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EE-KEEPING
SIMPLIFIED

) -H€RROD-HEMPSALL, F-@S
R THE COTTAGER
ND SMALLHOLDER.

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PRICE . NET

The Bee World

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Obtainable

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ial Affiliation

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per copy, for
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New York ‘Staes
State College of Agriculture - 1922]

At Qoruell University * advantageous

Ithaca, N.Y. eee eee
uction which
ida thorough
ith Tessanabls

Library ees
it commands

Neeson ‘TON & SONS,
mode tse, Le

BROS.,
nds Road,
; . -~inwell, London.
Mr, R. WHYTE, Cumbernauld Station, Dambartonshire.

And from other leading manufacturers of and rend in Bee Hives and Appliances
in Britain and Abroad.

BEE-KEEPING
SLURP TP LED

FOR THE
COTTAGER AND SMALLHOLDER

BY

WILLIAM HERROD-HEMPSALL,
F.E.S.

Author of “Producing, Preparing, Exhibiting, and Judging
Bee Produce,” “Bee-Keeping in War Time.”

Late Junior Editor of the “British Bee Journal” and “Bee-
keepers’ Record”; Hon Secretary, Lecturer, Expert, and Apiarist
to the British Bee-keepers’ Association; Judge at the Shows
of The Royal Agricultural Society of England, The British
Dairy F-rmers Association, The Royal Lancashire, Lincoln-
shire, Warwickshire, Essex; Bedford, Cheshire, Norfolk, Tring,
Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, and Derbyshire
Agricultural Societies, and many other Shows throughout the
country ; Late Lecturer to The Horticultural College for Women,
Studley Castle, Warwickshire; The Horticultural College.
Swanley, Kent; The Bedfordshire, Middlesex, Lancashire,
Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Hertfordshire County
Councils; The School of Light Agriculture, Southgate, London,
and many Bee-keepers’ Associations.

Apicultural Adviser to the Colonial Office.

Technical Officer on Bee-keeping to the Ministry of Agriculture
and Fisheries.

Third Edition.

LONDON :
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO. LTD,
31 & 32, PATERNOSTER ROW, EC.

All Rights Reserved.

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DepicatTED

TO MY GREATEST HELPMATE
WHOSE AID

HAS MADE THIS BOOK POSSIBLE

MY WIFE.

PREFACE.

After repeated requests from friends, readers of ‘‘ The
British Bee Journal” and ‘‘ The Bee-Keepers’ Record,’ and
also from members of the audience at a large number of the
lectures which I have given in every part of the British
Islands, that I should write a cheap, concise, and up-to-date
Handbook on Bee-keeping suitable for the Cottager and
Smallholder, and realising that at the conclusion of the present
terrible war the country will have to be more self-supporting
for its food supply, and that what are now considered small
industries, amongst which bee-keeping is included, will obtain
their legitimate recognition, I have felt compelled to try and
meet their wishes. This small book is the result.

It is not claimed that it is an exhaustive treatise on the
subject, but I have endeavoured to give in plain language
simple methods of managing bees suitable for those who wish
to keep, or who already possess, a few stocks. Having
mastered the rudiments of the craft, those who become
yambitious may gain further knowledge by reading more
_advanced works.

Without egotism, I claim that my varied experience
during the past twenty-five years, first as « workman in the
factories of appliance manufacturers, afterwards as a touring
expert, and finally as a teacher and lecturer, being
also the owner of a large apiary, enables me to give
‘the advice required from actual experience instead of
bolstering it up with theory and useless padding; neither has
‘other writers’ matter been cribbed and passed off as my own,
‘which, unfortunately, is the practice of some persons who
-from mercenary motives try to obtain a reputation for know-
jledge which they do not possess, and who attempt to foist
their purloined goods upon unsuspecting persons.

This book is not written as a means to such an end, and
I shall at all times be pleased to explain bv letter any point

githe reader may not quite understand, providing always that
~my correspondent encloses a stamped addressed envelope for

\a reply.

u Preface

T am indebted to and hereby express my thanks for
assistance rendered by Mr fF. W. Harper for the line
drawings contained in this book, as well as the design upon
the cover, also for the loan of blocks from Mr. O. C. Jones,
Messrs. Jas. Lee and Son, and Mr. W. P. Meadows.

If this book is the means of adding to the ranks of efficient
bee-keepers, and enables those already trying to follow the
craft with limited knowledge to do better, so that the working
class may obtain more creature comforts with the money thus
obtained, instead of allowing the foreigner to supply our
markets with honey, thus diverting the cash he has hitherto
taken from these islands into its proper placc—the pocket of
the Britisher—my labour will not have been in vain.

WILLIAM HERROD-ITEMPSALL.

Luton,

July 31, 1915.

PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION.

In spite of the fact that the price of the second edition had
to be doubled, the demand for this little book has not decreased.
I regret that my anticipation of a reduction in price of this
edition cannot be realised, owing to the high prices of labour
and material which still prevail.

I continue to receive many letters of appreciation: this,
together with the fact that the demand for the book has
increased, is a satisfaction to me, as it shows its utility and
popularity. That it may continue to help the novice is my
sincere wish.

WILLIAM HERROD-HEMPSALL.

Luron,

July 31, 1922.

PREFACE

CONTENTS.

I.—CONSTITUENTS OF THE REE COMMUNITY

II.—SKEPS OR STRAW HIVES AND BOXES

TlI.— MOVEABLE COMB HIVES

IV.

Vv

VI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV

xV.

XVI.

XVII

XVIII.
XIX.

XX.

— COMB FOUNDATION AND ITS USES
-—NATURAL SWARMING

—SECOND SWARMS, OR CASTS :

-—-THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF \ s10CcKk

-—SUBDUING AND MANIPULATING BEES

-— DRIVING
-—- UNITING

-—MAKING ARTIFICIAL SWARMS

—FEEDERS AND FEEDING

—WAX EXTRACTING

+—OBTAINING HEATHER HONEY

— PACKING BEES FOR TRANSIT
—MARKETING HONEY

:—WINTERING .
—QUEEN REARING AND INTRODUCTION
—DISEASES . . .

—LIST OF APPLIANOES REQUIRED AND THEIR COST

ROBERT LEE

Successor to

JAMES LEE & SON, LTD.

BEE-HIVES & APPLIANCES,
STOCKS, SWARMS & QUEENS.

MANUFACTURER OF

BRITISH “WEED” FOUNDATION

Always freshly made all the Season.

DESIGNER & MAKER

OF THE

FAMOUS WEATHERPROOF
UXBRIDGE HIVE

Of which there are upwards of 10,000 in use.

BEGINNERS’ OUTFITS A SPECIALITY.

EXTRACTORS, RIPENERS, HONEY JARS,
AND EVERY BEE-KEEPING REQUISITE.

CATALOGUE FREE.

OFFICE AND WORKS:
GEORGE STREET, UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX.

Telephone: 181 UXBRIDGE. Telegrams: ‘‘'GRAPHICLY, UXBRIDGE.”

BEE-KEEPING SIMPLIFIED

FOR THE

COTTAGER AND SMALLHOLDER

I—THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE BEE COMMUNITY.

To be successful, the bee-keeper, no matter how humble his
circumstances, should know a little of the habits and require-
ments of bees. This knowledge should be obtained before,
and not after, procuring his stock. Practical knowledge
gained by one’s own experience is excellent, but by obtaining
it in this way a great deal of unprofitable time must be
spent, and costly mistakes made. The wise take advantage
of the experience of others, and read what they have written
before commencing any pursuit connected with living
creatures.

After studying this small treatise, and a start has been
made, the bee-keeper will profit by taking either ‘‘ The British
Bee Journal,’’ 2d. weekly, post free 10s. 10d. per annum, or
“The Bee-keepers’ Record,’ 2d. monthly, post free 2s. 6d. per
annum, from the office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand. He will
also do well to join the local or County Bee-keepers’
Association.

In Great Britain there are over two hundred different
species of bees, the majority of them solitary, and, with the
exception of the honey bee, “Apis Mellifica”’ (which is wild
by nature), none are social during the winter. The workers
and drones of all the other species die off in the autumn, the
queen hibernates during the cold months and commences
breeding in the spring.

B

2 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

In the summer the honey bee community is made up of three
kinds—one queen, forty to fifty thousand workers, and a few
hundred drones, Fig. 1.

The Queen is the most important bee in the hive, not
because she rules, which might be implied from her name,
but because she is a fully developed female, capable of
impregnation by the male, after which she can reproduce

Fie. 1.

either sex by laying eggs, which, at will, she either fertilises
with spermatozoa originally obtained from the drone and
stored in a little sac at the base of and inside her abdomen, or
she allows them to pass unfertilised.

