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NEW AND REVISED EDITION.

INSTRUCTION

IN

BEE-KEEPING

FOR THE USE OF

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LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY’S STATIONERY. OFFICE,
To be purchased, vither directly or throu

gh any Bookseller, from
E. PONSONBY, Lrp., 116 Grarron STREET, Dustin ; or
WYMAN & SONS, ‘Lep., Ferrer Lann, E. C.; or
OLIVER & BOYD, ay REDD ALE Court, Epinsuran.
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BROWNE AND NOLAN, Lrp., 24 & 25 Nassau STREET, Dusuin.

 

1912.

 
 

 

 

ALBERT R. MANN
LIBRARY

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AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS
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EVERETT FRANKLIN PHILLIPS

BEEKEEPING LIBRARY

 

 

 

 

 

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

NEW AND REVISED EDITION.

INSTRUCTION

IN

BEE-KEEPING,

FOR THE USE OF

IRISH BEE-KEEPERS.

 

LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE,

To be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from
E. PONSONBY, Lrp., 116 Grarron Street, Dustin;
WYMAN & SONS, Lrp., Ferrer Lang, E.C.,;: or
OLIVER & BOYD. TwrEppate Court, EpinsBurGH.

PRINTED BY
BROWNE AND NOLAN, Lop., 24 & 25 Nassau Street, Dusim.

1912.
II.
III.
IV.

VI.
VIl.
VIII.
IX.

XX.

XXI.
XXII.
XXIII.

XXIV.
XXV.
XXVI.

CONTENTS.

. Introduction,

The honey-bee and its methods of working, .
Hives, appliances, accessories, and their uses, .

Subduing, controlling, and handling bees,

. Arrangement of Apiary,

Wiring frames, and fixing foundation in frames,
Hiving,
Driving,

Transferring bees from a fixed-comb hive to a bar-frame
hive,

. Brood-spreading,
. Natural Swarming,

. Feeding,

Production of surplus honey for sale or consumption, .

. Working hives for extracting,
. Extracting,

. Wintering,

Uniting,
Wax Extracting,

. Robbing,

Rearing, changing, introducing, forwarding and
wintering queens,

Storing and marketing honey, .
Chilled brood and foul brood,
Artificial swarming,

Recipes,

Moving Hives,

Spring cleaning,

Index,

Page

33
35
37
41
44
50
54
56
58
61
62
Fig.

Fig.

Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.

_
*

© DID AIR WP
xox

39,
40.
41,
42,
43,
44,
450)
46.§
47,*
48,*
49,*
50
51.)
52.5
53.*

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

“C.D.B.” Bar-frame Hive and ce used
therewith,

Queen, Worker, and. Drone bees,

Honeycomb, ‘

Floor-board,

Division- board or Dummy,

Section Crates and section,

Doubling-box,

Swiss Entrance,

Comb Foundation,

Wiring appliances,

Feeders and smoker,

Cone Bee- -escape, ;

Operator wearing Veil and Sleevelets,

Appliance-box, 5

Extracting Appliances,

Hiving-board,

Queen Cage, Queen Travelling- -box,

Abbott Swarm-box,

Nucleus Hive, .

Handling a frame,

Subduing-cloth in use,

Cottage Apiary in Donegal,

Marking a Frame for eee:

Wired Frame,

Method of fastening Wire,

Placing Foundation in Frame,

Wedging Foundation in Frame, .

Driving-irons,

Hiving Swarm through Hive Entrance,

Driving Bees from a Skep, 5

Body-box arranged for transferring, .

Body-box with Quilt arranged for feeding, .

Placing Foundation in Sections, :

Economic Section-crate filled with “ Db” sections,

Tiering,

Section of Hive, showing crates of "Sections in
position,

Superclearer in position,

Spacing-rack,

Holding queen,

Wrapping a section,

Glazing a Section,

Lath Crate and Sections wrapped prior to packing:
Pressing bale of sections into crate,

Sections packed for forwarding ny Post,

Extracted Honey Tin,

Comb affected by Foul Brood,

Hive secured for forwarding by rail,

73

*The photographs for the illustrations marked above with an asterisk (*)

were supplied by Messrs. Keogh Bros.,

Street, Dublin.

Photographers, of 75. Lower Dorset
INSTRUCTION IN BEE-KEEPING.

