Part 2
[B] For a fuller discussion of this subject, see "The Honey Bee: A Manual of Instruction in Apiculture," by Frank Benton, M. S., Bulletin No. 1, new series, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, third edition, 1899, Chap. I, pp. 11-18.
The second essential to enable one to avoid stings is to have a good smoker at hand whenever the bees are to be handled. Any way of getting smoke of any kind into the hive and about it may answer the purpose, but for ease and effectiveness in keeping bees under control nothing will take the place of the modern bellows smoker (fig. 1). A good one lasts years, and its cost is so slight ($1 to $1.25 for the medium sizes) that the expenditure may be considered one of the wisest that can be made in fitting up an apiary.
A veil (fig. 2), made of black bobinet or Brussels net, to draw over the hat, and a pair of gloves, preferably of rubber, may be used at first. But whoever has fairly peaceable bees and learns even a little about their ways will soon discard the gloves, unless, indeed, he be exceedingly timid, or one of those to whom a bee sting would be a dreadful affliction. The veil can be safely dispensed with if the gentlest bees are kept.
Simple and convenient hives, employing the Langstroth principle, and with stories and frames interchangeable and so constructed as to reduce propolization to a minimum and to insure straight combs, will much facilitate the avoidance of stings.
The use of the bee escape (fig. 3) in removing surplus honey greatly reduces the risk of being stung during this operation, for it saves much manipulation of combs and shaking and brushing of bees. This useful device is fitted into a slot made in a board the same size as the top of the hive, and the whole, when slipped in between the brood apartment and an upper story or super, will permit all of the workers above to go down into the lower story but not to return to the top above to go down into the lower story, but not to return to the top one, so that in one night it is possible to free entirely a set of combs from bees without any manipulation of the combs, and without smoking, shaking, or brushing the bees.
Lastly, reasonable care in manipulation and a suitable system of management, which, of course, implies the doing of work in proper season, will, with the observance of the foregoing points, make the risk of stings exceedingly slight. Indeed, intelligent attention to the most important of the points mentioned above, with extra gentleness and moderation in manipulation, will enable anyone who so desires to avoid all stings.
WHAT RACE OF BEES TO CHOOSE.
Reference has already been made to the relative gentleness of the various races, and since the gentler types are themselves excellent honey gatherers, and the particular advantages to be derived from some of the more energetic races which do not happen to be so mild in temperament are not likely to be secured by the beginner who is unfamiliar with the most approved methods of manipulation of such bees, it is strongly recommended that only the gentle ones be at first adopted--either Caucasians, Carniolans, or Italians. Should full colonies of these not be obtainable near home, colonies of ordinary bees may be changed by replacing their queens with queens of the desired race, the latter having been procured in small boxes by mail. If possible the introduction had better be made by an expert, although in general, by following the instructions which accompany the new queen, success will also be attained by the beginner.
A brief summary of the leading traits of the various races now in this country will be of use in guiding the purchaser, as well as instructive to him for reference.
=Caucasians= are natives of that portion of Russia lying between the Black and Caspian seas, are exceedingly gentle, good workers, good defenders of their hives, prolific, build many queen cells, and swarm often if confined to small hives. The workers are dark leaden gray in their general color, and present quite a ringed appearance because of the alternation of this dark color with the lighter fuzz which edges the segments of the abdomen. They also show frequently one to two yellow or leather-colored bands, are somewhat smaller bodied than Italians or Carniolans, have good wing-expanse, and hence are nimble flyers. The drones are rather small and quite dark in color; queens not large, and vary in color from a coppery-yellow to a dark bronze.
=Carniolans= are much larger bodied and somewhat lighter gray in color than the Caucasians, but show likewise in many instances one or two rusty or dark-red bands. Their great hardiness and excellent wing-power enable them to fly freely in much cooler weather than some other races stand, and to regain their hive entrances under adverse conditions. They are prolific, active, and good honey gatherers, producing combs of snowy whiteness. As in the case of the Caucasians, their prolificness causes them to fill small hives to overflowing with bees, and this naturally results in numerous swarms. It is therefore advisable to use hives containing ten to twelve frames in the brood chamber. The nature of the Carniolans is essentially a quiet one, so that upon the approach of cold weather they settle down in a very compact and extremely quiet cluster, a condition which contributes in no small degree to their excellent wintering qualities. The drones are the largest of all drones of this species, and are covered with a thick coat of gray fuzz. The queens vary from a light color to a very dark leather color, the typical queen being, however, dark bronze, large, well rounded, strong, and active.