In size and appearance the egg is very like a fly-blow,
Fig. 2, left side. Enclosed within the shell is a yolk and
white as with the hen’s egg. In the centre of the end, Fig. 2,
right side, is a little hole called the micropyle, through which

a=

Fie. 2.

the spermatozoon enters. The fertilised egg produces the
females (workers or queens), the unfertilised produce drones
only.

Ga neuuliys under abnormal conditions of queenlessness, a
worker develops the power of laying eggs; these are un-
fertilised, and produce only males.

In appearance the queen is quite different from the other
bees. The abdomen is more slender and tapering, the wings

Cottager and Smalihoider 3

in comparison to the size of the body are shorter, the back
is darker in colour, while the underside of the abdomen has
a golden tinge. The natural life of a queen is five years.
She is in her prime in the second season, and should not as
a rule be kept beyond that period.

A two year old queen is capable of laying from two to three
thousand eggs a day. The output of eggs is regulated by the
workers. They feed the queen upon digested food, and if an
abundance of this is given a large number of eggs are pro-
duced, but if the queen is fed sparingly their number is
reduced accordingly.

There is but one queen in the hive; «a dual monarchy is
not tolerated. Rival queens, if present, will fight each other
until only one remains. The queen has a sting which is

curved; it is only used on an adversary. She leaves the hive
on two occasions—as a virgin for mating (this when once
accomplished lasts for life), and when accompanying a swarm.

Workers are undeveloped females, and are the labourers of
the colony. They are small and very active, have a per-
fectly straight sting which is used in defence of the home and
its contents. They gather nectar from the flowers and
convert it into honey, store and seal it over in the cells,
secrete wax, build the combs, and collect and bring in pollen
and propolis. The former, the farinaceous food of bees, the
latter, a gummy substance gathered from the buds of trees,
used as a cement in the hive for stopping crevices, &c. The
duration of « worker’s jife in the working season is about
six weeks, her strenuous labours wearing her out in this short
period. Workers born in the autumn having very little work
to do live till the following spring.

B2

4 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

Drones are the male bees; they are reared in the early Spring
which is the natural swarming season. Their sole work is to
perpetuate the species by mating with the young queens.
Bulky in appearance and heavy in flight, they are easily
distinguished. About August, when no longer needed, they
are killed off. Having no sting they are an easy prey to the
attacking workers. The presence of drones from October to
March is an indication of queenlessness, or the presence of
an unfertilised queen. :

Combs, Fig. 8, are made of beeswax, and a small quantity
of pollen. Wax is not gathered, but is secreted in eight little
pockets on the under side of the worker bee, Fig. 4. It is
made from honey; for its secretion the bees gorge them-
selves with food, and
then hang in
festoons in the hive
perfectly quiet for
twenty-four hours;
during that time the
food is changed by
chemical action into
wax, and exudes in
a liquid state into
the pockets, where it
hardens, and is then
plucked out, mixed
with saliva to make
it plastic, and
moulded by means of
the jaws into cells.

The cells of which the combs are made up consist of five
kinds—worker, drone, queen, attachment, and _ transition.
The worker cells are the smallest, being one fifth of an inch
between the parallel sides. They are six sided, this being the
only shape that will fit together without waste of space in
which a round body can grow. They are built out hori-
zontally from the midrib, and have a slight upward inclina-
tion, so that they retain the grub during its growth, and also
the honey when it is stored.

Drone cells are larger, being one quarter of an inch between
the parallel sides; in all other respects they are built in the
same manner as the workers.

Queen cells are only built during the swarming season, or if
by accident the mother is killed or lost. Instead of being
horizontal they are pendulous, being about one inch in
length, one third of an inch in diameter, and have the

Cottager and Smallholider 5

opening at the bottom, while in all other cases the cells open
sideways.

Queen cells are made very stout, and consist of wax with
a liberal mixture of pollen. They also have upon them a
number of depressions or indentations, which, by forming
ribs, make the cell stronger, and the cavities allow of porosity.

Transition cells are those between, when drone cells are
being merged into worker, or vice versa, they are irregular in
shape, and are used only for the storage of food. Attach-
ment cells are those by means of which the bees connect the
combs to the material upon which they are being built; they
are stored with food only.

To produce the worker a fertilised egg is laid in a worker
cell; it is incubated for three days, the temperature required
being 98 deg. Fahr., then from it hatches a little grub
which is fed on pap or digested food for three days. The
grub floats in this food, and absorbs it through the skin, as
well as the mouth, therefore it grows very rapidly. At the
end of three days the grub is weaned, i.e., the food given
consists of honey and partly digested pollen instead of the
pap. It is fed until it is nine days old, when it is sealed
over with a porous capping made from pollen and wax. The
creature then passes through all the stages incidental to
insect life, i.e., it spins a cocoon, rests, becomes a nymph,
and eventually an imago or perfect bee, the time occupied
being twenty-one days. On the twenty-second day the
worker eats its way from the cell, and in the course of a
few hours commences to work, acting for the first fourteen
days—during which period it does not leave the hive—as
nurse to the grubs in the cells and the adult queen, and drones,
making the pap upon which they are fed. At the end of a
fortnight it becomes a foraging bee, working in the fields.

Queens are produced, like the worker, from fertilised eggs.
A queen cell is built in which the queen lays an egg,
or one is carried and placed in it by the workers, or they
enlarge the base of a worker cell already containing an egg.
This is incubated in the same manner, and for the same
period as that which produces a worker. The grub is fed on
the same kind of food, but with the difference that no weaning
takes place. It is sealed over on the ninth day, and goes
through identically the same changes as the worker, except
that the time occupied is shorter, being about seventeen
days. Being reared in a larger cell, and the grub having
the rich food given throughout its existence, a female fully
developed in all her organs is produced, capable of mating
and reproducing either sex.

6 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

Usually, the first princess to emerge goes to the other cells
containing her royal sisters, of which there may be any number
up to thirty, tears down the side wall, and kills the inmate,
thus precluding the possibility of a rival. The princess remains
in the hive for five days, after which she leaves on her
wedding trip. After marriage she returns to the hive, and
within forty-eight hours commences her maternal duties.

Drones are produced from unfertilised eggs, laid in drone
cells, incubation taking place as in the case of the worker
and queen, and although the egg contains no male stimulus
a grub hatches out on the third day, and is fed on pap for
four days, when it is weaned. The creature passes through
all the stages detailed for worker and queen, the period of

Fig. 5.

development being longer, occupying twenty-four days. On
the twenty-fifth day the drone emerges and remains in the
hive for fourteen days, when he commences to fly.

The capping covering drone brood stands out very
prominently, and by this alone, apart from the size of the
cell, it is easily recognised. From capping to capping through
the comb, drone cells measure 11 inches, worker 2 of an
inch. The space between the face of combs containing honey
sealed over is 4 inch, while between capped brood it is 2 of
an inch. Fig. 5 illustrates the different kinds of brood.

in the autumn both worker and drone cells which have
been used for brood rearing are gradually filled with honey
for consumption during the winter months. The amount of
brood reared increases gradually from January to July, from
then until November it decreases, until it ceases altogether.

Cottager and Smallholder 7

If.—SKEPS OR STRAW HIVES AND BOXES.

The use of these is strongly deprecated, as by having the
combs fastened to the main structure they cannot be taken
out for examination without breaking them from their
attachment; it is impossible to replace them, therefore they
are wasted.

Contraction or expansion of the brood nest, and detection
of disease in its early stages are also impossible. Queen-
rearing and drone-breeding cannot be controlled, and a great
many other operations, which are easy of accomplishment with
the modern moveable comb hive—to be described later—are
debarred in the skep or box hive system of bee-keeping.

lf the cottager still persists in following this system—the
profits from which are very small compared with the moveable

Fie. 7.

comb method—then it is advisable to have the skep as up
to date as possible. :

A flat-topped one with a hole in the centre should be
procured and placed on a _ proper round floor-board
with a projecting piece for an alighting-board, as shown at
Fig. 6. A stand is made by halving two nine inch pieces of
one inch wood together, Fig. 7. A wooden case, capable of
carrying shallow combs or a section rack, made with a solid
floor four or five inches from the bottom, inside, having a hole

8 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

in the centre to come over the hole in the skep, completes the
arrangement, Fig. 8, so that saleable honey can be obtained

i me

Fie. 8

without killing the bees or taking it from darkly stained
brood comb.

III.—_MOVEABLE COMB HIVES.

These hives are made of wood, and are more or less costly
according to design. The combs are built in frames so that
they are easy to remove. Surplus is obtained by means of
extra chambers called supers.

