Part 1
Transcriber Notes
Text emphasis shown as =Bold= and _Italics_. Whole and fractional parts of numbers displayed as 17-5/8.
Issued May 23, 1911
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
=FARMERS' BULLETIN 447.=
=BEES.=
BY
E. F. PHILLIPS, Ph. D.,
_In Charge of Bee Culture, Bureau of Entomology._
WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
1911.
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.
U. S. Department or Agriculture,
Bureau of Entomology,
_Washington. D. C., March 4, 1911._
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript entitled "Bees," by E. F. Phillips, Ph. D., in charge of bee culture in this bureau.
This paper will supersede Farmers' Bulletins 59 and 397, A few new illustrations which add greatly to the value of the paper and some minor alterations in the text are the only changes in this from Farmers' Bulletin 397; but since it is not now the policy of the department to issue revised editions, it is recommended that this bulletin be issued under a new serial number.
In the preparation of this paper the aim has been to give briefly such information as is needed by persons engaged in the keeping of bees, and to answer inquiries such as are frequently received from correspondents of the department. No attempt has been made to include discussions of bee anatomy, honey plants, or the more special manipulations sometimes practiced, such as queen rearing. The discussion of apparatus is necessarily brief.
Respectfully,
L. O. Howard,
_Entomologist and Chief of Bureau._
Hon, James Wilson,
_Secretary of Agriculture._
CONTENTS.
Page.
Introduction 5
Location of the apiary 6
Equipment in apparatus 9 Workshop 9 Hives. 9 Hive stands 11 Other apparatus 11
Equipment in bees 12
Bee behavior 15
Directions for general manipulations 19 Transferring 22 Uniting 24 Preventing robbing in the apiary 25 Feeding 26
Spring management 26
Swarm management and increase 29 Artificial swarming 31 Prevention of swarming 32
Preparation for the harvest 33
The production of honey 33 Extracted honey 34 Comb honey 36
The production of wax 39
Preparations for wintering 40
Diseases and enemies 42
General information 44 Breeders of queens 44 Introducing queens 44 Dealers in bee keepers' supplies 45 Bee keepers' associations 45 Laws affecting beekeeping 45 Disease inspection 45 Laws against spraying fruit trees while in bloom 46 Laws against the adulteration of honey 46 When bees are a nuisance 46 Supposed injury of crops by bees 46
Journals and books on beekeeping 46
Publications of the Department of Agriculture on beekeeping 47
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page.
Fig. 1. A well-arranged apiary 7
2. A ten-frame hive with comb honey super and perforated zinc queen excluder 10
3. Smoker 11
4. Bee veil with silk-tulle front 11
5 Hive tools 12
6. Drone and queen trap on hive entrance 12
7. Bee escape for removing bees from supers 13
8. Spring bee escape 13
9. Bee brush 14
10. Worker, queen, and drone 16
11. Comb architecture 17
12. Egg, larvæ, and pupa 18
13. Queen cells 18
14. Handling the frame: First position 21
15. Handling the frame: Second position 21
16. Handling the frame : Third position 22
17. Division-board feeder to be hung in hive in place of frame 27
18. Feeder set in collar under hive body 27
19. "Pepper-box" feeder for use on top of frames 28
20. Pan in super arranged for feeding 28
21. Knives for uncapping honey 34
22. Honey extractor 35
23. Perforated zinc queen excluder 38
24. Shipping cases for comb honey 38
25. Queen mailing cage 45
BEES.
=INTRODUCTION.=
Beekeeping for pleasure and profit is carried on by many thousands of people in all parts of the United States. As a rule, it is not the sole occupation. There are, however, many places where an experienced bee keeper can make a good living by devoting his entire time and attention to this line of work. It is usually unwise to undertake extensive beekeeping without considerable previous experience on a small scale, since there are so many minor details which go to make up success in the work. It is a good plan to begin on a small scale, make the bees pay for themselves and for all additional apparatus, as well as some profit, and gradually to increase as far as the local conditions or the desires of the individual permit.
Bee culture is the means of obtaining for human use a natural product which is abundant in almost all parts of the country, and which would be lost to us were it not for the honey bee. The annual production of honey and wax in the United States makes apiculture a profitable minor industry of the country. From its very nature it can never become one of the leading agricultural pursuits, but that there is abundant opportunity for its growth can not be doubted. Not only is the honey bee valuable as a producer, but it is also one of the most beneficial of insects in cross-pollinating the flowers of various economic plants.
