzon'a theory and practice of bee-culture, as a part of the regular course of studies in lU teacherw' Scmlnarleik THE ITALIAN BEE. 321 pradually became less diligent, till when the buck- wheat came into blossom, they were surpassed in industry by many colonies of the common bees. But, as young bees continued to make their appearance he felt satisfied that the colony was in a healthy con- dition. Later in the season, he unfastened the hive, preparatory to putting it into winter quarters j and on attempting to lift it, found he was scarcely able to move it. He now discovered why it had so greatly fallen behind the other colonies in industry. Having early rid itself of drones (as probably is done instinctively in Italy), it had, in consequence of its extraordinary activity, filled all the cells with honey, in a very short time, and was thencefor- ward doomed to involuntary idleness. It had attained a weight w hich scarcely any of his colonies reached in the Summer of 1846, when pasturage was so superabundant; whereas, the Sum- mer of 1853 was a very ordinary one in this respect.* *' 'The general diff*usion of this species of bee,' says Dzierzon, * will form as marked an era in the bee-culture of Germany, as did the introduction of my improved hives.f The profit derived by the farmer from feeding stock, depends not alone on due atten- tion to the habits and wants of the animals, but mainly on the ♦ "Ills experiments on this colony made it manifest, that frequent disturbance had not produced any injurious effect Until Midsummer, he not only removed a brood-comb containing about 50()0 cells, every other day, but had, on numerous other occasions, taken out comb after comb, several times a day, to And the queen, and show her to bee-keeping friends, who visited bim. When, In consequence of Buch Interruptions, the queen retreated to the opposite end of the hive, he usually found her, half an l»our thereafter, on the same comb she had occupied before, engaged in laying eggs. Such disturbances, if tlie combs be not broken, or ma- terially damagetl, he thinks, do no injury; but that, on the contrary they not nnfrequently produce a certain excitement among the beca, which Impels them to Issue In greater numbers, and labor with increased assiduity." — S. Waonrr, t After my application for a patent on the movable-franies was favorably decided upon, the Baron Von BerK'p.sch,of Seebach,Thuringia(see p. I'iGX Invented ^ames of a somewhat similar character. Carl T. E. Von Slebold, Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, in the University of Munich, thus speaks of these frames: ** As the lateral adhesion of the combs built down from the bars*' 'see pp 15, 16 of this Treatise), "frequently rendered their removal difficult, Ilerlepsch tried to avoid this inconvenience, in a very ingenious way, by suspend- ing in his hives, instead of the bars, small quadrangular frames, the vacuity of which the bees fill up with their comb, by which the removal and suspension of the combs are greatly facilitated, and altogether such a convenient arrangement i» given to the Dzlerzon-hive, that nothing more remains to be desired.'* 14* .c«.^-, .»'i 322 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. Character of the breed itself. So also with the bee. We finJ marked ditterences in point of industry, even among our common bees; but the Italian bee surpasses these in every respect. A chief diiiieulty in the way of a more general attention to bee- culture, arises from the almost universal dread of the sting of this insect. Many fear even the momentary pain which it inflicts, thou-h no other unpleasant consequences follow; but in some per- sons It causes severe and long-protracted swelling and inflamma- tion. This, especially, deters ladies from engaging in this pur- suit. All this can be avoided by the introduction of the Italian bee which is bv no means an irascible insect * It will sling only when it happens to be injured, when it is intentionally annoyed, or when it is attacked by robbing bees ; then it will defend itself with undaunted courage, and such are its extraordi- nary vigor and agility, that it is never overpowered, so long as the colony Ts in a normal condition. Colonies of common bees may speedily be converted into Italian stocks, by simply removing the queen from each, and, after the lapse of two or three days, or as soon as the workers decidedly manifest consciousness of the deprivation, supplying them with an Italian queen. We are thereby also enabled to note the gradual disappearance of the old race, as it becomes supplanted by the new. Besides the increased profit thus derivable from bee-culture, this species also furnishes us with no small gratification, in studying the nature, habits, and economy of the insect to greater advantage, because, by means of it, the most interesting experiments, investigations, and observa- lions may be instituted, and thus the remaining doubts and diili- culties be cleared up7 *' He further says : * It ha« been questioned, even by experienced and expert Apiarians, whether the Italian race can be preserved in its purity, in countries where the common kind prevail. There need be no uneasiness on this score. Their preservation could be accomplished, even if natural swarming had to be relied on, because they swarm earlier in the season than the common kind, • Spinola speaks of the more peaceable disposition of this bee ; and Columella, 18()0 years ago, had noticed the same peculiarity, describing It as ^miUor morv- hunr Both its eupcrior Industr nnd poaceableness have been noticed from th« eut'licbt ages. THE ITALIAN BEE. 323 and also moie frequently. Captain Baldenstein's want o! succesi was most probably the result of a deficiency of drone-comb* in his Italian hives, as a consequence of which, only few drones were produced.' '• The main thing to be attended to in any localities where common bees are found or kept, is to secure the production of drones in numbers overwhelmingly large; though Dzierzon is under the impression, that where both kinds of drones exist in about equal numbers, the Italian queens will usually encounter (tali an drones, both queens and drones being more active and agiie than the common kind. Besides, the wings of both queens and drones are finer and more delicate than those of the common kind, and the sounds produced in flying are clearer and higher- toned. Hence, probably, they are readily able to distinguish each other when on the wing f •* The Baron of Berlepsch, one of the most enthusiastic and skillful Apiarians, on a large scale, in Germany, says he can, from his own experience confirm the statements of Dzierzon, in relation to the Italian bee, having found, ♦ •* Dzierzon guarded ap linst this, by giving to a very large colony, which ordi- narily produced drones in great numbers, a fertile queen very early in the season. Thousands of drones soon made their appearance, and he immediately fonned an urtiflrial colony by removing this queen, with a sufficient number of workers, adding worker-brood from other colonies. On the twelfth day following, he heard a young queen ''teeting'' in the parent hive and, to his surprise, a large swarm is-sued from it on the same day, though the weather was then cool and cloudy. This swarm came forth suddenly, without any previous Indication of its intention, just as after-swarms usually do. On a similar day, Dzierzon says, he had never seen a first swarm of common bees leave. So cold was the weather, that some of the bees became chilled before the swarm was hived. As the swarm was unusually large, he divided It Into two, as he wa« able to procure an additional queen from the parent hive. Both throve well, and each of the queens was impregnated by an Italian drone. From this occurrence, he Judgeees as^Telociores mo^« hive. The little that can be saved In the first cost of such hives, seems to me to be more than lost bv the great Inconveijlence of hnndling them. t Mr. Wagner Informs me that Scholz, a German Apiarian, recommends hives made o^ adobe — in which frames or slats may be used — as cheaply constrticte- plied, without those injurious effects which commonly result from disturbing them when the weather is so cold as to confine them entirely to their hives. If the stocks are to be whitered in the open air, the) 336 THE HIVE AND HONEYBEE. WrNTEKrXG BEES. 837 Bhoukl all be made populous, and rich iu stores, even if tiaries standtig Iv 0Z|>o«ed situations were, in many instance.^, nearly ruined. 15 I 338 THE HITE AND HONEY-BEE. WINTERING BEES. 339 colony by the Gxcitement created by confining them when the weather Is warm enongh to entice tliem abroad.* The best Apiarians are still at variance as to how much air should be given to bees in Winter, and whether hive, should have upward ventilation, or not. If the hives have no upward ventilation, then I believe that they need as much, or even more, air, than in Summer. If upward ventilation is given, the smaller the lower opemngs the better, as it is not desirable that there should be a strong current of cold air passing through the liives. In my hives, all the lower passages can easily be closed air-tiMit, and the bees allowed to go in and out througn the mnter-entrance, which is made at the top of the hive (PI. I., Fig. 1 ; PI. v.. Fig. 17).t If the hive has an upper box-cover, as m 1 1. 111., i ig. 9 the holes hi the honey-board must be left open, or closed only with wire-cloth, that the dampness, which would otherwise condense or freeze on the combs and interior walls of the hive, may escape without injuring the bees. If an upper hive, as in Plate V., Fig. 16, is placed on the top of the one in which the bees are whitered, its roof should be slightly elevated, to allow the escape of moisture. If a single hive, like that in Plate L, Fig. 1, or mate v., Fig. 17, is used, the same opening must be allowed for the escape of dampnesst. ♦ If the sun is warm anl the ground covered with new-fullen snow the light may so blind the bees, that they will fall Into this fleecy snow, and qmckly perish^ At such ti.ues, it would probably be best to confine them to their hives. If the ^now is hard enough to bear up a healthy bee, it is seldo.n lost, unless teo.pted to ay by the sun shlnin, full upon Us hive as It stands In a sheltered place. \ The lower entrance may be closeys earlier. Jan. 30tu.— This month has been the coldest on record for more than fifty years. My hives have been exposed . to a temperature of 30° below zero, and for forty-eight hours together the wind blew a strong gale, and the mer- cury rose only once to 6° below zero. No. 1 was again examined, and the bees found in- good condition. The central comb was almost filled with sealed brood; nearly mature ; all tlie combs were free from mould, and tho interior of the hive was dry. In a hive as well protected 08 No. 3, but which had no upward ventilation^ the vapor, or breath of the bees, which had frozen in it, having melted in consequence of a sudden thaw, both combs and bees were in a wi^tchcd condition. As long as the vapor remains congealed, it can only itjjure the bees by keeping them from stores which they need; but, as soon as a tliaw sets in, hives which have no upward ventilation are in danger of being ruined.* Mr. E. T. Sturtevant, of East Cleveland, Ohio, so widely known as an experienced Apiarian, in a letter to me, thus gives his experience in wintering bees in the open air : "' No extremity of cold that we ever have in this climate, will injure bees, if tlioir breath is allowoa to pass off, so that thoy aro • In Mareh, 1856, I lost some of my best colonics, under the folio wirg clrcnm- ■tAnces: The Winter had been intensely cold, and the hives, having no u-.\^ard ven- tilation, were filled with frost, and, in some instances, the ice on their glass sides was nearly a quarter of an inch thick. A few ilays of mild weather, In v^hich the fro»t began to thaw, were followed by a temperature below zero, accompanied by furious winds, and in many of the hives, the bees which were stUl wet from Um Ihaw, were frozen together in an almottt ttolid inatis. dry. T never lost a good tAock that was dry, and had plenty of honey. " In the Winter of 1855-6, 1 had twenty stocks standing in a row, all but one of which would have been regarded as in a good con- dition for wintering — not loo light below, nor yet too open above. One was in a hive suspended twenty inches from the ground, and vjithoul any bottom-hoard. The chamber for surplus honey-boxes was open to the north; and had eight one-inch holes, all uncov^ ered. **1 left home about the*12th of February, the weather being very cold, and the hives all banked up vdth drifted snow. Return- ing the last of the month, 1 examined Ihe 'W-hole row, and found the nineteen thawed out. but in a sadly wet and miserable plight. If I could have taken them into a room, out of the reach of the frost, until they were dry, they might have been saved. The weather changed to severe freezing before the next morning, and all the nineteen swarms soon died ; while the one that was apparently so neglected, came out strong and healthy. Before adopting upward ventilation, I had lost my best swarms in this way, until I became discouraged." In the coldest parts of our country, if upward ventilor tlon is neglected^ no amount of protection that can be given to hives, in the open air, will prevent them from becoming damp and mouldy, even if frost is excluded* Ollen, the more they are protei'ted, the greater the risk from dampness. A very thin hive unpainted^ so that it may readily absorb the heat of the sun, will dry inside much sooner than one painted wliite, and in every way most thoroughly protected against tlie cold. The first, like a garret^ will suffer from dampness for a sliort time only ; while the other, like a cellar^ may bo so long in drying, as to injure, if not destroy, the bees. Much has been said in Germany, within the last few years, of the danger of bees that liave upward ventilation perishing in Winter for want of water. Mr. Wagner has furnished mo with a translation of an able article in tho S42 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. Bienemcitung, by Von Berlepsch, and G. Eberhardt, the substance of which is as follows : " The Creator has given the bee an instinct to store up honey and pollen, which are not always to be procured, but not water, which is always accessible in her native regions. In northern latitudes, when confined to the hive, often for months together, they can' obtain the water they need only from the watery parti- cles contained in the honey, the perspiration which condenses on the colder parte of the hive, or the humid.ty of the air which enters their hives. ^t i. j -' Vital energy in the bee is at its lowest point in November and December. If, at this time, an unusual degree of cold does not force her to resort to muscular action, she remains almost motion- less, a death-like silence prevailing in the hive ; and we know, by actual experiment, that much less food is consumed than at any other time. Breeding having ceased, the weather-bound bees have no demands made on their vital action, and we have never known them at this time to suffer for want of water. As soon, however, as the queen begins to lay, which occurs in many colo- nies early in January, and in some by Christmas, the workers must eat more freely both honey and pollen, to supply jelly for the larva), and wax for sealing their cells. Much more water is needed for these purposes, than when they can procure the fresh nectar of flowers ; and the want of it begins to be felt about the middle of January. The unmistakable signs of the dearth of water in a colony, are found in the granules of candied honey lying on the bottom of the hive. The suffering bees will now open cell after cell of the sealed honey, to obtain what remains uncandied. and when these supplies of moisture fail, will attack the unsealed larva), and devour the e-s, if any are still laid. They now give wav to despair, disperse through the hrve, if the cold does no, pre'vent, as though they had lost their queen, and perish amid stores of honey, unless milder weather permits them to go in search of water, or tl.e Apiarian supplies it in their hive, when order will again be restored. '' After protracted and severe Winters, of every six bees that perish, five die for want of water, and not, as was hitherto sup. WINTERING BEK8. 343 posed, ^v^m ppdue accumulation of faeces. Dysentery is one of the dir^-ct scrsiquences of water-dearth, the bees, in dire need of water, consuming honey immoderately, and taking cold by roam- ing about the combs. '• On the nth of February, we examined a number of colonies, on whose bottom-boards we noticed particles of candied honey, and found that in all of them, the sealed honey had been opened in various points, and that breeding had entirely ceased. The colo- nies that we had supplied with water on discovering that they needed it, contained healthy brood, in every stage of development. ^- In March and April, the rapidly increasing amount of brood causes an increased demand for water ; and when the thermome- ter is as low as 45^, bees may be seen carrying it in at noon, even on windy days, although many are sure to perish from cold. In these months, in 185G, during a protracted period of unfavorable weather, we 2ave all our bees water, and they remained at home in quiet, whilst those of other Apiaries were flying briskly insearch of water. At the beginning of May, our hives were crowded with bees ; whilst the colonies of our neighbors were mostly weak. **The consumption of water in March and April, in a populous colony, is very great, and in 1856, one hundred stocks required eleven Berlin quarts per week, to keep on breeding uninterruptedly. In Springs where the bees can fly safely almost every day, the want of water will not be felt. " The loss of bees by water-deaith. is the result of climate, and no form of hive, or mode of wintering, can furnish an absolutely eflicient security against it. The colonies may be put in yard- long lager-hives, or in towering standards, in shapeless gums, in neat straw hives, or in well lined Dzicrzons : in wood, or straw, or clay domiciles : or may dwell in hollow trees, or clefts of rocks ; they may remain unshielded on their Summer stands; be protected by a covering of pine shatters or chatf; or be stored in dark cham- bers or vault.