A simple and efficient hive is described and illustrated as

Cottager and Smallholder 9

follows:—Fig. 9, No. 1. The floor-board, which has four
splayed legs attached, a sloping alighting board at the front
for the bees to settle upon; the first board of the floor-board
proper is sunken to make an entrance. No. 2 is the brood
chamber, which contains ten frames, a division board, and

No. 3

No, 1

Fia. 9

a slip of wood 2 inch by 3-16. The division-board is for con-
tracting the size of the brood chamber, and the strip to
increase the distance between the face of the end comb
and the hive side. This chamber, Fig. 10, is nine inches
deep, the outside walls (o.w.) are made of 2 inch material,
the inside walls (i.w.), which are on two sides only, are made
of 4 inch material, and are secured to the outer wall by

o

10 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

strips of wood (s.) at the top and bottom making an air
space (a.s.). The inside walls are 83 inches deep, and the
top strips are placed level with the top edges of the inside
walls to allow a metal runner 1/1, deep—Fig. 11, and (m.r.)

Fie. 10,

ig. 10—to be nailed on the top to carry the frame tops just
level with the outer wall; the metal runner gives the smallest
possible contact of surface, and prevents the bees sticking down
the frame ends with propolis. This runner also provides a
hollow under the ends of the frame top to get the fingers under
for lifting, and prevents the killing of bees by
crushing when replacing the frames.
On the front of the brood chamber, No. 2,
Fig. 9, is a porch, which is detachable, being
fastened in position with a couple of screw
eyes; the bottom side is grooved to carry two
wooden slides by means of which the size of
Fig. 11. the entrance can be regulated from full-
width to one bee space, or closed altogether.
No. 3 is the lift, which is made to fit over the
brood chamber. Inside, about 3 of an inch up, are nailed
strips of wood 4 inch by 2 of an inch, which rest on the
top edges of the brood chamber, holding the lift so that it
provides room for the supers. For winter this is reversed,
and telescopes down over the brood chamber, Fig. 12, to
make it warmer. The roof to keep out the wet is seen at
No. 4, Fig. 9. When put together with an additional small
lift to give more room the hive is complete, Fig. 13.
As already mentioned, the brood chamber contains ten

A

Cottager

and Smallholder

Fig. 13.

11

12 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

frames. This number will be found the most satisfactory to
work with. To obtain interchangeability, so necessary in
many operations, they
. must be of standard size
as estahlished by the
British Beekeepers’
Association.

These frames are made
of four pieces, which
fasten together with
lock joints, Fig. 14. The

- 1 size ig ag seen at Fig. 15.
Fio 14 - Length, top bar 17 inches,
bottom bar 14 inches, the
depth being 83 inches. These are all outside measurements.
Thickness of top bar 2 of an inch, end bar } of an inch, bottom
bar 3 of an inch; the width throughout is % of an inch.
The hive is so made that the frames hang by a projecting
piece at either end 1} inches long, called a lug, or ear; a
space of 4 of an inch at the end allows the bees to pass

Genesee enn enn nce cece ene nn 178 Re Ee Re ee >
a 77)
oo
a
vy

Qo on cnese een enna 14°-------------->
Fie. 15.

round. If made smaller they cannot pass and will pro-
polise the frame end to the side of the hive; if more space
is given they will build brace combs between—in either case
defeating the object of the frames by making their removal
difficult. Between the bottom bar and floor-board a space
of 4 an inch is left to allow free passage for the incoming

Cottager and Smaliholder 13

and outgoing bees, also for the easy removal of the dead, and

other refuse, by the scavenging bees. As this space at the
bottom of combs is natural to

them the bees do not build brace
combs. ,
The outside measurement of
the frames as given must con- —
form, without the slightest devia. %
tion, to the inside measure-
ment of the brood chamber.
It will thus be seen that the
inside measurements of the brood chamber are 9 inches deep,
143 inches across, between the inside walls parallel with the
frames, 174 inches from rebate to rebate to take the 17 inch
top bar, and 154 inches across the frames.

Fie. 17.

The division board is 9 inches deep and 3 inch thick, top bar
17 inches long, 11-16 inches wide, so that it projects on one
side 3-16 of an inch, for the proper spacing of the frame next
to it. Length of board is 14} inches, so that it fits tightly
into the brood chamber to prevent bees getting behind.

14 Bee-Keeping ¢implified for the

To obtain combs of the right width for brood rearing the
frames are spaced 14 inches from centre to centre by means
of a W.B.C. metal end, Fig. 16, pushed on the projecting
end. ‘he frames, division board, and slip of wood are seeu
in the right position, each metal end touching, Fig. 17.

IV.—COMB FOUNDATION AND ITS USES.

Comb foundation is pure beeswax sheeted and impressed
with the base of either worker or drone cells. Its use is to
get straight combs built in any desired position, and to

or —

Fie. 18.

control the rearing of drones. Unless the combs are built
in the framework designed for them the frame hive is not a
moveable comb one. The brood frames should be fitted with
full sheets of worker base foundation. Starters, which are
narrow strips of foundation fastened to the top bar, should be
scrupulously avoided, otherwise a large amount of drone
comb will be built and a number of useless drones reared.

‘To fasten the foundation into the frames it is inserted into
a saw cut provided right through the centre of the top bar.
This saw cut can be opened easily for the reception of the
foundation by driving a couple of headless nails into the
bench about 3} an inch apart; the frame is turned upside
down, and placed so that the nails fit into the saw cut in the
centre; the frame is then given a twist so that the nails come
at right angles to, instead of parallel with the saw cut. Being
held open automatically in this manner for its reception both
hands are free to deal with the foundation.

Cottager and Smallholder 15

To prevent the sheet buckling while being forced home owing
to the saw cut not being straight through at either end, a
piece about 4 an inch wide should be cut off diagonally from
the two top corners.

The frame should have thin wire stretched across it, Fig. 18.
After the foundation has been placed: in position in the saw
cut this wire is forced into it by means of a heated
spur embedder, Fig. 19. This holds it in position

Fia. 19.

and makes the comb stronger when built. Failing such
wiring, the foundation should be pushed right through the
saw cut about 4 an inch and then bent over alternately from
side to side on the top of the top bar with the thumbs, so
that it cannot slip out.

The sheets of foundation for brood frames are cut to the
right size by the manufacturers. If the frames are wired that
weighing ten sheets to the pound is used. If not then it must
be thicker, i.e., eight sheets to the pound.

V.—NATURAL SWARMING.

Nature provides for the increase of living creatures in
various ways. Colonies of bees’ are increased by what are
termed swarms.

Breeding commences about the last week in January,
gradually the population increases until May or June, when the
hive becomes overcrowded. | This is indicated by the bees
hanging in a large cluster at the entrance, especially towards
night.

reparation for the departure of the old mother is made by
the building of queen cells, and the rearing of young queens;
about three days before the most advanced princess is due
to emerge great excitement prevails in the hive. One day,
generally between the hours of ten and one, the swarm
issues. This consists of from fifteen to twenty-five thousand old
bees accompanied by the old queen. They: fly round for a time,
and eventually settle in a large cluster. as Fig. 20, when they
are hived by the bee-keeper, and put into a new home.

If the bees are disinclined to settle, syringe water above, or

16 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

throw handsful of soil amongst them. As soon as all have
collected to the cluster, proceed to hive them. Take a straw skep,
or wooden box, hold it bottom upwards under the clustering bees,

aS et i

Fia. 20,

then with a vigorous shake of the branch upon which they are
resting dislodge them so that they fall in a mass into the
inverted receptacle. Now turn the skep or box gently over,
placing it on a board, sheet, or sack, with one edge propped
up at least three inches for ventilation, and to allow the

Cottager and Smallholder 17

flying bees to enter, which they will quickly do if the queen
has been secured.

When shaking, care should be taken to get as many bees
as possible into the skep or box to ensure securing the queen,
for if she is left out they will take wing, and the whole
operation will have to be repeated. If the swarm clusters in
a position from which it is impossible to shake it, fix the
empty skep or box above so that one edge just touches the
topmost bees; they will then gradually go into it. To prevent
the swarm absconding through being overheated, the skep
or box containing it should be shaded from the sun by means
of a sheet or open umbrella. In the evening they should be
taken to their permanent stand, and run into a movable comb
hive as described later.

Never dress the hiving receptacle inside with beer, treacle,
or other sweet stuffs, as this may cause robbing by other
bees.

VI.—_SECOND SWARMS, OR CASTS.

A ~ast or second swarm usually comes out about nine days
after the first one has issued. Generally, when bees anticipate
casting, all the virgin queens in the cells are allowed to
emerge, instead of the remainder being killed immediately the
first one is out, which is the case when no further swarming
is to take place.