 

  

Ph ETS

 

 

 

Fic. 1 —*C. D. B.” Patrrern Bar-rraMe Hive
Fie. 1.—1. “C. D. B.” Parrern Bar-FRAME Hive.

A, Roof. E, Porch.

B, Cone escape. F, Edmondson’s improved Swiss entrance.
C, Lift. G, Alighting-board.

D, Body-box. H, Legs of floor-board.

2. Economic crate with sections, separators, follower and springs in correct
position.

3. Divisional crate; followers have been left in the two outer divisions.

4, Zine queen excluder. 9. Extension board.

5. Wilkes’ wire queen excluder. 10. Superclearer fitted with Porter bee-
escape.

6. “‘D’” sections in the flat. 11. Subduing cloth, fitted with stick,

7. Long separator. 12. Quilts, of canvas and of felt.

8. Short separator.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION FOR IRELAND.

INSTRUCTION IN BEE-KEEPING.

I. INTRODUCTION.

The instructions which follow are intended for users of bar-frame
hives of the “ C. D. B.” or similar types (18).

The figures within brackets refer throughout to the sections or
paragraphs to which it is desired to direct the reader’s attention.

Everyone who wishes to keep bees should learn something of
their nature, habits, and requirements.

1. Works on The instructions here given are only in-

Bee-keeping. tended to supply sufficient information to

enable a novice to keep bees with profit ;
those who desire to study the subject more fully should refer to
the following works :—

“The Practical Bee Guide,” by Rev. J. G. Digges; pub-
lished at The Irish Bee Journal Office, Lough Rynn,
Co. Leitrim ; and by Eason and Son, Ltd., Dublin ;
price, 2s. in paper cover; 8s. cloth.

“The Honey Bee: its Natural History, Anatomy, and
Physiology,” by T. W. Cowan, F.L.S.; published
by Madgwick, Houlston & Co., Ltd., 4 Ave Maria
Lane, London, E.C.; price 2s. 6d.

‘** The British Bee-Keeper’s Guide Book,” by T. W. Cowan ;
published by Houlston & Sons; price Is. 6d.

To all the above works frequent reference has been made for
much of the information contained herein.

Those who desire to practise queen-rearing, are recommended
to read ‘‘ Queen-Rearing in England,” by F. W. L. Sladen ;
published by Madgwick, Houlston & Co., Ltd., 4 Ave Maria
Lane, London, E.C.; price 1s. 0d.

It is essential to success in bee-keeping, that the bee-keeper or
some competent person should be on the

2. Personal spot to give proper attention to the apiary
supervision essential. during the months from March to Septem-
ber inclusive; with a small number of

hives it is not necessary to devote much time to their manage-
ment; but to work them to the greatest advantage, it is essen-
tial that the right thing should be done at the right moment ;
hence, bee-keeping is especially suited to cottagers and small
6

occupiers, who are not likely to be absent from their homes for
several days at a time: it is also an industry for which women
are well adapted; many of the most successful and capable
bee-keepers being women.

The profits from bee-keeping are large compared with the neces-

sary cash outlay. Asa rule, one bar-frame

3. Profits. hive of bees properly looked after in a good

honey district, will, after providing for

its own wants, produce on an average about 60 lbs. weight of

section honey in a season, worth, at 5d. per lb., £1 5s., so that,

allowing 10s. for necessary expenses, the actual profit may be

put at 15s., while the first cost of the hive, outfit, and stock of
bees is about £2.

II. THE HONEY BEE AND ITS METHODS OF
WORKING.

In most localities the principal flower supply of honey prevails
during the months of June, July and
4. Honey Supply. August, as also in May in early districts,
and September in late districts ; and gene-
rally a strong stock in a bar-frame hive will not only support
itself throughout most of this period, and provide a surplus for
removal as above estimated, but will also lay by a sufficient
store of honey to support it through the winter (125). The
principal sources of honey supply in Ireland are—in the spring,
the blossoms of fruit trees and of some forest trees and shrubs,
those of willow, gorse or whin, blackthorn, gooseberry, and plum
being amongst the earliest ; in summer, white clover and lime,
and in autumn, blackberry, ling heather, wild scabious or
devil’s bit, ivy, &c. Districts in which white clover flourishes
are particularly well adapted for bee-keeping.

