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94709

This book may be kept out TWO WEEKS
ONLY, and is subject to a fine of FIVE
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day indicated below:

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5M— D-45— Form 3

Outapiaries

and their management

By

M. G. DADANT

Published by
AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL

Hamilton, Illinois
19 19

Copyright 1919

BY

M. G. Dadant

To
H. H. D.

94709

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2009 with funding from

NCSU Libraries

http://www.archive.org/details/outapiariestheirOOdada

PREFACE

Increased demand for lioney, better means of transport to
outyards, and consequent increased interest in beekeeping as a
pursuit have changed many smaller beekeepers into outapiaris+s.
This volume, I hope, may, in some degree, aid the beginning
outapiarist in planning and managing his system of apiaries.

The marketing of honey, though it is connected closely with
the outapiarist, is not treated in this book. It is a subject, how-
ever, which has not had its share of attention from the beekeeper.
Were better methods of distribution striven for as are methods
of production, the demand for our product would be almost un-
limited.

The writer is specially indebted to his father, brothers, and
to Mr. Frank C. Pellett for ideas and information embodied with
his own in this book. The cuts have, nearly all of them, appeared
in the American Bee Journal for which they were made by Air.
Pellett.

CONTENTS

Chapter I -INTRODUCTORY 13

Ht'gitmiiifis of Outapiaries.
Dependent upon the Man.
Prime Kequisites.

Chapter II— CHOOSING A GENERAL LOCATION 17

Desirable Place to Live.
Honey and PoUen.
Overstocking.
No P^oulbrood.
Nearness to Market.

Chapter III— SELECTING APIARY SITES 25

Distance Apart.

Honey Flora.

Good Roads.

High Ciround.

Wind Breaks.

Shade.

Other Considerations.

Chapter IV— BASIS OF PLACING THE APIARY 33

Owner Not Renter.
Rental Price.
Bees On Shares.

Chapter V— THE APIARY ITSELF 39

Arrangement.

Number of Colonies-Overstorknig.

Decoy Hives.

Watering places.

Wa.x Extractors.

Fire.

Extra S'u])]ilies.

Chapter VI— GENERAL SYSTEMS OF MANAGEMENT <7

Permanent Apiary.
Migratorv Beekeejjing.
Central Plant.
Keeping Records.

Chapter VII— WINTER AND SPRING WORK 53

First Examination.

Second Examination.

Drone Layers and (^ueenlcssness.

Feeding and Spring Dwindling.

Building Up — Stimulative Feeding.

Foulbrood.

Hospital Yard.

CONTEXTS

Chapter VIII— EARLY SUMMER WORK 59

Swarm Control.
Supers and Supering.
Queen Excluders.

Chapter IX— THE HARVEST 67

Removing the Honey.

Extracting.

Replacing Supers.

Receptacles for the Crop.

Honey Knives.

Cappmgs and Capping Melters.

Danger of Moths.

Requeening.

Chapter X— FALL AND EARLY WINTER 79

Protection from Winds and Cold.
Outdoor vs. Cellar Wintering.
Outdoor ^^ intering S\-stems.
Cellars and Cellar ^^ intering.

Chapter XI— MOVING BEES 95

Short Distances.
Gloving a Few Miles.
The Long Overland Haul.
Moving by Rail.

Chapter XII— AUTOMOBILES AND TRUCKS 103

Type of Car.

Trailers.

Launches.

The Motorcycle.

Chapter XIII— HONEY HOUSES AND EQUIPMENT 100

Requirements.
Location of House.
Types of Houses.
Temporary House.
Portable House.
Sectional House
Permanent House.
Central Plant.
Interior Arrangements.

INDEX

Apiaries, Distance apart 2o

Apiary, Arrangement of colonics 39

Apiary, placing 33

Artificial windbreaks 28

Arrangement of a])iaries 26

Automobiles and Trucks . . .■ 48, 103

Bee-escape 67

Brood-chamber 60

Building up colonies •'io

Cajiiiing Cans 73

Capping Melters 73

Cappings, Handling 74

Carload Shipments 48

Cellars 89

Central Plant 49, 119

Chaff packed hives 83

Clamps, Bees in 92

Climatic Conditions 19

Costs of operation 1-4

Dadant method of winten'ing N"

Decoy Hives 42

Demaree ])lan 60, 64

Distance Bees Fly 26

Drone Comb 60

Drone Layers -^4

Electric Power _ 124

Entrances 57, 61

Examination of colonies o3

Extracting 67, 69

Fall work 79

Feeding 54

Feeding, Stinuilative 55

Fi -e, Danger of 45

FoulbrocKr 22, 49, 53, 57, 77

Foundation 60

Four Colony case 86

Grimm, Adam 15

Hand barrow 70

Harbison, .John 14

Harvest 67

High Ciround 27

Honey, Heating from extractor ■ 122

Honey-houses, Central ])lant 119

Honey-houses, Interior arrangement 121

Honey-houses, Location of 112

Honey-houses and arrangement 109

Honey-houses, Permanent 116

Honey-li(aises, Portable 114

Honey-houses, Sectional 114

INDEX ix

lloncy-liouses, Size of 117

Honey-houses, Temporary 113

Honey-liouses, Types of 113

Honey-knives 73

1 lospital vard 57

Launches _ 108

l.ocat on, Choosing; 1 T, 25, 32

-Manipulation of colonies 60

Market, Nearness to 22

Mice in honey -house 110

Migratory Beekeeping 48

Milk cans for honey 72

Minor plants 19

Motorcycles 108

Moths 76

Moving Bees 95

Moving a few miles ■ 97

Moving by rail , 101

Moving long distances 99

Moving short distances 97

Number of colonies in location 40

Overstocking 20, 40

Packing methods, Outdoor 83

Pollen , . . ; 56

Portable equipment 47

I'ower for extractor 124

Queen excluders 64

Queenless colonies 54

Queens cHpped 59

Queens, Young 62

Ramada 30

Receptacles for the crop 72

Records of colonies 50

Removing the honey 67

Rental price 33

Requeening 62, 77

Requisites 15

Roads, Good 26

Robber cloths 68

Screened entry 112

Screens for the honey-house Ill

Screening hives for moving i ■]"

Settling tanks "2

Shade for hives 29, 61

Shares, Bees on 36

Single colonj^ case 84

Slope for hives 28

Spacing of frames 61, 65

Spring dwindling 54

Steam for knife outside 123

Summer work 59

Supers and supering 6-^

Supers, Replacing '}}

Supers, Taking off 'J"

Supers, wet, carrying over Jl

Swarm control '59

X IXDKX

Systems of manageiuent 47

Temperature in cellar 91

Tents for extracting 114

Trailers 107

Uniting o4

Vcntilat ion 61

\\ ater for bees 43, 56

Watering jilaces 43, 44

Wax extractors ' 43

W indbreaks -7

W indows in honey-house 110

Winter, Preparing for 79

Winter work 53, 79

Wintering, (^'llar 81, 89

Wintering, Outdoor 81

ILLUSTRATIONS

The late John Harbison Fig. 1

Minor honey-p hints are useful Fig. 2

liroken land furnishes diversity of flora Fig. 3

i^ees gathered around rye chop in spring Fig. 4

Diagram of the Dadant apiaries Fig. 5

The apiary should be well above flood marks Fig. 6

A slope furnishes the most natural windbreak Fig. 7

Some beekeepers use a slatted fence windbreak Fig. 8

A brush fence windbreak Fig. 9

A Kansas apiary protected by natural windbreak Fig. 10

' * Ramada" in New Mexico serving as shade Fig. 11

Colonies in long rows facing in same direction Fig. 12

The hives may be placed in rows facing each other Fig. 13

The Scholl apiaries are arranged in groups of five Fig. 14

John W. Cash finds forty colonies the limit Fig. 15

The California apiary often contains 200 colonies Fig. 16

A watering place for bees should be provided Fig. 17

A three-deck watering trough of a queen-breeder Fig. 18

Rough records on the back of hive caps Fig. 19

Ten pound friction-top pail for stimulative feeding Pig. 20

Five-gallon oil cans for hauling feed Fig. 21

Placing wet combs in the open is to })e discouraged Fig. 22

The France honey strainer Fig. 23

The Dadant strainer for barrels Jig. 24

Large settling tanks for storing honey Fig. 25

Box arranged for sulphuring combs from below Fig. 26

A cylindrical honey-house made for storing combs Fig. 27

Hives wintering close together Fig. 28

An apiar}' of chaff-packed hives Fig. 29

The single colony packing case finds many advocates Fig. 30

The quadru]>le case is difficult of improvement in colder latitudes

where outdoor wintering is desired Fig. 31

A pile of leaves stacked in nets Fig. 32

The leaves are corded on a big truck Fig. 33

The straw mat is placed next to the frames Fig. 34

Placing the big telescope covers back on the hives Fig. 35

The completely packed hive Fig. 36

( )ne of the France cellars in Wisconsin Fig. 37

Cheap temporary cellar as used by Western Honey Producers in

Iowa Fig. 38

Hive .screened for moving in hot weather Fig. 39

Moving an apiary 40 miles by auto truck Fig. 40

How one California queen-breeder moves his outfit to a new location Fig. 41

The truck is fast replacing the slower wagon in moving bees Fig. 42

Where the haul is short and the weather cool, colonies may be moved

with the covers on • • ■ • Fig. 43

"Old Sally," a seemingly indestructible car in the Dadant ajjiaries,

seeing service in moving bees a short distance Fig. 44

A light pleasure car with commodious box on the rear, is a prime

requisite in the small outapiary system Fig. 45

A big three ton truck hauling cased honey Fig. 40

Trailer pulled by a pleasure car Fig. 47

Another type of trailer often encountered Fig. 48

For transporting bees, there is nothing better than the huuicli . . . .Fig. 49

Bees clustering around a screened window Fig. 50

Screened entry to the honey-hou.se that will keep bees out Fig. 51

A temporary house in us(» in a Texas apiary Fig. 52

Three types of extracting houses Fig. 53

Honej'-iiouse built so that it inay be cut apart Fig. 54

Honey-house with ample ventilation for extracling Fig. 55

An outapiary honey-house with cellar beneath Fig. 56

Central extracting plant of K. F;. Sutton Fig. 57

Central plant of the Jager apiaries in Minnesota Fig. 58

Interior arrangement of M. H. Mendleson honey-house Fig. 50

A. A. Lyons of Colorado runs two extractors Fig. t)()

Settling tanks and heating system in basement Fig. 61

CHAPTER I

PREREQUISITES

\Yhen the beekeeper outgrows beekeeping in his home apiary
and decides to take up outapiary work, it is assumed that this
is done with the main object of increasing his income.

It is therefore evident that it is desired to ehminate the non-
essentials and to formuhite a plan that will give him the greatest
returns for the least labor involved. He must make the most
out of the apiary always, but he should do it in the least time
and not sacrifice himself to petty details to the detriment of his
ever-growing industry. The grass may not be well kept, the
hives ma}' be out of level, but the other extreme of minute exact-
ness in outapiary work is nearly as bad as lack of care, at least
financial]}'.

Experiments as a rule will, or should be, confined to the home
apiary, in which more tune may be spent and more careful super-
vision given, though the keeping of outapiaries will give oppor-
tunity for a larger variety of experiments and room for more
general observation on many subjects.

In the early days of outapiaries it was considered good prac'iCe
to keep a man at each apiary during the summer. In r,ome
instances now, where very large outapiaries are possible, a helper
is kept at each yard during the swarming season. But with
the coming of the automobile and truck, and with better roads,
it is the usual practice to handle all yards from a central home
apiary or from several central apiaries if the system is sufficiently
large to warrant division of control.

The Beginnings of Outapiaries

Too many of us are apt to assume that outapiaries are of but
I'ecent development; that they have been in operation but a

13
D. H. HILL LIBRARY

North Carolina State Colless

14

Onw IMA HIES

Fig. 1. The late John Harbison of California, one of the i)ioneers in the
production of honey in outapiaries.

PP.EHK(a'ISIT]':s ir,

few years. Yet two of America's i^ioneer beekeepers were wont
to handle their bees in several apiaries and made a sueeess of
protkicing and sclUng honey. As early as 18(59 John Harbison of
California was mentioned as having several hundred colonies
scattered in different localities, while Adam (irinnn, one of Wis-
consin's most noted beekeepers, was considered a prominent
authority on hauling bees to outapiaries, the overstocking of
localities, etc. His writings on these subjects appeared in the
American Bee Journal as early as 1874.

Dependent on the Man

It will be useless to trj' to give a definite plan in this book
whereby anyone can keep bees either at home or in the outapiary
and be uniformly successful. Success will depend chiefl}' on the
man. He must first of all be a successful beekeeper in his home
apiary. A beekeeper who cannot make a success of his home yard
should not attempt the more difficult outapiary management,
for he will surely fail.

Furthermore, he should have his heart in his work. Xor
must he be so wrapt in details that he caniiot give up some of
these in order to make his plans correspond to the demands of
his increased holdings.

Prime Requisites

The beekeeper should decide before launching into outapiary
work, as to the kind of hive he is to use. It should, as much as
possible, be elastic enough to fit in with his system, 1 earing; in
mind that non-swarming should be one of the prime requisites;
especially is this true with the outapiaiy, where only occasional
visits are made.

His bees should be of good energetic stock, disease resistant,
and as nearly non-swarniers as is ])ossiblc. Unless he has had
experience with other races, he can do no bettei- than to stick
to pure Italian stock.

16 OUTAPIARIES

General Subjects Given Limited Treatment

It will be impossible in this book to give detailed plans of
operations on specific subjects such as swarm control, disease,
wintering, increase, and honey production.

These subjects will necessarily be treated only as thej^ apply
specificall}^ to outapiaries, and the reader is advised to make a
study of each subject in connection with some good text book
on beekeeping. Subjects more generally applicable to outapiaries
such as moving of bees, honey houses, automobiles and convey-
ances, etc. will be more fully treated.

Extracted honey will be discussed mostly since it lends itself
best to the outapiary.

CHAPTER II

CHOOSING A LOCATION

For many years there has been conducted, in the American
Bee Journal, a department to answer questions for beginners
and veteran beekeepers ahke. Prol^ably one of the questions
most frequently asked is ''Where shall I locate?"