*; — still, water-dearth may occur, here and there, earlier or later, and more or less injuriously : because it is counter to the original instincts of the bee to dwell in Northern clinvitcs, coiflncd to its habitation for months. ^' If water is regularly given to the bees, from the middle of i il! 3^^ ■nre n;vE and honet-bek. WIirrERINO BEES. 345 » January till the Spring fairly opens (unless the weather permiU them to fly .afely), they will not suffer. This water may b, placed in a wet sponge in a feeding-box, directly over the bees, and protected by a cushion of moss. A hundred or more .colonies may thus, without disturbance, be quickly supplied.' That bees canuot raise brood without water, ha.s been known from the times of Aristotle. Buera, of Athens (Cotton, p. 104), aged 80 years, saidin 1V97 : "Bees daily supply the worms with water ; should the state of the weather be such as to prevent the bees from fetching water for a few days, the worms would perish. Ihese dead bees are removed out of the hive by the working- bees if they are healthy and strong ; otherwise, the stock perishes from their putrid exhalations." I have repeat, edly known colonies to differ severe losses, for wapt ot water ; and in my correspondence with bee-keepers, the last Winter (1858-9),* have directed their attention to this point, and have had ray estimate of the value of water to bees in Winter greatly increased. But as yet, I have had no satisfactory evidence that any colonies, ^hoae honey was not candied, have died from water-dearth. _ The Baron Von Berlepsch s.ays, that " death from this cause more rarely occurs in districts where there is late Fall bee-forage than in those like his own, where p.is. turage fails occasionally in July, and usually early in August. In such regions, the honey becomes very thick in Winter, and sometimes thoroughly candicdf betore . I 5m particularly in.Iebt.d to Mr. William W. Gary. Mr. Klch«r.l Colvln. Ror^ J C B."l-». Mr. !•' T. Sturtov.nt. a.,i K.v. Levi Wheaton, for careful obaorv^ Uons made-last Winter, at my suggestlun-on wlnteriug l.ees. t ila.lahu Vicat, In s,„„e ol.servatmns on bee... pubhrted In l^M-HW' -"^"d Jn n •^81-speak of flu.Ung. "on the 24th of March, when the weather wa, . 'aa'that tl ebeesof her other hiv« did not k« abroa,l, mueh candied honey on .1. wl, of hit and bees which aee.ncl to be expiring, //'"i^"'" "/-X"""': n .he hive at intervals and at such tiu.ea run.ber. of beea would fall into th. ;"„nt d ;„Jey. Ind perl Jh. The bees not beln. able to swallow th. candled hooey miptied it out of their combs to get at such a. they could swallow. Spring." It is fortunate that, in the coldest parts of our country, late forage is usually abundant. Berlepsch and Eberhardt not only condemn upward ventilation, as depriving the bees of the moisture which tliey need, but insist that it often hastens the ruin of a stock, by causing an excess of dampness among the bees, although they are actually in want of water. Dzierzon thinks that these acute observers have here fallen into a great mistake ; and, did my limits permit, I could show that their objections to upward ventilation do not accord with iacts, as observed in this country. So far from its being true " that the hive in which perceptible condensation of moisture occurs needs water, and that in which it does not take place needs none" — moisture often condenses so as to wet the combs and the bees* showintr plainly that there is an excess of water instead of a defi- cicncy. The following facts, which have been furnished to me by the Rev. J. C. Bodwell, of Framinghain, Mas- sachusetts, are highly important in this connection. Ilia colonies were wintered in a very dry cellar : "About the beginning of the year (1859), opened my single glaiia hive, and found the bees abundant, and apparently healthy, but no eggs nor brood. "' Feb. 2. — Examined the same hive, and found sealed brood, and unsealed, but no eggs. A considerable part of the brood had perii>hed, probably from lack of water. "Opened another hive, not so full of bees, and found the same state of things, except that less of the brood had perished. Combs dry in boUi, and many hoDey-celKs open. Gave water to all, to th<»ir evident joy, and closed up the glass hive at the top, for expe- riment as to dampness, leaving the rest with upward ventilation. " Feb. 5 — Examlued both hives. No eggs In glass hive. Th* • In very cold weather. Ice and molstnre may saper-abmind in a hive, but It may b* 80 f ar from Uta cluster tljtt th«y cannut obtain it, even when periablug for th« want of It. 15* \\\ 1 |! mit>&mimBisia:^)»tmm,mai»M>immi'iat,atmf^ i S46 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. WINTERING BEES. 347 bees had been busy expelling dead brood. In the otber, found Dees iiau jj^ ^QfVj jyiarca i. i**** , . , *i Th^ criiss hive ren/ W7e^ water Urvx, and sealed brood u, both. The S ass h.v y , ^^^ .landing on the tops of the frames and at least a on board; combs mouldy, at,d .hole aspect "^ ^h^'i^r.-o other The olher, <,rUte dry, both hive and combs Exa^mncd t.o o elass hives, having top ventilation, and found them dry A been treated precisely alike, except that ^^^j'^'-^l^2.iZ bnd le^s water a. the bees did not seem to want it-manitcslin, ' p a uTe It'reccving it. This hWe had not so many eggs a the'other, though much the Urger slock, and appeared tn a less healthy condition generally." In any of my hives which have an upper cover, the bees can beasil/ supplied with water and in those whjch have none, it may be injected with a straw mto the Ser ent;ance, or poured through the roof by a su^ bole, stopped with a plug, care bemg taken not to gne '""jfteilonies are strong in nnmlers and stores, Mve upward ventilation, easy communication from comb to 7oZ, and water when needed-and the hice entrances are . M. Wbeato. And. tUt t.e. wtj, e^-. ^^fj';— 'e' ^ItZ^TJ, tj;r:rar::;;r; t. ;::;:; T.\r ;. "«.. — - ". -- prevented from going abroad." fastened to the underside of Mr. wanner '^^^^^ ^l\^:Z:^^ ^eon 1 ^ » ""Te bee. .here the, cao the bottom-board win cause the wate ^^ ^^^„^ . p„„„ „f g.aM easily .ct <-'««/" ^"\^:'l;"'J.fd the water condensed on It ha. «emed °" ""^ wTth^^wn^ It bou,rbe elevated, «. that the bee. can pa., under iU tor bceb that arc not wintered In the open air. sheltered jrom piercing winds, they have all the condi- tions esse7itial to wintering successfully in the open air. Great injury is often done by disturbing a colony of bees when the weather is so cold that they cannot fly Many which are tempted to leave the cluster, perish before they can regain it, and every disturbance, by rousing them to needless activity, causes an increased consumption of food. About once in six weeks, however, it will be advisable to clean the bottom-boards of hivea wintered in the open air, of dead bees, and other refuse. Where permanent bottom-boards are used, this may be done with a scraper (Plate XI., Fig. 30), made of a piece of iron-wire, about two feet long ; this, when heated, is bent about four inches, and flattened to one-quarter of an inch wide, both edges being made sharp.* Bees very rarely discharge their fa3ces in the hive, unless they are diseased or greatly disturbed. If the Winter has been uncommonly severe, and they have had no opportunity to fly, their abdomens, before Spring, often become greatly distended, and they are very liable to bv^ lost in the snow, if the weather, on their first flight, is not unusually favorable. After they have once discharged their fa;ces, they will not venture from their hives, in un- suitable weather,*if well supplied with water. Having given the necessary precautions for wintering bees out of doors, the methods for defending them against atmospheric changes, by placing them in special depositories, will be described. In some parts of Europe, it is customary to winter all ♦ Where a ventilator Is made on the back of the hive (Plate V., Fig. 16), anj refuse nmy be bl(ncn out by a pair of bellows. A very little smoke should be used before cltanlng the bottom-b<.:ird. Palladius, who flourished nearly two thousand years apo, snys that bees ought not to be disturbed In Winter, except for the piu« pottu of cleaning their hives of dead bees, iui. u 348 THE HIVK AND HONKV-BEE. », the stocks of a village in a common vault or cellar, Dzierzon says: "A t// 2/ cellar is very well adapted for wintering bees, e^en though it be not wholly secure from frost ; the temperature will be much milder, and more uniform than in the open air j the bees vNill be more secure from disturbance, and will be protected from the piercing cold winds, which cause more injury than the greatest degree of cold when the air is calm. " Universal experience teaches that the more effectually bees are protected from disturbance and from the variations of tempe- rature, the better will they pass the Winter, tlie less will they coiisume of their stores, and the more vigorous and numerous will they be in the Spring. I have, therefore, constructed d special Winter repository for my bees, near my Apiary. It is weather- boarded both outside and within, and the intervening space is filled with hay or tan, &c. ; the ground plat enclosed is dug out. to the depth of three or four feet, so as to secure a more moderate and equable temperature. When n.y hives are placed in this depository, and the door locked, the darkness, uniform tempera, ture, and entire repose the bees enjoy, enable them to pass the Winter securely. I usually place here my weaker colonics, and lliose whose hives are not made of the warmest materials, and they always do well. It such a structure is to be partly under, ground, a very dry site must be selected for it." Mr. Quinby, who has probably the largest Apiary in the United States, has for many years wintered his bees, with great success, in a room specially adapted to the pur- pose.° To get rid of the dampness, he inverts the com- mon hives, and removes the board that covers my fi'imcs Mr. Wagner has furnished me with the following trans- lation of a very able article from the Bienenzeitun(;. The author, the ll«v. Mr. Scholtz, of Lower Silesia, ifl widely known in Germany for his skill in bee-keeping: '' Farmers have long been in the habit of placing apples, potatoes, tuP.ips, &:c., ia clamps, to preserve them during Winter. They m\i»MimiffBimeinMt WINTEBINO BEES. 349 afe piled in a pyiamidal form, on a bed of straw, and covered sii or eiuht inches thick, with the same material, evenly spread, as in thatching ; and the whole is covered, in a conical form, with a layer of earth twelve inches thick, taken from a trench which is dug around the clamp. The proper finish is given by beating this earth smooth and even, with the back of the spade. This mode of preservation, when well executed, is found to keep fruit, tuber- ous roots, &c., in better condition during cold weather, than can be effected in cellars or vaults. *' These facts suggested to me the idea of protecting bees durinsj the Winter, in a similar manner. It was evident, however, that a bee-clamp would require various modifications, to secure proper ventilation, to prevent undue development of heat, and to obviate an accumulation of moisture ; and an arrangement, also, for readily ascertaining, and effectually regulating the temperature. AU this, too, without seriously disturbing the bees, after the hives have been deposited in the clamp. *'To attain these objects, a circular space, sufficiently large for the intended purpose, is to be marked off on the driest and most elevated part of a garden, or other suitable spot of ground. The surface-soil containing vegetable matter, liable to decay, is then to he removed, and in the central part of the plot, a pit, three feet square, and three feet deep (see Fig. 66), is to be dug, spreading the earth taken therefrom evenly around, and treading it down hard. This pit is designed to serve as an air-chamber, as will be fully explained hereafter. "The area having been properly prepared, four trenches, one inch and a half wide and deep, are to be dug ; one extending frona the middle of each of the four sides of the pit, to the outer edge of the periphery of the plot (PI. XXI., Fig. 66). Into each of these trenches, a lead pipe, one inch in diameter, is to be laid, so as to form a communication between the pit and the air outside of the clamp when finished (PI. XXL, Fig. 66). When these pipes are covered with earth, and the ground again leveled, a narrow strip of board should be laid thereon, to designate the position of the tubes, that they may not be injured in subsequent operations. f |l 1 ' i ¥, 5r50 THE HIVE AND HONET-BKE. « The area, including the air-ehambcr, i« now to be covered w.tb pieces of four-inch scantling, placed radiating from the centre a. nearly a. practicable at regular distances apart, U> serve as a plat- orm on which the lower tier of h.ves is to be placed^ Ti,e .cant, ling should be cut of unequal lengths, and placed end to end, four incl.es apart, so as to leave inlerst.ces for the free c.rc^lat.on ol air; and where required, as the space widens towards the circum- ference, additional p.eces are to be laid in, so that the h.ves may be set arm and level. On this platform, the h.ves are to be bu It up ir. tiers, so that the clamp, when completed, shall prese.U the form of a pyramid. Thus, the lower tier may consist of four ranges, of four hives each ; the second, of three ranges, of three hives each ; and the third, of two ranges, of two h.ves each The fourth, or apex, however, must be formed of two h.ves .ns ead o one, for reasons which will hereafter appear (PI XXI., F. 68). The whole will thus form a four-sided pyramid, con...st.ng of thirty-one hives, which, if Dzierzon's double hives be used, will . contain sixty-two colonies, in a comparatively small space. The oblong clamp (PI. XXI , Fig 70), is constructed on similar princi- ples, with the requisite variation in shape. "These hives, which are placed on the platform directly over the pit. or air-chamber, must be set .rtx inches apart so that a con- tinuous funnel, or direct air-pas-sage, may be formed from the centre of the air-chamber below, to the apex of the clamp ; and on the opposite fronts of the two uppermost hives, is to be placed a kind of chimney (see p. 351), made of lour pieces of board, e.gh. inches broad, and thirty inches long, having a movable cap, with a suitable slope, to prevent the entrance of rain. Holes are to be made in the sides of the chimney, below the cap. to allow the upward passage of air from the interior of the clamp. The rest of the hives may be placed closer together, though it is advanta- ceoug that they should not touch each other, so as to obstruct cir- halation in the interior, as it is important that the proprietor should be able to resulate the internal temperature uniformly. Very -real exactness in arranging the hives, is, however, not ,equn°e It is essential only that they be sot firm and level, so a. to constitute a regula- pyramid. Care must also be taken, not ^*«»**f«»!**ftr-«»'*v*'*(** Plate XXI. Fig. 66 Ficr. 67. Fig, 10. Fig. 69. sSfc-i^SSIi^ 8B1 WINTKEING BEES. 853 i to conrnYience by placing the hives too near the periphery of tho area ; becauae, between the outer edge of the lower tier of the hive»s. and the exterior mouths of the ventilating tubes, sufficient space must be reserved for the external covering, or mantle of the clamp (PI. XXL, Fig. 69). '* When the hjveu hav« been arranged in the manner described, and the chimney has been placed on the two upper ones, over the flue communicating with the pit, they are to be covered in with boards, cut to proper lengths, and placed vertically, side by side, around the sidea of the pyramid. On and against these boards is to be laid a thick layer of rushes or old dry straw, forming a regular and dense coating, frona base to apex. This coating is, in turn, to be covered with a layer of earth, five or six inches thick, spread as evenly as practicable, commencing below and proceed- iiiu upward to the chimney, so that the latter, having already been secured in its place by the boards and the straw or rushes, is now covered by the earth, to within six or seven inches of its top. The earth for covering, is taken directly from the base of the clamp, around which a trench six inches deep, and eighteen inches wide, is now to be dug, so as to expose the mouths of the ventilating tubes at the upper edge of the interior side of the trench. In dig- ging the trench, care must be taken not to close or injure the mouths of the tubes, which should, moreover, bo secured by a per- forated tin cap, to exclude mice, and other vermin, and yet allow the free passage of air. The trench will serve to receive and carry off rain or snow-water, during the Winter ; and to effect this more perfectly, several gutters or furrows should be drawn from it outwards. If sufficient earth be not obtained from the trench to cover in the straw or rushes completely, at least five inches thick, the deficiency must be supplied from other sources. The earth covering should be dressed smooth and even with the back of a spade. " Fo this state, the clamp should be allowed to remain till severe frosiH Kjcur, when an additional coat of leaves or pine shatters iB to be givr^r This should be five or six inches thick, and applied as evenly as possible, from base to apex, leaving only about four inches of the chimney exposed. This material should ' Ui THE HIVE AND HONET-BEE. WINTERING BEE9. 