Misconceptions often occur amongst beginners, owing to the
misuse of terms: the following definitions
5. Definitions. apply to terms which frequently occur in
the instructions which follow: bee-keepers
should accustom themselves to apply these terms correctly.
A “swarm ”’ signifies the bees which migrate in a body from
an existing stock.
A “cast” is a term by which the second or any subsequent
swarm which leaves a stock in one season is designated.
A “hive ” signifies the artificial structure in which a stock is.
maintained.
A “ stock ” of bees signifies the living bee population of a hive,
with its brood.

The Black or native bees are on the whole the best comb honey
producers: beginners are recommended to.
select this variety. The Italian or Ligurian
bees are the best gatherers of honey, but
their capping of cells is defective, and con-
sequently reduces the market value of section honey produced.

5a. Races of Bees.
7

by them. The Carniolan bees are very mild tempered, much
more prolific than either Black or Italian bees, ut very much
given to swarming and thereby exhausting their energies; they
are therefore undesirable when the production of honey is the
principal consideration.

The Queen Bee (Fig 2) has a longer body than the workers,
and her wings are short in proportion to her
6. Queen Bee. length; she is provided with a sting, which
is used as a weapon of offence against rival
queens. The queen can be easily distinguished if looked for
before drones are hatched out, when the hive population is at.
its lowest. Beginners, who are not familiar with the appearance
of the queen, should try to find her when they have occasion
to open,the hive on warm days in April or May for spring cleaning
(186), or to ascertain the amount of food present, or for brood
spreading (88). Great care should be taken when examining
frames at this period (IV.), to avoid exposing brood to chills..
The yirgin queen usually leaves the hive to be mated by the
drone (8) in from three to five days after her birth ; this mating
suffices for her life, and on her return to the hive she will remain.
in it for good, unless she leaves with a first swarm. An unmated
queen will lay eggs that will produce drones only ; a queen must.
be mated in order that she may lay eggs which will produce
females, that is to say, workers; the mated queen ‘has the
faculty of determining before she deposits eggs whether} they
shall produce males or females. In a bar-frame hive managed
according to modern principles, the queen will, under favour-
able circumstances, lay about 2,000 eggs per day, but’as the num-
ber of eggs she can lay during her life is limited, a queen laying
eggs rapidly in a well-worked bar-frame hive soon exhausts
herself, and should not be retained for more than two seasons ;
whereas in the old-fashioned “ skep ” or straw hive the queen
generally laid a very much smaller number of eggs daily, but
continued to lay for perhaps four or five years. The queen
begins to lay early in spring if the conditions are favourable,
commencing in the warmest part of the hive, which is usually
the centre portions of the centre comb surfaces, on which the
bees congregate, thereby maintaining a high temperature.
When, in early spring, it is noticed that, the bees are carrying
pellets of pollen to the hive on their legs, it is a sign that the
queen has begun to lay.

The worker (Fig. 2), like the queen, is a female, but not being
fully developed she is not capable of being

7. Worker. impregnated by the male bee, and conse-
quently cannot lay eggs which will produce

worker or queen bees : if there is neither a queen ‘nor an occupied
queen cell in the hive, it sometimes, but rarely in the case of the
common English bee, occurs that one of the workers lays eggs.
from which drones only are produced. Such bees, known as
8
** fertile workers,’’ are most undesirable occupants of a hive ;
they are rarely found in hives occupied by queens. All the work
of the hive is performed by the worker bees: they make wax,
which is secreted from their bodies, build the cells, fill them with
honey which they alone collect, feed and nurse the young brood,
collect propolis, a resinous substance which they find in trees,
and which is used for closing chinks and holes, defend the hive
from enemies, etc., etc. ; they also gather the pollen of flowers,
which, when mixed with honey and partially digested, is fed
to the young brood. The length of life of a worker bee varies
very much. Bees that are employed to the fullest extent of
their powers in making wax and afterwards collecting honey,
do not live for more than six or eight weeks of the spring or
summer: the making of wax is a greater tax upon their strength
than any of their other numerous duties; therefore the life of
a bee can be much lengthened by providing it with “ comb
foundation” (32). Bees hatched in autumn may live for
eight or nine months, having neither to make wax nor to collect
honey until the following year. A worker bee is provided with
a barbed sting, which is used as a weapon of offence or defence ;
being barbed it cannot easily be withdrawn when inserted
in the flesh of a human being. Workers carry honey in the
“honey sac,” and pollen on their hind legs.

