Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained Part 11

ITS LOCATION.

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, when a swarm rises, without the trouble of taking many steps to accomplish it; because if much trouble is to be taken, it is too often neglected. Also, if possible, the hives should stand where the wind will have but little effect, especially from the northwest. If no hills or building offer a protection, a close, high board fence should be put up for the purpose. It is economy to do it--bees enough may be saved to pay the expense. During the first spring months, the stocks contain fewer bees than at any other season.

It is then that a numerous family is important, for the purpose of creating animal heat to rear the brood, if for nothing else. One bee is of more consequence now than a half dozen in midsummer. When the hive stands in a bleak place, the bees returning with heavy loads, in a high wind, are frequently unable to strike the hive, and are blown to the ground; become chilled, and die. A chilly south wind is equally fatal, but not so frequent. When protected from winds, the hives may front any point you choose; east or south is generally preferred. A location near ponds, lakes, large rivers, &c., will be attended with some loss. Hard winds will fatigue the bees when on the wing, often causing them to alight in the water; where it is impossible to rise again until wafted ash.o.r.e, and then, unless in very warm weather, they are so chilled as to be past the effort. I do not mention this to discourage any one from keeping them, when so situated, because some few must keep them thus or not at all. I am so situated myself. There is a pond of four acres, some twelve rods off. In spring, during high winds, a great many may be found drowned, and driven on sh.o.r.e. Although we cannot miss so few from a stock, it is nevertheless a loss as far as it goes.

DECIDE EARLY.

Whatever location is chosen, it should be decided upon as early in the spring as possible; because, when the chilling winds of winter have ceased for a day, and the sun, un.o.bstructed, is sending his first warm rays to a frozen earth, the bees that have been inactive for months, feel the cheering influence, and come forth to enjoy the balmy air. As they come from their door, they pause a moment to rub their eyes, which have long been obscured in darkness.

BEES MARK THEIR LOCATION ON LEAVING THE HIVE.

They rise on the wing, but do not leave in a direct line, but immediately turn their heads towards the entrance of their tenement, describing a circle of only a few inches at first, but enlarge as they recede, until an area of several rods have been _viewed and marked_.

CHANGING STAND ATTENDED WITH LOSS.

After a few excursions, when surrounding objects have become familiar, this precaution is not taken, and they leave in a direct line for their destination, and return by their way-marks without difficulty. Man with his reason is guided on the same principles. There are a great many people who suppose the bee knows its hive by a kind of instinct, or is attracted towards it, like the steel to the magnet. At least, they act as if they did; as they often move their bees a few rods, or feet, after the location is thus marked, and what is the consequence? The stocks are materially injured by loss of bees, and sometimes entirely ruined. Let us trace the cause. As I remarked, the bees have marked the location. They leave the hive without any precaution, as surrounding objects are familiar. They return to their old stand and find no home.

If there is more than one stock, and the removal has been from four to twenty feet, some of the bees may find a hive, but just as liable to enter the wrong one as the right. Probably they would not go over twenty feet, and very likely not that, unless the new situation was very conspicuous. If a person had but one stock, very likely the loss would be less, as every bee finding a hive, would be sure to be home, and none killed, as is generally the case when a few enter a strange hive.

CAN BE TAKEN SOME DISTANCE.

When bees are taken beyond their knowledge of country, some two miles or more, the case seems to be somewhat different, but not always without loss, especially if many hives are set too close. They leave the hive of course without knowing that the situation has been changed; perhaps get a few feet before strange objects warn them of the fact.

When they return, the immediate vicinity is strange, and they often enter their neighbors' domicil.

DANGER OF SETTING STOCKS TOO CLOSE.

A case in point occurred in the spring of '49. I sold over twenty stocks to one person. He had constructed a bee-house, and his arrangement brought the hives within four inches of each other. The result was, he entirely lost several stocks; some of them were the best; others were materially injured, yet he had a few made better by the addition of bees from other hives; (sometimes a stock will allow strange bees to unite with them, but it is seldom, unless a large number enters--it is safest to keep each family by itself, under ordinary circ.u.mstances). These stocks, before they were moved, had been collecting pollen, and had their location well marked. Had they been placed six feet apart, instead of four inches, he probably would not have lost any, or even two feet might have saved them. I have often moved them at this season, and placed them at three feet distance, and had no bad results.

Facts like the foregoing, satisfied me long since that stocks should occupy their situation for the summer, as early as possible in the spring, at least before they mark the location; or if they must be moved after that, let it be nothing short of a mile and a half, and plenty of room between the hives.

s.p.a.cE BETWEEN HIVES.