355 i\ i be applied wet, as it will thus pack more closely, and afterwards better confine the heat. When finished, it should be well sprinkled wilh water from a watering-can, and allowed to freeze. A very compact structure will thus be formed (Figs. 69 and 70). The mouths of the ventilating tubes should next be protected, by plac- ing a piece of board before each of them ; and the trenches are then to he filled loosely witl tangled straw. " All this labor must be performed gently, so as to disturb the confined bees as little as practicable. The covering of leaves or pine-shatters should not be applied till after cold weather sets in, . and it may be deferred till after the earlier snows have fallen and melted, and the severer weather of December or January makes adtlitional protection desirable. 'Mf an extensive Apiary renders a clamp of larger dimensions necessary, two or three pits, or air-chambers, with their appur- tenant ventilating tubes and chimneys (PI. XXI., Fig. 70) may be introduced. <' On clear, mild days, the protecting boards may be removed from the mouth of the ventilating tubes, that fresh air may freely enter the clamp, '-.nd carry off any dampness which may have formed within ; and. as the entire interior is in direct co . munication with the air-chamber, a dry and healthy atmosphere will speedily be diffused throughout, by means of the draught of the chimney. Towards evening, the protecting-boards should be replaced. On the return of milder weather, or on the termination of severe and protracted frosts, the mouths of the ventilating tubes may be uncovered, and left open, day and night, to prevent the undue development of heat in the interior ; but in clear weather, the direct rays of the sun should be excluded from the mouths of the tubes. If the holes in the sides of the chimney should at any time become clo.sed with snow, the obstructions must be removed, by means of a rake or other convenient implement. When the exterior of the clamp is covered with snow, the mouth of one of the ventilating tubes should be kept open, even in cold weather, and of all of them, when the weather is moderate, because the tnow covering causes great internal warmth. "To ascertain the interior temperature, a thermometer attached to a long rod may be introduced into the air-chamber, through the chimney, on removing the cap. This should be done frequently, to serve as a guide for opening or closing the mouths of the venti- lating tubes. Ventilation seems, however, according to the nu- merous experiments which I have made, to be of less importance to the health of the bees, than to preserve the combs and interior of the hives from dampness and mould ; and it is in view of this fact, that I have adopted the peculiar arrangement of my clamps, which places it in the power of the Apiarian, at almost any time, to cause an adequate circulation of pure dry air within them. *' Apart from their cheapness, these clamps are far superior, for the purpose intended, to the best vaults or cellars ordinarily accessible. It might be objected to this mode of wintering bees, that the hives cannot be inspected during the Winter, however desirable such inspection might seem to be. That is so,* but, in devising my clamps, I really had no reference whatever to that class of bee-keepers who are in the habit of operating among their colonies in Winter. Their case, in fact, seems to me to be a rather hopeless one at best, since colonies that are thus treated at that season, will scarcely ever enable their owner to found an Apiary worthy of the name. I prefer to let my bees remain undisturbed during cold weather, satisfied that if they were in good condition when inclosed in the Fall, they will pass the Winter uninjured, and be found with adequate supplies of honey even in April. Ot this I am the more assured, since I have ascertained that bees preserved in clamps consume scarcely one-half of the quantity of honey required by such as are wintered in the open air, or in the Apiary. *^To institute a comparison between different modes of winter- ing bees, I placed a portion of my colonies in a clamp of the fore- going construction, on the 17th of November, 1856, and transferred the remainder into a well-protected dark chamber in my dwelling- house. Of some of the latter, I closed the entrances, but gave them air through agrafe or vcntilating-passage in the rear of their hives. Of the remainder, the entrances, as well as the ventilat- ing-passages, were shut close. Several of those placed in the clamp were designedly selected as having only eight rr ten pound* &56 THE HIVE AND HONKT-BKE. WINTEETNG BEES. 357 M ©f honey each, that I might ascertain whether they would survive with «o small a Bupply of food. I placed therein, also, a lat« after-swarm, which had built only a few short combs, and con- tained not more than four or five pounds of honey. All th« others had ample stores. 1 closed the entrance and ventilating- passage otone stroog colony, and placed fioinfi pieces of empty comb la the're^r of the hive, t40 test whether, if moisture were venerated from want of veatilatioii, mould would form on those combs. *'From the 18th to the 23rd of November, tlie weather was very mild, and Uie ventilatmg-tubes were, therefore, all left open day and night. On Uie 24th, the clamp waE covered with snow, and I closed three of the ventilating-tubes. On the 26th, a thaw commenced, and the weather continued to be very moderate to the end of the month, the thermometer standing at 33<» in the open air. Two of the tubes were kept open. From the 1st to the 3rd of December, ten inches of snow fell, with the thermo- meter ranging from 20^ to 22« ; and 1 kept only one tube opea. On the 6tb, Uie weaUier moderated ; from the 7th to the 12th, the thermometer stood at from 64^ to 66°, and I again opened all th« tubes, and kept them open till the end of the month, and to thb 5th of January. On the 6th, the weather became cold and freez- ing, and I now added the outer mantle, or coating of leaves and pinL shatters, closing all the tubes. The cold spell continued till the 17th of January. From the 18th till the end of the month, we had continuous fair, mild weather, and I opened all the venti- lating-tubes. In February, the weather was particularly mild and fair, and, from the 18lh to the 21st, the thermometer ranged from 76<> to 78<». The bees belonging to some of my neighbors, and which were wintered in the open air, were now flying briskly every day, and most of the colonies in my chamber became so restless that I wa* com^trained to remove them out of their Winter quarters. 1 did so with the less reluctance, as we had all the indications of an early Spring. The fair weather continuing, I deemed it wrong to keep my colonies longer confined m the clamp, and accordingly opened it on the 27th of February, to release them. " Though the clamp had been exposed to the direct rays of the noonday sun, and the thermometer had daily ranged at from 76* to 78^ for some time previous, yet, on removing the outer mantle, I found the earth- cove ring below it still frozen, so that it had to be removed with a hoe — a satisfactory proof that the interior of the damp could not have been affected by external variations of tetnperature. I now became exceedingly anxious to see whether rain or snow-water had penetrated to the straw covering, as 1 apprehended might be the ease, having had no previous expe- rience in' such matters. To my surprise and gratification, how- ever, I found it thoroughly dry — showing conclusively that the earth-covering had sufficed effectually to shed off the rain and «iow-water, and that the ample and efficient; internal ventilation had prevented the formation of moisture and mould. On remov- ing the straw, I perceived no symptom of dampness on the boards ; and when, finally, these latter were taken away, the hives pre- sented themselves as clean and dry as when put there in the Fall. '* Anxious now to ascertain tlie condition of their inmates, I tapped against the hives, but, to my dismay, heard no response I seized a stick, and, tapping harder and harder, finally proceeded to blows; still all remained mute within. An old man from the neighboring village, who chanced to be present, seemed vastly gratified at my chagrin and consternation, as he and his neigh- bors had kept bees for many years, but had no fancy for such novel contrivances and experiments as mine. I must admit that I was, for the moment, thoroughly disconcerted on finding, as I then supposed, all my anticipations and confident calculations tlius suddenly and effectually nullified. Btit, resolved to know the worstj I removed the hives to the Apiary, where the sun shone bright and warm ; and scarcely were the entrances opened^ when the hoes began to pour forth in masses, humming joyously, to my irrepressible delight, and to the utter discomfiture of the eld villager. With special gratification did I notice that the bees eame forth from their long imprisonment with bodies as attenuate and slender as they had in the preceding Autumn, whilst those which had been wintered in the dark chamber soiled their hives tnd all surrounding objects, by profuse discharges of fapcal matter. This led me to conjecture that these colonies had consumed oom- tl 358 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. WINTERING BEES. 359 paratively little honey, which was found to be the fact on open- ing the hives and examining the condition of their stores. Those colonies which had only eight or ten pounds of honey in the Fall, had still a surplus remaining, and were healthy and strong; while the poor little after-swarm had not only well preserved its num- bers, but had the greater portion of its small supply of honey still in reserve. Few dead bees were found, and those probably died of old age. The loss of bees was very much greater in the colonies which had been wintered in the house, and more than double the quantity of honey had been consumed by each of them ; 80 that a very important saving can manifestly be effected by means of clamps, apart from the other important advantages which this mode of wintering bees possesses. The combs in all the colonies were clean and free from mould, and I c-^nld perceive no differ- ence in this particular between the hives which had their entrances and ventilating passages closed, and those in which the latter had been left oi^en, the pieces of old comb, even, having remained dry and free from mould. Satisiaciory proof was thus furnished that, where ihe temperature is moderate and uniform throughout, con- densation of moisture will not result from close confinement. Still, from various considerations, I would recommend ventilation in every hive ; and previous experience has taught me that bees will remain more tranquil during the Winter in hives duly venti- lated, than in such as are closed. A number of the colonies depoMted in my dark room were purposely confined without ven- tilation. Three of these became very restless, consumed a dis- proportionate amount of their stores, and very many of the bees perished. Precisely these three colonies, though still strong and healthy in the Spring, were yet the weakest of the whole lot, thou-h in as good condition as the others when removed from the Apiary in Autumn. Nothing similar occurred in the colonies which had even partial ventilation. •• Having thub. by these diversified experiments in wintering bees. arri\°ed at certain and satisfactory results, I shall never hereafter winter my movable colonies otherwise than in clamps. "Since the publication of my mode of wintering bees in clamps, some objections have been urged against it, which I shall briefly notice, before giving the results of my further experience in this matter. *' The expense of constructing the clamps has been alleged as an objection to the use of them. In my case, the cost of labor was simply the hire, for one day, of two men, who assisted me in pre- paring the area, carrying the hives thither, and arranging and enclosing them. The materials used, with the exception of the scantling, cost literally nothing, as any old boards can be made to serve the purpose, and the rushes, or straw, leaves, &c., em- ployed, are always worth their cost for litter. *' A second objection is, that rats and mice will be induced to collect and harbor in the clamps, if straw be used. I never use any but old straw, thoroughly divested of grain, and prefer using rushes when they can conveniently be procured. I have, how- ever, thus far, not been annoyed by rats or mice. " To show how very superior clamps are for wintering bees, in thin hives especially, I will state that one of my neighbors, whose hives are made of inch boards, and who invariably lost many bees, and frequently entire colonies, when he left them to winter, as he usually did, in his open Apiary, was induced by my success to place his hives in a clamp last Fall. . They were put in on the 11th of November, 1857, and remained undisturbed till the 29th of March, 1858. When opened, all the colonies proved to be in excellent condition, strong, and entirely free from mould or moisture. Never, in any previous season, had he been equally successful, nor had his bees ever before required or received so little personal attention from him. He was ' a doubting Thomas,^ when he saw me arranging my first clamp, but in now a thorough convert to the sy.stem, and declares that he will, in future, use no other mode, as he cannot conceive that a bette** could be devised. '* My ow*n colonies remained in the clamp from th« 13th of November to the 29th of March, 1858, and were perferiiv sound and hoaltny when I opened them. The earth under the outer mantle was still frozen, and had to be removed with a tioe. as in the previous year, thus showing that the bees were not afl-wsted by the prevalent mild weather. Long confinemeni had ^ot 300 THE HTVE AND HONEY-BEE. injured them in the least degree, because, reposing in a low and squable temperature, they had consumed proportionably littlo honey, and remained without excitement or disturbance during the whole period. I am now fully convinced that bees may remain confined in this manner during the most protracted Winter, not only without injury, but with positive benefit, as thev are altogether secure from the always detrimental, and frequently ruinous, effects of exposure to the vicissitudes of the weather in our variable climate. " To simplify the construction of the clamps, I made my last one longer and lower than the one I prepared the previous Fall; and I was thus able to apply the successive covers, or mantles, more easily and conveniently. I also dispensed with the chimney, and could thus close the top more regularly and perfectly, laying over the apex, boards weighted down with stones to keep them in place. I found no disadvantage resulting from discarding the chimney, as the ventilaling-tubes enabled me still to regulate the internal temperature, and give the bees a sufficient supply of fresh air. 1 also enlarged the air-chamber, makiag it three feet deep, as before, by only thirty inches broad, and lengthening it so as to extend the whole length of the interior diameter of the clamp. In every other respect, the construction remained the same. ;) When hives are wintered in a special repository, I should advise giving them upward ventilation. If they are in cellars or rooms, the upper cover may be entirely removed ; and, if put in clamps, then it may be fastened, as advised on page 338, and some air be allowed to enter at the lower part of the hive. In all the northom parts of this country, it is very obvious that those who moan to establish large Apiaries will have to so winter their bees, that they shall not be exposed to the usual atmospheric changes. What way precisely is the best can only be determined by careful and long-continued experiments. These otight not to be conducted so as to hazird too much in one venture. Fig. 71. Plate XXH \ WINTERING BEES. 861 Great loss is often incurred in replacing upon their Summer stands the stocks which have been kept in special depositories. Unless the day when they are put out U very favorable, many will be lost when they fly to dis- charge their faeces. In movable-comb hives, this risk can be greatly diminished, by removing the cover from the frames, and allowing the sun to shine directly upon the Ijees ; this will warm them up so quickly, that they will all discharge their faeces in a very short time.