=Italians=, the first of the foreign races to be introduced into this country, are much more widely known, and have with reason found great favor, since they are industrious, good defenders of their hives, and excellent honey gatherers, as well as handsome in appearance, being usually evenly marked with three yellow bands across the anterior portion of the abdomen. The blood has become so disseminated through the apiaries of the country that many hybrid bees having but one to two yellow bands are counted as Italians, and their cross disposition, derived through the males of the common race, is charged to the Italians. Strains of Italians pure in blood have been bred by selection in this country until the three yellow bands have become so wide as to be nearly or quite joined, and in some instances nearly the whole abdomen is yellow. In general, however, as regards gathering powers it does not seem that any improvement has been made by this selection, the dark or leather-colored Italians proving, all in all, more vigorous, gentle, and better honey gatherers, while as regards wintering they are also superior. It must be acknowledged, however, that the Italian race is slightly inferior in wintering qualities to all of the others which have been generally introduced into America.
=Cyprians=, from the island of Cyprus, may be taken as a general type with which to compare other eastern races. They are small bodied, more slender, in fact, than any of the European races of bees. The abdomen is more pointed and shows, when the bees are purely bred, three light-colored bands on the upper surface, and considerable yellow on the under side. Between the wing attachments on the thorax is a little prominence, shaped like a half moon, which is usually quite plainly yellow in color. The queens are small bodied, yellow in color, with more or less black at the tip of the abdomen. The drones have a heavy coat of fuzz on the thorax, and the abdomen presents a mottled yellow appearance, being often highly yellow. Cyprians possess longer tongues and greater wing-power than other races. This, combined with great prolificness and most remarkable activity, renders them the best of honey gatherers. In temper, however, they may be regarded as rather aggressive, rendering their management by any who are not experts extremely difficult. This feature may, however, be largely overcome by crossing the queens of this race with the drones of very gentle types. In this manner bees are produced that are readily amenable to smoke and ordinary methods in manipulation, combined with the excellent honey-gathering powers and prolificness of the eastern races.
=Cyprio-Carniolans and Cyprio-Caucasians.=--The author conceived the idea in the early eighties that by crossing the Cyprian and Carniolan races a type might be developed which would combine the excellent traits of both of these. The first matings of Cyprians and Carniolans were made by him in 1883 in Carniola itself, thus insuring positively the fecundation of the Cyprian queens by Carniolan drones. Bees combining the blood of the two races in various proportions have since been tested for years in comparison with all other known races, with the result that the cross mentioned above has been found to exceed all of the pure races in honey-gathering powers, owing undoubtedly to the combination of great energy, hardiness, prolificness, and wing-power, as well as greater length of tongue--a fact established by actual measurements. Similar results, with even greater gentleness, may be expected from the cross obtained between Cyprian queens and Caucasian drones.
=Syrian and Palestine or "Holy-Land" bees.=--What has been said of Cyprians may be taken to apply in a general sense to Syrian and Palestine bees, except that in these the good qualities are slightly less prominent, while some of the bad ones of the Cyprians are accentuated. No separate description of these is, therefore, particularly necessary in this place.
=German, Common Black, or Brown bees.=--The bees commonly found wild, and cultivated to a greater or less extent, in this country, and known under the above name, are probably derived from early introductions from the Old World. In comparison with the races above enumerated, they may be said to be inferior, since they possess the least energy in honey collecting, are less prolific, and not as good defenders of their hives. Under favorable conditions, however, as regards pasturage they may be relied upon for excellent results. They are, however, spiteful under manipulation, and have the disagreeable habit of running from the combs and dropping in bunches on the ground, likewise of flying from the hive entrance and attacking passers-by. They are more easily discouraged than other bees during slack times as regards honey production, and this is doubtless the main reason for their generally inferior economic value.
WHAT HIVE TO ADOPT.
The suspended Langstroth frame is used more than any other frame among English-speaking bee keepers. It is safe to say that in the United States 500 hives are made and used which are essentially Langstroth in principle to one frame hive of any other kind whatever. In the British Islands, Australia, and New Zealand the proportion of frames on the Langstroth principle in use is probably even greater, scarcely any other frame hives being employed.
The success of American bee culture in the last twenty years was first attributed by European bee keepers to the honey-producing power of the country; but the most intelligent apiarists who have tried the American methods with the Langstroth hive now recognize that success is principally due to the manipulations that it permits. ("The Hive and Honey Bee," revised, 1888, page 145.)
We can predict, and without any fear of mistake, that the principles on which the Langstroth hive is based will be admitted sooner or later by the most progressive bee keepers of the world. ("Revue Internationale d'Apiculture" (Switzerland), September, 1885, edited by Edouard Bertrand.)