There may be from one to eight virgin queens in a cast,
but after hiving one only survives in the eliminating fight.
A virgin is also left in the parent colony to become its future
mother.

Casts should not be encouraged as they weaken the parent
colony, and, apart from the small possibility of their being
able, unless fed generously, to establish themselves strongly
enough to winter successfully, reduce the old colony’s chance
of building up strong enough to pass the same period in safety.

Should a cast issue, it is better to return it by running it
back at the entrance in the same manner that a swarm is
hived. This should be done on the evening of the second day
after the cast issued. All the virgin queens will then have
emerged and be old enough to fight during the night until only
one survives, and no further trouble will ensue. |

Casts may be prevented by cutting out all queen cells but
the best one immediately after the swarm has issued. If
two, or even three casts are joinéd together they will be more
likely to make strong colonies,

B

18 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

VII.—_THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF
A STOCK.

A swarm, as already described, consists of only the bees
and their queen. ‘When they have built combs and are estab-
lished upon them, the term colony is applied. A stock consists
of bees and combs, together with their home.

The best time to commence bee-keeping is in the Spring,
with a swarm obtained as early as possible. The hive shouid

Fic. 21.

be purchased in February so that it may be painted and the
internal fittings got ready without undue haste. A position
should be chosen facing as near S.E. as possible; the entrance
must not be facing a road or path, or there will be the danger
of living creatures passing in front being stung by the out-

-Cottager and Smallholder 19

coming bees. The legs should stand upon bricks, and the
hive be set perfectly level from side to side, with a slight

Fie, 22.

downward inclination towards the front to throw out the
moisture which accumulates inside.
The frames fitted with full sheets of foundation are placed

Fie. 23.

in position. A covering, called a quilt, of unbleached calico

cut the size of the top of the brood chamber, is laid on the

top of them to conserve the heat and to prevent the bees going
02

20 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

up into the roof. The hive is completed by putting on the lift

and roof.
The swarm should be hived into the movable comb hive by

running the bees in at the entrance. To accomplish this, place a

Fia. 24.

board the same width as the alighting board, and from two to
three feet long, sloping from it to the ground; prop up the
brood chamber at the front with wedges to give an entrance 14
inches deep. Take the skep or box in which the bees have been
placed temporarily, or in which they have travelled after
purchase (if the latter, the enclosing material of cheese-
straining cloth or perforated zinc lid must be removed), hold it

Fic. 26.

between the hanas, mouth downwards, about a foot away
from the entrance, and with vigorous downward jerks shake
the bees out on to the cloth. Their natural inclination of
creeping uphill asserts itself, and they travel into the new
home very quickly, Fig. 21. It is advisable to watch and see that
the queen enters safely. At night the brood chamber is lowered
to its normal position. A bottle of white cane sugar
syrup must be given over the feedhole in the calico

Cottager and Smaliholder 21

quilt (see ‘‘ Feeders and Feeding’). Two additional quilts
of thick material, such as felt or carpet, or several neatly
folded newspapers, are also placed over the calico and feeder
to make the bees snug and warm. Another method, to be
adopted only in cold or > _
damp weather, is to remove —$
half the frames, spacing
the five remaining ones
equal distances apart, then
shake the bees in from the
top. Swarms should te
run into the hive in the
evening about six o’clock.

A swarm does not, as a
rule, do more the first
season than establish itself
and store sufficient food
for the winter.

The second season the
colony reaches full strength
about May or June, and
unless more room is
provided the bees will Fie, 27.
swarm.

The modern method is to prevent this, and obtain surplus,
by giving room in advance of requirements by means of extra
chambers called supers. These are of two kinds—section racks

Ki

PE 9 238 =

i,

wide, Fig. 25. There is a
groove in the centre into which
very thin super foundation is
pushed, Fig. 26, and secured by
being gripped in the top, which
is cut in half for the purpose,
Fig. 25, and completed, Fig. 27.

The foundation must be
placed so that the rows of cells
run parallel with the top as on the right side, Fig. 28, and not
diagonally as left side of the same illustration. The sections
are placed in the rack in seven rows, three in « row, upon slats
to allow the bees to pass into them. Between each row is a
divider to prevent the comb from being built beyond the wood-
work of the section; Fig. 29 makes this clear.

22 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

The shallow frame super is a box, the same size as the
brood chamber, except in depth, which is only six inches, and
carries eight frames 53in. deep, spaced two inches from centre
to centre with a wide metal end.

Fig. 29.

To prevent the queen from entering the supers and
depositing eggs in the cells, a metal queen excluder, Fig. 30,
is placed over the brood chamber, the perforations of which
are so accurately made that the workers can pass through,
but not the queen. See Fig. 31. The best pattern zine excluder
having the minimum amount of metal is that designed,
patented, and sold by E. H. Taylor, Ltd.

The super is then put on and
covered with the quilts. ‘the bees
enter this, build comb, and store
honey. | When the first super is
two-thirds full it is raised and a
second one put underneath, and so
on to the end of the season.

In Fig. 32 the two kinds of
supers are shown on the hive, the
section rack being drawn back
slightly to show the shallow frame
box, while Fig. 33 shows the whole
internal arrangement of the hive in
section.

When the supers are filled and the

Fia. 30. honey sealed over, they are cleared

of bees for removal by a ‘Bee ”’

escape, Fig. 34, which allows them to pass out through the
springs, which close and prevent their return. This is fixed
into a board, Fig. 35, which is placed under the super to be

Cottager and Smallholder- 23

Fig. 31.

cleared in the evening, during the night all the bees pass out,
so that it can be taken off in-the ‘morning and carried indoors.
lf it is # section rack, all'that is necessary: is:to take out

Fig. 32.

24 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

the sections, clean and pack them away ready for sale. If
a shallow frame super the honey is extracted; this is done
by centrifugal force. The cappings are first cnt off with a

Fig. 35.

sharp knife, which is heated by being placed in a jug of hot
water, or knife heater. The W.B.C. knife, Fig. 36, is the

best. The method of uncapping is seen at Fig. 37.

After the cappings have been cut off, the combs are placed
in an extractor, Fig. 38, which is a tin cylinder, having a
cage which will hold one comb on either side, that.can be made

Cottager and Smallholder

Fic. 35.

Fie. 37.

26 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

to revolve quickly by means of a handle fastened to the central
shaft ; in this way the honey is slung from the cells on one side
of the comb; they are then reversed and the other side is dealt
with in the same manner. The combs should be so placed that
when revolved the bottom bar leads. The honey is run out

Fig. 38.

through the tap at the bottom into a vessel covered with muslin
to strain out the tiny particles of wax; it is then put into tins
or jars for selling.

Individual colonies may be supered with either all section
racks or shallow comb supers, or they can be worked in
conjunction with each other, as shown at Vig. 32.

After the removal of the supers very little work is necessary
until the time for wintering, which is described in a later

chapter.

VIIL._SUBDUING AND MANIPULATING BEES.

Bees that are full of food are not inclined to sting, unless
unduly provoked. The bees constituting a natural swarm are
good tempered, because before they issue sufficient food is
taken into the stomach to sustain them for four days—a

eriod sufficiently long to allow them to establish a new
ome. When frightened, they provision themselves so that in
case their home is destroyed they may live until another is

established.

Cottager and Smallholder 27

For this purpose one of two subjugators is used, a smoker,
Fig. 39, which is a tin cylinder having a conical nozzle
open at the pointed end, and fastened to a pair of bellows with
# connection at the back. Brown paper, rag, or fustian is
rolled into a cartridge, lighted, and placed in the smoker
barrel with the lighted end down; then by working the bellows
a volume of smoke issues from the nozzle, which can be driven
in any direction. Or a carbolic cloth may be used; this is made
by sprinkling a piece of calico the size of the top of the brood
chamber with a solution of one part Calvert’s No. 5 carbolic
acid in two parts of water. It should be rolled up, and
when not in use, stored in an air-tight tin to retain its

Fie. 40.

strength. The smell of smoke driven into the hive, or the
fumes from the carbolic cloth laid over the top of the frames
after removing the quilt, gives the desired effect.

When manipulating, a bee veil, Fig. 40, should always be
worn, but gloves should not be used, as they tend to make
the operator clumsy. The bees should be properly subdued
before commencing operations. If they get restless before the
work in hand is finished a little more smoke should be given,
or the carbolic cloth applied again.

Never stand in front of the hive to manipulate, or the
bees will be hindered in their work, become angry
and sting. When handling or turning the combs, keep them
on edge by four movements, shown in Fig. 41. If held flat
in warm weather the comb may break down. Bright warm
weather should be chosen for opening hives, as then the bees are
in a good temper. If opened when cold or wet weather
prevails the brood will be chilled and the bees made vicious.

