Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained

The season for regular swarms in this section, I have known to commence the 15th of May, and in some seasons the 1st of July. The end is about the 15th of the latter month, with...

The time of making them is not very particular, providing it is done in season. It certainly should not be put off till the swarming period, to be made as wanted, because if the...

If the reader has no bees, and yet has had interest or patience to follow me thus far, it is presumptive evidence that he would possess the requisite perseverance to take charge...

One will tell you to keep them warm, another to keep them cold; to keep them in the sun, out of the sun, bury them in the ground, put them in the cellar, the chamber, wood-house...

In some seasons the earth is covered with snow much later than others. When this occurs, a greater number of warm days are necessary to melt it, and start the flowers, than othe...

The time that bees commence raising their young brood is but imperfectly understood by most people. Many persons that have kept them for years, have bestowed so little attention...

When the flowers fail at the end of the season, the first thing necessary is to ascertain which are the weakest stocks, and all that cannot defend themselves should either be re...

But some of these are probably clear of any actual mischief. I strongly suspect that the spirit of destructiveness with many people is altogether too active. There are some farm...

Swarms that lose their queen the first few hours after being hived, generally return to the parent stock; with the exception that they sometimes unite with some other. If much t...

The careless, unreflecting observer, when seeing the bees enter the hive with a pellet of pollen on each of their posterior legs, is very apt to conclude that it must be materia...

Robbing is another source of occasional loss to the apiarian. It is frequent in spring, and at any time in warm weather when honey is scarce. It is very annoying, and sometimes...

Feeding bees in spring is sometimes absolutely necessary; but in ordinary seasons and circumstances, it is somewhat doubtful if it is the surest road to success, for the apiaria...

This, like many other chapters in this work, is probably new, as I, never saw one thus headed. A few newspaper discussions are about all that have yet appeared on this subject.

Artificial swarms can be made with safety at the proper season. To the bee-keeper who wishes to increase his stocks, it will be an advantage to understand some of the principles...

In the location of the apiary, one important consideration is, that it is convenient to watch in the swarming season; that the bees may be seen at any time from a door or window...

Putting on boxes may be considered a duty intermediate between spring and summer management. I cannot recommend putting them on as early as the last of April, or first of May, i...

Keeping bees good-natured, offers a pretty fair subject for ridicule: it seems rather too absurd to teach _a bee_ anything! Nevertheless, it is worth while to think of it a litt...

I shall not give a full history of the moth in this chapter, as spring is not the time they are most destructive. It will be further noticed under the head of Enemies of Bees. B...

When the boxes are free from the bees, two things are to be prevented, if we wish to save our honey till cold weather. One is to keep out the worms, the other to prevent souring...

Why the word luck is applied to Bees, 362 Rule in taking Bees for a share, 364 A man may sell his "luck," 364 First-rate stocks recommended to begin with, 365 Old stocks are goo...

When about to remove the contents of a hive, I have never found it necessary to use all the precautions often recommended to prevent the access of bees. I have seen it stated th...

This substance is first used to solder up all the cracks, flaws, and irregularities about the hive. A coat is then spread over the inside throughout; when the hive is full, and...

On this subject I have but little to say, as I have failed to discover anything uncommonly remarkable, separate and distinct in one swarm, that another would not exhibit. I have...

The queen is the mother of the entire family; her duty appears to be only to deposit eggs in the cells. Her abdomen has its full size very abruptly where it joins the trunk or b...

Notwithstanding I have given the method of pruning in the chapter on hives, (page 23, Chapter II.) it will be necessary to give the tyro in bee-culture a few more particulars. T...

When extreme hot weather occurs immediately after the bees have been gathering from a plentiful harvest for two or three weeks, or even during the yield, the wax composing new c...

Time to expect them, 187 All Bee-Keepers should understand it as it is, 188 Means of understanding it, 188 Inverting a stock rather formidable at first, 189 Requisites before pr...

Hives to be thoroughly made, 13 Different opinions about them, 14 The Author has no Patent to recommend, 14 Speculators supported long enough, 15 Prefix of Patent a bad recommen...

Different methods have been adopted, 325 The idea of Bees not freezing has led to errors in practice, 326 Appearance of Bees in cold weather, 326 How part of the swarm is frozen...

Substitute for Pollen, 88 Manner of packing it, 89 Alder yields the first, 89 Fruit Flowers important in good weather, 91 Red Raspberry a favorite, 91 Catnip, Mother-wort and Ho...

First care, 307 Strong Stocks disposed to plunder, 307 Bees Changeable, 308 Requisites for good Stocks, 308 Great disadvantage of killing the Bees, 309 Section of country may ma...

Imperfectly Understood, 62 Good stocks seldom without brood, 63 How small stocks commence, 64 Different with larger ones, 65 How Pollen is stored in the breeding season, 65 Oper...

Are they all guilty? 286 Rats and Mice, 287 Are all the Birds guilty? 288 King-bird--one word in his favor, 288 Cat-bird acquitted, 289 Toad got clear, 290 Wasps and Hornets not...

Advantage of the Patent Vender, 172 Time of putting on--Rule, 172 Making holes after the Hive is full, 174 Advantage of proper arrangement, 174 Directions for boring holes in fu...

Not generally understood, 266 My own experience, 267 Description of Disease, 267 The cause uncertain, 268 Remedial Experiments, 268 Public inquiry and answers, 268 Answers not s...

Of swarms that lose their Queen, 238 A suggestion and an answer, 239 A disputed question, 240 A multitude of Drones needed, 241 The Queen liable to be lost in her excursions, 24...

Not properly understood, 142 Improper Remedies, 143 Difficulty in deciding, 144 Weak families in most danger, 144 Their Battles, 145 Bad policy to raise in Hives, 146 Indication...

Its location, 132 Decide Early, 133 Bees mark their location on leaving the hive, 134 Changing stand attended with loss, 134 Can be taken some distance, 135 Danger of setting St...

Should be a last resort, 154 Care needed, 154 Apparent contradiction when feeding causes starvation, 155 How long it will do to wait before feeding, 156 Directions for feeding,...

Principles should be understood, 252 Some Experiments, 253 The result unsatisfactory, 253 Further Experiments, 254 A successful method, 256 Advantages of this method, 257 Artifi...

Some in the best Stocks, 164 How Found, 165 A tool for their destruction, 165 Mistaken Conclusions, 167 Objections to suspended Bottom-board, 167 Advantage of the Hive close to...

Their means of defence, 277 Time of greatest Irritability, 278 Proper Conduct, 278 How to proceed when attacked, 279 A person's breath offensive, and other causes, 279 Their man...

Is Pollen converted into Wax? 115 How is it obtained? 115 Huber's account of a commencement of comb, 117 Best time to witness comb-making, 118 Manner of working Wax, 119 Are cro...

Two things to be prevented, 181 Apt to be deceived about the Worms, 182 Their progress described, 182 A Solution offered, 183 Method of killing Worms in boxes, 185 Freezing dest...