* After the stocks are placed on their Summer stands,! the precautions already described should be taken to strengthen feeble or impoverished colonies (p. 221). ♦ The following Is an extract from my journal : "Jan. 3l8t, 1857. — Removed the upper cover, exposing the bees to the full heat of the sun, the thermometer being 80*> In the shade, and the atmosphere calm. The hive standing on the sunny side of the house, the bees quickly took wing and discharged their fteces. Very few were lost on the snow, and nearly all that alighted on it took wing without being chilled. More bees were lost from other hives which were not opened, as few which left were able to return; while, in tho one with tho cover removed, the returning bees were able to alight at once amoug their warm companions." t Dzierzon advises placing them on their former stands, as many bees stiU rememb r the old spot. Mr. Quinby uses this time for equalizing the colonies, v be finds that, "being all wintered in r>«te room, their scent is so much allk tliat they mix together without cont«tiUuii. 16 W^v^ 362 THE HIVE AND HONEY- BEE. BEE-KEEPER S CALENDAR. S63 CHAPTER XXII. BEE-KEEPER'S CALENDAR BEE-KEEPER'S AXIOMS. Tins Chapter gives to the inexperienced bee-keci>er hrief directions for each month in the year,* and, by means of the full Alphabetical Index, all that is said on any toi)ic can easily be referred to. January.— In cold climates, bees are now usually in a state of repose. If the colonies have had proper attention in the Fall, nothing will ordinarily need to be done that will excite them to an injurious activity. In very cold climates, however, when a severe temperature is of long continuance, it will be necessary, unless the hives have thorough upward (p. 340) ventihition, to bring them into a waruT room (]>. 341), to thaw out the ice, remove the dampness, and allow the bees to get access to their sui>- plies. In January there are occasionally, even in very cold latitudes, days so plea^^ant that bees can liy out to discharge their f;eces ; do not confine them (p. 337), even if some^are lost on the snow. In this month clean the bottom-boards (p. 34 7), but disturb the bees as little as possible. See, also, tliat tliey are properly supplied with water (p. 344), as liealthy stocks have already begun to breed (p. 239). Feup.uaky.— This month is sometimes colder than Jnnuarv, and then tlie directions given for the previo is month "must be followed. In mild seasons, however, an J in warm reirions, bees begin to fly quite lively in February, and in some locations they gather pollen. The bottom- • PaUadiu^, who wrote on bees nearly 2,000 years ago. arranges hU remarks \» the furm of u monthly calendar. board should be again attended to, as soon as the bees are actively on the wing, and, if any hives are suspiciously light, sugar-candy (p. 272) should be given thtm. Strong colonies will now begin to breed considerably, but nothing ghould be done to excite them to premature activity. See that the bees are supplied with water (p. 344) March. — In our Northern States, the inhospitable reign of Winter still continues, and the directions given for the two previous months are applicable to this. If there should be a pleasant day, when bees are able to fly briskly, seize the opportunity to remove the covers (p. 361) ; carefully clean out the hives (p. 221), and learn the exact condition of every colony. See that your bees have water (p. 344), and are well supplied with rye-flour (p. 84). In this month, weak stocks commonly begin to breed, while strong ones increase quite rapidly. If the weather is favorable, colonies which have been kept in a special Winter depository, may now be put upon their proper stands (p. 361 ). As soon as severe Winter weather is over, it will be necessary to shut oflT all upward ventila- tion. Apkil. — Bees will ordinarily begin to gather much pollen in this month, and sometimes considerable honey. As brood is now very rapidly maturing, there is a largely increased demand for honey, and great care should be taken to prevent the bees from suffering for want of food. If the supplies are at all deficient, breeding will be checked, even if much of the brood does not perish, or the whole colony die of starvation. If the weather is pro- pitious, feeding to promote a more rapid increase of young (p 268) may now be commenced. Feeble colonies must now be reinforced (p. 221), and should the weather con- tinue cold for several days at a time, the bees ought to be supplied with water (p. 344) in their hives. In April, ^i^ ^^ ,,^^r^,3^-i.- 364: THK MIVK AND HONEY-BEE. BKE-KKEPER 8 CALENDAR. 365 if not before, the larva, of the bee-moth will begin to make their appearance, and should be carefully destroyed ^^m!y-As the weather becomes more genial, the increase of bees in the colonies is exceedingly rapid, and drones, if they have not previously made their appearance, begin to issue from the hives. In some locations the bees wiU now gather much honey, and it will often be advi.a^ ble to give them access to the spare honey receptacles ; but in some seasons and locations, either from long and cold storms, or a deficiency of forage, stocks not well sup. plied with honey will exhaust their stores, and perish, Less they are fed. In favorable seasons, swarms may be expected in this month, even in the Northern Staes. These May swarms often issue near the close of the bios- soming of ftuit-trees, and just before the later supplies of fora-e and if the weather becomes suddenly unfavorable, ma/starve, unless they are fed. Even if there is no dan- eer of this, they will make so little progress m comb- building and breeding, when food is scarce, as to be sur. passed by much later swarms. The Apiarian should have hives in readiness to receive new swarms, however early they may issue, or be formed. If new colonies are to be made by artificial processes, a seasonable supply ot queens (p. 188) should be reared. ^ June.— This is the great swarming month in all our Northern and Middle States. As bees keep up a high temperature in their hives, they are by no means so d^ pendent upon the weather for forwardness, as plants, and U most other insects necessarily are. I have had as early gwarms in Northern Massachusetts, as in the vicinity ot Pliiladelphia. • If natural swarms are wanted, the bee. should not be allowed tP occupy to. much «urpiuf fttorafo-room. If the Apiary is not carefully watched, the bee-keeper, after a short absence, should examine the neighboring bushes and trees, on some of which he will often find a Bwarm clustered, preparatory to their departure for a new home.* As fast as the surplus honey-receptacles are filied,f and the cells capped over, they should be removed, and empty ones put in their place. Careless bee-keepers often lose much, by neglecting to do this in season, thereby con- demning their colonies to a very unwilling idleness. The Apiarian will bear in mind, that all small swarms which come off late in this month, should be either aided, doubled, or returned to the mother-stock. With ray hives, the issue of such swarms may be prevented, by removing, in season, the supernumerary queen-cells. During all the swarming season, and, indeed, at all other times when young queens are being bred, the bee-keeper must ascer- tain seasonably, that the hives which contain them, suc- ceed in securing a fertile mother (p. 218). July. — In some seasons and districts, this is the great swarming month ; while in others, bees issuing so late, are of small account. In Northern Massachusetts, I have known swarms coming after the Fourth of July, to fill their hives, and make large quantities of surplus honey besides. In this month, all the choicest spare honey should be removed from the hives, before the delicate ♦ "As it may often be Important to know from which hive the swarm has issued, afler it has been hived and removed to its new stand, let a cup-full of bees be tiiken from it, and thrown into the air, near the Apiary; they will soon return to the parent-stock, and may easily bo recognized, by their standing at the entrance, and fannlnjr. like ventllatinsr bees."— Dzieuzon. In my hives, it will be easy, from the back ventilator, to decide whether a stock is full enough to swarm, or has reoeniiy swa< med, even when there is no glass f<»r observation. t Mr. Quinby informs me, that he succeeds in making bees fill a double tier of small boxes, by placing one set on the hive first; when they have partially filled these, he ,)uts the second set undsr the first. By making a hole in the top, as welJ vs ID the bottom of the box ^.Pl. XI , Fig. 24), this can easily be effected. 366 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. whiteness of the combs becomes soiled by the travel ol the bees, or the purity of the honey is impaired by an inferior article gathered later in the season. The bees should have a liberal allowance of air during all extremely hot weather, especially if they are in unpaint- ed hives, or stand in the sun. AuGUST.-In most regions, there is but little forage for bees during the latter part of July, and the first of August, and being, on this account, tempted to rob each other, the greatest precautions should be used m openmg Lives. In districts where buckwheat U extensively culti- vated bees will sometimes swarm when it comes into blossom, and in some seasons, extraordinary supplies are obtained from it. In 1 856, 1 had a buckwheat swarm aa late as the 16th of September ! If any colonies are so full of honey, that they have not room enough for raising brood, some of the combs should now be removed (p. 183). If the caps of the cells are carefully sliced off with a very sharp knife, and the combs laid over a vessel, in some moderately warm place, and turned once, most of the honey will drain out of them, and they may be returned to the bees, to be filled again. The bee-keeper who has quecnless stocks on hand in Au-ust, must expect, as the result of his ignorance or neglect, either to have them robbed by other colonies, or destroyed bv the moth (p. 246). SEFrKMitEi!.— This is oRen a very busy month with bees The Fall flowers come into blossom, and in some seasons, colonies which have hitherto amassed but little honey, become heavy, and even yield a surplus to then- owner Bees are quite reluctant to work in boxes, so late in the season, even if supplies are very abundant ; but if emptv combs are inserted in the place of full ones remove. , th-y will fill them with astomslung celerity. These full BEE-KKEPER S CALENDAR. 367 combs may afterwards be returned, if the bees have not a sufficient supply without them. If no Fall supplies abound, and any stocks are too light to winter with safety, then, in the Northern States, the latter part of this month is the proper time for feeding them. I have already stated (p. 274), that it is impossible to tell how much food a colony will require, to carry it safely through the "Winter ; it will be found, however, very unsafe to trust to a bare supply, for even if there is food enough, it may not always be readily accessible to the bees. Great caution will still be necessary to guard against robbing ; but if there are no feeble, quecnless, or impoverished stocks, the bees, unless tempted by un proper management, will seldom rob eacli other. Oci'OBEK. — Forage is now almost entirely exhausted in most localities, and colonies which are too light should either be fed, or have surplus honey from other stocks given to them, early this month. The exact condition of every stock should now be known, at the latest, and, if any are quecnless, they should be broken up. Small colonies ought to be united, and all the hives put into proper condition for wintering. Some full honey-combs should be put in the centre of the hive, and holes, for easy intercommunication, made in the combs (p. 387) ; and, if the hives have a winter-passage, bees should now be accustomed to use it (p. 338). By the last of this month, the glass hives should be i)acked between their outer cases and the glass, with cotton waste, moss, or any warm material. NovKMitKR.— T take for granted that all necessary pre- parations for Winter have, in our Northern States, been completed by the last of the previous month. If, how- ever the bee-keeper has been prevented from examining his stocks, he may, on warm days, hi November, safely 1^ 36^ THE HIVK AND HONEY-BEE. BEK-KEKPER 8 AXIOMS. .^69 perform all necessary operations, the feeding with liquid honey excepted. The entrances to the hives must now be secured agamst mice, and it will be well to give the roofs a new coat of paint. K the hives are to be exposed to the sun, no color is so good as a pure white ; but, if they are set under the shade of trees (p. 280), a dark color will do them no harm, in the hottest weather, while early in the season, before the leaves are expanded, by absorbing instead of reflecting the heat, it will prove highly advantageous to the bees. By the latter part of November, in our Northern States, Winter usually sets hi, and colonies which are to be kept in a special Winter depository, should be properly housed. The later in the season that the bees are able to fly out and discharge their fajces, the better. The bee- keeper must regulate the time of housing his bees by the season and climate, being careful neither to take them in until cold weather appears to be fairly established, nor to leave them out too late. If colonies are carried in too early, and quite warm weather succeeds the first cold, it may be advisable to replace them on their Summer st'vnds. As soon as freezing weather sets in, the colonies stand- ing in the open air must have upward ventilation (p. 338). December.— Ill regions where it is advisable to house bees, the dreary reign of Winter is now fairly established, and the directions given for January are for the most part equally applicable to this month. It may be well, in hives out of doors, to remove the dend bees and othei refuse from the bottom-boards ; but, neither in this month nor at any other time should this be attempted with those removed tq a dark and protected place. Such colomet • If the bees are wlntcre.l on Mr. SchoUz's plan, It will aelther be possible aoi desirable to replace them on their Sumimr «tiind» mast not, except under the pressure of some urgent necessity, be disturbed in the very least. I recommend to the inexperienced bee-keeper to read this synopsis of monthly management, again and again, and to be sure that he fully understands and punctually discharges the appropriate duties of each month, neglect- ing nothing, and procrastinating nothing to a more con- venient season ; for, while bees do not require a largo amount of attention, in proportion to the profits yielded by them, they must have it at the proper time and in the right way. Those who complain of their unprofitable- ness, are often as much to blame as a farmer who neglects to take care of his stock, or to gather his crops, and then denounces his employment as yielding only a scanty return on a large investment of capital and labor bee-keeper's axioms. There are a few first principles in bee-keeping which ought to be as familiar to the Apiaiian as the letters of his alphabet : l8t. Bees gorged with honey never volunteer an attack. 2nd. Bees may always be made peaceable by inducing them to accept of liquid sweets. 3rd. Bees, when frightened by smoke or by drumming on their hives, fill themselves with honey and lose all dis- position to sting, unless they are hurt. 4th. Bees dislike any quick movements about their hives, especially any motion which Jar^ their combs. 6th. Bees dislike the oflensive odor of sweaty animals, and will not endure impure air from human lungs. 6th. Tiie bee-keeper will ordinarily derive all his profits from stocks, strong and healthy, in early Spring. 7th. In districts where forage is abundant only for a 16* » 1 i^i '370 THE HIVE AND HONKY-BER. Short period, the largest yield of honey will be secured by a very moderate increase of stocks. 8th A moderate increase of colonies in any one season, will, in the long run, prove to be the easiest, safest, and cheapest mode of managing bees. 9th. Queenless colonies, unless supplied with a quecm, will inevitably dwindle away, or be destroyed by the bee-moth, or by robber-bees. 10th The formation of new colonies should ordmarily be confined to the season when bees are accumulating honey ; and if this, or any other operation must be per- formed, when forage is scarce, the greatest precautions should be used to prevent robbing. ^ ^ The essence of all profitable bee-keeping is contamed in Oettl's Golden Rule: keep your stocks strong (p. 303). V vou cannot succeed in doing this, the more money you invest in bees, the heavier will be your losses ; while it your stocks are strong, you will show that you are a hee^ master, as well as a bee-keeper, and may safely calculate ou generous returns from your industrious subjc cts. EXPLANATION OF PLATES OF HIVES. DKscRipnoN OF Wood-Cuts of the various Styles of Movable-Comb Hives, with Biu-s of Stock for making them. All the ensravings,* except those which are in perspective, are on the scale of 1 \ inches to the foot, so that every \ of an inch is an inch in a hive of full size. The thickness of stock used, is mostly iths of an inch — inch boards, when planed, being usually of that thickness — but the measurements can be easily varied, to suit any required dimensions. In making a lot of hives (sec p. 332), the small pieces, which otherwise would be refuse, should be used for the frames. Good stock will prove much the cheapest in the end. Those not accustomed to longitudinal and cross sections, will be greatly assisted by the perspective views. In the longitudinal sections, the hive is represented as sawed in two, from front to rear, and in the cross sections, from side to side. All the parta supposed to be cut by the saw, are marked by cross lines ; the parts which, though not cut, would be seen after the cutting, are also represented. Any measurement may be verified, by applying an accurate rule to the sections. The reader will bear in mind, that those only who have pur- chased the patent right — Ministers of the Gospel excepted— can legally use these hives. For terms, see p. 391. Figs. 1, 2, and 3, page 24. Hive No. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hive of the simplest form, the • since the puhlicntlon of the second edition— for which most of these plateg wer* entn'ftvud — aonie chanjfes have been made In the construction of the hives, all of whirh arc f\\\\j noted In the bills of stock, though not, In all casca, shown In th« plutoc. 372 EXPLANATION OT PLATES. EXPLAJTATION OF PLATES. 8T3 -i cover being removed, to show one of the frames. Fig. 2 is a ver tical longitudinal section, and Fig. 3, a vertical cro«s section of the same ,ii"^si"yl" (c) Ih] Two pieces, front and rear of hive, 1 4| x 8^ x t . (c) ^ ' ■, f ii,.o iQl"vin"xl" with outside lower Two pieces, sides of hive, 19| x lo x-j , «■»» ed..es beveled ofT-when a movable bottom-board is used-tc avoid crushing bees, or giving lurking-places '» '"Oths or worm. When the bottom-board is fixed in the hive, "'« f .a s jhouIJ be 19i"xl(lV'xl", and the bottom-board 2oi x 14^ xt . clamped on the uilr side. If another hive of the -- '"-J - put on the first, for surplus honey, as in Fig. .6 p^ 48 , ^ 'e n.ay be made through this bottom-board, as directed for Hive No 2. (d) Two pieces, strips on upper part of -^^ J-^'-f rear formin" rabbels for the frames to rest upon, 15^ x 1^ x* . rear. lormin „.i-^,8"xr This should be tonguod If) Movable cover, 25^ x IS xf • » »"• and grooved together, and may also be rain-grooved, as shown for the t'op of the hive in Fig. 23 (p. 96). The gram of the wood . i- f_„„( tn 1-flnr I") Two pieces, clamps on Bhould run irom front to rear. U) '* w ' <• ,.„r I«"x2"xi" The front and rear (ft) under side of cover, 18 xJ x*- ' fl„«i, with of the hive .hould be nailed between (he sides (c), &v^.h with 1 r ends, but with the upper edges of (6) |" below the upper ed'es of ( ). Some may prefer that the grain ot the wood, bo-h o^lhe bottom-board and cover, should run from side to stde, instead of from front to rear Movable Comb-Frames. Fig.. 1, 4, and 22, pages 20, 24, 88. (0 Two pieces, top, 19V' 1" ^^"' ^^r"' '^''^L^'L J Fnds or vertical pieces,' two pieces, Sf" x ^ ' x ^ («) One cf il ular-top comb-guide. .6 J" x i" x J" X i". This shouM belled I the top of the frame, centrally wUh regard to its .The tr,.n„aar pleoe^ reprc.med In .any of l^^''^ll^^^^;Z;Z the end. Intended. I re.um to the .hape -'f f '^;'^^"';^,,7: ~/:^,^e,ui which was 8«tiicstca f : lru.1, m ulsu U.scura^J, Mr. tur> s mclho (i foucL betur. width and leiigili, and the frame may be stiffened uy driving on* nail through each end into it. If comb is used for guides (pp 72, 130), or the other devices for securing straight comb succeed, these triangular guides may be dispensed with. Double Movable Comb-Frames. Fig. 73, Plate X., page 96. This frame is made up of the same parts as two single frames, a.ffering from them only by having their end pieces in common, which are 8|"x2i"xi". In putting this frame together, if tlie triangular guides are used, they are first to be nailed, as in the single frames, cei»trally to the top pieces ; each top piece, when nailed to the end pieces, projects over their edges a sixteenth of an inch, and the bottom pieces come flush with the edges of the end pieces. As one side of a comb is usually a fac simile of the other, these double frames, which are proposed for trial, may answer a valu- end, in connection with the single ones. They rest very firmly on the rabbets, and are easily adjusted and handled. All the parts of the movable frames should be cut out by cir. cular saws (p. 332), and the measurements should be exact, so that the frames when nailed together may be square. If they are not strong and perfectly square, the proper working of the hive will be greatly interfered with. Ten single, or five double frames, equally distant from each other, are placed in the lower hive, and nine single frames, or four double frames and one single one. may be placed in the upper hive, for surplus honey. Comb-Guides. Fig. 72, Plate VI., page 48. This figure shows the form of a metallic stamp, invented by Mr. Wehrlng, of Bavaria, (Germany, for printing or stamping the foundations of the combs upon the under side of the frames. After the outlines are made, he rubs melted wax over them, and scrapes off all that does not sink into the depressions. Mr. Wehr in- represents this device as enabling him to dispense with guide- cm.bs, the bees appearing to be delighted to have their work thus accurately sketched out for them. In practice it is found to be iulcrior to the triangular comb guides. Mr. R. Colvin has m- • Ki I I S74 EXPLANATION OF PLATES, v^^nted a device^ for securing the combs not merely straight, but of umform thickness. It will be tested on a large scale, this season (1860), and the results given to the public. In tliose instances in which it has been tried, it has succeeded admirably. Gage-Block for fastening the movable frames together. Figs. 6, 7, and 8, page 24. Fig. 6 is a view of the front of this block, Fig. 8 a view of the back, and Fig. 7 is a cross-section. (a) Foundation board. 21 J" x 9|" x |". (h h) Guides, for sides (u xi) of frames, fastened to (a), equally distant from its ends, and go as to leave 171" between (h 6), and k" from upper edge of (a) to ends of (hh). [c c) Buttons for holding sides of frames (un), aoainst (hh), G^'x H"x J". (//) Guides in which the top tri- angular comb-guide is placed, in order to have the top strip 10 nailed thereto; each piece (/) is 21i"x2"xr, and they are beveled from one edge, back ^'\ and are then fastened to (a), forming- a trianuular groove, each s^de of which is I". Two tn- an-ular pieces, i"xrxr'x2r, are fastened (Fig. 6) at each end of the groove, (g) Guide-strip, i"xA"xl9^;^ ^^^^^^^ |;> (/) i" fro"^ i^s beveled edge, (h) Guide-strip, i'^x^V'^^' » fixed on and across the pieces (//), \" from their ends. To nail the frames together, put the triangular comb-guide (v) in the groove formed by the pieces (//) : place the piece (0 on the top of [u). and against the guides (g) and (h). and nail it to [n) with two brads each about 2" from the end. Proceed in this way until all the triangular guides are nailed to the top strips. Now turn over the gage-block and secure the vertical pie.-ies (« u) against the guides \hh), by the buttons (cc). and nail the bottom (0 to (u u)- ^'^^^ *^'« ^^^^ ""^ ^^"^^ ^^^' '^"^'^ *^® "''"'' ^^^^^' ^"^ ^^''''*' the top of the frame (/), whi-b has before been nailed to the guide • Thli device it fubgUntially tho same with the ^nc alluded lo on p. 208 ; tf r OoWin •, how«v«r, •»•» la vented before mine. EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 375 (tt), in its proper position, and nail it to (um) with two biads in each end. Fig. 10, page 28 shows the arrangement of the circular saw to cut the triangular comb-guides. The first piece cut is waste ; as fast as a guide is sawed, the iece from which it is cut must be turned over, end for end.* Surplus Honey Box. Fig. 24, page 120. Top and bottom, two pieces, \" x 6" x 51". Bore in the centre of the bottom, with If" centre-bit, ^" dvicp from the outside of the box, and then bore through with U" bit. Sides, two pieces, i"x5i"wide X 5" high. Ends, glass, two pieces, 5" x 6", cut from glass 10"xl2". A block, 5^" x 5" x 5*", wiH be found very convenient to nail the boxes together upon. Movable Stool for Hives. Figs. 16 and 17, page 44. Two pieces for uprights, or legs ; rear leg 7" wide, front leg 5" wide, both 20" xT. Take two pieces, 32"xirxr, and nail them to the top edge of the rear leg, fiush with its ends, and pro- jecting beyond it 4" ; nail them also to the front leg in the same way, but let them project 9". Then brace the legs and top strips, as shown in the figure. Hive No. 1. and any of the forms of Hive No. 2. will sit upon this stool, between the top strips; cotton cloth (p. 279) is tacked to the alighting board, and to the longest ends of the top strips. Hive No. 5, also sits upon this stool, tho top strips going between the clamps on the bottom of the hive. tlive No. 4 must be set upon the strips of this stool. Movable Blocks for Entrance-Regulators, f Figs. 11, 16. 17, and 18, pages 28, 44, and 48. Fig. 11 is a right-angled triangle, l" thick x4"x5|"x7. Tn the bottom, grooves are cut *" deep X ^" wide, as traps for the larvaj of the bee-moth. Two of these blocks, made right and • To save bevelinp the flrgt edge of the board by hand, the edpe of the anpnlar bed on the saw bench should be placed against the jrape, with the saw passinf throngh it. Instead of a) Two pieces, front and rear of upper part of box cover, 17^' x 8|" x i" ; these pieces aro nailed between the sides, (q) Two pieces, sides of upper part of box cover, 24rx8|"xi". (r) Two pieces, front and rear of lower part of box cover. \7k"x5"xi". (s) Two pieces, sides of lower part of box cover, 24i"x5"xi". (iv) Four pieces, 2" X 1" X I", buttons for holding the upper to the lower part of the cover, to which they are nailed ; the upper inside part of the but- tons is beveled off*, to allow the upper part of the cover to set down readily on the lower part. The side pieces, (q) and (5), must be halved across the ends, to receive the front and rear; the upper and the lower parts of the box cover may be halved where they join, as shown in Hive No. 4. Fig. 23, p. 96. A ventilator for the top cover should be made by boring a num- ber of I" holes in the rear piece, as close as convenient to the roof; this ventilator may be opened and closed by means of the arrangement shown in the drawing opposite page 13. Upper or Winter Entrance. Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 17, pages 20 and 44. In all the Hires No. 2, a winter entrance for the bees may be made to open upon the portico roof for an alighting-board ; gage from the uppv3r side of the piece, forming the front rabbet, where the frames rest, 1" and U", and then mortise a slot through, 3" ( long, in the centre ot the length of the piece, between i\ e gage marks, and slanting upwards, so that the lower side of the slot will come even with the top of the piece on which the frames rest. This entrance has been found on trial to be very important where bees are wintered in the open air. The lower entrance should be closed in winter. Hive No. 3, Observing-Hive (p. 332). Figs. 14 and 15, page 36. Fig. 14, is a side view, and Fig. 15. a vertical cross-section. (a) Base-board, 24f"x4i"xi". An entrance-hole, |", is bored 3^ inches deep into the end of (a), and two holes are bored in its centre, ^" in diameter and H" from centre to centre, the wood being cut out between them, (b) Bottom of hive, 2i" x 1 8|" x J" ; make a rabbet at both upper corners, I" on x^" deep; start a I" hole, 1" from the end, and bore slanting, to meet entrance-hole in (a), and make a hole in the centre to match centre hole in (a), for a ventilator, and cover with wire-gauze on the inside, (c) Front and rear of hive, 1 1" x 2i" x lOj" ; rabbet the inner corners, up and down, i"x|": make a ventilator in each piece, like the one in (a) ; |" from the upper ends, cut in \" ; and -I" from the lower end, cut in i". (d) Side strips, |" x l" x 20|" ; on one cor- ner of each, rabbet on, i", and in, i" for the glass, (e) Movable cover, 21|"x4i"xi"; holes may be made in this cover, as in Fig 21, over wliich glass receptacles for honey may be placed. (/) Glass, two panes, 9i"x 18i". (g) Alighting-board, 4^x4^ X i". (h) Clamps on base-board, 4^" x 2" x K'. (i and;*) Clamps on cover, and ledges on hive, four pieces, 4i"x J"x}". Hive No. 4, Double-story Glass Hive. Figs. 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, pages 48, 68, 88, and 96. This and the following hive are not intended for general use in the Apiary, but for those who want one or more elegant hives. Fig. 19 is a perspective view with the cover down. Fig. 20 is a perspective view with the cover elevated, so as to show the working of the bees, both in the main hive and the upper honey- box. Fig. 21 is a plan of the lower part of the hive, showing the •urplus honey- board in place, and the holes made in it to allo^ 382 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. ..e.ee,to pa. up into t.e ^^^ J^Z:'^TZ^'^^ board, rce.ptacle« of g^a.. or -d IXL), instead of the - (-«>-;;- 7:t.Lt!itudin:. section, and F... .3 upper box. F.g. 22 .« ^^ ^^^ „^ f„„r s.de., for („) Main bottom of »;'^"'' J""-" „ ,« (g) Rabbeted strip, (fc) Outer* bottom ofluve. 27 i >< "^ *^ J ^..j t^-o pieces, for outer bottom, two p.eees, 295 '^ **;„,,, ^ase of hive, 0..C rabbet in upper outer eorner of -^^J'/j Jj^, ,4 j- , j" ; rear. 41" x 205" x J . W S"»e'' «' p; 20), two t^e -e - front ana rear for ^ rrn^ot^th. ,^^^ ^^^ pieces, 31i" long xj thick, 4t ^^„ j^^^, ai 4i" from the other end, v*here a notch '«<:"• ^„ j„ X 4" long. (/) I^-f/J.t'^r';rBld""^-.hiLVe. ,U.e. in rear, and *" t;-'^ ir^-^^" JfVfl posts of lower hive, pass into the h.ve 144 X4 X* . , ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^.^^ two pieces, 9i •-"= ^;,„^5; ,Vh ,enon, rxl"xJ",on one two pieces, 10" long Xll x*.^^' Wcr hive, on which the end. 0) Front and rear ^'"r/,;,,^; ^^h rabbet, J" X I". f,ames ^^^^^.^^.^^^l'^^,^ from' upper side. W Side and notch, i X i , cui ai ca oi»"xl"x j", >^ Hh notch, .trips from post to post, ^^^^^^^I each etd. (/) Spare V-deep >^^\^'l^;^';l I'L, -^ out with a v^hen not in use are covered -'^^ p'^^^ ^. , i,,es of glass p„.,eh -, they may be bored r'-"' -;^ ^^^^^^ ^, J,,^ el" x 20l- or wood. ("•) F-";;n :;" °! '::roth «pper and lower edges X,", rabbets Fig. ^^[j^/^J^ ,^.„ i.^cs, 27 i" from front l« („) Sides of lower 1"^^^ »f'=";';f' \ „!^ f„, ,,„pe of these pieces, rear X 61" x 1", -Uh rabbets I'i >^ " ' " ' ,, .TM, outer t.oUo. .»r t.e '"^--t^It" InTun'.r and from*.U -d^ EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 383 ftee Fi2. 20. (t^) Front and rear of upper part of cover, one piece, 5|'x20j"xi"/and one piece, 13^" x 203" x i". (p) Sides of upper part of cover, two pieces, each 5|" and 13^" x iTi" x j , with rabbets, ^" x ^," ; for shape, see Fig 20. (q) Top of cover, tonciied and grooved from front to rear, and rain-grooved on top (Figs. 19 and 23), 24 J" X 30g" X J", (r) Honey-box cover, 2 H" xlOfxl". (s) Clamps for honey-box cover, two pieces, 21 J" X i" X J". ( 2.) Trianiiuiar checks to hold the cover when elevated, (wo pieces, 1 1" x U" x 2i" x |". (3.) Four buttons, U"x2"xi''. {w) Tests of surplus honey-box, four pieces, l|"x8S"x J", (x) Front and rear bottom-strips of honey-box, two pieces, U"xl5i" X S". (y) Side-bottom strips of honey-box, two pieces, 21 1" x i" X3": (x) and (?/) are halved together at ends. (2) Front, rear, and side top pieces of honey-box, made up of two strips, 1 J"y |" X 173", two strips, If'x 8"x213", halved together at ends; and twostrips, 178"xr'x3",twostrips, 19rxi"x|". (4.) Clamps for spare honey-board, two pieces, 2ir'xJ"xj". Glass, two pieces 14x9, four pieces 18x9, and two pieces 14x8, for the double glass of lower hive : two pieces 18x8, and two pieces 14x8, for the spare honey-box. Ilivo No. 5, Single-story Glass Hive, as made by Mr. Colvin, see drawing on page 389 See perspective on page 13; also the Figures referred to in Ilive No. 4. (a) Bottom-hoard, J" thick x 25" lengthwise, and 30.^' across the grain of the wood, in two pieces only, tongued and grooved together, and rabbeted on under side of ends yV" on, x yV deep, fonning tongues on ends at top edge yV x y^g", which are let into Bides, (t/) Fro7it and rear ends of case, bottom part ; frmt, one piece, 25;-" X 9 J" x \'\ cut out from centre of length on lower edge,' 14 i" x l"; rabbet top outside of edge VV" ^ ^tV; ^^«^ 25I" X 3.V' X J", rabbet outside edge at top yV x yV, antl cut out from centre of length same as front, (c) Side^ of case, lower p:\rt, two pieces, 36.}" x 11^" wide, at 4 \\' back from front end X J" thick and 3 J" wide at the other end; at the wide end, where slant terminates, cut out for roof of portico, 1,V' x ^h'\ *"^ rabbet the outside of slant edge, yV x ^" ; cut a groove yV up from bottom edge, inside. y»," x -^^' the whole Icr gth of sides, ta ( ii EXPLANATION OF PLATE3. 384 le- in tongued ends of bottom;* rabbet back end in^i^e. ^^X up "om bottom edge to top edge, ,V *eep x ?" on to let m ba* end • 41" back from front end, P." up from bottom edge cut groove X- deep X V wide to top edge, to let in front; for shape of «. (I) and ( P), see Fig. 20, p. 48. Poriko roof, one piece, 27 x 5, X irbevel from f", at front edge, back /." on top B.de to ful thicVness, and round the front edge f-m the "pPe^ ^l, ; Cover of passage-way into hive, one piece, Uf x 6 x let inio front posi i-'fuU thickness, i up from bottom ends; bore four hTles rdlected in (0, in the centre of its width, the centre of r^n^ lis being^r f- the ends -space Uie others e,u.^ between, {h) Front posts, two pieces, 1x9, x b . W posts, two pieces, J" >< 0 I". 6" -i^e at bottom -d ^ J J^'J^ slope commencing 31" up from bottom ends of posts, and made "oL" in form; these posts are fastened to the case by screws p^rg Lough the front and back end boards of it into their LTe % are no. mortised into the bottom-board but res on it; in each pos^ T "P from bottom end, cut a groove } 'locp, , w de, entirely acroi their width (C"), to let in covers of '[^J'^-^^ and "back ventilator;" also mortise, in one edge, I up Jom bot. L end r wide x J' long x i' deep, for bottom ran of sides of "imber." W R^^r an, front top raiU of ■' be-liamber • ^a 1^1- X 13" X !"