GQ

Fie. 41.

Bee-Keeping Simplified 29

LX.- DRIVING.

Owing to the decadence of the skep system of bee-keeping,
driving is practically a thing of the past. Its object is to
get the bees out of the skep or box without killing them.

It is done to make artificial swarms in the spring, in the
autumn to save bees which would otherwise be suffocated to
obtain the honey; and three or four lots joined together—(see
Uniting)—hived upon combs already built in frames, and fed
with white cane sugar syrup—(see Feeding)—until they have
stored sufficient to maintain them during the winter; they
will commence work as a colony the following year.

Driving should be carried out towards evening to avoid
robbing. Subdue the bees as already described, then turn the
skep or box upside down, taking care to turn it with the
combs edgewise, or they may break off. Place it on a table.
To keep a dome-topped skep level it will be necessary to stand
it in a bucket, which is weighted and made to stand firm by
being half filled with water.

An empty skep or box is now fixed on to it in the position
of a box lid half open; the two edges are fastened together
by pushing a three-inch nail right through the top one
into the bottom one at the joint, taking care to make the
junction of the two skeps or boxes at right angles to the
combs, so that a direct clear passage is left for the bees when
they commence to go up.

Driving irons are used on either side. They are made of
iron wire, with one and a half inches turned at right angles
at either end, or a couple of pieces of wood, with a two-inch
nail driven through either end, will do. The driving irons
are fixed with one projecting end or nail driven into each
skep or box, Fig. 42.

The chink on either side of the joint is stopped by tying
a cloth to one driving iron, pulling it tightly round the back,
and tying it to the other one as seen in the illustration.

All that is then necessary is to beat with the hands upon
the full skep or box. This should be done on the sides to
which the ends of combs are attached, as illustrated, and not
on the sides to which they run parallel, or the combs will
break. By turning the skep or box upside down an uphill
position is provided, up which the bees travel quickly, more
especially as they are further frightened by the vibration
caused by drumming with the hands.

If preferred, close driving may be practised; the operation
is the same, except that the empty skep or box is shut close

30 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

down on to the full one. With the former it is possible to
see and catch the queen, if required, as she passes up. For

Fie. 42.

this purpose, the operator should stand with his back to the
light so that a good view of the passing bees may be
obtained.

X.—UNITING.

Colonies which are weak in the spring as a rule do little
more than build up strong enough for wintering, while those

Cottager and Smallholder 31

weak in the autumn generally die during the winter. At both
periods they are unprofitable, and should be converted into
strong colonies by uniting. This must be done in such a way
that the bees in the separate hives attain the same scent, so
that fighting may be avoided.

In the case of skeps or box hives, proceed as follows :—
Move one or both the hives containing the bees, in the evening
of those days only when they have been flying, not more than
one yard per day, until the hives stand side by side. This is
necessary, as bees locate position and not the hive; if moved a
greater distance at one operation many will be lost by not
being able to find their home. When they have stood side by
side for a few days, so that the bees have got well used to the
new location, drive both lots successively into an empty skep
or box, as already described in ‘‘ Driving.’ They will
unite peaceably on account of the undue excitement caused
by driving, and also because they are full of food. Then
treat as a swarm, by running them in the usual way into
the hive which is to remain. The queens may be allowed to
fight it out as to which remains, or the worst one can be caught
and destroyed when driving.

With a movable comb hive the same process of moving is fol-
lowed. All the combs not covered by bees are removed from
each hive; the worst queen is caught and destroyed ; for safety
the remaining one should be caged. (See Queen Introduction.)
The bees on both sets of combs are then well dusted with
ordinary flour, one set spaced wide apart, and the others lifted
and put in between; the empty hive is taken right away. The
flour—which should be used lavishly—imparts the same odour to
all, and the interspacing of the combs mixes the bees thoroughly,
so that no fighting takes place. Uniting should be carried out
in the evening when all the bees are at home. The caged queen
must be liberated twenty-four hours after uniting.

To unite driven bees with an established colony, remove five
combs from the latter, shake off the bees and place them in a
fresh hive, standing close by, hive the driven bees on
to these combs, and allow them to work for a week, when they
can be united as described above.

XI.—MAKING ARTIFICIAL SWARMS.

This can be accomplished with both skeps or box hives, and
movable comb hives. %
The principles to remember are that bees locate position,

”

32 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

and not the hive, that young bees are the best for queen rear-
ing, and that it is the old bees and old queen which constitute
a natural swarm. 1+ is also obvious that artificial swarms should
only be made from strong, healthy colonies, and at a time when
natural food is being obtained in abundance. The operation
should be carried out on a day when the bees are flying freely.

With a skep or box hive drive out the bees until the queer
is found, put her with about a pint of bees in a fresh hive
placed on the old stand, run back the remainder of the driven
bees into the original skep or box and remove it to another posi-
tion. The flying bees will join the queen, and the young bees of
the parent colony will rear a fresh mother, If the swarm is to be
sold, place the queen and pint of bees in a swarm box, instead
of a hive, on the old stand. This is closed at night, and
despatched the next day, the stock being put back in its
original place.

For « movable comb hive, prepare a hive with its
full complement of brood frames, fitted with full sheets
of wired foundation. Find the queen in the colony,
and place the comb on which she is located, with
the adhering bees, into the centre of the fresh hive,
having previously removed a frame for this purpose, and
cover with the quilts. Push the combs in the parent hive close
together, and place the frame of foundation so that it is the
last one at one side; cover with the cuilts, and remove it
some little distance away, putting the fresh hive in its
place. Should bad weather follow, feed both the parent and
swarm.

Instead of the above method, several colonies may be used to
make an extra one. One example of how to do this is given
below. A larger or smaller number than those given may be
utilised. The operator should remember that the greater
number of colonies used the fewer brood combs must be taken
from each.

To make one colony from three: From each of two remove
three combs of brood, brushing back the bees, and replacing the
combs removed by frames fitted with foundation placed on the
outside of the brood nest. Put the six combs of brood in the
centre of the fresh hive, with two frames of foundation on
either side to make the full number of ten; cover with quilts.
Remove the third stock, which has not been, and should not be,
opened, to a new position; place the fresh hive where it stood.
Thus two colonies supply the brood and one the bees. The new
lot is allowed to rear a queen, or one may be introduced.

Cottager and Smallhoider 33

XII.—FEEDERS AND FEEDING.

It is sometimes necessary to feed bees. At times
they place all the honey gathered in the supers, leaving the
brood chamber with very little stored in it. As it
is possible to actually see the amount of food stored in movable
combs, instead of having to guess at the weight—as was the
case under old-fashioned conditions—many colonies, which
would otherwise perish,
can be saved by supplying
a little extra food.

Feeding can be done at
all seasons if necessary.
In the early spring
stimulative feeding is
carried out by means cf
the regulation bottle-
feeder, Fig. 43, or by
giving about one-quarter
of a pint of syrup every
third night, in a wide-
necked jam jar, with a
double thickness of
muslin tied over the top.
Fig. 44, or in a rapid
feeder, Fig. 45. A feed-
hole is made in _ the
calico quilt by cutting
on three sides of a square about three inches, so that a flap is
made ,to turn down to prevent the bees escaping when a feeder
is not in use. The jar is inverted over the feed-hole, and the
bees suck the syrup through the muslin.

The food should be given at night, and should be new milk
warm. It is also made thin, as bees require « lot of water
in the spring for rearing brood, which is the object of slow
feeding. If there is a continual slow supply of food coming
in, the queen lays more continuously. If the food is given too
rapidly it does harm instead of good, as they store it in
those cells which should be left for the queen to lay in. It
is also harmful to give syrup when there is an abundant
supply of natural food in the combs. In such a case for
stimulation it is only necessary to bruise the cappings of the
honey just round the brood patch on each "comb. Artificial
pollen should be supplied by putting Symington’s Pea Flour
on hay chaff, sheltered from the wet in a box in the garden.

34 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

Stimulative feeding is also carried out with newly-hived
swarms for about a week or ten days to help them to build
combs quickly. In those districts where there is a break
between the honey flows, such as fruit blossom and clover, it is

Fie. 44.

often desirable to give stimulative food for the production of
combs in preparation for the second crop of honey.