Desirable Place to Live

This question cannot be answered to the satisfaction of all,
since each person has considerations outside of beekeeping which
will affect his choice. The climate, a home, educational facilities
for his children, etc., will have a bearing on nearly everyone.
One man might not like, or his family might not be able to stand,
the rigors of a ^Montana winter, another might balk at the damp-
ness of an Arkansas bottom, while another might prefer the soli-
tude of a California ranch to the Inisy life nearer the larger cities.
Still another might desire the higher altitudes for reasons of
health.

]\Iany will have established themselves and will hesitate to
leave old associates and ties already made, only in order to increase
the honey yield.

Granted, however, that this has been taken into consideration,
and that the qucv^tioner is concerned onl}' with the value of
locating for honey production, there are several things which
should be taken into account before final decision is made, and
moreover, such final decision should be reserved until personal
inspection of the place has been cai-efully made by the
beekeeper. Too many have located only on the advice of some

17

18

OUTAPIARIES

friend or on llie sugjijcstion of some article about a certain section,
laying stress on the desirable features of such location while omit-
ting the drawbacks, which in themselves might alter the situation.

We have in mind a veterinarian who left a certain section
previously reconnnended to him. It was an excellent place for
his practice, but he held fleas in al)horrence, and they abounded
there.

Fig. 2. Minor iloncy plaiils arc usclul in liciping stimulate brood-rcarinj

CHOOSIXC A LOCATION 19

Honey and Pollen

A first class place for lioiicv i)ro(liictioii must lie one containing
honey plants in sufficient c[uantity to assure at least one main
flow during the 3'ear; the best places being those which contain
the greatest profusion of plants, and are capable of guaranteeing
the largest surplus yield.

In the white clover regions, of the East and Central West,
those places are most sought after which have another main flow
besides the clover, because the clover flow is not certain. A bass-
wood location or sweet clover, buckwheat, or fall flowers combine
well v\-ith white clover, while a location containing a number of
these would be preferable to one with only two flows.

Naturally, we might conceive of a location having all of these
fl3wers which would be only of minor importance in honey pro-
duction, from the fact that such plants weie not in sufficient
abundance to make a surplus flow, while another location contain-
ing clover alone, might give such enormous crops in good seasons
as to overbalance failures of short years.

In the West, alfalfa and sweet clover make a good combination;
in the Pacific belt, sage, sweet clover, alfalfa, bean, orange, and
other locations are sought.

Climatic conditions are a determming factor in nectar secre-
tion. Some apparently good clover locations are not of the
best because climatic conditions are not good during the period
of the honej' flow, or the summer becomes so dry that the clover
''burns out" and a complete failure follows. Average rainfall
and average temperature should be carefully studied. Irrigated
districts here have an advantage., for the moisture is in stable
quantity and removes one uncertainty from the crop.

It is not only the main honey flowers which must be considered
however, minor honey plants may help greatly in building up
the colonies in the early spring. Pollen plants will induce brood
rearing, though it is possible to some extent to sujiplement early
pollen artificially. IMinor honey plants may also encourage brood

20

OUT APIARIES

rearing between flows in the summer or fall, when otherwise,
the colony Avould depopulate to such an extent that little of the
second or third crop might be secured. Also a small flow in
earl}" fall may stimulate brood rearing, thus putting the bees into
winter quarters with a large force of j'oung bees. ]\I. V.
Facey of Minnesota asserts that the largest variety of honey plants
is to be found in a "broken' countiy. The low lands will furnish
late flowers, while the trees and plants of the hills and uplands
will, in ordinary seasons, give a continual source of honey from
early spring to late fall.

Overstocking

It may be that after such a location has been found, the bee-
keeper will discover the territoryalreadyoccupiedwith bees and in

FJS- 3. A broken land furnishes the greatest diversity of flora

CHOOSING A LOCATION

21

danger of overstocking if another live beekeeper witli a series of
apiaries establishes hiniselt in this locahly.

Although there is no law picventing overstocking or protecting
the old established beekeeper m his location against the new, yet
it is a pretty well observed unwritten law that an already estab-
lished beekeeper should be protected in his rights of pasturage
in the vicinity surrounding his apiaries. Besides, it would be
folly to begin new apiaries under su(h handicaps, since the pei'
colony production wouUl not only he cut down for the established
man. but for the newcomer as well.

The specific question as to what overstocking of a locality
is. will be treated in another chapter.

It would be our advice to the new beekeeper to consider well
before settling in a section already taken up by extensive bee-

Fig. 4. Bees gathered around two buckets of rye chop which had been set
out in early spring during a dearth of natural pollen,

22 Ot'JWPlAKlKS

keepers, and probably the l)est way to get an idea of the possi-
biHties of such locations is by intimate conversation with these
beekeepers.

No Foulbrood

The up-to-date beekeeper knows how to combat disease, and
may, with care and persistent work, rid his apiaries of both Euro-
pean and American foulbrood. But it would be a great relief
if it were possible to locate in a section entirely free from disease.
Outside of losses caused by applying disease remedies, the labor
will be reduced greatly where it is not necessary always to be on
the alert for foulbrood.

Many a manipulation practiced in the locality without disease
is impossible where foulbrood exists. Beekeepers hesitate to
interchange combs, to strengthen weak colonies from the strong,
and some, even, do not raise extracted honey because of the fear
that foulbrood will necessitate the destruction of many extracting
combs. One prominent beekeeper in Illinois has built up a nice
bulk-honey business by running entirely for comb honey in shal-
low frames and buyirg extracted honey to pack with it.

Naturally, states which have well balanced foulbrood laws
and extension departments where beekeeping is in the hands of
specialists will be preferred.

Nearness to Market

Depending on whether the beekeeper expects to wholesale
his honey in large quantities or whether he wishes to work up a
retail trade lor his own brand, he should decide whether to place
himself near to his markets or can att'ord to be further away. The
working up of a special retail trade in many ways offers advan-
tages. It occupies the time of the protlucer when work is slackest
in the apiary. It gives him a better price for his product.

The item of transportation is not a small one. There are
excellent locations for be^s which are slow to be taken up because

C'H()()SI^X; A l.OCATIOX 23

they are a long distance from a railroad and the haul cner rough
roads is expensive. The advent of the automobile truck ii to
outapiary beekeeping is lessening this objectionable feature in
a measure,, but the transportation expense is still there.

It may pay the beekeeper to live nearer his markets even
though he produce much less honey.

24

OUTAPIARIES

lifi. ■"). The Dadant apiaries in 1919. The upper cluster of apiaries are
primarily clover locations. Those in the bottom-land are temporary loca-
tions to which bees arc moved for the fall flow, while the five bluff locations
are a combination for both clover and fall. It is hard to overstock the
bottom locations during a heavy fall flow. The circles represent a
diameter of 4 miles, with the apiary in the center.

CHAPTER III

SELECTING APIARY SITES

Haviuii- cho-^en his general location, it remains for the bee-
keeper to select sites for his individual apiaries.' With the object
in view of an ever increasing business, these apiaries should be
located with due respect to each other and to the home yard, to
make the work as systematic as possible. With most outapiarists
using automobiles, to do then* work, it is oftentimes possible
to visit several apiaries in a day, and for this, especially, the
apiaries should be arranged in series, having, for instance, three
or four apiaries in one general direction so they may be reached
on the same trip without too much extra thne spent on the road.

Other things beirig equal, it would be a mistake to locate
one apiary ten miles south and the other ten miles north of the
home yard when they might be placed in the same general direction
and four or five miles apart.

Distance Apart

As a general rule apiaries of any size should not be located
less than two miles apart, and if the terrain is not Ihnited, it would
be well to increase this distance to four or five miles. It takes
little time with a horse, and still less with a car, to travel the
extra two or three miles when this would be an advantage rather
than have the pasturage overlap.

This matter of distance makes le.-^s difference in a bountiful
season than in a poor one. In the white clover regions during
a hea\T flow it is doubtful whether bees go farther than a mile
in search of nectar, and it is certain that the bulk of their harvest
is procured much nearer than this. But the beekeeper has not
onlv to consider the heavy flow, but also the light flows and

::■)

D. H. HILL LIBRARY
North Carolina State Coilegs

2(i OUTAPIARIKS

honey dearth. He must arrange his apiaries so that they will
be most advantageously located for the bad season as well as the
good.

The shape of the country sometimes has a great deal to do
with the distance bees will fly to get nectar. Instances have
been noted where bees went as far as six miles for nectar. Over
hills and woods bees will fly less distance than over a level prairie
or down an unbroken valley.

Honey Flora

Not only in choosing his general location, but in choosing
each apiary site, the beekeeper must be guided largely by the
flora afforded. There is a wide range of flora sometimes in a
restricted territory, and it may be possible to increase the yield
to an appreciable extent by observing the rules which apply in
deciding upon the general apiary site — the one which has the
greatest variety of honey and pollen flowers, besides having the
best opportir.ity for major honey flows from the more important
plants.

A shift of location of a mile or two, especially in a broken
country, may give your bees access to a honey flow which they
might otherwise miss. It may even be advisable to change the
location for a single season to place the apiary near a large field
of alsike, sweet clover, l)uckwheat, or similar plant.

Good Roads

The location, if possible, should be on good roads, which will
allow of trips and examinations even in most unfavorable weather.
Spring trips, for feeding and eai'ly examinations, often have to
be taken at a time when roads ai-e at their worst, and it is some-
thing in its favor if the apiary can be reached without undue
effort.

Then, too, there is I he hauling away of the surplus crop, the
reciueening, and other examinations, which must l)e done at the
stipulated time, muddy roads or not.

SELECTIXC Al'lAIiV SITKS

27

Fig. 6.

The apiary should be located well above the flood nuuk ut 1
water.

lly,lK'.^t

High Ground, etc.

It is not advisable to locate in a marshy basin where there
is recurrent danger of standing water and even floods. The
apiary should be on fairly high ground, and in all cases, the hives
should be placed so they ma}- not stand in the water, or if it is
necessary to use such a location, hives should be protected, as
the\' are in sections of Florida, by being raised on scaffolds high
enough to l)e bej'ond the danger of rising and receding waters.
In these instances the roads are water and trips are made by skiff
or motor boat. The late 0. O. Poppleton, long idea hive advocate,
was very successful with his Florida apiaries, all of which were
located so as to be approached by motor boat.

Windbreaks

Especially in northern latitudes where wintering is one of
the main problems, it is desirable to so locate the apiary that it
will be protected from the prevailing winds. This may be done
in one of several ways. Coggshall of New York, advised placing

28

OUTAPIARIES 1

Fig. 7. A .slojie furnishes the most natural windbreak. Dadant home
apiarj" where bees have been kept continuoush' for over forty years.

the apiary near a wood so that the force of the wind wouhl he
broken, or within a double row of shriibbeiy or evei'^reens.

Another good way is to locate on a slope, awaA' from the
prevailing winds, which would be usually, in the northern hemis-
phere, on a southern or south-eastern slope. This would have
the added advantage of giving the bees the sim's rays to keep
them warm, though in rare instances there might be danger of the
bees being enticed to fly when the air was yet too cool, resulting
in a loss of chilkMl bees outsid(^ the hive.

Artificial windbreaks are frequently used. High fences are
often placed on the north and west of apiaries to turn the wind,
while some beekeepers believe that a slatted fence is better. The
slatted fence, they argue, breaks the force of the wind while a
tight fence deflects the wind upwards, creating a vacuum and

SELECTING APIARY SITES

29

Fig. 8. Some beekeepers use a slatted fence as windbreak. This fence

breaks the force of the wind but does not cause drifting of

snow. A Fettit apiary in Ontario.

causing an undercurrent which is as bad as the wind itself. Then
too, the tight board fence is apt to cause snow drifts covering
the first row of hives if they are placed close to the fence. In
the accompanjdng cat we show one of the Fettit apiaries in
Ontario with slatted fence for windbreak.

Shade

In warmer climates, shade for the hives is desirable, although
there is but little doubt that broken shade is preferable to a dense
shade durmg the whole of the day. Too much shade is apt to
delay the bees in getting out in the morning and it also holds the
bees in the hive earlier in the evening. Too dense shade in hot
weather causes lack of air circulation. Colonies ma}- suffocate
and combs melt down under the most unfavorable conditions,

30

OUTAPIARIES

Fig. 9. A brush fence at the back of one of tlic Kauchfuss apiaries in

Colorado, that serves the double purpose of l)reaking the force of the wind

in winter and raising the line of flight of bees in summer, so that they

do not disturb i)assers-b3'.

Some adjust the matter ])y using shade boards over the cover
of the hive. There is Httle doubt however, that a reasonable
amount of natural shade is beneficial, and to the beekeeper at
work as well as to the bees.

In New Mexico, Arizona, and parts of California, on the plains
where raturai shade is lacking, the apiarist builds a "ramada"
or sort of shed covered with long grass, under which the bees are
placed in double rows, back to back, with an all(^>' way lietween.
In such locations shade is well nigh indispensable.

SELECTING APIARY SITES

31

' •' *>

!'

Fig. 10. .\. Kaii.sa.s apiary protecttHl by a natural wiiulljrcak.

Jig. 11. ■Ramada" in New Mexico which serves as a shade tOr tlie bee-
keeper while he works as well as for the bees.

32 OlTAPIAHli:S

Other Considerations

If the apiary is to be placed with other people and i)artly
in their care, the beekeeper must exercise judgment in choice
of families. A man who lets his cows run upon the roads, leaves
his fences out of repair, and has things at loose er:ds about th(!
premises is hardly the man with whom to place your bees.

When possible it is advisable to place the apiary within sight
of a house to reduce the danger of depredations to a minimum,
and it should be near enough to the main traveled road, but
remembering that angry bees are apt to travel twenty rods or
more to seek revenge.

In case it is intended to use a building already on the premises
as a honey-house, the apiary should be as readily accessible as
possible to the honey-house.

CHAPTER IV

BASIS OF PLACING THE APIARY

Probaljly the two best ways to locate apiaries would l)e either
to own the ground upon which you expect to place your bees or
have some relative own it. It may be possible, in many instances
to purchase an acre or two in the desired location or to lease it
for a long term of A'ears.