• rabbet one edge I" wide x | deep, IQ" X r X ?"; tenon on ends J long x a x c i" ^«"^ ^ w ILhoneybo^rd, r x 2ir x 151", the grain of the wood U, run c rsswise of th: board, which is to have clamps, tongued and /rooved against the end of the grain, and form part of the above Smensions- 9 holes are to be bored for surplus honey-boxe ; they i firbo'red y deep, with IJ" centre-bi, and then though with U" bit; these holes are arranged m three rows, one in he rele, and tlie others 21" from the side edges of -ne board, the . Tho ..de. are U«.n.n»d U> M<««.b™.rd. wah four nail. »-», on. <•- -^ 'W. "Tl again. Sliding in lb. groove, in Ih. .idc.. which pr.ront iU «T..a«. EXPLANATION OP PLATES. 385 front and back end holes of each row being SJ" from the ends, (m) Front and rear of case, middle 'part* ivio pieces, 9J"X 25^" X J"; rabbet out -{'q" X ^^" on inside of lower edges, and same on outside of upper edges, (ii) Sides of case, middle part, two pieces (for shape of these, see Fig. 20, p. 48), 32^" long X ^y wide (measuring on a straight line from front to rear of case for length, and square across this section for width) ; rabbet out inside lower edges and outside upper edges, same as ends ; also rabbet ■{'q" in X J' on, inside ends, to let in end pieces, (o) Front and rear of case, upper part, front. 25}" X 7 J" X J" ; rear, 25}" X 14" X J" ; rabbet out inside lower edges, |'g" X j'^r". (p) Sides of case, upper part, 32 J" long X 14" wide at back end, and 7 J wide at front end X J"; rabbet inside loweredges, ^'g" X ^Y\ and inside at ends, jY' in X J" on, to let in ends (for shape see Fig. 20, p. 48). (q) Top of upper part of case, five pieces, of equal width and length, form- ing together 30" X 36" X J", tongued and grooved together, and rain-groovedt (see Fig. 23, p. 72). Collateral side honey-boards, for surplus honey-glasses, two pieces, 30}" X 4}" X y ; bore six holes, as directed in (/), in the centre of width, the end ones 2" from ends, and the rest equally spaced between.}: Collateral rear honey-board, for surplus honey-glasses, same as covered passage- way into hive, let into posts, and perforated with holes, as in (/). Cleats for under side of collateral side honey-boards, six pieces, 4^" X y X y\ one of which is nailed under each end, and one under the middle of each side honey-board. Collateral front honey- board, one piece, 15 J" X 6^" X J", clamped across the ends, same as (/), and bore holes same as {g} ; frames may be hung in the space under this honey-board, and glasses on it, or the glasses may be placed instead of frames (as preferred) to receive the surplus honey ; two pieces, 6" X |" X j ", are nailed on outer edges of tops of front posts, {h), to form rabbets for frames. Triangu- ♦The middle part need nt»t be made, unless the hive is intended to be used with two stories, as in Hive No. 4. t By increasing tho width and length of this top so as to project 4)^ in. orer sides, and placing turned "drops" or other ornaments under the eave, it may be, at small cost, made highly ornamental. See drawing on page — . % When it is desired to close the opening under side-rails of bee chamber, turn the collateral side honey-boards upside down. 17 386 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. lar checks to hold the case when etevntcl.X'^o pieces, 3 long XI } X 1" at one cna. am\ J" X ,.,' «t the other. Guides on oiUsnle of Je (see Fi". I'.'. P- 481. fo..r pieces. H" X 2" X }". Cover to up- case (ste 1 1^. • . i i „,„ ^ i " y a" hiiiK' on buttons perveiUHator of case, one pane, 24 XI X „ lu n„ on « ^ «itl. screws ; this ventilator is n.ade by bonnj? holes about J .a .lii.meter in the rear of upper part of case, f below (q). No 2 Box Hive, as m.ide by Mr. Colvin. see drawing on page 3'JO, with box-cover and observingglass in rear end. Tiotlom (in two pieces only, plowed and grooved together, the ,.W;;:r:oodn!nningaorUtl.hive,.2tr'XUr'xn^^^^^^^^^^ Lrossundcrsideofe..ds,V'on,,»,"in.fornnngtong«e.,« X,e on upper side of ends, which are let into groove u. s.des. ^de.,V.o „ oce. 24r' X lot" X J", cut out from front end on t..p edg.>, 4 . l"' d;;... for port"co roof ; on inside. ,'/' up from bottom edge cnt u'-roove ,V" X v'o" »!'« ''"'i^^ ''•'"-'^*'' '" ^'<=''''-' *""'''"' "" I \ bJard ; 4" buck fton. front end, from 1 J" »P ^o™ bottom edge, cu a 0. ve ,V" X J" to within r' <>f «>>e top edge to let .n Iront ; ^Uriide^are nailed '■',!"';'"- --.-,1? 'i!:^''^:^^:^ :dI:e'S:U 2r'to Si thLun^:; rfronTe;;'';.:.!..! from upper ° , 1 II" ^ ki" X V let into sules ,v at siele Front, one piece, UJ X ttj x 4 . let lu i; eml. OUeL,.r 3D D3 XL -•••- A. Adobe, for hivefi, 331 (note 2). Advnntages required iu complete hives, 95-108. Adventure, amusing, in Hejtrch of honey, 254. Attcr-swarminK, 120; cause? and indi- CJitioii8 of, 12' ; «a"ily prevented in niov. c liivf'S, 12 4, 14<»; eviU of, 140; autlior'ri mode of obviating evils of, l»ef<»re invention of mov. conili hive, 140 (note); excessive, exposes stock to liee-motii, 243. After-swjirm<», easily strengthened in move. cee, 59 (n«tte); signs of old, 59; ees,S9; pure, neces- sary for lieallh of man, 91 ; alitin8. Air-tight stoves, deficient In ventila- tion, 92. Aligliting-b<»ard, should shelter from wind and wet, 103; improved by at- taching muslin, 279 (note): 1*1. V., Kijrs. IT), 17. Alsike, or Swedish white clover, 294; value (if, for l>ees and stock. 2'.>5. Amencan women, their sufferings from bad Ventilation. 92. Anulysitf uf royal jelly, 64. Anger of bees, 308-314 ; difflrnlt to re- press, when once arf>used, 170 ; excited by tlie human breath, quick motions, or jarnuii, 170; and .sometnnes by smoke, lti8 (note); should not be vio- lently repelled, 170; occasioneil by dist'ase, 2')6 (note); never necessary to |»rovoke a colony t(», 30L» ; when provoketi t(», terribly vindictive, 310; of dyspeptic bees, troubb-some, 310; bee-iiat, a protection from, 310; Ihit- ler's directions h<»w to pievent the rising of, 311 ; warm breath provokes, 311 (note 2); when excited, how to act, 311 ; never excite«l away fr«»m home. 312; exciteis»)n, 314; an»l by rough and hairy sub- stances, 317. Ants, white, their fecundity, 32; some- times injure bees, 2.'»5 ; small, harm- less, 255 (note); extravagantly fond of honey, 2S7. Aphides, singular n>ode of propagation of, 42; description of, 285; cause of h<»ney-dew, 285. Apiarians, see Hee-keepers. .\piaries. must be cIo>eIy watched in swarniing-season, 143; large, rendereil ditficnit by natural swarming, 145; danger of cidwd<'d, 21 4 ; stocking, ^c, 27'.>-2S4: in establishing, a knowIedv:e of the Imnev resources <»f !he locality important, 279 (and n<>te 1 ); should be prol«'cted from high winds, and from rattle, and sweaty horses, 279 (note 2); shoubl be in sight of occupietl riHinis, 279; proper exposnre for 2"9; coverf-d, olijectional'le. 2SO; shaded, agreeable to bees. 2S0; location of, how t(» change. 280; procuiing bees for,2Ste); described tlie Italian bee, 318. Artificial lion(\v, recipe for, 276 (note). Artificial roaring of qneons, 188; tlio process to be performed late in the day, 188 ; honey and water to be snp- pli'ed to bees in, 18J ; when to confine bees in, 18'J. Artificial swarniing, 143.211; not per- formed by C«»lMmelIa, 1-47 (note); ill success of ancient niethod of, 148; lliiber's plan of, objectionable, 148; by dividing hives, unsatisfactory, 149; by removing full hives and substituting empty ones, wctrse, loO, lol; by nelf- coionizing hives, ineffectual, 151; causes ol failure of, ir)2 ; has received great attention from author, 153; mode of, adapted to common hives, 154; cautious handling of combs in, neeilful, 155 (and notej ; how to pre- vent bees in, from returning to old Htand, 156, 157 ; not t<» be performed till drones appear, 158; tokens of the ab>ence or presence of the cpieen in, 158; how to proceed if the queen is absent, 15'.) ; if done in morning or late in afternoon, how to pr<»c«'e; new and dt+coy-hive should re- sendde that of parent stock, or adjoin- ing hiVes be covered, 160; mode of, by oxchamjing hives, 16(); by juxtaposi- tion, 161 ; by confining bees in parent stock, 161 ; preterablc plan when to be done; on a large scale, 162 ; rapidity of this plan, 162 (note); its advantaties, 16:i; Dr. Donhoff's method of, Iti:}; how to attach l>ees to new places, in, 163 (note); difficult f«)r persons igno- rant of the laws which control the breeding of bees, 164; easily per- formed with mov. comb hive, 161; mode <»f performing it, l'W»; queen to be sought for, 166; Kupply of sealed queens provided ft)r, 166; great care necessary in transferring sealed queens, 167; should not be attempted in cool weather, or when dai k, 167; early morning best time for, 167; little danger attendinir, 167. 1«')S; per- f»'ctly sale even at mid-day. 16H ; sug.ar- wat'M- often better than siintke, useful in. 16S; honey-water objectionable, 160 (note); caution in, eigoined, 17y, 1S5 ; Dzierzou's mode of, 186; author's mode of, for single apiaries, 1S6 ; mode of, resembling natural swarming, 186; mode of, by reversing position (d hives, 187 ; how to provide a full supply of queens for, 188; nucleus for rearing queens for, I8i^; rapid increase of stocks by, 190; how to indue*! bees, in, to rear queens on convenient parts of the coml), 191 ; h*)W to secure ad- hering bees for the nuclei in, 192 (and note 2); queens, in, made to supply several stocks with eggs, 193; moth- er-stocks, in, should be kept strong, 199; most successful when forage is aiiuudant, 199; hazardous in a crowd- ed apiary, 200; how to supply stocks, in, with stranger-queens, 200; queen- cage for, 201 ; uiiion of bees of differ- ent stocks in, 203; practiced in an- cient times, 210. Artificial swarms, where should be put, 158; how to know whether they have a queen, 158; will accept a strange queen, 159 (note); cautions to be ob- served in locating, 159; how to make, by slightly changing position of par- ent stock, 161; iiow to form several with one natural swarm, 16:i ; quickly made in mov. comb hive, 164, 173; when to force, in cases of retarded swarming, 174; cannot be formed by merely transferring combs and bees into an empty hive, 175; caution against too rapid multiplication of, 175 (note); the piling mode of form- ing, its ailvantages, 188; not to be in- creased so as to reduce the strcMigth of the mother-stock, 199; attempts a^ rapid increase of, in vicinity of sugar- hour. Harris's account of, 22S ; to distinguish female of, from male, 229; cut of female and male, 230; nocturnal, 230; interesting ex- I)eriment with female, 2.30 (note 2); agility of, 2;J0 (and note 3); eggs of, biid in the cracks of the hive, Ac, 231, 235; out of gallery of, 2iJ2; cocoons of, in empty comi»s, 233 (and PI. XIX., J»'ig. 56); female will deposit «'ggs on pressure, 234 (note 2); condition of a iiive destroyed by, 235 ( and PI. XX., Fig. 57); did not appear simultan**- ously in this country with the bee, 236; multiplied by the use of patent hives, 237, 241; movable frames a remedy for the evils of, 239, 241 ; first appearance noted, 240; rapid spread of, in Ohio, 241 ; commoidy infest old Ptockn, 251 (note); eggs of, deposited on uncovered combs in weak stocks, 242; signs of presence of, in hives, 242; not developed in low tempera- ture, 243; sulphur fum(?s will kill the eggs and larvie of, in comb-i,243; will certainly destroy queeidess stocks, 244 (and note); fertility of, 244; in- stinct of, in discovering qiieenless sto<-ks. 215; easily conquer stocks suffering from hunger, 246 (and r»ote) ; mission <»f, 2 47 (and note); keep'ng Bt(M-kfl stnuig the surest defence against, 247 ; insecurity of other con- trivance-', 217 ; placing hives so as not to endanger the loss of their queens, an important protection aitainst. 218 ; adaptation of mov. comb hive to pro- tect stocks from, 249; facilities of uibs 233 (and PI. XIX., Fig. 66) ;' activity of, 233; transformation of, to the wingeil form, and effect of .cold on, 234 (annies, 29 ; how affected bv loss of (pieen, 31 ; intelli- gence of 48 ; breed in Winter, 48, 339; numl)er of, in a ccdony, 54 ; honey-bag of, 56 (I'l. XVII., Fig. 54); pollen- basket, 56; proiK>scis of, 56 (PI. XVI., Fig. 51, PI. XIII., Fig. 63); sting, 56 (PI. XVII., Fig. 53); loss of sting fatal, 57; age of, 58; industry of, in- structive, 59; number of, in a colony, why limited. 61 ; advantages of their being able to Winter in a colony state, 62; despair of, when without queen or brood-comb, 67, 245; work night ard d.ay. 73; sagacity of, in the structure of their cells, 74; sujwrstitions con- nected with. 80; not injiuious to fruit, 85; need little air in Winter, if com- fortable, 89; when (listiirbed or con- fined, require n»uch air, 90; become diseased in impure air, 90; annoye 217; uiitive of h«»t climate, lis (iiotc); dJtest smell of fresh paint, l>y- often pcrs^piie wliile HwarmiU},', and' reluctant to enter heated hive^ i:V»- pleased to find eoiuU in hive,l.Jl; nuMles of securing awiirnis in ilitjicult l,|;,cert. 135; acute of lieanng, l^iy, re- fusing to swarm, sh<.uM have plenty of storage-room, i:iJ; maybe adv.m- ta.'eously kept in citie-, 144; otten refuse to swarm. 1 15 ; s.ddom cdon.ze unless blossoms abouml in lioncy. 147; ability of, to rear queens Iroin worker-brood, when discoveie.l, 14« , without matuie . pi -ens. bu Id combs with l:irg-cells, liy, lo<»(an.l note,; diminish rapidly in num. -r after «war!"'ng 151 v^"'* note);'.vdl not form nufependent cobmies m inter- communicating hive., loi; work bet- ter in new swarms than in old colo- nies, 15;i; laden with stores, welc<.ined by strange swarms, 155; without stores, expMled, 155; frightened by rappings on the hive, 155; disposition of when m<»ved, to return to (dd b.- cation, 15»i; effect on. of temp<.rary loss of home, 157; how t.. m.ke ad- here to «dd home, wherever put, Lu ; losing tb.'ir queens, will accept of others, l5J(nuter, more irascible at ni-'ht 107; confounded by sudd.'ii in- troduction of light into their hives, 1«H 16')' difficult to subdue wIk'IJ once th«.roughly excited, 170;_use all available space for h..„ey Iri (note 2)- tenacious »i\ -Voung do inside, and old, outsi.le work, I'Jt; young are wax-worker-, 19*5; their | occasii; frantic fury of robl»ers, when de- prived of th.'ir spoil, 2*)5 ; how to cool them into temporary honesty iO,> , feeling of, 267-278; are fond of salt, 272- infatuation of, for confectionei >, 277; compared to intemperate men, 278; the avaricious, folly td, 278; l«»iieriments on impreg- nation (»f queens, 126 (not.-); Italian bee. 323; his experiments on tli.- ef- f 'ct of cold on queens, 327 ; shows that bees need water in winter, 3-12 B«*van, on eggs, and larva* of bees, 41- 47; on -'ilriving" or forced swarming (note) iri4; an experim.-nt ot, in re- moving aqu.-en, 218 (n.d.*); fe.-ds salt to bees, 272; his description of honey- dew, 286. Birds, bee-devouring, 252; why they should not be destroy e; useful to prevent swarming, 174 fiuul mde); security agtinst nii.-e, 175, 252; against rob- ber-bees, 264. Bodwell, .I.e., experiments of, in win- tering bees, 345. Boerbave's account of Swammerdam's labors, 65 (note), Bohemia, its production of honey, 301. Boiling honey improves It. 287. Borage, viilualde tor bees, 29H. Bottom->-<»ar.ls should be permanently fix.-il Xo hiv.', 97; should slant to- ward- entrance. 97: (b-aning of. 98; dangt-rs of niovaldi-, from tin- moth, 231; Spring cbaning of, 243; Winter (leaning id". .'MT. Boxes for spare honey, 289, 290. Biaiim, Mr. A., his Vxp.'riment to as- r(-rtain the Increase of honey In a hive, 3(15. Brenth, human, oflfensive to bees, 170, 31 1 B»e« .iing, '• in-and-in," injurious, 54; early, encouraged by Mpi int^-tecding, 2tW. Brood, temperature necessary for \t9 development 46, 48; attended to by young bees, 197 ; production of, checked by over-feeding, 208; found in hives in Winter, 48, 339. Hrood-coinb, see Ctes 1 and 2); its cultivation recommended, '296 (and note 3); bloss.uning of, may cause swarming, 366. Buera, on the need of water for bees, 3f4. Burnens, great merits of, as an ob- server, 33; lab(»ri«uis experiment of, :« (note); Huber's tribute to, 194 (n«de). Busch, his description of the Italian bee, 324. Butler's description of the drone, 221; his drone-pot, 225; anecdote of a honey hunting swain, 254; his direc- tions f.ir procuring the favor of bees, 311,317. c. Cage, see Queen Cage. Cab-mlar, bee-keeper's, 362-370. Candied lionev, bees need water to dis- s.dve, 342-344. Candy, sugar, recommended for bee- feed, 272; recipe for making, 272 (note), Cary, Wm. >V., his mode of uniting cobmies, 204; of fastening comb iu fram.'s. 283 (note); his mode of mak- ing Winter passages in comiis, 337 (note); on wintering bees, 346 (note 2). Casts, see After-Swarms. Catalogue of bee-plants, 29S. Cellars, dry, good for wintering bees, 315, 348. Cells, of bees, their contents, 29 ; covers of, 44; for breeding, become too small, 60; woo.l-ciits cd'. Plates XIII., XIV., and XV.; royal, 62.218; thin- ness of their sit.') ; size of, 74 (PI. XV.. Fig. 48; demonstrate the existence of (b)d, 75. Cherry-tree yields honey, 292. Chickens, curi«)Us use of, 248. Children of the rich, compared to pam- pered bees, 268; may learn from bees how to treat their n ••»iler^^, 312. Chl.iride of lime, useful as u disinfect- ant of foul hives, 257. Clibti<)f.»vm, subdues bcca by stupefac- tion. 210. Clamps, for wintering bees, 348-360 (Clover, white, most important source of honev, 294; Mr. Ilolbrook, on the value of, for stock, 294; Swedish t\>^l. H It •■ij 1l ill _ -— '-^u 396 INDEX. i Clusterin.a: of swarniR, 113, 116. CtMoon, complete one, spun l>y drone Hnd \voikbbers, 265. Cdonies, of bees (see also Stocks of llees) ; rapiil increase of", in Anstralia, 51 (note); jiKe of, 51); new, composed of young and old bees, 119; impoH- biblV to mnltii)ly rapidly, by natural Hwarming, 147 ; folly of attempting to multiply, l»y divi«ling hives, _n9 ; Jto lemove, from old locati<»ns, 156, ITiT ; aJtiticial. unt to !»