In the autumn those colonies which require food should have
it given to them slowly, so that they may rear more brood, and
also store and seal some of it in the cells. At the end of
September the full complement of food should be made up by
means of a rapid feeder, Fig. 45. ‘rhere are different forms
of these, but the principle is the same in all, i.c., the bees are
allowed free access to the syrup, so that they can take it as
quickly as they desire, provision being made to prevent them
from drowning.” The syrup for rapid feeding and for slow
feeding in the autumn is made thicker than that for the other
periods of the year. It should be stored and sealed over with

Cottager and Smallholder 35

as little water in it as possible, so that the danger of dysentery
from too much liquid is reduced to 4 minimum. In all cases
when syrup feeding, the entrance to the hive should be closed
to one bee space to avoid robbing. The food given in the

wT

ha

SS

Fig. 45.

winter is candy, which is placed over the feed-hole. It is
moulded in a glass-topped box or in saucers lined with paper,
so that without disturbing the bees it is an easy matter to see
when the candy is exhausted. The different foods are made
as follows :—

Spring and Summer Syrup—
5lbs. white lump cane sugar.
34 pints water.
tog. vinegar.
4oz. salt.
Autumn Syrup—
5lbs. white lump cane sugar.
21 pints water.
soz. vinegar.
tog. salt.

These ingredients should be put in a saucepan and placed
over the fire, stirring continually until all the sugar is dissolved,
when it is ready for use.

36 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

Cundy.—Have a clean pan, for preference a brass preserving
one, into which put 3lbs. of best white lump cane sugar and
half-pint of water, together with as much cream of tartar as
can be heaped up on a sixpenny bit. Stand beside the fire,
stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved, then
place on the fire and stir continually until the mass
boils; allow it to boil for about a couple of minutes, then
remove from the fire, and stand the pan in another vessel
containing cold water until the sugar begins to cloud, then
stir well and pour into the prepared glass-topped boxes made
by glazing one side of a section, or into the saucers lined with
paper, so that when cold it can be lifted out in a block. When
set it should be a moist solid mass easily cut into with the
finger nail.

Candy given in January should have about a quarter of a
pound of pea flour mixed with the above quantity. This is best
done during the cooling process. The flour should not be poured
in all at once, but lightly sprinkled in while stirring, so that it
mixes evenly right through the candy.

To medicate any of the above when dealing with Foul Brood,
add to each pound of sugar as much Napthol Beta as can be
heaped on a threepenny bit. Dissolve this in sweet spirit of
nitre, whisky, or methylated spirit, and add when the syrup or
candy is cooling, not when it is hot.

XIII.—WAX EXTRACTING.

Many shillings are wasted by the bee-keeper neglecting to
save old combs and scrapings from the hives. These should be
carefully kept in an air-taght box until a quantity is collected,
and then melted by any of the following methods.

Pollen-clogged combs should be broken up, well soaked in rain
water, and as much pollen as possible washed out. The mass
is then tied up in a cheese straining cloth and sunk by means of
weights in a copper filled with rain water; hard water will
spoil the colour of the wax. The water is then boiled, when
the wax will melt, percolate through the straining cloth and
float on the top; when cuid it will set in a cake and can be
lifted off, the bottom scraped free from dross and sent to the
manufacturer to be made into foundation. If the mass in the
cheese strainer is squeezed with the end of a stout piece of
wood while boiling, the wax will come away quicker, and more
will be obtained than if no pressure is employed.

Cottager and Smallholder 37

Another method is to get a large shallow tin, put a
partition of perforated zinc across the centre, break up the
combs to be melted, and put sufficient on one side of the zinc
to cover the bottom, cover with a sheet of glass, and stand it
facing the sun; the half containing the comb should be raised
at least six inches; this can be done by putting a brick under
one end. The sun’s rays striking the glass will generate
sufficient heat to melt the wax, and it will be strained by
running through the perforated zinc. The dross is then cleared
out and a fresh lot of comb put in. Too much comb must

\SR ‘)
7,0
OK

eo)

if Ws AN) Ns
"
x

y,
ZB
=r orre corona

Fia. 46.

not be put in at one time, or the wax will not run freely
from the waste.

A solar wax extractor, Fig. 46, may be purchased, and,
although it entails expense, the amount spent is soon saved by
the extra wax obtained which would otherwise be wasted.

Another method is by means of steam. An extractor,
Fig. 47, consists of a bottom pan, which is filled with
rain water. On the top of this fits another pan, with a false
bottom held about one inch clear from the sides by means of
stays. On this bottom stands a perforated tin cage, in which
the pieces of comb are placed. The lid is put on and the
extractor put on the fire; tha team from the boiling water

38 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

in the lower vessel melts the wax; it runs out of the perforated
cage down to the false bottom, the edges of which stand up
about half an inch. The wax is conveyed to the outside by
means of a spout connected to the bottom on which the cage
stands.

The wax may then be moulded into different sized cakes for
selling. Moulds for making cakes of varying size can be
made by boring holes in a piece of hard wood the requisite
size to hold, say, loz., 20z., 30z., etc., of wax; these can then

Fie. 47.

be retailed to customers, but the best value is obtained, as
previously stated, by having the wax made into foundation.

In all cases when wax is being melted it should be done in
a vessel standing in another containing rain water. If the
vessel containing wax is placed in direct contact with the fire
or oven shelf it will be blackened and its texture spoilt.

XIV.—OBTAINING HEATHER HONEY.

Heather honey is obtained principally in Scotland, Wales,
and the northern counties of England. The heather harvest is
derived from the common ling of the moors about August,
when all other crops are over, and it is not unusual for the bee-

Cottager and Smallholder 39

keeper to move his stocks seventy miles to obtain heather honey,
which realises double that of ordinary honey.

Where heather honey can be obtained it is necessary to use a
special hive so that plenty of ventilation is provided, to avoid
suffocating the bees when travelling. That made by Robert
Lee, of Uxbridge. Fig 48, is an ideal one, as ample ventilation

is provided in the floor board. The hives should not have
legs, so that they can be packed close together for transit,
and should be light and strong. Only strong colonies with an
abundance of food and old wired combs should be sent to the
moors. The bees should travel by night, so that they are kept
cool. The conveyance must have springs, and the hives be placed
on it so that the ends of the combs are towards the horse, or if
taken by rail or motor car towards the engine. This prevents

40 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

them swinging about, which is likely to occur if placed the
opposite way. See that everything is made secure previous to
starting, and before liberating the bees upon arrival at the
moors take the horse right out of the way to avoid an accident
by stinging.

Combs already drawn out should be used in the supers, and it
1s best to work for sections only, as on accuunt of its gelatinous
nature it is impossible to extract heather honey by centrifugal
force. The only way is to squeeze it from the combs by wrapping
them in muslin or cheese-straining cloth. They are then placed

ees Peels
Tage
: Sy

CC ==
‘i Se
= | =
af
ie

Fig. 49,

between the grooved plates of « press, Fig. 49; pressure is
applied by screwing these together as tightly as possible, when
the honey runs out. Shallow combs are too valuable to be spoilt
in this way.

Uncompleted sections from the clover harvest should be
extracted and used in the racks at the heather; those which
are fully completed can then be sold intact, while the unfinished
ones can be extracted by squeezing.

It is necessary to wrap the bees down well when at the
moors, to keep up the temperature of the hive during the cold
nights of autumn.

Cottager and Smallholder 41

XV.—PACKING BEES FOR TRANSIT.

If a swarm of bees has to travel by road or rail in a skep it
should be confined by tying over the mouth a piece of very open
material, such as cheese straining cloth. The skep must
travel mouth upwards, or the bees will be suffocated. Make a
rough framework, and pack it as Fig. 50. ‘he same method is

Fig. 50.

adopted “with a stocked skep or box hive, with the addition of
securing the combs by pushing wood skewers through them
and the hive sides several days before removal, so that the bees
may attach the combs to them.

It is better to send a swarm in a box, Fig. 51, the top and
bottom of which is covered with perforated zinc, so that an
abundance of ventilation is provided. Swarms should always
be fastened up at night on the day of issue, and sent off the
next morning before they have time to build combs.

To prepare a colony in a movable-comb hive for travelling,
make a frame of one inch wood to cover the top of the brood
chamber ; remove the quilts and screw this frame firmly on to the
sides of the hive, so that it holds the frames tightly to prevent
them moving. Cover this by tacking on cheese straining cloth or

42 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

perforated zinc, which provides ventilation, and also allows the
bees to collect on the top of the frames if they get over-
heated. Secure the brood chamber to the floor board by means
of screws, put on the lift and roof (no quilt) and tie securely
with stout string or fine rope. At night, when all the bees are

Fie. 51.

in, tack a piece of perforated zinc over the entrance; they
are then ready to travel. To avoid disaster, never attempt to
send bees in any kind of a hive on new combs, neither when
very strong, nor yet in hot weather. The combs in movable
comb hives should always be wired.

XVI.—MARKETING HONEY.

To obtain the best prices and regular customers, honey must
be put up in a clean, neat, and attractive manner.