Beekeeping is also extremely fascinating to the majority of people as a pastime, furnishing outdoor exercise as well as intimacy with an insect whose activity has been a subject of absorbing study from the earliest times. It has the advantage of being a recreation which pays its own way and often produces no mean profit.
It is a mistake, however, to paint only the bright side of the picture and leave it to the new bee keeper to discover that there is often another side. Where any financial profit is derived, beekeeping requires hard work and work at just the proper time, otherwise the surplus of honey may be diminished or lost. Few lines of work require more study to insure success. In years when the available nectar is limited, surplus honey is secured only by judicious manipulations, and it is only through considerable experience and often by expensive reverses that the bee keeper is able to manipulate properly to save his crop. Anyone can produce honey in seasons of plenty, but these do not come every year in most locations, and it takes a good bee keeper to make the most of poor years. When, even with the best of manipulations, the crop is a failure through lack of nectar, the bees must be fed to keep them from starvation.
The average annual honey yield per colony for the entire country, under good management, will probably be 25 to 30 pounds of comb honey or 40 to 50 pounds of extracted honey. The money return to be obtained from the crop depends entirely on the market and the method of selling the honey. If sold direct to the consumer, extracted honey brings from 10 to 20 cents per pound, and comb honey from 15 to 25 cents per section. If sold to dealers, the price varies from 6 to 10 cents for extracted honey and from 10 to 15 cents for comb honey. All of these estimates depend largely on the quality and neatness of the product. From the gross return must be deducted from 50 cents to $1 per colony for expenses other than labor, including foundation, sections, occasional new frames and hives, and other incidentals. This estimate of expense does not include the cost of new hives and other apparatus needed in providing for increase in the size of the apiary.
Above all it should be emphasized that the only way to make beekeeping a profitable business is to produce only a first-class article. We can not control what the bees bring to the hive to any great extent, but by proper manipulations we can get them to produce fancy comb honey, or if extracted honey is produced it can be carefully cared for and neatly packed to appeal to the fancy trade. Too many bee keepers, in fact, the majority, pay too little attention to making their goods attractive. They should recognize the fact that of two jars of honey, one in an ordinary fruit jar or tin can with a poorly printed label, and the other in a neat glass jar of artistic design with a pleasing, attractive label, the latter will bring double or more the extra cost of the better package. It is perhaps unfortunate, but nevertheless a fact, that honey sells largely on appearance, and a progressive bee keeper will appeal as strongly as possible to the eye of his customer.
=LOCATION OF THE APIARY.=
In choosing a section in which to keep bees on an extensive scale it is essential that the resources of the country be known. Beekeeping is more or less profitable in almost all parts of the United States, but it is not profitable to practice extensive beekeeping in localities where the plants do not yield nectar in large quantities. A man who desires to make honey production his business may find that it does not pay to increase the apiaries in his present location. It may be better to move to another part of the country where nectar is more abundant.
The location of the hives is a matter of considerable importance. As a rule it is better for hives to face away from the prevailing wind and to be protected from high winds. In the North, a south slope is desirable. It is advisable for hives to be so placed that the sun will strike them early in the morning, so that the bees become active early in the day, and thus gain an advantage by getting the first supply of nectar. It is also advantageous to have the hives shaded during the hottest part of the day, so that the bees will not hang out in front of the hive instead of working. They should be so placed that the bees will not prove a nuisance to passers-by or disturb live stock. This latter precaution may save the bee keeper considerable trouble, for bees sometimes prove dangerous, especially to horses. Bees are also sometimes annoying in the early spring, for on their first flights they sometimes spot clothes hung out to dry. This may be remedied by having the apiary some distance from the clothes-drying yard, or by removing the bees from the cellars on days when no clothes are to be hung out.
The plot on which the hives are placed should be kept free from weeds, especially in front of the entrances. The grass may be cut with a lawn mower, but it will often be found more convenient and as efficient to pasture one or more head of sheep in the apiary inclosure.
The hives should be far enough apart to permit of free manipulation. If hives are too close together there is danger of bees entering the wrong hive on returning, especially in the spring.