There being no patent on the Langstroth hive, and accurately made hives being obtainable at moderate prices from hive factories in various parts of the country, it is taken for granted that the enterprising beginner will adopt a simple form embodying this principle--the loose-fitting, suspended comb frame--as its main feature. The hive should not only be substantially built, but should have accurate bee-spaces and a close-fitting, rain-proof cover or roof. Factory-made hives, as a rule, best meet these requirements, as both lock joints and halved corners can only be made to advantage by machinery, and the expert hive builder understands, of course, the absolute necessity of great accuracy in bee-spaces, as well as the great desirability of good material and workmanship (figs. 4, 5, and 11). Provision should also be made for winter protection. (See pages 39-41.)
For comb honey, hives permitting the insertion in the brood apartment of any number of frames up to eight, or frequently up to ten, are most in use. In securing extracted honey, those with ten to twelve frames in each story are preferable, and as many stories, one above the other, are employed as the strength of the colony and a given harvest may require. A construction, therefore, which readily admits of expansion and of contraction, as occasion demands, is desirable.
Mention should be made of a hive of quite different construction, a prominent feature of which is this ease of contraction and expansion. It is the last hive which the late M. Quinby gave to the public--the Quinby closed-end frame hive (fig. 6). This hive is used with great success by certain American bee keepers of long experience and whose apiaries are among the largest in the world.
MANAGEMENT IN SWARMING.
NATURAL SWARMING.
When a swarm is seen issuing or in the air, the best thing to do is, in general, simply to wait a bit. The weather is usually rather warm then, and rushing about to get tin pans, dinner gongs, spraying outfits, etc., aside from its disagreeableness, may get one so excited and into such a perspiration as to unfit him to do with the bees that which is likely to be necessary a few minutes later. The bees will probably gather in a clump on a tree or bush near the apiary, and however formidable getting them into the hive may at first seem, nothing will be simpler than shaking them into their new hive, or into a basket or box, from which they may be poured in front of the hive, just as one would pour out a measure of wheat or beans. If any stick to the basket or box, invert it and give a sharp thump with one edge against the ground. If the hive has been standing in the shade so that the boards composing it are not heated, and if it be now well shaded and plenty of ventilation be given above and below, the bees are almost certain to take possession at once and begin work actively.
The securing of swarms can be made, however, even simpler than this by having the colonies placed several feet apart on a smooth lawn or dooryard and clipping one wing of each laying queen so as to prevent her flying. The prime or first swarm from each hive is accompanied by the old queen, and if she be clipped she will of course fall from the alighting board to the ground and may be secured in a cage. The bees will circle about a few times and return. Meanwhile the only thing for the attendant to do is to replace the parent colony by an empty hive. The returning bees will enter the latter and the queen may be allowed to go in with them, the cage being placed with its open end directly against the entrance to insure this. The swarm is thus made to hive itself.
The parent colony removed to a new stand a rod or more away will rarely give a second swarm. But to make certain all queen cells except one may be cut out four or five days after the issuance of the first swarm. At the same time one-third to one-half of the remaining bee's of the removed colony may be shaken at the entrance of the hive containing the swarm. This reduces the population of the parent colony greatly, but the loss is soon made good by the young workers emerging daily, and the new queen which will issue from the single queen cell, spared when cutting out cells, will soon restock the hive with brood. The shaking out of additional bees, coupled with the removal of all queen cells but one, will prevent for the time all further swarming from the given hive, and in most instances end it for the season. The bees thus added to the newly hived swarm, even though too young to enter the field at once as honey gatherers, will nevertheless release from inside work an equal number of older bees, enabling the latter to go out as field bees.
Each after-swarm (second, third, etc.), it should be borne in mind, is accompanied by one or more unimpregnated queens, and these must not be clipped until they have flown out and mated. The regular deposition of eggs in worker cells may nearly always be regarded as a safe sign that mating has taken place. Eggs will usually be found in such cells within the first ten days of the queen's life. After-swarms may remain in the air, circling about for some time, and they frequently cluster high--a good reason, in addition to the more important fact that their issuance is not consistent with the production of the most surplus honey, for the prevention of all after-swarming.
ARTIFICIAL SWARMING.