Sections should be graded into best and seconds, according
to filling, sealing, etc. All incomplete ones should be extracted
and saved for use the following season. After scraping the

Cottager and Smallholder 43

woodwork of the sections free from propolis, those selected for
sale should be protected from dust, and the visits of flies, etc.,
by being glazed, or cardboard boxes, with glass on both sides
into which the sections fit, Fig. 52, may be used.

Fic. 62,

When sections are sent to the purchaser in dozen lots, a
spring travelling crate, Fig. 58, should be used. If a larger
quantity, they should be wrapped in paper, tied in half-dozens,
and packed in Tate’s cube
sugar boxes, which hold three
dozen, and allow for ample
packing with straw. If sold
unglazed, they should be
wrapped and tied == as
described above with a piece
of thin wood or cardboard 4tin.
square at each end of the
package to prevent the comb
being damaged while packing.

Honey in shallow combs
should be graded into
light, medium and dark,
and extracted separately, Fig. 53.
the light fetching the best Lr 5
price. If mixed, only a medium quality is secured. The dark can
be sold at a low rate, thus a better average price is obtained
than if all were mixed together. After straining through

44 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

muslin the honey is put into clean one-pound or half-pound
screw-cap jars; tie-overs, being messy, should not be used. For
a single dozen a box, Fig 54, can be made,’ while larger

Fie. 54.

quantities are sent in Tate’s cube sugar boxes, with plenty of
packing, each jar veing wrapped in a separate piece of paper.
If sold in bulk the honey is run into tins, each holding twenty-
eight pounds (4 ewt.).

Much depends upon the grading, cleanliness, neatness and
packing in obtaining and retaining customers.

XVII.—WINTERING.

The requirements for successful wintering are: (1) Plenty
of bees; (2) a young prolific queen; (3) plenty of food; (4) a
dry warm home.

Plenty of bees are secured by re-queening and stimulative
feeding after the honey harvest. Honey from brood combs
should not be touched for sale purposes, as it is the best food
for wintering. The necessary quantity of food is eight combs
well filled and sealed over. If the bees are short of this it
should be made up by white cane sugar syrup given in a rapid
feeder—see Feeders and Feeding—not later than the end of
September.

Cottager and smallholder 45

Winter passages are given by laying a couple of pieces of
wood, half an inch thick, over the top of the frames, under
the calico quilt.

Naphthaline should be placed in the brood chamber and
amongst the quilts. Extra wrappings are given, folded news-
papers being excellent for the purpose.

_Uf any doubt exists as to the supply of food being sufficient
give a cake of candy.

The roof must be made water-tight, and secured by driving
a stake down at one side of ‘the hive, to which a cord is tied,
then passed over the roof and a brick tied on the other end,
so that it just swings clear of the ground. The entrance is
opened to six inches.

Should snow fall it must be cleared from the roof and alight-
ing board, and a shade board reared in front of the entrance
to prevent reflected light from the snow entering the hive
and attracting the bees out to their death.

An occasional look at the candy, and the dead bees cleared
from the inside of the entrance by means of a hooked wire, is
all the attention required during the winter.

All that can be done with skeps or box hives is to wrap them
up warm and dry.

XVIII.—QUEEN REARING AND INTRODUCTION.

It is unnecessary for the owner of only a few stocks to follow
an elaborate system of queen rearing, but he should see that all
his colonies contain young vigorous queens. The best queens
are those secured under the natural swarming impulse.

Make careful notes to find out which colony has the desired
qualities, i.e., the best workers, docile and good in constitution.

The second or third season bring the selected colony to swarm-
ing point, and when the queen cells are sealed over cut them
out, and put one in each cage of a nursery frame, Fig. 55.
The cages are made by cutting a number of square blocks of
wood, through which a 1} inch hole is bored, covered on either
side with perforated zinc or wire cloth. A hole is bored in the
top of the block to take a cork The cages are made to fit
into a brood frame, the cells being fastened to the corks with
molten wax and placed in the cages. The frame is then put
in the centre of a colony until the queens emerge, when they
are introduced to the colonies to be re-queened.

46 Bee-Keeping Simplified for the

In introducing a queen, be sure that the colony has been
queenless for twenty-four hours, then place the queen with a
few attendant workers under a pipe cover cage, Fig. 56, and
fasten it on to a comb over food by screwing the metal rim at

Fie. 55.

the bottom into the cells. In this way the queen is protected
from the alien workers by the wire cloth covering until she
attains the odour of the hive, so that when liberated at the
end of twenty-four hours she will be accepted, whereas, if not
caged, she would be killed immediately she was put in.

XIX.—DISEASES.

The most important disease is that called “Isle of Wight.”
Bees so affected soil the alighting board and entrance to the
hive, and also the inside, with excreta. A number of bees
will be found creeping on the ground and up the surrounding
herbage, others collect in small clusters, and all are unable to
fly. An examination of these will show that in many cases
the wings are dislocated and the abdomen badly distended.
The bees generally die off very quickly. If the colony is strong,
it may be saved by introducing an imported fertile Italian
queen. As the disease spreads rapidly, if the affected colony is
weak, it is advisable to destroy the bees at once and spray the
combs with Bacterol. They should not be used again for at
least a month.

Foul Brood is another disease. When attacked the adult
bees are listless, and much of the brood will be found dead
in the cells. Instead of being quite white and curled up like
the letter C the grubs will be elongated and of a buff colour,

Cottager and Smalliholder 47

in its advanced stages the cappings are sunken and have
irregular perforations, while in the cell a ropy putrid brown
mass will be found. Fig. 57 shows an affected comb. In some
cases an offensive odour like decomposed glue is given off.

If there are few bees and the disease very bad, suffocate the
bees and burn the combs, bees, quilts, etc., in a hole dug in
the ground. When all is consumed fill in the hole with earth.

Should the population be numerous use ‘‘ Apicure —if per-
severed with, and used as stated in the instructions, the disease
will disappear. All food should be medicated—see Feeders and
Feeding.

Fig. 57.

Dysentery is another disease caused by damp hives, unsealed
food having an excess of water, and bad ventilation. The
signs are soiling of the combs, and inner walls of the hive, the
excreta in this case being of a very liquid character (in “Isle
of Wight” it is of a pasty nature). Dysentery generally makes
its appearance in the early spring.

To cure, move the bees into a clean well-ventilated hive,
remove all the combs not covered by bees, and feed with
warm thick syrup.

To disinfect hives in which bees have died from disease of
any kind, scorch the inside with a painter’s blow lamp.

Where disease is present avoid interchanging combs, prevent
robbing, and wash all appliances used in strong ‘“‘Izal.’’ Also

48 Bee-Keeping Simplified

be careful not to go to a healthy colony after handling a
diseased one before removing propolis from the hands with
methylated spirit, and well washing them and the appliances
used with a strong disinfectant.

XX.—LIST OF APPLIANCES REQUIRED AND THEIR

COST.
Prices.
Lowest. Highest.

£ os. d. £ os. d.
1. Hive having 10 standard frames and
division board ‘e ae Lb 4 0 29 0
2. Bottle feeder and stage... 2 6 2 6
3. Weed brood foundation one pound... 3 2 3 2
4. Smoker : 4 6 6 0
5. Section rack fitted with sections,
dividers, and foundation ... bis 7 0 8 0
6. Shallow Frame Box and frames ‘ 6 0 6 0
7. Half-pound drone base foundation
for shallow frames ... : i 1 73 1 72
8. Honey extractor sab Jes we 2 3 6 510 0
9. Veil - iy a3 ne see 2 3 3.0
10. Swarm... ba oe as . 110 0 210 0

If the bees are worked for sections only it will not be
necessary to have an extractor. The hive can also be made
at home at small cost by anyone with a little mechanical ability.
The veil can also be made cheaply at home. A makeshift bottle-
feeder as described is quite successful. After a colony is once
well established increase can be made without further cost for
bees. After establishment the average profit is 30s. per stock.

Printed by the Avenue Press (L. Upcott Gill & Son, Ltd),
55/57, Drury Lane, W.C. 2.

TAYLORS

Bees, Hives and Appliances.

TAYLORS COTTAGE OUTFIT

Designed to meet the
needs of those who wish
to start Bee-Keeping on
the right lines, but at the
lowest initial cost.

The Outfit includes :
Hive of Taylors No.
3 Pattern completely
fitted. Bees, a nucleus
of specially selected
Hybrids or Jtalians,
Smoker,BeeVeil, Queen
Excluder, Feeder, Book
on Bee-Keeping.

The largest Bee Appliance Manufacturers
in Europe. This tells its own _ story.