However, not being able to purchase the desired spot, and
having no relative fortunately located directly in the path of your
proposed apiarj', the only thing remaining is to make arrange-
ments with the existing forces — namety — the occupants of the

location chosen.

Owner Not Renter

"Where possible choose a land owner and not a renter, and one
who seems to be satisfied with his location with no desire to
change. It is annoying, after having gone to some lengths to
choose and arrange your location, to be moved off by the next
renter who does not like bees, or the next purchaser of the farm
who does not care to be "bothered" with them.

Where the location is sought for only a single season such
considerations are not of so much w'eight, but we presume that a
majority of locations are desired permanently, and it is in these
instances that il is wise to choose well the man and family with
whom you try to make arrangements for your apiary.

Rental Price

There are three possible ways of arranging for rental in jilacing
bees; by share, cash, or aift.

33

34 OUTAPIARIES

It i.s ohly occasionally that the land owner is willing to allow
the bees on his place w'ithout compensation; and why should the
beekeeper ask it? No doubt that in many instances the bees
do the farmer much good through increased fertility of plants,
but the beekeeper is getting value received and should pay for
it.

In times past, more than now, a share rental varying from a
fifth to a tenth of the honey was in favor. The argument for
this is that it gives the land owner a direct interest in your success
since it means added income for him if you do well. But with
the advent of the automobile the outapiarist is less dependent
upon the landowner for board for himself and teams. In fact
it very often happens that it is r either advisable nor profitable
for him to loiter for an hour or two till meal time w^hen he could
easily, in the same time, return home or go to the next outyai'd
and commence operations. Another point is that the apiarist
may want to run one year entirely for increase with no surplus
crop, or another j-ear he may have to feed heavily, when it would
be no more than right that the landowner should bear his pro-
portion of the feed given.

The cash rental is given in the largest number of instances.
The amount varies greatly with the different apiarists, l^eing as
high as $50.00 in some instances and as low as $5.00 in others,
depending on the section of the country and upon the quality
of the land upou which the bees are located.

In California the usual rental price for ])ees in the forest
reserves is ten cents per colony spring count. The late E. France
of Wisconsin reported in 1895 giving 25 cents per colony. In
all instances it pays to be free with gifts of honc^y and to keep on
the best of terms with the landlord.

In some instances the agreement includes that the owner
shall hive all swarms, in others he is paid from 25 cents to $1.50
for each swarm hived.

We would favor a cash rental averaging probably $20.00 to

BASIS OF PLACING THE APIARY 35

§25.00 per year for each location for an apiary of 75 to 125 colonies
with a cash payment of 75 cents to SI. 00 for each swarm hivecl.

In any case the agreement should be in writing, copies to
be retamed both by the landlord and the beekeeper, so that there
can be no question later as to terms agreed upon. "We give below
a standard form for such an agreement which can be altered to
suit specific conditions.

This article of agreement made and entered into this

day of , 19 .... , by and between

party of the first part and

P^ii'ty of the second part, witnesseth:

That in consideration of one dollar in hand paid by the said
second party and the stipulations and agreements hereinafter
mentioned, said first party hereby agrees to lease to the said

second party, the following lands to wit acres in the

part of his home place, for a period

of years.

It is herein' nuitually agreed that the said land shall be used
as an apiary site and for no other purpose except as nisiy be
necessary in the care of the bees and the production and market-
ing of honey and wax.

The second party hereby agrees to pay to the first party the

sum of dollars annually on or before the first

of Jujy as rental for said premises, with an additional rental of
fifty pounds of honey each season that the total production of
hone}' from said apiary reaches two thousand pounds or more

Said second party agrees to build a suitable fence to protect
said apiary from live stock at his own expense and to keep same
in repair during the life of the agreement.

36 OUTAPIARIES

It is further agreed that the said second party shall have
access to said premises by way of an already established road:
that he shall have the privilege of erecting buikhngs thereon for
his own use in connection with the said apiary and that such
buildings shall remain the property of the second party and he
shall retain the right to remove the same at any time that he
shall have occasion to do so.

Signed in duplicate this day of 19. .

Signed

It may not be amiss to give form of agreement suital)le for
running of bees on shares, where it is even more desirable to have
an absolute agreement between the two contracting parties. The
agreement may vaiy with the conditions. We give below the
usual share agreement where the bees are owned by one party
and run by another on the share basis.

This agreement made on this first day of December 1919, by
and between John Smith and Stephen Brown, witnesseth:

That the said John Smith hereby agrees to lease to Stephen
Brown 2C0 colonies of bees together with hives and equipment
and to furnish such extra supers as may be necessary to harvest
the crop, for the season of 1920.

The said Stephen Brown agrees to give prompt and cai'eful
attention to said l)ees, to use due care to guard against dii-ease,
and if disease be found at any time to give propei- Ireitment
thei'cfor; to use diligence in saving all swarms that nay issue,
to provide necessary stores for needy colonies^ and to perform
all other necessaiy labor in the harvesting of the honey (rop and
atteiiding to the usual work of the apiary. At the close of the
season he further agrees to return to John Smith the full mnnber
of colonies provided with sufficient stores for the coming winter,
pi'ovided, howevcn', that he shall not be responsible for losses
caused l)y tornadoes, storms or other causes beyond his control.

BASIS OF PLACING THE APIARY 37

and proviileil also that in case of honej' dearth and short crop
necessitating feeding, such sugar as required is to jjc supphcd by
the said John Smith.

It is further niutuahy agreed that all surplus honey and wax
shall be divided equally between John Smith and Stephen Brown,
and that each shall furnish the necessary containers for his portion;
also that all increase shall be likewise equally divided and that
each shall furnish one-half the necessary hives therefor, and that
the said Stephen Brown shall furnish his own tools, provide for
his own board and other expenses; that the said John Smith shall
not be held liable for an}'- expenses except as herein provided.
Signed this first day of December, 1919.

JOHN SMITH
STEPHEN BROWN

CHAPTER V

THE APIARY ITSELF

Depending upon the permanency of the ai)iary, the beekeeper
will look after it.- arranoement with more or less detail. It is
liest to have order and tidiness, in fact the work can usually be
done with less labor if order is observed, Init as stated liefore in

Fig. 12. The favorite way is to place the colonies in long rows facing

the same direction.

outapiary work it is inadvisable to be so exacting in neatness as
to make the overhead expense out of proportion to the corres-
ponding gain.

39

40

OUTAPI ARIES

Arrangement

Depending upon the system and desire of each individual
apiarist, the hivos may be arranged in rows several feet ajiart

Fig. 13. Tlu! hives may be placed in rows facing each other.

facing in the same (Urection, in rows bade to back, or in gi'oups of
two, three or five as the case may be. But the apiarist sliould
give this matter thie consideration with the uUiniate object of
making a saving of steps and lal)oi . Too much rc^gularity may
cause loss of c^ueens in wedding flight and it is well to have trees,
bushes, etc., to mark the location.

Number of Colonies

The number of colonies which niny be kept in an apiary will
vary with each location and is dependent entirely ui)on (he honey
I'csources of the locality and the number of bees in that innnediate
vicinity which will share the crop.

THE APIARY ITSELF

41

Fig. 14. The Scholl Apiaries in Texas are arranged in groups of five.

Adam Grimm, writing in the American Bee Journal in 1874
said: "There is no quest ion with me any longer that the smaller th(!
number of colonies kept in one location, the greater will lie the
yield of honey from a singie colony. But the question is not how
the beekeeper can secure the largest yield of honey from a smaller
number of colonies, l)ut how can he secure the largest income by
keeping bees."

Grimm thought that for his locations in Wisconsin the ideal
number was from 50 to 100 colonies placed at least three miles
apart.

Alexander of New York was able to keep 750 colonies in one
yard and one year secured an average per colony production of
141 pounds of extracted honey. It is certain, however, that
Ihis yield was phenomenal, and was due to an extremely fortunate
location and to a profusiori of bloom from spring to fall.

It falls upon each beekeeper to determine for himself, either
by experience or by excellent foresight for just how many colonies
each locality will afford nectar with the greatest amount of pi'ofit,
not forgettir.g that the poor seasons must be considered along
with the good ones.

Jolih W. Gash of Xorthcri) (leorgia, a very successful apiarist,
found that the i.unibci', for him, is not to exceed forty colonies,

42

OUT APIARIES

Fig. 15. John W. Cash of Georgia finds that forty colonies in an apiary
is about the Umit in his locality.

while J. J. Wilder of Southern Georoia estimates fifty the maxi-
inuiii. In most eastern and central western locations, success-
ful apiarists keep from 75 to 125 colonies, the number being
larger as we get into the Kocky Mountain region and the Pacific
Coast, always being dependent on the nectar possibilities of each
location and the number of other l)ces to share th(^ jiaslurage.

Decoy Hives

Many outapiansts practice with success, the placing of decoy
hives in elevated places throughout the apiary to catch a portion
of the swarms which may come out during the absence of the
beekeeper. Others so manipulate^ their bees that the swarms
issuing are negligible in quantity and not worthy of special
arrangements.

THE APIARY ITSELF

43

Fig. 16. The California apiary often contains two or three hundred

colonie.s without overstocking. The above is reproduction of

one of M. H. rClendleson's apiaries.

Watering Places

Water is necessaiy for bees, and unless it is riaturally plentiful
near the apiary, the bees will find it where the}' can. Much
annoyance will be saved near-neighbors around horse and chicken
troughs if the beekeeper will provide in the apiary sufficient to
supply the bees and brood during a drought.

Different devices are used for this, probably the most common
being a tub or half-barrel with the water covered with an abund-
ance of small sticks or cork chips. If the barrel is placed under
the eaves of the honey -house it may be replenished without effort
on the part of the apiarist.

Wax Extractors

Wax scrai^ings and bits of conil) should be saved, and there
IS no better way than to have installed in each permanent out-
apiary a wax sun extractor which will take care of bits of comb

44

OUTAPIARIES

I'ig. 1/. A watering place siiould l)e provided to keep the bees away
from the horse aTj(l 'thicken troughs.

Fig. 18. A three-deck watering trough in use by a large c]uecn-breeder

in the South.

THE APIARY ITSELF 45

thrown in and will, at the same time, provider saf(» resting place
for odds and (>nds of conil) in which there ai'e small (luantities
of hone3^

Fire

We have known of whole apiaries being swept by fire and
totally destroyed through lack of foresight or negligence on the
part of their owner, to make proper safeguards before a drought.
It is time well spent to have your apiary in such shape that fire
cannot spread. Besides, weeds in the apiary serve no good pur-
pose. The}' hinder the flight of tlie bees if left in front of the
hives.

Extra Supplies

Extra hives, supers, etc., at each apiary are within the discre-
tion of the apiarist. It is, however, a good plan to have smoker
veils, hive tool, a few hives, and a few supers ready at hand in
case they are needed.

Maijy apiarists establish honey-houses and full outfits for
extracting at each yard. While these are not absolutely neces-
sary, we consider them of sufficient importance to warrant a
special chapter on honey-houses.

CHAPTER VI

GENERAL SYSTEMS OF
MANAGEMENT

AVith every Ijeekeeper will lie the task of tleternuniii<>; his
specific S3'steni of management. Each one will have peculiari-
ties of management which will affect the general system he will
follow in his outapiaries. INIoreover, financial and other con-
siderations maj' have a bearing in determining just which of the
following systems he will consider a model.

The Permanent Apiary

Probal)ly a large percentage of outapiarists establish their
outyards with some degree of permanency, and most of these
have honey-houses at each outyard to take care of supers and
equiiMuent and in which to do the extracting.

Many of these have a full equipment at each yard so that
th(! only hauling is new equipment, feed, etc., and the bringing
in of the extracted ci-op. However, an extracting equipment
at each yard means much idle capital during a large poi'tion of
the year. Moreover, such equipment is likely to suffer more
fi'om neglect than from use.

Likely a larger proportion have a portable extracting equip-
ment, thus requiring less capital. The extractor, uncapping
cans, inciters, etc., are carried from apiary to apiary, the honey

usuallv ])eing hauled home as fast as extracted.

48 OUTAPIARIES

Shifting Apiaries and the Portable System

In many regions il is inadvisaWe to establish on so ijcrnianent
a basis, and the beekeepers place their outyards without any pro-
vision for housing equipment except temporary shelter for supers, etc.
Extracting, in these instances, is done in a tent, in a light, quickly
erected and quickly transported house of screen or of muslin, or
in a portable house on wheels. This plan is practiced in all parts
of the country, but lends itself to existing conditions l)est in Cali-
fornia and other extreme western locations, where migi'atoiy bee-
keeping is populai'.

Migratory Beekeeping

The okler reader, when migratory beekeeping is mentioned,
will recall more especially the experiences of C. 0. Perrine and
others in attempting to practice migratory Vjeekeeping between
the North and the South, a long haul, fraught with large chances
of failure, and usually proven so unsuccessful as to leave no doubt
as to the inefficiency of the idea.

But the advent of the automobile and truck has made a uni-
form success of migratory beekeeping on a short haul, say of 100
miles or less. Many central western beekeepers now haul their
bees from the clover fields to the river bottoms in fall to catch
the honey from heartease and Spanish needle. In California
it allows opportunity to go to the orange groves, thence to the
bean fields, to the sage and alfalfa, or to any other crop in reach
of the beekeeper.

Some l)eekoepers, in fact, have had success in carload ship-
ments from California to Nevada and Utah and back, and recent
successes were reported of shipments to Utah and Wyoming by
Texas beekeepers during their seasons of drouth and dearth in
191G and 1917.

Migratory })cekeo|)ing on hauls of 100 miles or less may be
considered a success, but long trans-continental hauls will need

GEXEKAL SY.STE.MS OF MAXACiEMEXT 49

an experienced Ijeekceper who is readily al)le to incur losses sus-
tained by unfortunate occurrences which are to be expected with
this plan in too great frequency, and who knows the ins and outs
of niovinff liees on a large scale.

The Central Plant

An increasing number of our larger beekeepers dispense with
equipment at each yard and have a central plant, all supers being
stored at home, and all honey being hauled in by truck to be
extracted.

This has the advantage that, in the central plant, all con-
veniences may be installed permanently. JNIanj^ items of equip-
ment may be added that would otherwise not be practical.