These conditions, which may be considered as ideal, need not all be followed. When necessary, bees may be kept on housetops, in the back part of city lots, in the woods, or in many other places where the ideal conditions are not found. As a matter of fact, few apiaries are perfectly located; nevertheless, the location should be carefully planned, especially when a large number of colonies are kept primarily for profit.
As a rule, it is not considered best to keep more than 100 colonies in one apiary, and apiaries should be at least 2 miles apart. There are so many factors to be considered, however, that no general rule can be laid down. The only way to learn how many colonies any given locality will sustain is to study the honey flora and the record of that place until the bee keeper can decide for himself the best number to be kept and where they shall be placed.
The experience of a relatively small number of good bee keepers in keeping unusually large apiaries indicates that the capabilities of the average locality are usually underestimated. The determination of the size of extensive apiaries is worthy of considerable study, for it is obviously desirable to keep bees in as few places as possible, to save time in going to them and also expense in duplicated apparatus. To the majority of bee keepers this problem is not important, for most persons keep but a small number of colonies. This is perhaps a misfortune to the industry as a whole, for with fewer apiaries of larger size under the management of careful, trained bee keepers the honev production of the country would be marvelously increased. For this reason, professional bee keepers are not favorably inclined to the making of thousands of amateurs, who often spoil the location for the honey producer and more often spoil his market by the injudicious selling of honey for less than it is worth or by putting an inferior article on the market.
Out apiaries, or those located away from the main apiary, should be so located that transportation will be as easy as possible. The primary consideration, however, must be the available nectar supply and the number of colonies of bees already near enough to draw on the resources. The out apiary should also be near to some friendly person, so that it may be protected against depredation and so that the owner may be notified if anything goes wrong. It is especially desirable to have it in the partial care of some person who can hive swarms or do other similar things that may arise in an emergency. The terms under which the apiary is placed on land belonging to some one else is a matter for mutual agreement. There is no general usage in this regard.
=EQUIPMENT IN APPARATUS.=
It can not be insisted too strongly that the only profitable way to keep bees is in hives with movable frames. The bees build their combs in these frames, which can then be manipulated by the bee keeper as necessary. The keeping of bees in boxes, hollow logs, or straw '"skeps"' is not profitable, is often a menace to progressive bee keepers, and should be strongly condemned. Bees in box hives (plain boxes with no frames and with combs built at the will of the bees) are too often seen in all parts of the country. The owners may obtain from them a few pounds of inferior honey a year and carelessly continue in the antiquated practice. In some cases this type of beekeeping does little harm to others, but where diseases of the brood are present the box hive is a serious nuisance and should be abolished.
=WORKSHOP.=
It is desirable to have a workshop in the apiary where the crop may be cared for and supplies may be prepared. If the ground on which the hives are located is not level, it is usually better to have the shop on the lower side so that the heavier loads will be carried down grade. The windows and doors should be screened to prevent the entrance of bees. The wire-cloth should be placed on the outside of the window frames and should be extended about 6 inches above the opening. This upper border should be held away from the frame with narrow wooden strips one-fourth inch in thickness so as to provide exits for bees which accidentally get into the house. Bees do not enter at such openings, and any bees which are carried into the house fly at once to the windows and then crawl upward, soon clearing the house of all bees. The windows should be so arranged that the glass may be slid entirely away from the openings to prevent bees from being imprisoned. The equipment of benches and racks for tools and supplies can be arranged as is best suited to the house. It is a good plan to provide racks for surplus combs, the combs being hung from strips separated the distance of the inside length of the hive.
=HIVES.=
It is not the purpose of this bulletin to advocate the use of any particular make of hive or other apparatus. Some general statements may be made, however, which may help the beginner in his choice.
The type of hive most generally used in this country (fig. 2) was invented by Langstroth in 1851. It consists of a plain wooden box holding frames hung from a rabbet at the top and not touching the sides, top, or bottom. Hives of this type are made to hold eight, ten, or more frames. The size of frame in general use, known as the Langstroth (or L) frame (9-1/8 by 17-5/8 inches), is more widely used than all others combined. One of the best features in hive manufacture developed by Langstroth is the making of the spaces between frames, side walls, and supers accurately, so that there is just room for the easy passage of bees. In a space of this size (called a "bee space") bees rarely build comb or deposit propolis.