Write for our large Illustrated Catalogue.
: No Beekeeper should be without it. :

E. H. TAYLOR, LTD. SEGRE WELWYN.

ISLE OF WIGHT,
ACARINE,

FOUL BROOD AND
OTHER BEE DISEASES.

Don’t wait for bee disease to appear. It is far better and far cheaper to
prevent it by using ‘‘ General Bacterol ’’—the cheapest insurance against
disease.

Whether it be Protozoa, Bacteria or Mite use ‘‘ General Bacterol,” and
you will be very pleased with the result. Follow the advice given below,
because

THERE IS A SCIENTIFIC REASON FOR EVERY
PROCEDURE ADVISED.

Medicate each pint of syrup with two teaspoonfuls of ‘‘ General Bacterol.”’
Stir in when syrup is just warm or tepid. Remove all stores of honey
before feeding.

Better still, remove all honey and after medicating as above, feed back
to bees. :

Cover one side or both sides of a division board with cotton wool half-
inch thick, and attach by wire netting to board. Saturate wool with un-
diluted ‘‘ General Bacterol,” and place in hive. The vapour from this
will disinfect foul brood and the breathing passages of the bees. If more
rapid action is necessary, saturate wool with ‘‘ Vaporising Bacterol”’
each day. ;

During hot months—spray two or three times daily all crawlers on
alighting board and in front of hive with a solution of one tablespoonful
of ‘‘ General Bacterol ” to one quart of water. Use a mist sprayer obtain-
able from any Bee Appliance Manufacturer—not an ordinary syringe.

For foul brood.—Simply spray with a mist sprayer the 5 per cent.
solution of ‘‘ General Bacterol ”’ right into the cells so that there are no
spots untouched. Do this daily for three days, and where cells are sealed
over reliance must be placed upon using ‘* General Bacterol ”’ or ‘* Vaporis-
ing Bacterol”’ on a division board as mentioned in the directions above.
The vapour from this will penetrate the capping over the brood.

All excreta and woodwork of hive can be scientifically disinfected by
well spraying with a 5 per cent. solution (four tablespoonfuls to quart of
water) of *‘ (eneral Bacterol.”” No need to burn off paint.

‘*Bacterol ’’ cannot do any harm: It can only do good. Bees like it.
“General Bacterol”’ is obtainable from most Bee Appliance Makers,
the office of the British BEE JOURNAL, or direct from Bacterol, Ltd.,

ce a per half-pint bottle, post free 2/9; per quart bottle 6/-, post
ree 7/-.

Pamphlets and all information relating to the seven types of ‘‘ Bacterol ”
which completely cover the fields of Antisepsis and disinfection of human
beings and animals, and the disinfection of the habitations of both, will
be willingly supplied by

BACTEROL LTD.,
19-25, Brookside Road, Upper Holloway, LONDON, N.19

“OUR BEES ARE GENTLE.”

This stock was opened and combs distributed without the use of smoke or other

subjugator, and was the first time these children had handled bees.

Our Mikes :

‘* Quality first, Quality last, and Quality all the way in
between.’’
Our Endeavour :

‘*To produce the best possible Stock, and give the
greatest possible value.’’

Our Reputation:

The Editor of the ‘‘ British Bee Journal ’’ says:

‘Mr. Claridge has a reputation second to none for the
quality of the nuclei sent out by him, and the same may
be said of his queens. Nothing better than the ‘ Claridge
Quality ’ nuclei can be obtained, a three-comb nucleus
having all three combs packed with brood. . .’’

Vide B.B.J., March roth, 1921.
Brochure free from :
F. M. CLARIDGE

(Breeder of Pure Italian Bees),

Copford Apiary, Nr. Colchester.

The “B.B.J. Ideal”
Candy-Making Thermometer

This thermometer has been spec-
ially designed for making candy for
bee food. In place of the usual
scale progressing by two degrees,
eh pry Rens there are only two marks on the
scale. The top mark shows the
temperature to which the candy
should be boiled. The bottom one
when it is cool enough to commence
stirring.

These are both engraved on the
glass and are accuvate. There are
no calculations to be made as on
the ordinary suger boiler’s ther-
mometer with a full scale of degrees,
which are not always accurate. A
recipe for candy and full directions
are sent out with each instument.
Any other candy recipe may be
used. The thermometers can only
be obtained from this office. As
they are being sold at cost price it
is is not possible to supply appliance
dealers.

Fig 1, plain glass tube, price 4s.

Fig. 2-—Thermometer in brass
case, 5s., packed ina neat cardboard
7 case, postage 3d. We recommend
Pi the brass frames, as the tube being

protected, it is not so likely to be
broken. The frame is also plain,
} neat and easily cleaned.

Fie. 1, FIG. 2.

“British Bee Journal” Office,
23, BEDFORD STREET, STRAND, LONDON, W.C.2.

Sack

“The BBS "lewal”
Te BeT Tor
Candy Maner

Tle 884 teat"
Candy Mater

Uae Sooo Son eee

oe Sesosa es

==]

J.T. BURGESS & SON
Guinea Street, EXETER

Established 1863.

Inventors and Manufacturers of

“UP-TO-DATE” BEEHIVES & BEEKEEPERS’ APPLIANCES

necessary for the production of Pure Honey on modern principles.

We are noted for
Best Quality
in material and
workmanship at
Lowest

Prices.

HIVES from 30/- to 70/-

For particulars see Catalogue, which will be sent post free on application,

HONEY EXTRACTORS, HONEY RIPENERS, WAX EXTRAGTORS, QUEEN
EXGLUDERS, SWARM GATGHERS, &c., &c.

WE are Makers of all Kinds of
BEE HIVES & APPLIANCES for
BRITISH STANDARD FRAMES.

We also specialise in the making of

LANGSTROTH, DADANT-MODIFIED

and other American Hives.

All of the finest material and workmanship.

pistegLé & BRODIE

\

—

Our “ Wormit ” Commercial Hive.

DADANT’S NEW WIRED BROOD FOUNDATION.

The greatest invention of the age. All ready wired to put
into frames. Old method of wiring entirely superseded.
Send for sample pound.

Illustrated Catalogue sent post free on application.
R. STEELE & BRODIE,
(Bee Appliance Works),
WORMIT, FIFE, SCOTLAND.

“The Herrod Apicure.”
SIMPLE ! CLEAN ! EFFICIENT !
For the Prevention and a Brood and other

; Don't delay—order and use at, once,
Price, with full instructions, 1/8, 2/10, 5/8, per tin, post free.
From all the leading Appliance Manufacturers, and from
“British Bee Joumal’’ Office.

Ne Bee-keeper can afford to be without a copy of

Producing, Preparing, Exhibiting,
and Judging Bee Produce.

Write for a copy at once, and study it. © : You will ibe well 5
repaid when you bring into practice the many useful hints
you have found in its. pages.

Beautifully Printed on Fine ‘Art Paper, with 131 Illustrations.

Paper Covers, 2/~ net, postage 3d.,
from. the British Bee Journal Offce.

The Dissectible Model of the QueenBee

- will enable you to study the anatomy without a costly
microscope —~ plain and practical — with each part
numbered and named, folding into -its proper position

Price 4/6, post free 4/9 from

BRITISH BEE JOURNAL & RECORD OFFICE,
2B, Bedford. Street, Strand, W.C.2.

The ONLY Two PRACTICAL . |
Papers in the BRITISH ISLAL

Pecan

No Bee-keeper can afford to be without one or both of
advanced methods, and.apply science and theory to ;

“by post or telegram:

cea

The British Bee Jourt
_ Established 1873.

. Weekly Twoperice, post free 10/10 per annum. The’.
Only: Weekly Bee Paper. in a World. : Edited ‘by
T.. W. COWAN, F.LS, F.R.M.8.,. &., &c., and.
J, HERROD-HEMPSALL, F.E.S:° Articles, some
exclusive and. copyright, contributed ‘regularly, and
soe mere fo correspondents, by the best practical writers
of | ay. . ec , & oy

+ C , * a * a 9 ;
The Bee-Keepers’ Reco
. Established 1882.
- Monthly ‘Two Pence, post free 2/6 7 . Edited.
Be We COW AN ee ee Be neg sited
J. HERROD-HEMPSALL, F.ES. A Paper written.

by Bee-keepera for Boo-keepérs. It also contains Asso-'!
_ tiation Notes and News, Bee-keeping for Women,

Can be obtained of all News Agents, most Secreta!
County Bee-keepers’ Associations. Send us your addres
‘8 post card and we will post you a specimen copy of ©

' , free for your inspection.

Office: 23, Bedford Street, Strand, London,

Cornell University Library

SF 523.H568 1922

Bee-keeping simplified for the
maan