With such equipment and a central force, a larger daily average
of honey can be extracted. The apiarist is usually surer of regular
hours, and one set of equipment is all that is necessar^^

At the end of the season, all supers are at home where they
can be overhauled for the coming crop.

The disadvantages are that there is greater chance of spreading
foulbrood; in fact some of the champions of this system would
not use it were foulbrood prevalent in their vicinity. There is
some danger to run from melting or breaking the heavy combs
while hauling them, and, moreover, roads must be good enough
for your truck to travel.

In hauling the sticky combs back to the apiaries, robbing
is likely to occur. Then, too, if some of 3-our apiaries are 30 or
40 miles away the long haul maj- increase trucking costs possibly
to the point of overbalancing the advantages.

If bees are cellar-wintered, cellars will be needed at the out-
yard in addition.

50

OUTAPI ARIES

Proba])ly a large proportion of beginners will do well to es-
tablish outyards with some provision for extracting there until
the central system can be applied directly to their needs through
experience. It would be difficult in most instances to get a large
beekeeper who has used the central plant to go back to the older
method.

Keeping Records

Probably in no branch of beekeeping do we find such a diver-
sity in mejhod as in the keeping of records of individual colonies.
Likely the most minute and most efficient system would be a
card index with a card for each colony, properly subdivided
to record each operation. Close records may also be
kept by record books. Systems of colored pegs, signs, discs,
etc., placed on the hives or beside them are also used with success.

Fig. 19. ]^)ugll records on the back of hive caps are used by many large

])r()ducers.

GENERAL SYSTEMS OF MANAGEMENT 51

Probalily a great proportion of large beekeepers keep only
partial records of colonies, using a "rough and ready" system,
while some use no records at all. It is advisable to have records
sufhcient to trace the progress of disease, the age of queens and
the honey producing qualities of all colonies.

Extensive records are hardly practical for the outapiarist.
That i'^ why we see, in increasing numl:;ers the use of indelible
crayon, blue pencil, etc., on the inside of hive cover or on the
back of the hive. Such marks will last a year or two before they
are obliterated by the weather, onh- to be replacetl by newer
records by the beekeeper.

CHAPTER VII

WINTER AND SPRING WORK

If his bees have been properly preparetl for winter the out-
apiarist will have little to occupy' him in the apiary except to see
that bees in cellars are wintering properly or that entrances are
free from ice if he practices out-of-door wintering. This
can usually be arranged in co-operation with the farmer at whose
place the bees are kept so that numerous trips to the outapiar}-
will hardly be necessary.

First Examination

As soon as the bees have a good cleansing flight in spring
and a moderate spell of weather seems imminent, it will be well
for the beekeeper to make the first rourcl of his outyards. En-
trances should be freed of the accumulations of winter, dead bees
if any cleaned out, alighting boards made clear, and all dead
colonies carefully closed so as to prevent the robbing of their
honey.

It is to be hoped that the outapiarist does not have American
foulbrood to fight, but if he has, and a case has, through oversight or
neglect, been allowed to go into winter quarters, the colony's death
during winter without consequent closing up in early spring will
in all probability give the beekeeper nuich troulile through spread
of the infection by robbing.

It is true that these same combs may be used later
by the beekeeper in making divisions, but in such instances they
will only be given to one or two colonies and if i)ioper records
are kept such disease may be easih* traced.

53

54 OUTAPIARIES

At this examination it wiM pay to regulate the entrance of
each colony commensurate with its strength, reducing the weak
or queenless to a very small bee space and enlarging the entrance
of the stronger colonies.

Feed should be at hand to replenish such as have run short
through one cause or another.

Many apiarists practice leveling hives on this first round. It
may be advisable, however, to delay this until later when all
settling of the ground will have ceased.

Second Examination

The first examination, of necessity, will be superficial owing
to its earliness. One should be wary of disturbing the clusier
to look for stores, queens, or disease. This may well be attempted
however, on the second trip which will be made as soon as settled
weather has arrived.

Drone-Layers and Queenless Colonies

In a majority of instances it will not pay to spend valuable
time on drone-laying or queenless colonies. It is with difficulty
that queens are secured at this season and such colonies generally
are very hard to get queen-right. Probably the best procedure
is to unite all such colonies by Dr. Miller's newspaper plan. This
may also be advisable with weak queen-right colonies.
These may profitably be united with drone-layers after the drone-
laying queen has first been found and disposed of. In a majority
of instances, however, it will be more profitable to unite a drone-
layer or a queenless colony with another strong and queen-right
colony rather than unite several weaker colonies.

Feeding — Spring Dwindling

If the beekeeper has been foresight (hI, he will so have prepared
his colonies for winter that kittle feeding will have to be done in

Fig. 20. The ordinary ten-pound friction-top pail with one or two holes
in the cover may be used as a stimulative feeder.

the spring, since one of the principles of successful wintering is
ample stores in the fall.

In a similar manner, if proper preparations were taken the
fall before, the bugaboo of ''spring dwindling" will usually itself
"dwindle" to insignificance. A young queen, ample stores, and
plenty of young bees in the late fall are the best ciu'es for dwindling
in spring — outapiary or home yard.

Building up — Stimulative Feeding

The mam factor in spi'ing n\anagenient. of course, is to have
all colonies built up to maxiuunn strength for the main honey
flow, whether it be for the orange blossom of California or the
white clover of Iowa.

56

OUTAPIARIES

Fig. 21. Five-gallon oil cans are excellent for hauling feed to ihi' uut\ ard

Ordinarily we would expect best results where there is a natural
building up through the use of abundant nattn-al stores. But
in many cases this is not sufficient.

Natural pollen, in rare instances may be lacking, and the out-
apiarist may have to provide a substitute. Lack of water may
also hinder l)rood rearing, though this is rarely so in early si)ring.

Uncapping of scaled horey to induce the bees to use up such
stores in brood rearing is practiced by some, but this would hardly
be advisable in the out apiary. Nor would stinnilative feeding,
which consists of giving a small quantity of warm syrup to each
colony at intervals to imitate a natural flow. B. A. Aidrich of
Iowa uses ten pound tin pails with but a single hole in the cover
for stimulation. In this manner the bees get the syrup slowly
though it is not always served hot.

WINTER AND SPKIXC; \VC)1{K 57

\\ith excellent prospects for a clover flow, it might pay to
feed for stimulation between the fruit bloom and clover so as to
hold brood rearing at its highest point and reach the main flow
with the largest possible number of bees. The draw-
l)acks to sthnulative feeding should, however, be weighed care-
fully by the apiarist as the ciangers of chilling brood through
over stimulation are great. Extra cose of special trips to out-
yards must also be considered. Involved manipulation is neces-
sary. vStimulative feedmg is advisable mainly in localities where
several weeks elapse without any bioom, after first bloom.

Foulbrood

With the coming of the first flow in spring it is essential that
all colonies b^ examined for foulbrood. Some localities are still
free from the disease, Init we never know when it may appear
in our own yards from cau.^-es without. In spring a case of American
foulbrood develops rapidly, because the bees are then using up
the faulty stores for their brood, the colony quickly dwindles,
and the stores, if am', are left at the mercy of the robbers who all
too quickly transmit the disease to their own young. Here again
the value of contraction of the entrance of weak colonies is evident,
since it gives the weak foulbrood colonies opportunity to
protect themselves until such a tune as the beekeeper can
give proper treatment.

With European as with American foulbrood the time to examine
colonies and treat them is as early in spring as possible. Proper
treatment before or at the beginning of the first flow often may
result in subsequent building up of the colony for flows to follow.

The Hospital Yard

A number of outapiarists practice with success the assembling
of all colonies with American foulbrood into a single yard for
treatment. This has advantages which I believe overbalance
the disadvantages.

58 OUTAPIARIES

In the first place, one of the dangers of shakmg for foulbrood
in the outyard is the chance of bees drifting to neighboring col-
onies with full honey sacs, thus possibly transmitting the disease.
Manipulations in the outyard are necessarily hurried. Proper
care, desirable in correct treatment, may not be given.

If the hospital yard is to be established, it should l)y ah means
be placed in or near the home yard. Here the best of care may
be taken and the necessity of extra long trips avoided.

F. W. Hall of Iowa has practiced this plan for several years
and finds it very satisfactory.

CHAPTER VIII

EARLY SUMMER WORK

The outapiarist now approaches the season which is of great-
est importance in determining whether his efforts towards keeping
more bees, and in scattered locations, are to be successfuL He
must be able to so manipulate that his colonies will, in a large
measure, remain intact for the flows which are to foilow. Faulty
manipulation with consequent swarming, may mean a lessening
of the crop to the extent that he will work at a loss, while intense
management may result either in not being able to care for all
the bees handled or increase operating expenses beyond the re-
turns.

Swarm Control

Your method of management may call for examination of
colonies periodically to cut out queen-cells, and to keep all queens
clipped to prevent swarms leaving, but this entails a large amount
of extra work at a time when the outapiarist is busiest caring
for his numerous yards.

Even though the above method is practiced, the mere fact
that ail c^ueens are clipped will not prevent the desire on the part
of the bees to swarm, nor will it prevent an effort to swarm, with
subsequent loss of time in honey production.

What we should strive for is to so manipulate the outyards
that we may keep the impulse to swarm at the minmimii, for
with any system of management a protracted flow may result
in a small percentage of swarming. We should endeavor to make
this percentage negligible.

59

60 OIJTAPIARIES

Six requisites have Ijccn emphasi/.ed by ('. P. Dadant
as dcsiralile to control swarming. They are, a nnr.iniimi of drone
comb, ample breeding room, plenty of super room for honey,
shade for hives, ample ventilation, and young queens.

Drone Comb

The use of full sheets of foundation, both in the brood chamber
and in super frames, has to a large extent done away with super-
abundance of drone comb in the hive. Occasionally however,
carelessness in inserting foundation and improperwiring, resulting
in sagging, will cause considerable drone comb. It will pay well
either to cut all drone coml) from defective frames and insert
worker comb or foundation iii its stead, or discard such coml)s
completely.

Large Breeding Chamber

More and more, extensive beekeepers are incHning towards
the hive with the large brood chamber, especially for extracted
honey production; a hive in which the queen is unrestricted in
lading, which will accommodate the mosl prolific breeding queens.

Many outapiarists using the ten-frame or even the eight-frame
Langstroth hive expand the brood chamber by adding a second
story for the queen as soon as the first one restricts her laying
powers. Their plan, then, is to restrict the queen again to the
lower story at the beginning of the first good flow by means of
the queen excluder using the Demaree plan or some other with
modifications to insure tiu^ largest possil)]e breeding room under
existing conditions.

This again calls for considerable manipulation, much more
than is necessary when the l)rood chamber has, in one story, the
necessary breeding room.

EARLY SUMMKH WORK 61

Shade for the Outapiary

Shade is provided in the outapiary in several manners; Ia'
means of shade trees, extra roofs on each hive, or in some sections
l)y "ramadas" mentioned elsewhere in this book. Care should
be taken not to have too dense shade or there is a possibility of
encroaching too much on ventilation which is ti'eated l)elow as
one of the requisites we are seeking.

Ventilation

There is nothing which will more quickly induce bees to clus-
ter out, sulk, and get the swarming fever than a total disregard
of ventilation. How many an amateur or "backwoods" bee-
keeper reckons the working qualities of his bees by the number
clustered at the entrance. How many, too, are sm-e that this is
a sign that the bees are going to swarm. Who cannot recall the
inevitable cluster on the outside of the illy-ventilated Iwx-hive
on a hot summer day.

As one prominent beekeeper, James Heddon, said, "beekeep-
ing is a business of details; ''and the entrance, as it affects ventila-
tion, is not the least of these.

Beginning in earl}- spring when the entrance should be expand-
ed to suit the needs of the growing colony, the outapiaris* should
keep well ahead of his bees, giving at length a full width entrance
then adding to the ventilation either by reversing the bottom-
board or b}' raising the body of the hive from its bottom-board.
In the height of a hone}- flow and during intense heat a two inch
entrance in front or a one inch entrance all around is not exces-
sive.

Proper spacing of frames in the hive will also give added ventila-
tion. It is only recently that the value of a 1^ inch spacing
of frames has been acknowledged as superior to the stereotyped
If inch spacing which most of factory-made hives today have.

62 OUTAPIARIES

The 1| inch spacing provides a hirgcr hive not in ])iood area
but in ventilation.

Young Queens

If we have followed recommendations on preparii g our l;ees
for winter, we will have young and vigorous queens heading all
our colonies for the honey flow the following spring. But it must
be remembered that there is no orthodox rule ajiplying to the
desirability of young queens. Some may prove their worthless-
ness before their progeny has had a chance to demonstrate harvest-
ing ability and these should be gotten rid of at the earliest moment
regardless of season.

But it is evident that the desire to swarm is generally stronger
in colonies heatled by old (jueens, so that queens less than two
years old are desii-aljle.

It may be that a queen has proven so good, her bees have
been such good honey gatherers, that we have more to gain by
retaining her, even though we run the risk of swai-ming.

There is another matter which should have some bearing on
queen supersedure,and that is whether or not the queen has licen
through a long, heavy honey flow. In the season of crop failure,
with breeding restricted, the laying ([ualities of a queen are not
put to so severe a test, so tliat possii)ly a majority of the more
prolific may be valuable enough to be retained for another season.

We cannot leave this subject without mentioning the pian of
one prominent Iowa apiarist to get 3'^oung queens for the harvest
and thus control swarming.

At the beginning of the honc^y flow, (clover is his main flow),
the colonies are ( arefuUy gone over and all queens over two years
old killed. Each colony is properly marked as to which are
desirable to breed from.

On the next examination, ten days later, all cells are destroyed

KAKLY SUMMER WORK 63

and instead is inserted a conil) either with a cell or a grafted cell
from one of the choice breedino- colonies. Again, a week or more
later, the third examination makes sure that all queens have
been hatched and mated, cells being inserted where needed from
colonies previously prepared.

Supers and Supering

"Anticipation brings Realization." This is certainly true in
putting on supers. If the outapiarist waits till the main harvest
is on at home to begin his round of superirgat theoutyards it
is a safe guess that he will be too late at some one of his outapiaries.