Drones (Fig. 2), or male bees, are hatched early in summer,
at which period there may be several hun-
8. Drones. dred in a hive, but only a few of them are
apparently required as mates for the young
queens. The drones lead an idle life; the principal object
of their existence is to fertilize young queens; they also, to
some extent, assist in keeping up the temperature of the hive.
During autumn, or even earlier if the honey flow has ceased,
the workers turn them out of the hive to perish, provided that
the stock has a fertile queen: if this does not occur, the bee-
keeper may conclude that the queen is either dead or unfertile.
It should be the object of the beekeeper to keep down drone
breeding as much as possible.

The comb (Fig. 8) consists of six-sided wax cells, sloping slightly

upwards from base to mouth. A midrib

9. Comb. of wax forms the base of the cells on both

sides of the comb. Worker cells measure

about one-fifth of an inch, and drone cells about a quarter of

an inch between their parallel sides. Honey and pollen are

stored in worker and drone cells. Another cell, called the

“* queen cell” (A, B, and C, Fig. 3), made specially for cradling

young queens, is much larger in every way than worker or drone

cells, and in no way resembles them. Queen cells are some-

what like an acorn in shape, more or less pitted on the surface,

about an inch long, and usually attached to the outer edges of
combs.
  

Worker. Queen. Drone.

Fia. 2.—Tue Honey Ber.

(From “ Becs and Bee-keeping,” by Cheshire, now out of print.)

 

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Fic. 3.—Honeycoms, natural size.

From “ Bees and Bee-keeping,” by Cheshire, now out of print.
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A, Queen cell, from which Queen has hatched, showing lid open. B, Queen
cell torn open at side. C, Queen cell cut down by bees. D, Drone grubs.
E, Drone cell, partly sealed. F, Drone cells, sealed. H, Old Queen cell.
O, Eggs and larve in various stages. M, Aborted queen cell on face of comb.
K, Fresh pollen masses.

In the left centre of the comb are shown sealed worker cells, with some
workers biting their way out. In the right hand upper corner are shown
sealed honey cells.
 

 

 

Fia. 4.—Fboor-soarp or C. D. B. Hive.

V, Ventilating hole covered with perforated zinc.
S. Shutter. Note, floor-board ventilators are un-
necessary if hive is fitted with “Swiss” entrance.

 
9

The eggs, larva or grubs, and the young bees before they emerge

from the cells in which the eggs were laid,

10. Brood. are called the “brood,” Under normal

conditions the egg remains as such for

three days, after which the grub or larva appears (O, Fig. 3).

The grub is fed by the worker bees for from five to eight days ;

the mouth of the cell is then sealed over. The time passed in

these, the earlier stages, varies, as indicated in the following
table, which should be committed to memory :—

 

Approximate Number of Days in each Stage.

 

 

 

 

ct Ege Grub or Pupa in | Age when Bee
% Larva. | Sealed Cell. | leaves the Cell.
ee |
Queen, 3 5 wipe | 15 days.
Worker. 3 6 12 2 ee
Drone, 3 8 14 | 25° 4,

 

When full-fed the grub or larva spins a cocoon, within which
it becomes transformed into a nymph or pupa, which after a
final moult becomes a young bee. The brood in all its stages
requires great warmth.

When a stock has so increased in numbers that the bees have
not room enough to work, a swarm or new

11. Swarms. colony is sent out, provided that there are
unhatched queens in the hive to take the

place of the old one, who will leave with the first swarm, which
consists chiefly of the older bees. Although only one fertile
queen is necessary for one stock, the workers often have as many
as ten to fifteen queen cells in the hive. When the most ad-
vanced of the young queens is about to emerge from her cell,
the old queen attempts to destroy her; but if the bees intend
to swarm they do not permit this, and the queen and bees of
the hive get into a very excited state; hundreds of bees fly
about near the hive, and finally the old queen leaves with a
swarm consisting of some thousands of bees, taking with them
sufficient provisions to last about four days. After circling
about in the air for a few minutes they settle on some suitable
object, usually a bush or the branch of a tree, and there await
the return of scouts, sent out to find suitable quarters for the
new colony. The bee-keeper should then get the main body
of the bees, with the queen, into a hive as soon as possible (98),
(76), for if he waits until the scouts return, the bees that have
settled will rise and follow the scouts to a distance of perhaps
several miles. The stock from which a swarm has issued,
though it consists of the younger bees, is called the “ parent
stock,” and, as a rule, provides very little surplus honey after
the swarm has left. A strong natural swarm would weigh from
four to six pounds, and would contain about 4,000 to 5,000
10

bees per pound in weight ; the number of bees per pound varying
according to the amount of food store they carry. See also
Section (XI.). An artificial swarm would have more bees per
pound (170).