Where an increase of colonies is desired, and in case no one can be near the apiary to care for natural swarms with clipped queens, some one of the artificial methods of forming new colonies may be advantageously employed. Natural swarming is, however, to be preferred to a poor system of artificial increase. And no matter which of the artificial methods be adopted, it should be cautiously followed, lest, should unfavorable weather appear suddenly, considerable labor and expense be incurred to prevent disastrous results. It is also of prime importance not to weaken materially the gathering powers of strong colonies just at the opening of the harvest or during its progress; hence, whatever division takes place then must leave the field force--the gatherers--in one mass and in normal condition for work, that is, not discouraged by being queenless, and not overburdened by having brood without a sufficient number of nurse bees to care for it.
=Dividing.=--A plan which fulfills these conditions is the following: From a populous colony a comb or two with adhering bees and the queen may be taken and placed in a new hive, which, when other frames with starters have been added, is then to be put on the stand of the populous colony from which the combs were taken. The removed colony is to be taken a rod or more from its old stand, so that the flight bees returning from the field will enter the newly established colony. The old colony may be given a laying queen or a mature queen cell a day or two later This finishes the work in a short time.
=Nucleus system.=--A better plan, though not so quickly completed, is to take from the populous colony only enough bees and combs to make a fair nucleus on a new stand. A queen is easily and safely introduced into this nucleus, or a queen cell is readily accepted a day or two later. As soon as the young queen has begun egg laying, combs of emerging brood may be added from time to time. These may be obtained from any populous colonies whose tendency to swarm it is desirable to check, the bees adhering to them when they are removed being in all instances brushed back into their own hive. With fair pasturage the nucleus will soon be able to build combs and may be given frames of comb foundation, or, if the queen be of the current year's raising, frames with narrow strips of foundation as guides may be inserted, since all combs constructed by the nucleus will be composed of worker cells.
=Shaken or brushed swarms.=--The practice of shaking or brushing bees from the combs of populous colonies into new hives to form artificial or forced swarms has been practiced for many years, to a limited extent in this country and more largely abroad. As early, at least, as 1872 the late C. J. H. Gravenhorst, the editor of Die Illustrierte Bienenzeitung, author of Der Praktische Imker, and inventor of the Bogenstuelper hive, made artificial swarms in this manner. His articles led the author to experiment in this line and finally to settle upon the plan of placing colonies designed for honey production in pairs in the apiary and, after having brought them up to a suitable strength, shaking or brushing most of the bees of the two into a third hive at the approach of the main honey flow, one queen being allowed to enter the new hive with the shaken swarm. The latter is to be placed on the old stand midway in position between the spots previously occupied by the parent colonies, these having been removed some distance, to be managed thereafter as colonies that have swarmed. The newly shaken swarm is to receive comb foundation starters in the frames and within a day or two surplus receptacles for honey. In case, however, drawn combs be used in the super, there had better be one or two frames in the brood apartment partly filled with completed comb to hold the first pollen collected. The shaking or brushing should be done toward the latter part of the day and during a time when new honey is coming in, or in the absence of the latter liberal feeding should precede the shaking and be kept up until the start of the honey flow. The shaken swarm is thus brought into quite the same condition as usually obtains in the case of a natural swarm. It is able to send out a strong gathering force at once and will store honey rapidly. The increase of 50 per cent is as large as is consistent with the securing of the best honey yield.
PREVENTION OF SWARMING.
Under the conditions most frequently occurring, however--that is, where it is not practicable to be present at all times during the swarming season, or where the desired number of colonies has been attained--a system of management is advisable which in general contemplates the prevention, in so far as possible, of the issuance of swarms without at the same time interfering with honey storing. The paragraphs following on this subject are taken from the Department publication "The Honey Bee," cited on page 15, footnote:
The most commonly practiced and easily applied preventive measure is that of giving abundant room for storage of honey. This to be effective should be given early in the season, before the bees get fairly into the swarming notion, and the honey should be removed frequently, unless additional empty combs can be given in the case of colonies managed for extracted honey, while those storing in sections should be given additional supers before those already on are completed. With colonies run for comb honey it is not so easy to keep down swarming as in those run for extracted honey and kept supplied with empty comb. Free ventilation and shading of the hives as soon as warm days come will also tend toward prevention. Opening the hives once or twice weekly and destroying all queen cells that have been commenced will check swarming for a time in many instances, and is a plan which seems very thorough and the most plausible of any to beginners. But sometimes swarms issue without waiting to form cells; it is also very difficult to find all cells without shaking the bees from each comb in succession, an operation which, besides consuming much time, is very laborious when supers have to be removed, and greatly disturbs the labors of the bees. If but one cell is overlooked the colony will still swarm. The plan therefore leaves at best much to be desired, and is in general not worth the effort it costs and can not be depended on.