Conditions would be ideal, certainly, were it possible to have
all colonies ready at the same time. This may in part be attempt-
ed by equalizing brood between colonies as is practiced by some.
This calls for more manipulation.

The first supers for surplus should be put on at or shortly
before the opening of the honey flow. This should be before
the queen becomes restricted in her egg-laying through conges-
tion of honey in the brood chamber. Certainly it is not a wise
plan to add supers three weeks in advance of their need, since
the bees have an added story to keep warm during the cool weather
of spring. But it would be more desirable to have the supers
on a week early than a week late.

f

So with the second and third supers, the}' should be given
as required before the bees become crowded for storing room, while
in rapid heavy flows two or even three supers may be added at
once, they being filled with nectar almost as quickly as one.

Adding another super when the one below is about half full,
or when the bees are storing honey from one edge of the super to
the other is the usual procedure. This, of course is to be varied
with the time of the flow. Towai'd the close of the flow it will be
wiser to crowd the bees rather than add extra supers which may
not be needed. This is especially true in fall flows when we wish

64 OUTAPI ARIES

to crowd the brood chamber for winter and when there is very
httle chance of inducing swarming by such crowding.

The num])er of supers which are necessary per hive var}' with
the system adopted by each beekeeper. If he intends to extract
during the flow he can get along with less supers. More and
more, outapiarists are practicing the plan of having on hand enough
drawn supers to hold the crop of an ordinary flow. Then if
the season is bountiful it may be necessary to extract in the mid-
dle of the harvest. The Dadant apiaries are run with from three to
five, six inch depth, Dadant size supers per colony. This will
hold the average crop. Yet in 1916 it was necessary to keep
continually extracting to stay ahead of the bees. One apiary was
extracted four times during the honey flow.

It is possible to get along with two supers per hive, with care-
ful manipulation, but four or even six would be much better.

Queen Excluders

Many beekeepers running for extracted honey use queen
excluders to keep the queen from laying in the surplus cases.
There are two objections to their use. In the first place they
hinder to some extent the free passage of the bees into the supers
above. In the second place they restrict the queen and are apt
to induce swarmirg.

In hives with a large brood chamber the excluder is not so
necessary, since the queen has sufficient room below and finds
no occasion to go above, and with the use of shallow supers in
connection with the large brood chamber, queen excluders become
unnecessary except in rare instances.

To overcome this objection of queen restriction in the smaller
hives many beekeepers practice the Demaree plan or a modi-
fication thereof. Until the beginning of the surplus flow the
queen is allowed the use of two brood chambers for egg laying.
Immediately the flow starts, she is put into the lower body with
a frame or two of brood, the balance of the body being filled with

ivUiLV sum.\ii:k work 65

(liawM coinhs or foundal ion and an excluder is inserted between
the two bodies. Idnis she is supphed U)v a consid(>rable time with
l)i-ee(hiig; room. If this be repeated at intervals the queen may be
supi)lied with empty coml)s and the tlanger of brood restriction
removed.

In tlie greater number of instances, however, the excluder when
once placed is left for the remainder of the flow. An iiicreasiiig
iunnl>er of beekeepers use the excluder till most of the danger of
smarming is over, when it is removed and a super of sealed honey
placed next to the brood chamber to keep the queen from going
above.

As stated ahove, the use of shallow extracting supers dis-
courages the queen from going above, especially if such coml)s
are spaced far apart, putting eight, or at most nine combs in a
ten frame super. Mr. Cha;nbers of Arizona claims success in
putting but eight frames in a regular ten-frauK^ full depth super
to keep the queen below.

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that all such plans
as tend to restrict; the laying of the queen are not as desirable as
those which give iier sufficient room, nor do they have as much
effect in the prevention of s'vai'ming.

CHAPTER IX

THE HARVEST

If tlic beekeeper has sufficient super room for the full crop,
there will be iio trouble. All honey may be removed at the end
of the season. But if we must extract during the honey flow,
care is necessary to get only ripe honey,or if any unripe is removed,
to place it in open tanks to allow evaporation.

As a general rule, when extracting during the flow, it will not
be safe to extract any but sealed honey. However, here also the
l)eekeeper must use his own discretion. Very often he can tell
whether the honey wil' do by its densit}^, by the readiness with
which it mav or mav not be shaken from the combs.

Removing the Honey

The modern bee-escape is a most useful appliance in removing
honey. It is aunost indispensable to the comb-honey producer.
Since the use of the automobile has become so common, the
escape has enhanced in value to the extracted honey man as well.
It is but a short trip, nowadays, to the outapiary in the after-
r.oon, putting on the escapes so that the extracting may go on in
full force the next morning. In an hour or two, two men can
place sufficient escapes for a full day's work for four men, but
care must be taken in placing these escapes, especially if there
is a dearth of honey, not to allow openings in the supers where
robbers may find their way to the unprotected honey. This
will not only develop a serious case of robbing but may also
mean the complete emptying of such supers as are exposed.

The presence of In'ood in the supers hinders niatei'ially the
effectiveness of the bee-escape. Siniilarl\'. if the (pUH'n happens

67

68 OUT A I 'I. \!{ IKS

in the super, the bees will not desert liei' to ti<) lielow. These two
causes have many times resulted in failure and rejection of the
escape when with care it would have w^orked properly. Bees will
also leave sealed honey much more readily than unsealed. Many
remove but one super at a time with the escape, but the writer
has experienced but small chances of failure when removing two,
thvve or four supers wdth one escape, and this is our usual proce-
dure.

The greatest hindrance to the escape is very cool weather when
the bees are less apt to run down. They do go down, at least,
very slowly. Another objection in cool weather is that when the
bees go down, the honey cools quickly and when taken off is very
stiff and cold and hard to micap and extract.

Many use no escapes, thus saving themselves an extra trip to
the outapiary. They use a combination of smoking and brushmg
to rid the combs of bees, driving them below with cautious smok-
ing, after which the remaining ones may be readily brushed. The
bristle bee brush is best for this purpose. Carbolic cloths are
spread over supers by some to drive the bees down.

The advantage of the bee-escape, however, cannot be denied,
nuich overbalancing its disadvantages.

Each outapiarist has his own method of getting full supers
from the apiary to the extracting house. Some erect tracks with
cars capable of loading several supers at a time. A larger
majority locate the houses as convenic^ntly as possible and use an
ordinary garden wheelbarrow ('(luipped with springs to lessen
the jar on the combs.

It is wise to be provided with burlap cloths to he used as robber
cloths to cover supers from the time they are taken from the hives
until they are in the shelter of the extracting building. A flat
drip pan on the barrow is almost a necessity, especially where bees
are brushed instead of using the bee-escape.

Till-: IlAliNKST

ao

Extracting

The niaiiDd' of extrat'liiii;- luu.st vary gi'catly with the system
of the outapiarist, whether he has a hand portable outfit, a per-
manent equipment at each yard, or hauls all honey to the central
plant, and whether he uses a crew of men or practices the one-man
system. The idea may be to work as rapid) \' as possible with
a large crew, or take time and reduce outside labor to a minimum.

Fig. 22. The placing of wet combs in piles in the open for bees to rob
out and clean up is to be discouraged.

70

OUTAPIVmES

Extractors will Ix' taken up fui'tlicr in nnolhci- chapter (lenlii.ii
with exti'a('tin<i,' houses and (Hiuipnieut .

Replacing Supers

There is some aclvantap;e in extracting before the close of the
honey flow. In fact it will pay the apiarist to make a careful
study of the honey flora and the honey flow and so time his opera-
tions that the extractin"- may Ije done just as the flow is endni,";,

lose no honey, and still not
be extractinii durinti- a
honey dearth.

During a honey flow the
supers may be returned to
the hives as fast as extract-
ed, the same number being
replaced on each colony
as it had before.

But in a honey dearth
I'ohhing will certainly be
aggravated. It is better to
wait till the close of the
day wh(>n all sujiers may he
returned in a short time.
All can then be cleaned
by the colonies before
morning. For carrying
supcM's l)ack to the apiary
a hand barrow is very
desirabl(\ Two men can
carry from ten to twenty
supers at a load while one
man in the apiary smokes
the l)ees and I'eplaces
e(|uipment.

Some few beek(M^pers
practice setting freshly ex-

Fig. 'J;i. I lie t'runce lioncv strainer i.s

cylindrical and will fit directly into the

honev-tank.

THE HARVEST

71

tracted supers out in the open for the bees to clean up at
will. In most cases this is veiy objectionable and not to be
rcconnnended. Robbing is encouraged and danger of infection,
should any foulbrood be present, is great.

If the supers are to be replaced after the last flow in the
fail, when the weather is cool, each strong colory may he
given four, five or even six supers to clean and guard, thus
making easier work in removing the supers later. Several
good lieekeepers do not replace supers after the last extracting
but hold them until needed the next spring. N. E. France of
Wisconsin has many times carried such wet supers through the
next summer and states that they are much less likely to
be injured l)y moth than the dry supers. However, an

Fig. 24. Tho Dadaiit slraiiicr for banc

72 OUTAPIARIES

object ion is that these wet supers may be needed before
the crop the following sprino;, for increase or otherwise, when
the dry super may be used with little robl)irig whereas the wet one
may necessitate ceasing operations in a whole apiary. There may
also be a chance of honey soni'iiig in the wet com))s. if any fer-
mentation is present.

Receptacles for the Crop

Sometimes a major portion of the honey is placed in cans as
fast as i( comes from the extractor, though it is evidently only a
makeshift way. It is impossible to remove all impurities in so
short a time no matter how careful the stramer. But the apiary
not permanently located, w^here all work is done with a portable
outfit cannot install settling tanks for a single run, neither is it
advantageous to haul the honey home and i-e-empty it. One
prominent Wisconsin l3eekeeper, however, has provided himself
with a number of large size milk cans. The honey is strained
into these at the outiipiary and transfen-ed to the set cling tank

^«vy

ys^

wt»

Fig. 25. Large settliiiji taiik^ for storing hone.y, previous to ilrawiug into
proper receptacles.

THE HARVEST 73

at home after each day's run. He finds the phm very satis-
factory.

The ideal method, of course, is to have permanently installed
settlino- tanks and enough of them to hold the extracting urtil
the honey is well settled. This can best be done with the central
extracting system where all supers are handled at home. It is
also practiced to some extent with permanent outyards where
l)uildings are well equipped. The Edson Apiaries in California
have 2 or 3 ton settling tanks. The honey settles over night and
is drawn into 5 gallon cans the next morning when it is stored in
warehouses at the station nearest the outyard at which they are
working.

Honey Knives

The steam-heated hone>- knife has won its way to favor with
a large majority of the best beekeepers. Its advantages are most
marked when the honev is thick, the weather cool, and uncap-
jiing difficult. It c:ui he dispensed with when extracting is done
m hot weather and uncapping is comparatively eas}'. It is the
thing for the inexperienced man, while it may be used onlv
in the emergency by the expert with the cold knife. The chief
uncapper for the Dadant apiaries made a record of uncapping
solidly sealed combs in shaUow frames at the rate of 1000 pound?
of honey per hour on a half day run. He did it with a cold
knife. Yet he realizes the advantage of the hot knife and ncn-er
neglects to have it along for the emergency.

Cappings and Capping Melters

Unfortunately or.e or two lai'ge beekeepers in the past have
recommended the use of barrels for cappings, a few holes lunng
bored in the barrel for honey drainage when the rest of the mass
would be hauled home for disposition. I can conceive of no worse
method of carmg for the cappings than l)y the use of such l)arrels
or cans. I have in mind one shipment of cappings so barrelled
and ."^ent to a big comb-i-endering p'ant to be melted up. Five

74 Ol'TAPIAKIKS

l)arrels in tlu^ shipiuent wcijihed in liie n('i<i,iil;()ili():)(l of l.'OO
pounds. At least two thirds of this was honey, yet the heekeeper
by his methods was unable to get out more honey, and the rest
was to he wasted.

Although my pi'eference is for the capping can or capi)ing
box, a large number of the best beekeepers would not work with-
out the capping melter though they reahze its shoi't comings.
Evident it is, that it provides the easiest and quickest methods
of disposing of the cappmgs, turning them on the spot inlo honey
and wax, and it is especially valual)le for the one man plant.

Its disadvantages are that it is hot to work over in summer,
and it discolors the horey and injures its flavor, since it is impos-
sible to apply sufficient- heat to melt the wax without great danger
of slightly scorching the honey. Mappings from oki combs in
which l)rood has been reared, melt more slowly and cause the
most trouble in scorching. Some claim that this small
amount of discolored honey when added to the day's
extracting mixes so readily as to be unobserved in eithei- color,
taste or smell by any observer. We are inclined to doubt this.
The essential oils from the bloom, which give the finest flavoi',
are easily evaporated. Another (riticism of the inciter is that it
makes added eciuipment when used in connection witli the port-
able outfit. It would woi'k best with the central plant.

Probably one of the chief reasons for dislike of the capping
can or box lies in the fact that the best manner of procedure is
not always used. Explaiiation can probably be given by describ-
ing in detail tlu^ plan used in the l^adant apiaries which is used
similaiiy l)y many beekeepers.

A portable extiacting eciuipment is used in connection with a
permanent honey hous(\and in this (>quipm(Mit is included a 24-
incli capping can capable of holding usually I he cappings of a good
day's run. Every houi' oi' so during the day, time (Miough is taken
to giv(^ these cappings a tlioi'ough stii'i'ing aiid bi-eaking uj) with
a strong stick so that the honey may moi'e reathly drain. Honey

'Pill-: HARVKST

75

drains off so freely that it has to he cinpticd I'rom below hoth
noon and ni^lit and sometimes oftenei'. The cappin^s are thei'c-
t'oi'(> jii'etty well drained when the time comes to load for home
in the evening', when the full can is taken along. It is left to drain
overnight. In the morning the cappings are transferred to a
larger tank with ))ut a shallow space at the bottom for the collec-
tion of the balance of the honey. When the end of the season
and a slack time come, this dried mass may l)e run through a
nielter if desired. The cappings of the 1918 fall extracting in the
Dadant a])iaries from 11, ()()() pounds of honey were, for a test,
run through a separating can and melter fashioned after those
of Sechrist and Crane. Less than sixty pounds of honey were
secured from the wdiole lot.