As regards the distance between hives generally, I would say let it be as great as convenience will allow. Want of room makes it necessary sometimes to set them close; where such necessity exists, if the hives were dissimilar in color, some dark, others light, alternately, it would greatly a.s.sist the bees in knowing their own hive. But it should be borne in mind, that whenever economy of s.p.a.ce dictates less than two feet, there are often bees enough lost by entering the wrong hive, which, if saved, would pay the rent of a small addition to a garden, or bee-yard. I have several other reasons to offer for giving plenty of room between hives, which will be mentioned hereafter.

SMALL MATTERS.

The reader who is accustomed to doing things on gigantic principles, will consider this long "yarn" about saving a few bees in spring, a rather small affair, and so it is; yet small matters must be attended to if we succeed; "a small leak will sink a s.h.i.+p." A grain of wheat is a small matter; 'tis only in the aggregate that its importance is manifest. The bee is small, the load of honey brought home by it is still less, and the quant.i.ty secreted in the nectary of each flower, yet _more minute_. The patient bee visits each, and obtains but a tiny morsel; by perseverance a load is obtained, and deposited in the hive; it is only by the acc.u.mulation of such loads that we find an object worthy our notice: here is a lesson; look to little things, and the manner in which they are multiplied, and preserved. It is much better to save our bees than waste them, and wait for others to be raised; "a penny saved is worth two-pence earned." If a stock is lost by small means, a corresponding effort is only necessary to save it. This trifling care is sometimes neglected through indolence. But I hope for better things generally; I am willing to believe it is thorough ignorance, not knowing what kind of care is necessary--how, when, and where to bestow it. This is what now appears to be my duty to tell. You will now sufficiently understand the cause of loss on this point; therefore, let it be a rule to have all ready in spring, before the bees leave their hives--the stands, bee-house, etc., and not change them.

ECONOMY.

If we keep bees for ornament, it would be well to build a bee-house, paint the hives, &c.; but as I expect the majority of readers will be interested in the profit of the thing, I will say that the bees will not pay a cent towards extra expenses; they will not do a whit more labor in a painted house, than if it was thatched with straw. When profit is the only object, economy would dictate that labor shall be bestowed only where there will be a remuneration.

CHEAP ARRANGEMENT OF STANDS.

So many kinds of bee-houses and stands have been recommended--all so different from what I prefer, that I perhaps ought to feel some hesitancy in offering one so cheap and simple; but as profit is my object, I shall offer no other apology. I have fifteen years'

experience to prove its efficacy, and have no fears on this score in recommending it. I make stands in this way: a board about fifteen inches wide is cut off two feet long; a piece of chestnut or other wood, two inches square, is nailed on each end; this raises the board just two inches from the earth, and will project in front of the hive some ten inches, making it admirably convenient for the bees to alight before entering the hive, (when the gra.s.s and weeds are kept down, which is but little trouble). A separate piece for each hive is better than to have several on a bench together, as there can then be no communication by bees running to and fro. Also we are apt to give more room between them; and a board or plank will make a stand for as many stocks when cut in pieces, as if left whole; (and it ought to make more).

Ca.n.a.l BOTTOM-BOARD DISCARDED.

I used what is termed a ca.n.a.l bottom-board, until I found out it did not pay expense, and have now discarded it, and succeed just as well.

It is generally recommended as a preventive of robberies, and keeping out the moth. It may prevent one hive in fifty from being robbed; but as for keeping out the moth, it is about as good an a.s.sistant for it as can be contrived. It is a place of great convenience for the worms to spin their coc.o.o.ns, and some ingenuity of the apiarian is requisite to get at them.

SOME ADVANTAGE IN BEING NEAR THE EARTH.

I am aware that I go counter to most apiarians, in recommending the stands so near the earth; less than two or three feet between the bees and the earth, it is said, will not answer any way. Mr. Miner is very positive on this point, in his Manual. I ventured to suggest to him, that there was more against it in theory, than in practice, and gave him my experience. In less than two years from that time I visited him, and found his bees close to the earth. Experience is worth a dozen theories; in fact, it is the only test to be depended upon. I shall not urge the adoption of any rule, that I have not proved by my own practice. The objection raised, is dampness from the earth, when too near; I am unable to perceive the least bad effect. Now let us compare advantages and disadvantages a little farther. One hive or a row of hives suspended, or standing on a bench, two or three feet from the earth, when approached by the bees on a chilly afternoon, (and we have many such in spring,) towards evening, even if there is not much wind, they are very apt to miss the hive and bottom, and fall to the ground, so benumbed with cold, as to be unable to rise again, and by the next morning are "no use" whatever. On the other hand, if they are near the earth, with a board as described, there is no _possibility_ of their alighting under the hive, and if they should come short, and get on the ground, they can always creep, long after they are too cold to fly, and are able, and often do enter the hive without the necessity of using their wings.