When the oldest of the young queens comes out of her cell, she

will if permitted kill her younger sister

12. Casts. queens. If prevented from doing so, she

will quit the hive with a swarm consisting

of the strongest of the bees remaining after the “‘ top’ swarm

has left; this generally takes place on the eighth or ninth,

day after the “‘ top’ swarm has left, and this after swarm, or

any subsequent swarm, is called a “‘ cast.” If not checked this

may be repeated again and again as each young queen leaves

its cell, and perhaps several queens hatched out on the same

day will leave the hive with one cast. In this latter case,

if the cast is hived, all the queens except one will be
killed.

As repeated swarming exhausts the parent stock, rendering it
absolutely unprofitable for a long period,
13. Prevention of it should be prevented; this can be done
Casts. effectually by adopting the practices recom-
mended in paragraphs (95) and (96) for
the treatment of swarms. If, however, this cannot be done,
owing to the sale or loss of the top swarm, all queen cells except
one, which should preferably be an uncapped queen cell contain-
ing larva, should be removed from the combs when the first
swarm issues; and if a second swarm issues, remove all queen
cells, and return the after swarm or cast to the parent stock
on the evening of the day it issued (76).

The young queen in the parent stock does not lay until about

seventeen to twenty-one days after the top

14. Time when swarm has left, before which all the worker

young mated Queen brood will be hatched out; so that if a

will lay Eggs. hive is examined on the twenty-first day

after swarming, no worker brood except

possibly eggs will be found. It is important that this should

be borne in mind when transferring bees from fixed-combs into.

frame hives, for if this is done on the twenty-first day after the
top swarm has left, no worker brood can be lost.

Bees generally work within about a mile of the hive, but if
the supply of honey within that area is in-

15. Range of Flight sufficient, they will go further, but rarely
of Bees. beyond two miles from the hive. On
returning they fly straight to the exact

spot on which their hive stood, and many would be unable to
find or recognise it if, during their absence, it had been removed
even the short distance of six feet ; this should be borne in mind
when for any purpose a hive is moved from its place (182). It
should only be moved when the bees have ceased flying for the
day, and by short stages of four feet when there is only one hive,
11

or two feet if there are other hives close by. The bee-keeper
can profitably take advantage of this habit of the bee when he
wishes to make artificial swarms (XXIII.).

When, in the early summer, the beekeeper observes that few

of the bees are carrying balls of yellow

16. Signs of Honey pollen on their hind legs, while many are

Flow flying rapidly to and from the hive, he

may conclude that ‘‘ the honey-flow ”’ has

commenced. He should then make sure that plenty of empty

comb is provided in the super (XIII.) for the storage of the
honey.

Honey as gathered by the bees contains certain gases and an

excess of water, but after a short time the

17. Ripening of warmth of the hive causes the gases and

Honey. water to evaporate, and the honey becomes

“matured” or “ripe.” The time re-

quired to bring about this change depends very much on the

heat of the hive, and this is one of the reasons why it is desirable

to keep hives warmer in summer than in winter. When the

honey is ripe, but not before, the bees will cover over the cells

with a thin film of wax, which is called “capping,” and the

beekeeper can thus easily distinguish ripe from unripe
honey.

III. HIVES, APPLIANCES, ACCESSORIES, AND
THEIR USES.

Much of the success achieved in modern beekeeping is due to

the great improvement effected in the form

18. Bar-Frame of hive used. The production of honey for

Hives. sale or consumption can be carried on

much more profitably by using bar-frame

hives instead of skeps or fixed-comb hives; this is now so

universally admitted that it is not necessary to specify the

advantages of bar-frame hives. The type of bar-frame hive

recommended for use and described in this manual is known

as the “C. D. B.” hive (Fig. 1). This hive, and others of a

somewhat similar design as regards size and detail, possess the
following good points :—

(a.) They provide ample space to permit of the queen being
enabled to utilise her laying powers to the fullest
extent.

(b.) The construction is such that the hive can be taken
asunder, thus facilitating the cleansing or examination
of any part.