P. W. Sowinski, of Michigan, running a one man plant, uses
the uncapping box, spreading the cappings evenly over the box
during the day's run. At evening he rolls up his sleeves and
thoroughly breaks up and mixes these cappings until all is a con-
glomerated mass. By morning the cappings are practically
drv.

Fig. 26. Box arranged for holding .supers of coinV)s while they are Ijeing
sulphured from below.

7G

Or'I'APIAKIKS

Danger of Moths

With varyiiij2; crop conditions the apiarist may have iiives and
supers of combs without protection of bees when danger of moths
comes. All such should be watched carefully at two week periods
and proper methods to destroy moths applied, should they be
necessary. The worst damage comes, naturally, in the late sum-
mer, after successive broods have hatched out and joined forces.
Carbon disulphid and sulphur are both used with success.

Combs which have been without projection of bees dui'ing
cold weather, in Northerr, States, are in slight danger, if properly
closed to exclude moths when warm weather arrives. Those on

Fig. 27. A cyliiulrical hDni'y-hou.se made especially for sturiiig coniVjs

by hanginti thcni in racks so the moths will not enter them, and also for

using sulphur fumes. Apiary of H. C. Cook of Omaha.

Tin: HAIJVEST 77

which l)ees have wintereil will have to be watchetl eairtully from
early spring, especially those of colonies that have died in early
spring.

One beekeeper so built his honey house that the rafters are
spaced for hanging combs between them. Such combs, isolated
and exposed to the light, run smail chance of being moth-eaten.

Foulbrood

Second and third examinations may be necessary when the
locality has foulbrood. European foulbrood should largely have
disappeared with the honey-flow if proper steps were taken at its
inception. American foulljrood may appear at any time and the
beekeeper cannot be too careful in searching it out. A diseased
colony detected and destroyed or treated late in sunnner or fall
may save many in the spring.

Requeening

Probably most of the requeening is done after the main spring
honey-flow. It is desirable to carry out such requeening in the
outapiaiy in a wholesale manner to avoid unnecessary trips.
Such requeening should also be done, where possible, during a
light flow, when chances of successful introduction are best.

A-i prominent a beekeeper as the late Wm. ^NIcEvoy practiced
requeening each summer, others requeen every other year, while
others reciueen only when absolutely necessary, leaving it to the
bees generally to supersede a poor queen when the time comes.
More and more the tendency is to requeen at least every othcn-
year.

\\ ith the desirability of a full colony of young bees for winter-
ing, requeening should be completed in time to insure it.

CHAPTER X

FALL AND EARLY WINTER

If the beekeeper has been forewarned, he will have, in the
summer, taken precautionary measures towards getting his bees
in the best possil)le shape in preparation for winter. The three
prime requisites for successful wintering, are:

1. Strong Colonies of young bees.

2. Plenty of healthful stores.

3. Ample protection from winds and cold.

It is necessary to begin preparations for the fii'st requisite
ciuite early in fall, since the bees must be reared in sufficient tmie
to have the colony strong before cooler weather sets in. Lacking
a honey flow, it may be necessary for the beekeeper to make a
tour of outyards, feeding stimulatively to imitate a flow, so that
proper breeding will take place. Inasmuch as young queens
usually Ijreed more prolifically, they are desirable.

Lacking good natural stores, it may be necessary to do fall
feediiig. Not a sma^J number let this matter go till too late,
instead of getting colonies heavy with honey we'l ahead of cold
weather, and too many colonies are underfed, resulting m dwind-
ling in spring or. the necessity of intermittent feedings in early
spring.

Protection from the Weather

As stated previously under the chapter on locating apiaries,
il is de^iralile to so locate the ajjiary that the contour of the lard,

80 OITAI'IAHIKS

natural forestry, undcrgrowtli, etc., may help in breaking the force
of the winds. Artificial win(l})reaks for the apiary as a whole
may also be used. But there will be required, in all northern
climates at least, additional wind and cold protection for the
hives mdividually, and such protection will serve to good purpose
much farth(n' south than y(^t practiced by many beekeei^ers in
the miidiM' zones.

Th(^ chai'acter of such prot(>ction foi- the outainary will be
dependent to a great extent on three things:

1. Locality and location.

2. P(M'manence of the apiary.

3. Plan of operations.

It will hardly be advisable for the Southern man to consider
seriously the proper conditions for cellar wintering, since the
amount of pi'otection his liees need will not warrant cellar winter-
ing at all. So with wintering in the North. Some localities may
be out of range of the hardest and coldest winds. They may he
so favored that the weather is tempered, allowing an occasional
flight durmg wint(>r. Others may be winter-bound for months
at a time, so that either cellar winterirg or the utmost in outdoor
packing will be absolutely nec(>ssary. To this extent each bee-
keeper will have his own method of wmt(M-ing to study out as
applicable to his particular locality.

The location does not make (luilt' so great a diffei'ence. Yet
it is easj^ to conceive a barren plain, wind swept, which will ixniuire
double the winter protection of another not two miles ]-en)oved,
but in a small valley with hills and l)rush and ti'ces as protection
from the (Hrect blasts of the Nortli. The outapiarists may have
considered carefully the two when locating. The flora of the
one nui}^ more than overbalance^ th(> disadvantages of the other.

Many apiary sites are retained only fi'om one year to anotlici-.
Many arrargements for ground rental can be made l)ut for a single

FALL AM) KAHLY \\ L\'I1<:K 81

season. It would he the iK^ijiht of folly, under such conditions,
to l)ui]d a permanent cellar only to move out after having used it
one season. Yet the location may be so extraordinary that the
beekeeper may desire to remain and winter out-of-doors in the
best available manner. Possibly, with the migratory system, it
will be advisable to al^andon the large winter cases as too cumber-
some to carry here and there with the changed location.

Where the location is owned by the apiarist with the likeli-
hood of his remaining over a series of years, he may select what he
considers the ideal manner of protection.

Yet many of oiu" outapiarists have grown up from a small
beginning. They have started their extended beekeeping with
only limited capital. One may be able, for a few years at least,
to winter vmder conditions which neither he nor the best authori-
ties deem advisable. It may be to his advantage to evolve a
system less costly until a time when, if desirable, he can afford
the capital for a new sj'stem of wintering better suited to the
locality.

IMoreover, his system, even if he is fortunate in having all the
cai)ital desired, may demand a wintering system that will cor-
respond. With the centrally located plant, where all honey is
hauled home to be extracted, it will not be advisable to build
cellars at outyards for wintering, when the building is required
for no other purpose.

Outdoor vs. Cellar Wintering

It is very difficult to define specifically just where cellar winter-
ing is to be preferred and where outdoor wintering. It will hardly
do to indicate zones with the same mean temperatures as having
the same conditions applying for wintering of bees, and this
because the wind protection of the two may not be the same, the
humidity may be different.

82

OUT APIARIES

Wo all know that the two shores of a lake may be entirely
different for fruit raising, although the mean tempei'ature may be
the same. In like manner elimatic conditions may govern the
desirability of out-door or cellar wintering. Moderation of climate
sufficient to allow of winter flights may more than ofiVet exti-a
winter protection in the cellar.

Roughly we may state that where your bees average two good
flight days per month, with no confinement of over six weeks dura-
tion, out-of-door wintering is to be preferred, providing, of course
that proper wird protection is afforded.

Certain it is that many beekeepers have turned from cellar to
outdoor wintering not because their locality was more favorable

Ym. 28. Hives wintering close togcthor,lthe_whole wrapped in tar paper,

FAi.i. AM) i:ai;ly winter

S3

to the latter, l)ut more probably Ijecause theii' cellars were hukiiio;
ill some essential.

On the otluM' hand, outdoor wintering may be practiced in so
many tlifferent forms and lend itself so readily to the variability
of the beekeepers themselves that it is no wonder that it is chosen
by many outapiarists in preference to the less elastic cellar.

Outdoor Packing Methods

A method someiimes fracticed in Colorado and other sections
with similar climatic conditions is to wrap colonies in tarred paper,
strawboard or other similiar material. A ery often this is done
by first getting the colonies closely together in a long row. Prob-
ably most of the value of this protection comes through having

Fig. 29. An apiary of chaff-packed Protectiun luvt-s.

84 OUTAPIARIES

the hives in close proximity, though the paper wrapping has some
hfctle effect on the wind and serves to cover undesirable cracks in
hives and hive-covers. It is better than no packing at all — much
better.

Alfalfa regions seem to be among the last to realize the import-
ance of winter protection, possibly owing to the fact that their
main honey flow comes late and colonies made weak by winter,
as well as those lost, may be rebuilt by the time the main flow
commences. Then too, their late flow insures maximum strength
colonies of young bees to withstand the winter. Yet the percent-
age of loss in these regions seems out of proportion to what the
extra investment for winter protection would be.

Fig. 'M. The single colony packing case finds many advocates.

PALL AND EARLY WiNTfiR

85

In many sections the permanently packed hive is looked upon
with favor. It has the advantage of recjuiring no extra labor for
winter protection except additional packing on the top. J. T.
Dunn, of Ontario, packs his double-walled hive with cork chips
instead of the usual chaff, and reports exceptional success.

Objections advanced to it are that it is cumbersome to move,
and heavy to lift. It only has two inches of packing all around
while recommendations are usually for six to eight inches. Often
no provision is made for bottom packing.

Yet in regions where limited packing is desired, this chaff-
packed hive winters with success. It is more to be desired where
the apiary is permanent and little moving necessar3^

Single colony outer cases have the advantage that they usualh'
provide for heavier packing, and may be removed when desired.
But they also 3ntail added equipment for the outyard.

Fig. 31. The quadruple case is best in colder latitudes where an out-door
wintering system is desired.

86

OtTAPIARlES

Four Colony Cases

A method growing in favor with northern beekeepei's who are
so situated that cehar wintering is not to be desired is the four
colony case recommended by the Department of Agricultui'e.
This case requires the arrangement of hives in groups of fovn-
during the summer so that the case may be placed in the fall with
a minimum of disturbance to the bees. It provides for eight
inches or more of packing on all sides, top and bottom, while the
four colonies in one case tend to conserve the heat. In regions
where bees are confined to their hives for months at a time, or
where exposure is great, this manner of outdoor wintering can-
not be excelled.

rig. 32. A pile of leaves stacked in nets preparatury to being taken to the
outapiary for winter packing by the Dadant method.

FALL AND EARLY WINTER

87

The Dadant and Similar Systems

Outapiarists located where it is sufficiently moderate to allow
of periodical flights during winter may find it to their advantage
to use a system similar to that used in the Dadant apiaries.

The first essential is abundant and cheap packing material.
The Dadant apiaries are located in easy reach of woods sufficient

Fifi. 33. The leaves are corded on

to furnish all the forest leaves desired and at minimum expense.
Experiments tend to show that this packing material is superior
to straw, shavings or paper.

Large nets about six feet square are used for gathering the
leaves, one net being sufficient for packing five or six of the large
Dadant colonies. Xets sufficient for a full apiary are loaded on a
large truck and the trip to the outapiary made.

88

OUTAPIARIES

Fig. o4.

The deep telescope caps
ai'e filled with leaves and
carefuU.y replaced after first
adjusting the straw mat
al)ove to the cluster. For
liives with the shallow cover
a shallow super full of leaves
is added. Two men pack
and replace the caps while
two more follow and pack
the hives outside, packing
material being about six in-
ches thick andplaced on both
sides and the back, leaving
the front, facing south, ex-
posed. For holding the
packing on the outside, a
frame of chicken netting is
used. These nets rise to
the top of the telescope
caps making at least four inches of packing on top and all sides
except the front.

There are several advantages to this plan. First, the equip-
ment required is reduced to a minimum; rakes, leaf nets and pack-
ing frames being all that is needed extra. The cost of packing
is light, four men packing an apiary of ICO colonies in a day besides
raking fresh dry leaves.

In a locality where the sun is sufficiently warm to allow of
winter flights, the front of the hive warms up and induces the
l)ees to flight, while, if they were heavily packed as with some
other systems, the interior of the hive would hardly feel the sun's
heat until time of day foi- flight was passed. In the vicinity of
Hamilton, Illinois, this method has been so successful and the
percentage of loss so small that it seems inadvisable to invest
more in wintering equipment requiring also additional labor.
Naturally, wherever possible, all apiaries are given the best advan-
tage of location for winter protection.

The straw mat is placed next
to the frames.

FALL AND KARLY WINTER

80

Fig. So. Placing the big telescope covers on the hives after filling them

with leaves.

Cellar Wintering and Cellars

Protection is afforded in cellar as in outdoor wintering, the
difference being that the outside protection in one case is placed
around the whole apiary while in the other it is around a single
colony, two colonies, or fom- or more, as the case may be.

The same safeguards for wintei- protection are to be observed
as in outdoor wintering. But there are added precautions to be
taken in the cellar since the bees are confined dining the whole
of the winter. They will have no chances for flight and clianges
of temperature and extreme variations in ventilation, moisture,
etc., have a greater bearing.

90

OUTAPIAlllES

I'ig. -Mi. The completely jiucked hive.

A temperature of from 45 to 52 degrees is generally regarded
as the best in cellar wintering, and this should l^e kept as even as
possible duriiig the whole wintei-. A colder temperature will
necessitate greater ventilation while a much higher one may
hasten brood rearing and induce activity by spring that will miti-
gate the chance of the bees surviving (he winter, (icnerally bees
wmter best in th(^ cellar at a temperature which will keep them
quietest. A low temperature will recjuire more activity to keep
up the warmth of the cluster. Have a thermomcler in the cellar,
find the degree at which tlic bees are quietest, and keep it at that.

FALL AND EARLY WIXTI^R

91

III mnny celiars, perhaiis sufficient ventilation is afforded
throiiiiii devices swept by the wind or through the opening and

Fig. 37. One of the France bee-cellars in Wisconsin.

closing of entrances into the cellar. More ventilation, as stated
above, will be necessary when the temperature becomes lower,
requiring activity on the part of the bees. It is well to arrange
a ventilator for the cellar but this need not be over 6x6 inches
and should be shielded at the top to avoid light in the repository.
H. H. Selwyn of Ontario has had good success with such a venti-
lator. He has, in addition, a sub-ventilator comirg through the
floor. This pipe extends from the intake for sixty feet under
ground before reaching the cellar. In this way the air is tempered.
No doubt also that this constant stream of earth-tempered air
has its effect in maintaining the temperature of the cellar at the
same degree, thus combining the desirabilities of temperature and

S^ OLTAI'IAKIIl!^

ventilation. One beekeeper with the same system of ventilators
has installed an electrically operated fan in the upper ventilator
so that with any variation inside the fan pumps the air out and
draws the fresh air in to take its place till the temperature again
becomes normal.