Enough may be saved in one spring, from a few hives, in this way, to make a good swarm, which taken from several is not perceived; yet, as much profit from them might be realized, as if they were a swarm by themselves. A little contrivance is all that is needed to save them. To such as _must_ and _will_ have them up away from the earth, I would say, do suggest some plan to save this portion of your best and most willing servants; have an alighting board project in front of the hive at least one foot, or a board long enough to reach from the bottom of the hive to the ground, that they may get on that, and crawl up to the hive. Do you want the inducement? Examine minutely the earth about your hives, towards sunset, some day in April, when the day has been fair, with some wind, and chilly towards night, and you will be astonished at the numbers that perish. Most of them will be loaded with pollen, proving them martyrs to their own industry and your negligence. When I see a bench three feet high and no wider than the bottom of the hive, perhaps a little less, and no place for the bees to enter but at the bottom, and as many hives crowded on as it will hold, I no longer wonder that "bee-keeping is all in luck;" the wonder is how they keep them at all. Yet it proves that, with proper management, it is not so very precarious after all.

The necessary protection from the weather, for stocks, is a subject that I have taken some pains to ascertain; the result has been, that the cheapest covering is just as good as any; something to keep the rain and rays of the sun from the top, is all sufficient. Covers for each hive, like the bottom-board, should be separate, and some larger than the top.

UTILITY OF BEE-HOUSES DOUBTED.

I have used bee-houses, but they will not pay, and are also discarded.

They are objectionable on account of preventing a free circulation of air; also, it is difficult to construct them, so that the sun may strike the hives both in the morning and afternoon; which in spring is very essential. If they front the south, the middle of the day is the only time when the sun can reach all the hives at once; this is just when they need it least; and in hot weather, sometimes injurious by melting the combs. But when the hives stand far enough apart, on my plan, it is very easily arranged to have the sun strike the hive in the morning and afternoon, and shaded from ten o'clock, till two or three, in hot weather.

Notwithstanding our prodigality in building a splendid bee-house, we think of economy when we come to put our hives in, and get them _too close_. "Can't afford to build a house, and give them so much room, no how."

CHAPTER VIII.

ROBBERIES.

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 gets neighbors in contention, when perhaps neither is to blame, farther than ignorance of the matter.

NOT PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD.

A person keeping many hives must expect to be accountable for all losses in his neighborhood, whether they are lost by mismanagement or want of management. Many people suppose, if one person has but one stock, and another has ten, that the ten will combine for plundering the one. There are no facts, showing any communication between different families of the same apiary, that I can discover. It is true, when one family finds another weak and defenceless, possessing treasure, they have no conscientious scruples about carrying off the last particle. The hurry and bustle attending it seldom escape the notice of the other families; and when one hive has been robbed in an apiary, perhaps two-thirds of the other families, sometimes all, have partic.i.p.ated in the plunder. One family, if it be large, is just as likely, and more so, to find a weak one among the ten, and commence plundering, as the other way.

IMPROPER REMEDIES.

Notwithstanding it is common to hear remarks like this, "I had a _first-rate_ hive of bees," (when the fact was he had not looked particularly at his bees for a month, to know whether it was so or not, and if he had, very likely would not know,) "and Mr. A.'s bees began to rob them. I tried every thing to stop it; I moved them around in several places to prevent their finding the hive. It did no good; the first I knew they were all gone--bees, honey, and all! The bees all joined the robbers." Now the fact is, that not one _good_ stock of bees in fifty, will ever be robbed, if let alone; that is, if the entrance is properly protected. This moving the hive was enough to ruin any stock; bees were lost at every change, until nothing was left but honey to tempt the robbers; whereas, if left on its stand, it might have escaped.

A great many remedies have been given me gratis, which, had one-half been followed, would have ruined them. The fact is, with many people, the remedies are often the cause of the disease. The most fatal is, to move them a few rods; another, to close the hive entirely, (very liable to smother them); or, break out some comb and set the honey to running.

There are some charms that affect them but little any way. Probably there are but few bee-keepers able to tell at once, _when bees are being robbed_. It requires the closest scrutinizing observation to decide.