<• tormed till drones appear, lf)S: artificial, time necessary to form, 173; cautions against to> rapid increasi' of, 175 (note), 176-178; work, eas ly strengthened by »jse (d' more como hive, 178; i)ossil le extent of multiplic«tion of, 178; most itrofit- Hble rate of increase, l79 ; to form one new colony from two old ones, 180; mother, easily snjjplied with young fertile : many bees may be removed from, win ii the qiu'cns are fertile, U6; new, formed by reversing position of hives, 187; piling mode of forming, 188 ; should, wh3, 336; if small, should be confined by nioviilde partition, to suitable limits, 2<»8; eudangt'ied by loss of tjueen, 217, 246; having young rjiwens should be watched, 218. 222; sigfJ^ that, have no f|ijete 2); when broken up for their honey, the queens slK.uld be renn»ved b.'for(diand,306(note); of common bees, readily converted info Italian, 322. Color, aids in recognizing their hive, 214, 216. Columidla, notice of his Treatise on Bee-Keeping, 147 (note); his remedy against tlw over-storing of hives, 183 (note 2); advice of, concerning Sprin > examination of stocks, 221 (note 1); recommended that weak stock* be 8tr<'ngthened from strong ones, 221 (note 2); his suggestion as to the proper time to remove surplus honey, 221 (^mde); his mode of feeding bees, 271 (note 1); his directions how to gain the favor of bees, 311. Cohrin. his method of securing straight C(»nib, 373; nninner of making the niov. comb hive, 3^3. Comb, 69-76; too old, can be easily re- moved in mov. comb hives, 6(). 209 ; materials of, 69 ; wtM)d-cuts of, repre- senting various kinds of cells, IMatea XIII.. XIV., and XV.; empty, great value (»f, to bee-keeper, 71; should not be melted into wax, 71 ; rapiov. cond) hive. 71 ; how at- tached to frames, 72, 283 (and note); drone-comb, not to be put in breeding; apartments, 72, V.V); artificial, sug- gestion c«mcerning, 72; author's ex- perintents to induce bees to niake it from old wax. 72 ; building of, carried on most actively by night, 72; c«mib- buildiiigand honey-gathering simul- taneous. 73; danger to, in h(»t weather, 91; caution respecting, in artificial swainiing from common hives, 155 (and note); geneially built somewhat waving. 171 ; h(»w to examine; when in mov. comb hive. 172; br<»od, used for nuclei. 189; worker, used to rear queens, 191 ; buibling of, by young bees, 106; worker, should never be destroyed, 207 (and note 2); prefer- able to artificial comb-guides, 20", 2<'8; control of, essential to h system •d management, adapted t«> the wants of all bee-kee|K>rs, 208; safely taken from hive when bees are filled with honey <»r sugar- water, 210; old, most liable to be infested with worms, 2:J3, 2r.l (note) ; empty, shonhl sometimes be removed from feelde stocks, 213; new. unsafe to move in warm weather, 281 ; <-onfaining bee-breaerannuated <|U<'ens, 40. Drone-laying queens. 3S, 40. 213 (note); use to be made of, 214 (note), 327. Drones, or male bees, produced by re- tarded impK'gnation of queens, 36; always by unlecundated egK», 37^; often by imfecnndated queens, 37. 127 (note); their developim lit from egg to insect. 46; description and wo(»d-cut8of. 49; I'l. Xil.. Figs. 33. 34 (natural and majmified size); oflflce of, to impregnate young queens, 49; time of their appearance, 50; often very numerous, 50; how to prevent excessive multiplication of, 51; why destr(»yed by workers, 52, 224 ; wisdom displayed in providing so many, o3; length (d life, 58; perish in inipreg- nati»»nof (pieen, 125, 126 (note); never molest queens in hive, 127 (note); on leaviug the hive, are filled with honey, but on returning are emi)ty, 224; iiutler's description of, 224 ; «le- stroyed by ancient bee-keepers, 51, 225; easily destroyed by use of nio?. comb hive, 225; their anxiety when excluded from the hive, 225; their odor, 226 (note 1); how to prevent common, from imi)regnating Italian queens, 326; refrigerated queens pro- duce only, 327. Dtonght, failure occasioned by, 178 (note). Drumming on hive subdues bees, 210 (note). Dunbar, his description of how queen lays. 43. Dysent«ry from bad ventilation, 90; from dampness and sour honey. 256; how prevented, 256; makes bees cross, 310; caused by want of water in Winter, 343. Dzierzon, facts connected with the in- vention of his hive, 19; rise of hia system, 19; his apiary nearly de- stroyed by "foul broo ; superiiuinerary, how di^poseii ot, 48 ; ventilation nece-^sary lor hat«;liiu;i, 89 ; of workers transferred to royal cells, 2iy; of bee-niolh, J.-'A (note 2). Ehrentels, profits of his large apiary, Enemies of bees, 228-255; moth, 228- 252; mice, 25:5 ; birds, 252 ; toads, 2o4; bears, 254; ants, 255; wasp-«, Kpwlers, Ac, 255; all agreed in fondness lor ]ion«'y> '^•^'^- , ,_ Energy of bees, instructive, 1J7. Engravings, see wt»od-cut-». Entrance of hives, should not ordinarily be above the level of the bottom- board. 98; slioiild be readily varied without perplexing the bees, 9>; a BiUiill upper one, ushs of, 250, 3»8 ( and note); sliuuld be nearly closed when colony is threateneer- hardt, 312; of J. C. liodwell, 345; of Mr. Silndtz, 348; further, needed, in wintering bees, 300. Examination of cltjecti«)naide, 317. G«ddsmitli,on spontaneous and fashion- al)le joys, 334. •'Good old way" of corn-raising, 237. Golden-rod, some varieties of, furnish food lor bees, 298. Oovernmeiits, of Europe, interest of gome in disseminating knowledge of bee-cnlture, 32(»(ni»te). Grape-sugar, as foo«l lor bees, 273. Guide for combs, artificial, secure regu- larity in building ciunb, i:JO, 207 ; can- not be invariably relied (Ui, 208; Ger- man invention of (PI. VI.. Fig. 72). Onndelach, on the necessity of pollen for rearing brood, 81. II. Hairy objects, why offensive to bees, 317. Harris, Dr., his account of the bee iiKdh, 228. liaitKhorn, spirits of, remedy for bee- stings, 316. Health, bad ventilation of houses im pairs, 92. Hearing in bees, acute, 1.38. Ileal, degree re(|uired to hatch the eggs of bees and develop the pupa, 4«); gr«'at, attendant «)n coinb-buildmg, 71. Hens, too much crowded, mistake ih"ir nests, 215 ; not good tenders of moth- traps, 248. Heyne, on over-stocking, 301. Iliver, basket for, I:i3. Hives (see Mov. Coml> llive). Iluber's, authors experiments with, 14; made with slats, 15, 210 (note): should bo made (d sound lumber, 78; mixture fri sealing corners of, 78; thin, an- noying li> bees in hot weather, 90 ; nixty-one requisites for compbde, 95- lOS; size of, should admit «d' varia- tion, 96; "improved," often bad, 107 ; qualities of best, 107 ; paint on, should be very dry before hiving, 129 ; heated in the sun, shouhl not be used for new swarms, 129; should incline forward, but .^tand level from side to side, 130; if clean, need n«» washing or rubbing With herbs, 131; five stocks in one, 137 ; should be placed where it is to stand, as soon as swarm is secured, 138; if not ready to swarm, how to proceed, 139; difficult to rid of bee- nioth, l4l; common, ; royalCombjit witnessed in au- thor's observing, 205; with poor ar- rangements, educate bees to regard their keeper as an enemy, 210 (note); wonders of, unkn(»wii by many bee- keepers, 211 ; in crowded apiary, 214- 216; condition of, ^hould be ascer- tained, 221; patent, evil results of, 237, 241 ; should be cleaned in eai ly Spring, 243; common, furnish no re- lialde remedy f«»r loss of queen, 245; infected with foiil-brood. tt» disinfect, 257 ; common, how prepared for re- moval when occupied by st«x;ks, 281; to transfer bees from common to mov. comb, 282; size, shape, and materials for, 329-3:52; size of author's can be varied at pleasure, 32'.» : tall, advan- tages and disadvantages of, ;5J'.>; most advantageous form of, ;i:iO; l)zierz(m's, disadvantages of, 3:51; d.mide and triple, :i:51 (note); projier materials for, 331 ; suggestions as to making mov. comb, '.{^'1. Hives, mov. comb, see Movable Comb Hives. Hives, patent, see Patent Hives. Hiving bees, ilirections lor. 129; expert- ness in, makes pleasant, 129; should be conducted in shade, 1:50; should be attended to soon atter swarm set- tles, 132; process made iittractive, 220. llouey, 28r)-2*J2; its elements, 70 ; tuian- tity consuuifd in seoretiniC wax, 71, 176; gatlieied hy day, 72; sonutiines gatliered by niouidii^ht, 73 (note); hont>y-gatht>rin); and eoinb-buildin^ siniultaneon.s, 73 ; Hurplus, incompati- ble with lapid increase of colonies, 176; how to 8ecurG ; reasons assigned lor the deficiency, 2.'.7 ; foreign, supposed cause id" loul-brood, 256, 2o8 ; from foui-bi'ood Colonies, infectious, 2.')0 (iu»te 2); iuf«*cted, how puritied, 257 ; West India, usimI fur bee-teehonld not be exposed to low temperature, 2S7 ; «dd, more wholesome than new, 287 ; virtues as- cribed to it by old writers, 287 (note/, to drain from the comb. 28S, :i06; to make liquid when canilied, 28H; cau- tion as ti> West Iniliii, 288 ^ note); of llymettus, 293 (^note); yitdd of. af- fected by soil, 294 (note); IVom the raspberry, delicious, 290; yield of. by plants, iiueertam, 296 (note 2) ; large amount gauieretl in a day, lk)o; on the hands, protects them against l»ee- Btings. 317; bees eat less in Winter, when kept (juiet. o35, 348, 358 ; how to get ill centre (d" hive, for Winter, Jiiifi ; camlied, bees ne»'d water t«) dissolve, 342-344. Iloney-bag, worker's, 56( IM. XVII , Fig. 54). !Ioney-l>ees, see Bees. lloney-b<»ard, spare, holes in, left open in Winter, 338; sometimes strongly glued by bees, 172 (note); care in placing necessary, 173. lloiiey-dews, 285; of California, 285 (note); when most abundant and where toumi, 2*^6. Honey-hornets, Mexican, 58 (note), 87. Honey resources, how to increase, 293. Uoney-suckle, juice of, a remedy for bee-stings, 315. Honey, Burphia, much, Incompatible with rapid multiplication uf stocka, 176. 178; best yield of, from undis- lurbod stocks, 18(1; receptacles for, when to admit bees to, 288, 364; how secured, 28^ ; quantity from one stock, 2>9 (^iiote 2); large boxes more profit- able than small, for, 28J (and note 2), 29.I (note 1); glass vessels and small boxes, tor, 2i«0 ; air-tight boxes, to preserve, 290 (note 2); receptacles of, how and when to remove them, 291, 365; boxes for, bees reluctant to fill, late in the season, 366. Honey-water, objectionable for subdu- ing bees, 169 (note). Ilorliets, lecnndation of, 35; Mexican, iH.ney. 58 (note), 87 ; injure fruit, 86; should be destroyed iu Spring, 87; torpitl in Winter, 109. llt)rses sweaty, very otTeusive to bees, 279, 313. Horticulturists, honey bees their friends h5, 87. Houses, ventilation of, neglected, 91. Huber, Francis, tribute to, 32-34 ; dls- ctiv«'red how queens are impregnat<'d, 34; that unfecundi^d queens produce only drones, 36; exp<'iiments of, to test the secretion ot wax, 69; to show the use of pollen, 80; his discovery of ventilation by bees, 88; his suppo- sition as to devtdopment in (luetii of •male eggs, 128 (note); his plan for artificial swarming and its objection^, 148; t ITectof his leaf hive in pacilying bees, 168; his mistake as to the can>e, 169; an inconvenience of his hive, 171 (^note) ; his description of workers, 192 (note 2); his curious exj)erimentH showing a distinction among them, 193 (note); his tribut*? to Uurneiis, 194 (note), his account of the treat- ment by bees of strange queens, 2<»0; his trial of two ijueeiis in a hive, 207 (note); splendid discoveries of, form- erly rldicuh'd, 211. Humble-bee nd»bed by honey-bees, 262. Hunger impairs fertility of queen-bee, 223 (note 1). Hunt, Kev. T. P., his mode of securing swarms, 132. Hunter, Dr., discovers pollen in the stomach of bees, 80. Hurting bees, important to avoid, 95. Hyginus, on feeding bees, 267 (uote). I. Impregnati(»n, of queen-bees, 34-43; re- tarded, effect (d, 36; remarkable law of, in aphides, 42; takes place in the air, 50, 320; act of. fatal to drone, 125, 126 (note); Shrimplin's experiment illustrative of, 127. INDEX. 401 Italian honey-becR, 41 ; singular result of crossing with common drones, 41, 824 (note 2); nsed to show a division of bibor among bees, 194; account of, 318-328; described by Aristotle and Virgil, 318; Mr. Wagner's letter on, 318; their modern introduction to notice, 318; value of, in the study of the physicdogy of the honey-bee, 319; cells of, the same size as those of the common bee, 320; D/ieizon's experi- ments with, 320; frequent disturb- ances abate nothing fr<»iii the industry of, 321 (note); general diffusion of, desirable, 321 ; superior to common bee, 322, 324, 325; peaceable dispo- sition of, 322; may readily be intro- duced into hives of common bees, 322; furnishes new means of studying the habits of bees, 322; the purity of, can be preserved. 322; character of, as tested by IJerlepsch, 324; number of qut'ens obtit'iied in one season, from one queen, 324; remarkable fact in re'.ation to hybrids, 321 (note); de- scription of, byHusch, 324; Iljidlkw to produce abundance of tlroiies of, 327; precau- tion suggested when non-swarmer cannot be nsed, 327 ; queens of, safely nmved in niov. comb hive, 327 ; intro- duction of, into this country, impor- tant, 328; arrangements to that end, 328 (note). Itinerating colonies, 305 (note 2). lgn«)rance, the occasion of the inven- tion of costly and useless hives, 209 (and note). Increase of colonies, rapid, impracti- rable, by natural swarming, 117; or by dividing hives, 149; rapid, cautions against, 175-178; rapid, inrom|»atible with large yield e aimed at, 17'.»; forming one new from two old colonies best, and how eff"ected, 180; rapid, reijuires liberal feeding, 181. In6. Industry tanght by the bee, 59. Intemperate men compared to infatu- at«'d bees, 278. Intercommunication of bees in hives, important, 103, 336, 3.37 (and note), 3^i9 (and note). Irring, Washington, his account of the abundance of bees at the West, 236 (note). J. Jansha, on impregnation of qneen, 36. Japanese, veneration for birds, 253 (note). Jarring, disliked by bees, 96, 170, 309. Jelly, royal, the food of immature queen, ti3 ; a secretion of the bees, 64 ; analysis of, 64; effect of, in developing larvie, 64, 191 ; pollen necessary for its production, 197. Johnson, M. T., the first American ol>- server of the fact that queenles8 stocks are soon destroyed by the moth, 244 (note). K. Kaden, Mr., on over-stocking, 301. Killing bees for honey, an invention of the dark ages, 239 (note); more hu- mane than to starve them, 238; not necessary, 239. Kindttess of bees at home, a lesson for man, 312. King-bird, eats beeg, 252. Kirlty and Speuce on ants and aphides, 285. Kirtland, Dr. J. P., his letter on the in- troduction of the bee-moth, 240; on benefits of transferring stocks into mov. comb hive, 284. Knight on honey-dews, 286. Kleine, Kev. Mr., on making bees rear queens in selected cells, 191 ; his method of preventing robberies anwtng bees, 265 (note) ; on feeding bees, 273; on over-stocking, 301; on accustoming the human system to the poison of bees, 316 (note). Larvre of honey-bee, development of, 44 (PI. XIII., Figs. 40,41, 42); royal, 64; perish without ventilation, 89; of bee- moth, see bee-m(»th, IjirvBB of; of honey-bee, us system will remedy it, 219; indications of, 219; the most common cause of 2. Miller, see Kee-nioth. Mils. .Tohn, on m.ii king hives with dif- b-rcnt Ciiliirs, 216 (note). Mixing of iM-es, of different colonies, 2o3 : precautions concerning, 203. Months of the year, direction for treat- ing bees in, 362-369. M<»t.nlij:bt, bees sometimes gather honey by, 73 (note). Moie, Sir J., on the 8<»vereign virtues of honey. 287 fnot*')- Molli, se«« H ukjIIi. Moth, death-head, 240 (note). Moth, large honey-eating, from Ohio, 2H (note). Mothers, unkind treatment of, reproved by bees, .312. Mother-stock, in forceed, 182 ; advantage of supplying with fertile queen, ISiJ. Moth-proof hives a delusion, 228, 238, 247. Moths, honey-eating, ravages of, 240 (and note). Motions, in operating on hives should be (bdiberate, 170. Movable-comlt hive, invention of, lIJ-23; superiority to Dzierzons, 16, 18; en- aliles each bee-keeper to observe for himself, 23, 164; adtiuts of easy re- moval of idd comlt, 60; bees in it easily supplied with empty comb, 71 ; its fa- cilities for ventdation, 94, 276 (note I); size (d", adjustalde to the wants of colony, 96, 329; facilities of, for se- curing surplus honey, 1(K), 2S9, 329; advantages t easily blown down, 103; nuiy be made secure against mice, lo:i, 2r)2, and thieves, 104; durability of, 104; cheapness and simplicity of, 105; some desiraldes it does not pos- sess, 1(»6; invention of, result (d" ex- perience, lOo; i»erh'Ction disclaimed for, 105: merits of, submitted to ex- perienced bee-keepers, lOM ; desertion of, by swarms, easily prevented, 115; by use of, can employ all good worker comb, 130 ; furnishes storage-room for non-swarming l>ee8, 139; impoitance of, in supplying extra queens, 141, 188; easily cleared of the bee-moth, 246; be«t for non-swarming pbin. 153; cnaiiles the apiarian to learn the laws regulating the int«>i'nal economy of bees, ItU ; enables artificial sv/ariiiing to be quickly performed, HM; advan- tages of movable top of, 168; affords facilities for sujqdy of fertile tpu'eiis to mother-stocks, in btrced swarming, 18J. l.)2: danger of Udng stung. «li- minished by use of, 209 ; the fjieatest oltstacle to Its speedy introduction. 