Usually cellars are built of a height from 5| to 7 feet. In
figuring the amount of air space to be allowed, there should be
at least twelve cubic feet for each colony and two or three times
this amount is desirable.

Probably a room partitioned in a house cellar which is heated
by furnace is as good a repository as can be had. It is usually
dry, of even temperature, and allows readily of good ventilation
either through the upward draft of air or through communication
with the rest of the cellar. But the outapiarist will hardly have
a home cellar large enough to accommodate all his bees, nor will
the houses at his outyards be so located that he will be able to
take advantage of them.

A few years ago, not a few beekeepers practiced keeping their
bees in clamps. The expense of these is small and they are espec-
ially suited to the out\'ard which is not permanent and in a location
where outdoor wintering is not feasible. Yet it takes a peculiar
soil to be suited to wintering in clamps and we can hardly recom-
mend this method as worth}- of trial by the outyard beekeepers.
There are too many failures.

Edward G. Brown, in western Iowa, winters all of his out-
yards in temporary cellars which he says can be made at a cost
of from 25 to 50 dollars. Mr. Brown is located where the soil
stands up extremely well under all conditions. When he builds
a cellar he sets four posts at the four corners, having them over
four feet in the ground so they will go below the floor of the cellar.
They stick above ground two feet, and the two feet above ground
is boarded up to hold the dirt as it is thrown from the inside in
excp,vating. The enclosure is now dug to a depth of four feet,
the dirt thrown out against the boards adding the extra two feet

f^ALL AND EARLY WINTER

93

Fig. 38. Apiary of Edward G. Erown in tlie swL'ct clover belt of Western
Iowa. Notice the cheap, under-earth cellar in the background.

in depth, making six in all. A board ceiling is made and a roof
placed over all, the space between being filled with some good
packing material. Mr. Brown states that he winters with
only one to two per cent loss and the cellar is usually good for
from three to five seasons.

If the beekeeper has a reasonably permanent situation it will
be to his advantage to build a permanent cellar.

This is usually built in connection with the honey-house one
roof furnishing shelter for the two. In the France apiaries, in
Wisconsin, the cellars under the houses are used in the summer
for honey tanks and receptacles. Thus the honey is run by gravity
directly from the extractor without double handling.

94 OUTAPIARIES

In such cellars the walls are l)iiilt of cement or stone and the
ceilings ma.y be plastered. Unless the chainage is especially good,
it will hardly be feasible to leave a dirt floor, cement lieing much
better, unless the cellar is very diy.

Some few large beekeepers with central plants provide for
wintering all of their bees in a central repository'.

CHAPTER XI

MOVING BEES

With modern methods for moving bees it is possible to trans-
port them in ahnost any kind of weather and at all seasons of the
year. Yet it is generally preferable not to move during late fall

f l^lfl

• 1 i* fiJlHrB^iii'^ffi

m iiL^^fit^^ ' w »^

.«^|^

^^j

^^m

HBB

^ WKKK^^tKtK^^^^^^^

IHIe^^^S

■^■^^

Fig. 39. Hives screened for moving in hot weather.
95

96 OUTAPlAini<:S

or winter when the bees may not have a chance for a cleansing
flight before the winter period. Nor is it generally advisable to
move during the hottest weather, nor when hives are heavy with
honey. This will avoid smothering of bees and breakage or melt-
ing down of combs.

Ideal conditions for moving are to have colonies light in stores,
fairly light in brood, thvis giving chance for be.st ventilation. Cool
weather, in early or late spring, when bees hardly fly, is best.
If the weather is hot, take advantage of the cool of night to move.

It is imperative that all hives be perfectly tight at the joints
and well nailed so that there may be no leakage of bees. Even
then it is no uncommon occurrence to have bees come out from
some partly concealed knot-hole or partially rotted bottom-board.
A package of coarse absorbent cotton will answer well for such an
emergency. It will not only quickly stop the leak but has the
effect of repelling the bees. Wet clay may be used in an emer-
gency.

For moving, the hives should l:)e closed when all field bees
are at home so as to have no loss. This can be done in the evening
or early morning.

Use care in hauling not to jar or jerk the hives any more than
can be possiljly hel})ed. Avoid all excitement or heat to the liees,
especially at the start of the haul. For overland hauling, hives
should be loaded with the frames running crosswise of the wagon
or truck; on railroad cars, lengthwise.

If it is necessary to haul with wagons and horses, too nuicli
caution against having trouble with escaping bees and conseciuent
stinging cannot be taken. Inunediately any trouble is en-
countered, teams should l)e unhooked and gotten away from the
angry bees until all is cjuiet.

MOVING BEES 97

Moving Short Distances

It may be necessary to change location of the outyard only
a small distaLce, say a few hundred yards. This can be done
very niceh^ in the evening or early morning, takmg care to handle
all as carefully as possible, and it may not be necessary even to
close the entrances.

It should be borne in mind, however, that many bees, unless
precautions are taken, may take flight without noticing the change
in location, and on returning, go back to the old location and be
lost. To avoid this the shade board or other suitable board may
be leaned in front of the entrance that outgoing bees may
notice the change of location at once and mark it, similarly to
the manner in which young bees mark their home when making
their first flights from the hive.

Even with these precautions some bees may return to the old
location. These maj^ be saved by leaving one or two weak colonies
for a few days at the old location to catch the drifting bees as
they return.

Moving a Few Miles

If the weather be cool and the bees can be transported to the
new location in a very short time, it maj'' not be necessaiy to pro-
vide special ventilation during the haul; the hives may be closed,
entrances and all. But it is better to err on the side of too much
ventilation than too little. The hauling at evening or in the
early morning, to take advantage of lower temperature, will
help.

Very often beekeepers, in such moving, provide clustering
room by placing an empty super above each brood chamber,
into which the bees can cluster, thus relieving the congestion on
the combs below. Some combine this with a screened entrance
while still others would not attempt to move even a short dis-
tance without a part of the top of the hive screened, A screened

98

OUT APIARIES

Fig. 40. Moving an apiary 75 miles by auto truck.

Fig. 41. How one California queen-breeder moves his outfit to a new

location.

MOVINGIBEES

99

entrance is objectionable as the old bees, accustomed to % out
through it, worry themselves to death before it.

When releasing the bees at the end of the haul, it may be
wise to allow them to l^ecome quiet before opening. At anj^ rate
it will be well to have the smoker handy to prevent an excited
rush from the entrance with consequent confusion, drifting of
bees, etc.

The Long Haul

Probably a large proportion of the moving trips of the out-
apiarist will be over a distance of from ten to fift}^ miles, either
in the establishment of a new yard or in moving an apiar}- to new
pastures by the migratory- plan already mentioned. The colonies
may have to be moved when heavy ^vith honej' or brood, or when
the weather is very hot.

In such instances it is well nigh indispensable to provide clus-
tering room and ventilation for the trip by having the whole of

Fig. 42. The truck is fast replacing the slower wagon, for moving bees.

100

OUTAPIARIES

Fig. 43.

Where the haul is short and the weather cool, colonies may be
moved with the covers on.

the top of the hive screened, the moving screen being two or more
inches deep, with proper re-inforcements over the top to prevent
breakage. In rare instances the bottom-boards may be removed
and the bottoms of tlie hives screened also.

It may be necessary to give the Ijees water during the haul,
should they become excited. Water is needed onl>- when they
have 3'oimg brood.

The up-to-date migrator}' beekeeper provides himself with
moving screens, tight hives, and suitable hauling conveyances to
take best care of the number of colonies he proposes to move.
Edson Brothers of California, as an example, operate 2500 colonies

MOVING BEES

101

of bees practical!}- all of which arc moved to the orange and the
l)ean fields for these flows. They have a four ton truck with a
capacity of a whole yard of 100 colonies, movine; screens and all.
Thus the}' care for a unit of one apiary at a triji. Their moving
is done in the night.

Rail Shipments

As in the long overland haul, ample ventilation should be
provided. The trip is apt to be prolonged by delays. Hives
should be loaded with frames running in the same direction as
the rails as much of the jarring comes from starting and stopping
of trains and switching.

Fig. 4-i. ''Old f^ally, " a seemingly indestructible car in the Dadant out-
apiary system, seeing service in moving bees a short distance.

102 OtJTAPIARlES

Colonies should usually be loaded so that it may be possible
to inspect any colony at an}- time, and one or two barrels of water
should be provided in case of necessity.

A thing most often neglected in shipping cars of bees is the
bracing of the hives sufficiently to prevent janmiing, with con-
sequent loosening of joints, leakage of bees and excitement.

Probably only a small proportion of outapiarists will have
more than a rare experience in moving bees bj' this method, yet
there are locations where it may be advisable to move long dis-
tances to reach new and heavy flows. This is done by some of
California's best beekeepers who go to the alfalfa regions of Nevada
and Utah each vear.

CHAPTER XII

AUTOMOBILES AND TRUCKS

The automobile has done more than any other one thing to
revohitionize outapiary beekeepmg. Its adaptabiUty to exten-
sive Ijeekeeping is self-evident. It furnishes a quick mode of
travel from one apiary to another, it travels in the heat as well
as in cooler weather, it removes the danj2oi' of stings to horses

5'

Fig. 45. A light i)le;isvue car with comnnKhDUs bo.x on tht^ iviiv is a prime

requisite in the small outapiary^system.

Miss ^lathilda Candler of ^^ isconsin.

103

104 OUTAPIAIUES

when used in the apiary. The Dadants succeed in moving 500
colonies, with trucks, nowada.ys, more readily than the elder Dadant
succeeded in moving 100 colonies in 1880 on hay-racks.

Then, too, motive power is necessary during only a fraction
of the year for outapiary work. The car may be put away for

the balance of the year with a mininiuni amount of upkeep.

It is often necessary to remain at the outyard till late in the
evening to replace wet supers, etc. The use of the automobile
shortens the hours of the apiarist.

Modern beekeeping may call for man}^ moves of colonies or
eciuipment. These are transported with the least jar and in the
least time by the auto truck.

Type of Car to Use

Pleasure cars are most generally used by the beekeepers, either
in their original form or improved by the addition of a box or
bed at the back to facilitate the hauling of supers, extracting
equipment and other apiary supplies. Not a few are later con-
verted into light trucks to suit the expanding needs of the apiarist.

The light pleasure car has the advantage of being faster, of
costing less for running and for upkeep. Yet it has its limits.
Other provisions would have to be made l)y the beekeeper for
hauling honey home from extracting houses, for hauling bees and
other heav3' equipment.

The question resolves itself into just what style of car is cheap-
est and yet will adapt itself most readily to the system of each
individual beekeeper. Depreciation, ui)keep, mtercst on the in-
vestment, mileage costs, and time on the road are all to ])C con-
sidered.

For instance, a heavy two or three ton truck would be unex-
celled for hauling large loads of honey, l)ut the depreciation of

AUTOMOBILES AXD TRUCKS

105

Fig. 46. A big three ton truck hauling reach' cased honey in California.

a 82500.00 machine carried over a period of ten j'ears would
amount to at least S250.00 per year and interest on the investment
would add another 8150.00 making a yearly cost of 8400.00 not
to mention running and upkeep costs which would be much greater
on the larger machine.

^^'ould it not be more economical to use the smaller truck
to reduce costs, or even a light deUvery car and have the heavy
hauling done by hired machines? Evidently it would be unless
the apiary system were large enough to warrant the extra expense.

The light car or converted machine would be most economical
with a system of four or less apiaries. For five or more, the
light truck with a capacity of one ton might be best, while with
the larger s^'stems a heavy truck would in all likelihood prove
worth its extra cost. But the large truck, if hauling bees to any
extent, would be improved with pneiunatic tires throughout.

106

OUTAPIARIES

Fig. 47. ^J'railcr pulled by a pleasure car, bringin<2; in a Inad of cunil) honey

in cases.

J'ig. IS. Another type of trailer often encountered.

AUTOMOBILES AND TrUCIvS

107

With the large tiuck also,, a small dclivciy car for ordiruuy trips
would be a necessity.

In the central plant s^'stcni, a truck of some description is
a necessity, as it is in migrator}' beekeeping practiced regularly.
iNIorle}' Pettit, of Ontario, furnishes an example of the former,
using a one-ton Ford truck. Edson Brothers of Cahfornia are
instances of the latter, having a four ton truck for their 2,500
colonies. With this number, the larger truck should pay.

The tendency seems to be towards a truck of a capacity of
from one to two tons, as the Ford, Dodge, Hght Republic, or
similar car.

Trailers

Not a few beekeepers provide themselves with trailers to be
attached to the regular highly geared car, for emergency in super
hauling, moving of bees, etc. For the occasional light haul this

Fig. 49. For transporting bees, there is nothing better than the launch.

108 OUTAPIARIES

will do, ])iit it is hardly satisfactoiy foi' nnicli heavy hauhng or
daily work. The chances of trouMc i'loiii overloading and break-
ing down are too great.

Launches

Where streams are available^ the launch fuiiiishes the ideal
method of transportation, though it is slower than the automobile
in good weather and on good roads.

Lamu'hes are especially desirable, since there is practically
no jar while moving and losses are brought to a minmium.

This method of handhng ou<:yards is popular in the swampy
regions of Florida. It is there almost the only means available
and bees are placed on scaffolds raised above high water mark.

Motorcycles

Not a few Ijeekeepers, of the East especially, have found it
advantageous to use motorcycles, having all other hauhng done
by hired vehicles. This is to be recommeiided where the apiarist
lives in the city and has another occupation during the winter
months, with no use for automobile or truck during eight months
of the year.

L. F. Howden of New York estimated that his motorcycle
will carry him 100 miles on | gallon of gasoline. It will carry
fifty pounds of equipment with ease, and this is all that is neces-
sary for most of the trips. The investment is smah, and upkeep
insignificant, compared with the .arger machine or truck.