The number of frames used depends on the kind of honey produced (whether comb or extracted) and on the length of honey flow and other local factors. There are other hives used which have points of superiority. These will be found discussed in the various books on beekeeping and in the catalogues of dealers in bee keepers' supplies. Whatever hive is chosen, there are certain important points which should be insisted on. The material should be of the best; the parts must be accurately made, so that all frames or hives in the apiary are interchangeable. All hives should be of the same style and size; they should be as simple as it is possible to make them, to facilitate operation. Simple frames diminish the amount of propolis, which will interfere with manipulation. As a rule, it is better to buy hives and frames from a manufacturer of such goods rather than to try to make them, unless one is an expert woodworker.
The choice of a hive, while important, is usually given undue prominence in books on bees. In actual practice experienced bee keepers with different sizes and makes of hives under similar conditions do not find as much difference in their honey crop as one would be led to believe from the various published accounts.
Hives should be painted to protect them from the weather. It is usually desirable to use white paint to prevent excessive heat in the colony during hot weather. Other light colors are satisfactory, but it is best to avoid red or black.
=HIVE STANDS.=
Generally it is best to have each hive on a separate stand. The entrance should be lower than any other part of the hive. Stands of wood, bricks, tile (fig. 2), concrete blocks, or any other convenient material will answer the purpose. The hive should be raised above the ground, so that the bottom will not rot. It is usually not necessary to raise the hive more than a few inches. Where ants are a nuisance special hive stands are sometimes necessary.
=OTHER APPARATUS.=
In addition to the hives in which the bees are kept some other apparatus is necessary. A good smoker to quiet the bees (fig. 3), consisting of a tin or copper receptacle to hold burning rotten wood or other material, with a bellows attached, is indispensable. A veil of black material, preferably with a black silk-tulle front (fig. 4), should be used. Black wire-cloth veils are also excellent. Even if a veil is not always used, it is desirable to have one at hand in case the bees become cross. Cloth or leather gloves are sometimes used to protect the hands, but they hinder most manipulations. Some sort of tool (fig. 5) to pry hive covers loose and frames apart is desirable. A screwdriver will answer, but any of the tools made especially for that purpose is perhaps better. Division boards drone traps (fig. 6), bee escapes (figs. 7 and 8), feeders (figs. 17, 18, 19, 20), foundation fasteners, wax extractors, bee brushes (fig. 9), queen-rearing outfits, and apparatus for producing comb or extracted honey (figs. 2, 21, 22) will be found described in catalogues of supplies: a full discussion of these implements would require too much space in this bulletin. A few of these things are illustrated, and their use will be evident to the bee keeper. It is best to have the frames filled with foundation to insure straight combs composed of worker cells only. Foundation is made from thin sheets of pure beeswax on which are impressed the bases of the cells of the comb. On this as a guide the worker bees construct the combs. When sheets of foundation are inserted they should be supported by wires stretched across the frames. Frames purchased from supply dealers are usually pierced for wiring. It should be remembered that manipulation based on a knowledge of bee behavior is of far greater importance than any particular style of apparatus. In a short discussion like the present it is best to omit descriptions of appliances, since supply dealers will be glad to furnish whatever information is desired concerning apparatus.
=EQUIPMENT IN BEES.=
As stated previously, it is desirable to begin beekeeping with a small number of colonies. In purchasing these it is usually best to obtain them near at home rather than to send to a distance, for there is considerable liability of loss in shipment. Whenever possible it is better to get bees already domiciled in the particular hive chosen by the bee keeper, but if this is not practicable then bees in any hives or in box hives may be purchased and transferred. It is a matter of small importance what race of bees is purchased, for queens of any race may be obtained and introduced in place of the original queen, and in a short time the workers will all be of the same race as the introduced queen. This is due to the fact that during the honey season worker bees die rapidly, and after requeening they are replaced by the offspring of the new queen.
A most important consideration in purchasing colonies of bees is to see to it that they are free from disease. In many States and counties there are inspectors of apiaries who can be consulted on this point, but if this is not possible even a novice can tell whether or not there is anything wrong with the brood, and it is always safest to refuse hives containing dead brood.