209 ; the autlmr sanguine of its exten- sive use by skdtui bee-kee|K'rs, 211; shonbl be thoroughly examined in 8|»r.ng, 221 ; duialde and (heap, if piope. ly taken care of. 221 ; advan- ta^ies of readily perceived by intelli- gent beo-kee|K*rs, 226; adaptati(>n of, to priifecf stot ks from the moth, 249; enables the apiarian to know the .amount of hmiey tittK'ks contain, 275 (note); how prepared for trans|Mtrting fiees, 2^1 ; to transfer int«», from com- mon hive, 283; designed to economize the labor of bees, :k»5 ; experiment! concerning the siy.e of, 3.''.0(n<»te 3); •uggestious at( to uiak/ug, 3U2 ; ol»-> ■ervlng, 332; how to get honey in centre of, tor Winter, 336; how to nuike Winter passages in combs of, 337 (and note 1;; how to ventilate, in Winter, 338; bills of stock, for mak- ing, 371. Movable entrance blocks, see Blocks, entrance regulating. Moval>le bottom-boards, dangerous, 231. Movable stands for hives, 279. Moving sto«;ks, 281. Munn, W. A., his '* bar and frame hive," 209 (note). Musk, used to stop robbing, 265 (note). N. Narcotics, in managing bees, worse than ustdess, 211. Natural swarming and hiving of swarms, lOJ-142 ; guanls against extinction of bets, 109; not unnatural, HI; time of, HI; climates seldom occurs in northern „ , when h.ves are n«)t well fllletl with comb, HI (note); signs id', 111; only in fair weather, 112; time of day of, 112; preparatiells and tanging, useless, 113; bow to stop a fugitive swarm, 114; after, ventdation slioubl be regu- lated, 124; hiving should be di)ne in shade, or hive be covered, i:;0; should be promptly attended t») after swarm settles, 132; prticess of, 133; basket for, 133; sh<'et for. 133; how arranged, l;i3; how to exp<'dite, if bees are dda- tory, i:W, 134; must be rep; old-fashioned wa.v, objectionable, 136; more than one Bwarm in a h.ve, 137; to pi event swarms uniting while hiving. i:'>8; swarms, as soon as hived, should l»e removed to their stands, i:i8; an ex- pedient, if no hive be ready, 139; sug- gestions for making more profitable, 13.»-142; ex<<'ssive, prev«'nted by use of mov. comb hive, 140; affords no fa- cil.ties for strengthening late and feeble stoed, 29, 54. Over-stocking, 299-^107; no dang«'r of, 299; Warmer's letter on, 300; Oettl and Hraiin's statistics on, 303. Ovum, what necessary to impregnate it, 41. P. Paint, smell of fresh, detested by bees, 129; if fresh lie used, it shonbl con- tain no white lead, ami be made to dry quicklv, 129; reci|>e for, preferabb- to oil paiiit, 129; color of. for hives, 3tW. Pasturage for bees, 292; effect, of, on reuKtval of ctdonies, 157; luuiey- yielding trees and plants, 292-299; gardens tiw) limited lor, 297 ; catalogue of bee-plants, 298; range of, 305. Patent hives, deceptions in vending, 61 (note), KH), 146 (note); have greatl) multiplied the bee-moth, 237 ; and 404 INDEX. done more harm than good, 237, 2-41. Peach-tieo yields honoy, 292. PeiU-tiee yield:* huuny, 292. Peppornunt, lue of in uniting colonics, 21)3. PertVctiou, folly of claiming for hivos, Km. Pertuines, disagreeable to bees, 313 (note). Perseverance of bees, worthy of imita- tion by man, 197. Persons attacked by bees, directions for, 312, 314. Peters, Randolph, interesting experi- ment of, 219 (note). Pillage of h:vos, secret, cause and rem- edy of, 206. piping of queens, an indication of after- swarming, 121. Plantain, a renie«ly for bee-stings, 315. Plum-tree a source of hom-y, 292. poison of bees, smell of, strong and ir- ritating tt> bees, 314; effect of, on the eye, 314 (note); remedies for, 314- 317; effect of, when taken into tlie mouth, 315; cold water the l>est rem- e«ly for, 315; a homoeopatiiic remedy, 315 (note); the human system can be inured to, 310 (note). Poisonous iioney,iind how to remove its injurious tjualities, 2S7. Pollen, or bee bread, M()-87 ; found in stomachs of wax-makers, 8'); may aid in secretion of wax, HO; whence ob- tained, 80; food of immature bees, as shown by iluher's experiments, 80; author's, to the same ('ffect, 81 ; (jltin- delach's opiiiitm of, 81; useful in se- cretion of wax. 82; bee>j prefer fresh to old, 82; in mov.comb hives, excess of, in old stocks, can be given to others, 82; how gathered and stored by bees, 8 5; hees gathering, aid in lmpr<'>;nating plants, S3 ; bees collect, only from tui*- kintl of Hower at a time, 8>; wheat and rye meal a substitute Ibr, 81; iwcessary Ibr the production of wax anerma- theca, 30 (n3 ; process of rearing in s)>ucial em.rgency, 66; development of, an argument against infidelity, 68 ; old, leads first swarm. Ill ; often lost in swarming, 112; loss of, in swarming, causes bees to return to parent stock, li;i; how to prevent, from deserting new hive, 115: intluence of, in causing b, 149; seldom enters side apartments, 152; signs indicating her presence or absence in forced swarm^;, 158; supply of sealed, for forced swarming, how to secure, 166; * ■" to cut sewled ones from comb, lo6; fertile, deprived of wings, t(» prevent swarming, 173; may be confined to prevent swarming, 174; unfertile, should not be confined, 175; fertile, easily supplied to destitute mother- stocks, 182; young, in after-swarms, lay few drone-eggs, 1S4 (note); to raise, for artificial swarming, 188; whi'U to be given to newly-forced swarms, 189; to induce bees to raise, on what part of the comb you please, 191 ; her value, 192 (note) ; can she be developed from any worker-larva;? 192 (note 2) ; made to supply several stocks with eggs, 193; will lay eggs while under inspecticm, 196 (note); caution needed in giving, to strange stocks, 200; stranger, h(»w to induce stocks to receive, 201; protected by queen-cage, 201; care to be used in catching, 202; never stings, but sometimes bites, 202, 204; may be lost if allowed to fly, 202; her great appetite, 202; her life Indispensable to the safety of the colony, 204 ; loss of, see '• Ix>s8 of Queen ;" young, dan- gers besetting, 213; should be given to queenless stocks in Spring, 221 ; when unimpregnated, cob»ny shou! 1 be watched, 222; when unimpreg- nated, hides, 222; wings of, may be clipped for artificial swarming, 222; how to mark the age of, 223; fertility of, diminished by hunger and cold, 223 (note 1); should be removed in their third year, and new eft, , 223 (note 2); odor of, 226; removal of a remedv for foul-brood, 258; sur- plus, reared by D7-ierz<»n. in suspected hives, 260; deserted by her subjects when they have been C(>n«iuered by stronger stocks, 263(and note ); should bo removed before smothering the bees, when stocks are broken up for their honev, 306(n<»te); Italian, how to pn.pngate,326; after being chilled, Uy only drone-eggs, 327. Queen-bees, why, when two flgl t, both are not killed, 205; combat of, its wit- nessed in one of author's observing hives, 205. Queen-cage, use and construction of, 201, 3-26. Queen cells, see Royal cells. Queenless stocks, signs of, 219, 245; to be supplied with queens, 2^1 ; in Oc- tober, should be united with other stocks, 223; a sure prey to the moth, if not protected in time, 224 (and note). Qninby, M.. author of a very valuable work on bee-keeping, 249 (note); on the ravages of the larvae of bee-moth, 249 (note); on shai)e of mov. comb hives, 330 (note 3) ; on wintering bees, 348; on equalizing colonies when re- moved from Winter repository, 361 (note 2); on making bees work in a double tier of surplus honey-boxes, 365 (note). R. Radlkofer, Doctor, on over-stocking, 300; on the Italian bee, 325. Rapping on hives, its effect on bees, 27, 155, 204. Raspberry, one of the best bee-plants, and very abundant in hill towns of New England, 296. Reaumur, his account of a snail covered with propolis, by bees, 78 ; his error as to the treatment of strange queens by bees, 201 ; thought there were two species of bee-moth, 228. Reid, Dr., on the shape of honey-cells, 75. Religion, revealed, appeal to those who reject, 52. Remedies for bee-stings, 314-317. Riem, the first to notice fertile workers, 55. Ringing bells, in swarming time, use- less, 113. Requisites of a complete hive, 95-108. Robbers, highway, bees sometimes act the part of, 262. Robbing, by bees, frequent, when for- age is scarce, and caution against, 199, 261, 263; how prevented, 261- 266; committed chiefly on feeble or queenless colonies, 261; signs indicat- ing a bee engaged in, 261, 265 ; l)egets a disrelish for honest pursuits, 262, 264 (and note); movable entrance blocks protect l>ees against, 264; infatuation produced by, on bees, 264; caution needed in checking, when a hive is vigorously attacked, 265; how to 8t<»p l>ees engaged in, 266; secret, its rem- edv, 266. Royal cells, described, 62; wood -cuts of, Plates XIII., XIV., and XV.; atten- tion paid to, by workers, 62; why they open downwards, 63 ; number o£ HI ^-1*^-^ 408 INDEX. in a hire, 63 ; how supplied with epRs, 63; dertcriptioii of, 06; when built, 111; queens prevented from destroy - iug, \2l ; renuiius <»f, indicate number of queens hutched, 121 ; may Im re- moved in m<»v. comb hi .•», to pre- vent alter-swarming, 124; how to de- cide whether inmate of has been liatched or killed, 121; how to cut out of combs, 166; sign tbat the queens in, are nearly mature, 167; how to make bees rear, in convenient pbices on the cond», 191 ; to be giveare'M description of the IIive.268. Shrimplin, experiment of, showing im- pregnation to take place in the air, 127. Si« k persons, the care of, beneficial to man, 313. . Siebold, Professor, extracts from his Parthenogenesis, 126 (note) j_ his dis- fieetion of spermatheca, 127 (note); found spermatozoa in worker, but nut in dntne eggs, 41 ; on bee life, 144 (note); recommends movable frames, 321 (note 2). Sight of bees, acute, for distant objects, 117. Signs of swarming. 111; of queenless colonies, 219, 224; of presence of nioths in hive, 242. Si/.e of hives, 329-332. gnuU. of hives, in gathering season, 177 (note); strange bees distingui^hed by, 203; the same, to be given in tiniting Cidonies, 203; sejise of, in bees, acute, 313; of their own poison, irritates bees, 314. Enioke, importance of, in subdtiing bees, 27, 154; its use in f(»rced swarm- ing, 165, 168, 169; its use of, very an- cient, 210; drives clustered bees in- side of hive, 281 ; useful in removlnf burplus honey, 289. Smothering bees, cautions for prevent- ing, 281. . Snails, sometimes covered by bees with prop(di8, 78. Snow, bees perish on, when carrying out theirdead, 98; sometimes fatal to bees, 338 (note 1); often harmless to bees, 361 (note 1). Solidago, see Clolden Rod. Sontag, F., on meal as a substitute for pollen, 84. Spare ht.iiey, see Iloney, surplus. Spermatlieea, of tbe queen-bee, wood- cut and description of, 36; PI. XV 111., Fig. 55; dissection of, 34, 126 (note), 213 (note). Spermatozoa, f(»und in spermatheca of queen-bee, 34, 126 (note). Sphinx Atropos.see Moth, Death-head. Spinola, described the Italian bee, 318 (n«>te). Spring, importance of sun-heat in, to hives, 101; leeble stocks in, unprofit- able, 177 ; examination of bees, in, im- portant, 221; colonies should be led, in, 267, 268. Sprinkling bees, should not bo done to excess, 170; cools their robbing fren- zy, 203. Starving of bees, often happens wlien theie is lioney in the hive, 336. i>42. Sting, Revan's description of, 56; PI. XVII., Fig. 53; microscopic appear- ance of, 57 ; loss of, fatal to bees, 57 ; loss of, in stinging, a benefit to man, 5S ; of queen, 65 ; wood-cut of queen's, Pl.XVJII. Sting, poison of, dangerous to pome, 313; remedies for, 314-317; smell ot jMtison of, irritating to bees, 314; in- stant extraction of important, 314; nibbing the woun; spoke of two species of bee-moth, 22X. Bwarni". new, often construct ilrone- coiiih to store honey, 51; number of bees in a goixl one, 54; first ones led by ol.l (jueeiis. 111; no sun; indica- tions at first. 111 ; will settle without ringing of bells, Ac, 113; more in- clined to elope, if bees are neglected, 114; how to arrest a fugitive, 114; how to prevent, from deserting a new hive, 115; indications of intended ile- sertion, 115; clustering of, befi)re de- parture, of special benefit toman, 116; send out scouts, 117 ; soiiiHtimes build comb of fence-rails, &c., IIH; liow parent hive is repopulated, after tlo- parture of, 119; composed of young and old bees, 119; luuie of the bees of new, return to parent mve, 120; signs Mud time of second. 122; sometimes settle in several clusters, 122; singu- lar instance of pluiality of queens (in Mexico), 122 ; signs and time of third, 123; first, sometimes swainis again, 128; new, reluctant to enter heated hives, 130; often taken possession of deserted hives stored with comb, but seldom of empty hives, 131 ; trees con- venient for clustering of, 131 ; can be made to alight on a selected spot, 131 ; hiving of, should not be delayed, 132; several, clustering together, 137 ; may be separated by hiving in largo hive, 137 ; hissing .sound of bees while swarming, causes other stocks to swarm, 137 ; how to prevent their mingling, 138; shoubl be placed where intended to stand, as soon as hived, 138; how to proceeil when hive is not ready to receive, 139; feelde after- swarms, of little value,140,141; stn.ng, tenipteil to evil c»»urses, 141 ; many, annually lost, 143; danger of losing, in swarining season, 144; decrease ol in bees, after swarming, 151 (and note); new, have greater energy than old, 153; ftuced, 154; will enter hiv.'.s without the queen, 159 (note); when forced, how to induce to adhere to new locations, 16:i (and note); to avoid risk of losing, in swarming- time, 173; too rapid multiplication of, unprofitable, 176; second, usually valueless, unless early, and season g.MMl, 177; weak, may be strength- ened by use of mov. comb hive, \1^; one new, made from two old ones,lKl (n(»te3); artificial, rapid increase of with move, comb hive, 183; dangers attending, in large apiaries where the hives are uniform in appearank«', 210. Tidd, M. M , his fxpfriment on a female moth, 2;iO (note 2); notic«'s the differ- ence b<*tween tnngtie of the male and female moth, 230. Time of b»*es. economized in mov. comb hive, 95, 96; importance of saving, 305. Timid persons may safely remove sur- plus honey, 2H1M291 ; should use bee- dress while hiving bees, 132, IM ; often stung while other persons sel- dom are, 168; some should not at- tempt to rear bees, 209. Toad«, eat bees, 254. Tol Rcco, should not be used for subdu- ing bees, 169. fop-boxes, for surplus honey, should be used with caution, 330 (note). Transferring bees from common to mov. comb hive, 282-284 ; mode of, 282 ; best time for, 283; results of, 284. Transportation of bees, easy in mov. comb hive, 281. Traps for nioths, usually worthless, 244. Trees, combs built on, by bees, 118; apiaries should be near, 131 ; substi- tute for, 131; limbs of, need not be cut, in hiving hees, 133; shade of, agreeable to bees, 280; honey-pro- ducing, 292. Tulip (poplar, or white wood), tree yields great quantities of honey, 292. If. Union of colonies, facilitated by giving them the same smell, 203; mode ot, 203, 204; for wintering, 336. Unbelief in -evelation not prompted by true philosophy, 52. Uncleanly persons disagreeable to bees, 313. V. Varnish, used by bees in place of propo- lis, 80. Varro, his remark that bees in large hives become dispirited, 208. Ventilation, furni^bed to larvw by shape of cells, 75; of the hive, 88-94; pro- duced by the fanning of bees, 88; Ilnber o\i, 88; its necessity, 89; re- marks on, in human dwellings, 91; provide2. Wildman, Thomas, feats of, in handling bees, 308; states the fart that fear disposes colonies to unite, 203 (note); liis ajiproach to nuxlern modes of taming bees, 204 (note); on the queen's odor, 226. Winds,])ees should bo protected against, 103, 186, 279. Wings of queens, may be made to mark their age, 223. Winter, wasps and hornets, hut not bees, torpid in, 109, 335; quantity (>f ..oney needed by a stock In, 274 ; bees eat less in, when kept quiet, 3.35, 866, 308; beei should be protected from winds of, 337 ; bees in, if out of doors, should be allowed to fiy, 337, how to ventilate hives in, 338; snow in, when injurious to bees, 338 (note 1); bees need water in, 342-346; when honey is candied in, bees need water, 342-^4; disturbing bees in, injurious, 347, 365; fewer bees die in, when hives are in clamps, than when in other special depositories, 358; tem- p. Wood-cuts, explanation of, 11, 371. Women, American, suffer from bad ven- tilation, 92. Worker-comb, size of the cells of, 74; all good, can bo used in mov. comb hive, 130; not built unless bees have a mature queen, 149. Worker-bees, are females, with unde- veloped ovaries, 29; when fertile, their progeny always drones, 36; Huber's theory concerning fertile, 37, 65; sometinu's exalted to bo queens, 37 ; t)ne raised from a ilrone egg, by Dr. Diinhoff, 41 ; incapable of impregnation, 42; wood cuts of, PI. Xll., Figs. 35, 36; number of, )n swarm, 54; anllior's opinion resj»ect- ing fertile, 55; fertile prefer to lay in drone cells, 55; honey-bag, 56; repre- sentation of, PI. XVII., Fig. 54, y<.; use ofproboscisof, 56; wood-cut of probos- cis of, PI. XVI., Fig. 5-1 ; pollen-basket, 66; sting, 56; wood-cut of, PI. X^ II., Fig. 53; loss of sting, fatal, 57 ; do all the work of the hive, 68 ; their age, 58 ; lesson of industry from, 59; attention to royal cells, 62; woo«l-cut of abdo- men of, PI. XVI., Fig. 52; two kin.ls of, described by lluber, 192 (note 2); differently occupied in ditlerent peri- ods of life, 194 ; impulse of, to gather honey, undeveloped in early lile, 196. 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