CHAPTER XIII

HONEY-HOUSES AND EQUIPMENT

In no part of the equipment of tlie outapiarist is there such
a wide range of difference as in the style of honey-house used.
This is due, not only to the system practiced by the heekeeper,
luit also to his financial condition, and to the buildings which
might have been available when each apiary was established.

Yet we may say that the requirements for a honey-house, in
almost all instances, are the same with the same system, the
difference in houses coming from the fact that many apiai'ists
do without certain conveniences or requirements for one reason
or another.

Requirements

The ideal bee-house should be large enough to care for all
operations and extra equipment of the apiary at its maximum.
Nine-tenths of the houses built are outgrown in the course of a
few years, with the result that the apiarist hesitates to rebuild
and does with the little room to the detriment of his work.

The usual mistake is to make the side-walls of the house too
shallow. Extracting supers can be piled to a height of fifteen
shallow supers as wed as ten; so the distance to the eaves may
be nine feet as well as six or seven.

If the house is l)ut one story high, with a gable roof, consider-
able storing space for little used articles should be provided under
the gables and above ordinary reaching height. Light articles
such as extra frames, empty supers, etc., may be well stored there.

109

lU) OUTAPI ARIES

Coggsliall of New York, writing many years ago, advised making
the outyard house double the capacity figured as sufficient for
the beekeeper's needs.

Another mistake too often made is in not making the house
strong enough to stand the jar of the extractor or the weight of
such honey as may be stored within the l)uilding. Concrete
floors are desirable, but should be placed high enough, when
building, so that they will be above the surrounding ground, else
the drainage will be towards the house rather than away from it.

The house should be bee-tight and mouse proof. There is
nothing more annoying nor more apt to make angry bees and
trouble than a leaky house during a honey dearth or at extracting
time. The ordinary carpenter does not realize the value of such
a point to the beekeeper and will almost invariably neglect to
make all tight around the eaves, along the joists of the floor, or
the lumber he uses may shrink enough to leave cracks for bees.

A very good way to avoid trouble is to cover the framework
of the house entirely with tarred paper before putting on the
siding, floor, or roof. Tar is obnoxious to bees and they will
hesitate to enter where a tar smell is predominant.

Mice are an aggravation, but are easily disposed of. Certain
it is that extracting supers should be mouse proof, or the loss
from eaten and damaged combs may b(» considerable.

Windows in the modern house are a necessity. These should
be made to slide sideways so as not to trap bees, and openings
should ])e covered with screen which will allow the bees to go out
at the top, while preventing their rc-cntrance. The usual plan
is to extend the screen for two feet above the top of the window.
The bees will reatlil}' run up but will seldom find their way down
such a long distance. Honey-house escapes are used much in
connection with window openings.

Many beekeepers think it a mistake to let bees out before the
end of the day's work, since it is apt to draw more robbers around

HONEY-HOUSES AND EQUIPMENT

111

Fig. 50.

Eees clustering around a screened window, trying to get to the
sweets inside.

the house. They have window screens closed during the day
to be readily opened at evening to let out the accumulation of
bees.

It is hardly desirable to have a screened door. The bees will
congregate there at each trip that we make with honey. If a
screened door is desired it should be made in the form of an entry

112

OUTAPIARIES

Fig. 51. Screened entry to the honey-house that will keep the bees out.

as shown in the accompanying- cut. Most of the bees lose them-
selves between the two doors and are trapped in the entry to run
out at openings in the screen at the top.

Make youi' honey-house door wide. If barrels are used for
for honey storage the house door should be large enough (o pass
the barrel without shunting it back and forth, or standing it on
end. Wheelbarrows, hand-barrows, large extractors and other
equipnuMit should pass through readily.

Location of the House

The honey-house should l)e located as handy to the apiary as
possible. If on a slojie, it should be slightly lielow the apiary
to make for ease in hauling full supers of honey down. ( )iilinarily

HOXF.Y-TTOUSES AND EQUIPMENT

113

li^

A temporarj' house in use in a Texas apiary system.

it will be handiest at the side of the apiary, or at the back, rather
than in the center or in front, and doors should be so located as
to give best results both for hauling in from the apiary and for
loading and hauling honey away.

Types of Houses

Where a fairly good building is available it will hardly be
necessary to build specially. When comb honey is raised or if
extracting is done centrally, it wi.l only be necessary to have a
house large enough for storage. In fact many apiaries are handled
without any honey house at all. In the migratory system
this is the rule rather than the exception. Yet some sort of a
shelter should be provided for extra equipment if it is to be left
out for any length of time.

Temporary Houses
The temporary cloth house is used by many where the apiary
is located only for a short time. Many years ago, in the France

114 OUTAPIARIES

apiaries, such houses were used. These were put up at the time
of extracting and were taken down and removed to the next apiary
as fast as the crew extracted. In this case rough shelter was
provided for extra equipment the year around. The Frances
have since changed their methods because they now have per-
manent yards, and permanent houses were built in connection.

W. L. Chambers, of Arizona, has been another extensive user
of the temporary cheese cloth shelter for extracting. These
houses may be made large to allow ample room for extracting,
since their cost is small and the labor in setting up, insignificant.

Temporary extracting rooms in the form of tents are much
used. They are a makeshift, being hot in summer and not bee-
proof.

The Portable House

Since the earliest days of outyard beekeeping, portable out-
fits, mounted on heavy wagons or drays, have been used. In
these, space is conserved as much as possible, and only necessary
equipment for extracting is carried. One description calls for
a bed 4 feet wide and 12 feet long, a rather small extracting
room. In such, naturally, honey storage receptacles are outside
the house and supers are removed as fast as extracted, either to
be replaced on the hives or piled uj) and covered.

The big truck has made a change in construction of these
portable outfits. They are now lai'ge enough to house the modern
extracting equipment and the powci- of the truck is sufficient to
haul the most complex equipment desirable.

These portable extracting outfits mounted on auto-trucks are
very popular in the West and moic (^specially in California where
migratory beekeeping is practiced, and where the same location
may not be desired two years in succession.

Sectional Houses

Several Michigan beekeepers and others use sectional houses
for apiaries which are fairly i:)ermanent, where it may be neces-

HONEY-HOUSES AND EQtJIlWlENT

115

116

onAPlAKlES

Fig. 54. Honey-house built so that it may be readily cut apart into sections
and removed. Where the cut is to be made, rafters or studding are placed
within an inch of each other and holes bored so that tiie sections may
be drawn together with bolts Avhen set up again.

sary to move location a short distance from time to time. These
are well built houses of luml^er with each side, roof and floor, in
sections, to be easil.y taken down. They are made large enough
for the needs of the apiary the year round, and when well ])ut
up can be made bee-tight. Easily taken down, they can be
loaded on a wagon or truck and rapidly transported to a new
location.

The Permanent House

By far the larger percentage of apiary houses are of permanent
construction, carefully built, oftentimes with cement floor and
large enough to house all extra equipment. The most of them
are used in connection with a portable extracting outfit, though
not a few are equipped with a permanent one.

HOKEV-HOrSES AKD EQf IPMKXT

iir

Fi£

Hone3--house built with ample ventilation for extracting.

A house of such construction, designed for an apiary of
ICO colonies, should be made at least 16 feet wide and 20 feet
long, while a larger house would be a convenience; the size desir-
able, of course, being dependent upon the complexity of extracting
outfit, on the sj^stem of supering, and also upon whether honey
is to be hauled home as fast as extracted, or stored at the out-
yard until sold. ]\Iany have storage tanks in connection, running
the honey by gravity directly into the honey tank.

Not a few such houses are made two or more stories hiiih.
to allow of hone}' packing, carpenter work, etc., with well biiiU
cellar for wintering beneath. These involve extra investment
but are exceedingly desirable when conditions warrant them.

lis

OtTAPtAt'vlKi^

Fig. 56. A France outapiarj' house with ceUar beneath which serves as

winter cellar.

Fig. 57. Central extracting plant of K. E. Sutton in Colorado. All honey
is hauled in from outapiaries, to be extracted.

HOXFA-HOUSES AND EQUIP.MEXT

119

The Central Plant

The central extractinji })lant has many featvn-es whieh make
it attractive to the oiitapiarist so located as to make such a system
practicable. Having all equipment in one building and all expendi-
tures for houses to be emljodied in one central house, it is possible
to so plan as to include, in this one, all modern equipment advan-
tageous for running several hundred colonies of bees.

This plan is much favored by any beekeeper who has once
practiced it, and we have to hear of a single instance where the
central plant was given up when once tried. Almost all bee-
keepers using this plan, however, have had previous experience
with outyard work and were able to judge whether it would fit
in with their svstem of management before thev made the change.

Fig. 5S. Central plant of the Jager apiaries in Minnesota. This is one of
the most complete buildings of its kind anywhere.

120 OUTAPIARIES

The central plant must ])c a roomy, well ventilated and well
lighted building, with arrangements for power for the extractors,
elevators, saws, pump, etc. A steam plant ma}^ be installed for
heating honey, rendering w-ix, for the knife and capping melter
as well as for heating the building, and it should be equipped
with a water system and in fact almost any equipment which
makes for cleanliness and labor saving. Its interior should be
so divided as to provide a separate room for each operation.

For the reader's information we can do no better than to
quote a description of the central plant of the Pettit apiaries as
described by Mr. Morley Pettit in the American Bee Journal.

"The building is 24 x 40 feet with walls 16 feet to the plate,
and a gable roof. It is built on a concrete foundation and is
two stories high with a 4 inch cement floor downstairs and a pine
floor on 10 inch joists overhead. The joists are 12 feet long and
meet on a middle partition, making a floor strong enough to carry
almost any weight that is likely to be put on it."

''The ground floor is divided by the middle partition which
stops 11 feet from one end for the garage, running across the
building and extending six feet in front. This garage being about
11 X 30 feet has room for a truck and an automobile or two light
trucks, as required. The other two rooms, each 12 x 29 feet are
the extracting room and honey-room respectively. It is ten feet
from the lower to the upper floor, giving a ceiling 9 feet in the
clear. The cement foundation of walls rises four inches above
the cement floor which slopes towards the middle of each room,
where a bell-trap connects with the sewer. This makes washing
down the floor with hose and brush, after each day's extracting
or other mussy work, a pleasure to anticipate. The extracting
room also has a washing sink with draining table against the
middle partition near the door of the honey room. Punning
water, hot and cold, and steam will be on tap at the sink."

''The upstairs contains the office of the business, a lavatory
with closet, and shower for the men, the carpenter shop, paint
shop, foundation room, store room, etc. As far as possible I

HONEY-HOUSES AND EQUIPMENT 121

aim to have a room devoted to each hne of work and use it for
nothing else. Then machiner}- and appHances once installed
need not be moved, but can be left all read\' for use at a moment's
notice. It is a lot of space, but that is cheaper than man-time,
which is about the most expensive commodity there is in pro-
duction to-day."

Interior Arrangements

It would l^e impossible to give sufficient details of different
interior arrangements of honey-houses without creating confusion
in the minds of the reader. Naturally the arrangement will be
worked out by each beekeeper as that best suited to his needs.
There are, however, details of interior arrangement which, if
mentioned, may be of benefit in planning.

An ideal way is to have the honey, as it comes to the house,
loaded onto a tram car or else a car with overhead track which
leads directly to the uncapping-can or box which should, above

Fig. .59. Interior arrangement of one of M. H. Mendleson"s honey-houses

in California.

122

OUTAPIARIES

Fig. 60. A. A. Lyons of Colorado runs twopower extractors in his cen+rtil
plant. One is going while the other is being loaded.

all, be placed in the best lighted spot in the room. Next to the
uncapping box should be a dripping box for uncapped combs,
and next to this the extractor, all bemg in such close proximity
that the combs may be handled from the uncapper to the man
at the extractor without vmnecessary steps.

Very often the honey comes in on a cool daj^ and may become
so stiff as to ])e difficult in uncapping and extractmg. A Avell
heated room where these combs from the apiarj^ may be stored
and heated for a short time before going to the extracting room,
will be of advantage.

There is a decided advantage in having storage room l)el()w the
regular extracting room also. In this manner, extractor and un-
capping box may be directly connected with storage tanks l)y
down-pipes. Herman Hauchfuss, in Colorado, uses this method

MONEV-HOtSES AND; EQtlPMEKT

r>3

and has the pipes lcadiiij>; from the extractor and uncapping box
steam jacketed so that the honey on its way down is heated.
It is ch-awn from the setthng tanks into containers before becoming
cold, so that it is very slow to granulate.

Many houses have cement bases for extractors and some are
made on two levels so that the extractor may be placed directly
on the floor and the honey drawn off a step or two below. Some

lis. 61.

.Settling tanks and heating system are in the basement of the
.Sutton central plant.

run two extractors in combination so that one may be loading
while the other is extracting, making for time saving.

Very often it may be advisable to have stove or steam generat-
ing plant for the honey knife or cappings melter outside the
liuilding to avoid heat. It is wise to have a large boiler for generat-
ing steam for the knife that it may always be hot. Very often,

124 OUTAPIARIES

with a small boiler and cold honey, steam will not be generated
as fast as needed.

Power for the extractor is gcnerall}- furnished by a gasoline
engine. The engine should be bought sufficiently large so that
it will carry an extra load of a second extractor or of other equip-
ment should such ];e needed later.

\Mu'rc electric power is available a motor instead of a gas
engine is desirable. The motor is cleaner, easier running and
more economical. It can be turned on when ready and stopped
during intervals wluni desired.

I would urge upon all beekeepers, keeping a cost account of
the ditTerent operations in outapiary honey production. Espec-
ially is this desirable with the use of trucks. In no other way
can the beekeeper be sure that he is using the most economical
system in caring for his bees. So far, beekeeping has been carried
on by the hit or miss system and without any idea of costs such
as have helped build uj) \hv lai'ge businesses of today.

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Books On Beekeeping For Sale by the
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LANGSTROTH ON

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Beekeeping a Fascinating Pursuit.

9.

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The Business of Beekeeping.

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Making a Start With Bees.

11.

4.

Arrangement of the Apiary.

12.

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Sources of Nectar.

13.

6.

The Occupants of the Hive.

14.

7.
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Increase.
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