(c.) The capacity of the hive can be increased as occasion
may require for storing surplus honey above the brood
chamber, and it may be contracted so as to be
thoroughly suitable for wintering bees (180).

As this type of bar-frame hive, with the frames hanging

parallel to the hive front, is in general use in Ireland, and as it
12

is the type recommended for use, it is to be understood that the
imstructions given in this manual are intended for persons using
the “C. D. B.” type of hive; those who use hives of other
types will doubtless perceive in what respects the instructions
given require modification in order that they may be applicable
to the particular type of hive in use. It should be clearly under-
stood that there are other hives very similar in general design
to the “C. D. B.” hive, but differing therefrom as to details.

The “C. D. B.” hive (Fig. 1) is made in four parts, the floor-

board, body-box, lift, and roof, which are

19. “C.D.B.” described in the following paragraphs. It

Hive. should be constructed throughout of yellow

pine, or wood of similar quality. Hives

made of deal are cheaper, but unless well-seasoned wood is

used, they frequently prove unsatisfactory, as the wood is
likely to warp and get out of shape.

(1.) The floor-board (Figs. 1, 4, and 81) is a movable wooden

stand, resting on four stout legs, about six

20. Floor-board of inches high. The sloping portion is the

C.D. B. Hive. “alighting’ or “flight” board, and

projects in front of the hive door. If the

hive is fitted with a Swiss entrance (21) a floor ventilator is not

essential, but if it is desired to have one, a ventilating hole about

four inches square is cut rather to the front of the centre of

the floor board, covered on the top with perforated zinc, and
fitted with a wooden shutter underneath.

(2.) The body-box, or “‘ brood chamber ” (Figs. 1 and 81), rests
on the floor-board, and overlaps it at the
21. Body-Box of sidesand back. This part of the hive is the
C. D. B. Hive. permanent home of the bees. In it the
frames are suspended in which the brood
is raised and the winter food supply is stored. It should be
made to contain eleven frames (24), and a dummy (25): if
desired it may be increased in length to hold 14 frames: this
size is specially desirable when stocks are being worked up for
extracting. The flight board is protected by a movable wooden
orch.
‘ The body-box should be fitted with Edmondson’s Improved
Swiss entrance (Fig. 8), which is made of metal and fitted with
screws by which it is fixed to the body-box: the sliding doors
are slotted to provide ventilation ; they may be closed to meet,
or withdrawn to provide an entrance 84 inches wide ; the upper
section is fitted with slots running on the attachment screws to
permit of its being moved up and down so that the entrance
may be reduced to five-sixteenths inch in height or raised
to three-quarters of an inch. This fitting, which only costs
6d., should be attached to all hives, as it provides for ample
ventilation, and for protection against mice and robber
bees.
13

(3.) The lift, or raiser (Figs. 1 and 87c), serves to raise the roof
sufficiently to permit of crates (29) of

22. Lift of C. D. B. sections, or boxes of frames for extracting
Hive. (81), being placed above the body-box, so

that the bees can obtain access to them

from the brood chamber in order to fill the sections or super
frames with surplus stores of honey for removal. In winter
the lift should be inverted and slipped down over the body-box
(180). A second lift (111) can be fitted over the lower lift, when
it is desired to place more than three crates of sections on the hive.

(4.) The roof (Fig. 1) serves only as a protection from the
weather; not to confine the bees. It is
23. Roof. fitted in front with two perforated brass
cones (42), forming a non-return bee

escape, and at the back with a perforated zinc ventilator.

Bar-frames are of the pattern known as the “‘ Abbott” bar-
frame (Figs. 1,10 and 31). They vary from
24. Bar-Frames. the dimensions of the “ Standard” frame
as fixed by the British Bee-keepers’ Asso-
ciation, in that the top bar is half-inch thick, instead of being
only three-eighths inch thick, as specified for the “Standard ’”
frame; this extra thickness of the top bar is given to prevent
sagging: these frames can be used in any hive constructed to take.
‘* Standard ”’ frames, but should not be used in the same hive
with “‘ Standard ”’ frames unless the latter are raised to the same-
level by fixing slips of wood one-eighth inch thick under the
shoulders of the “‘ Standard ”’ frames ; otherwise the eighth-inch
spaces above the shoulders of the “ Standard ” frames would be
filled with propolis by the bees when the section crates are on,
(110). The under side of the top bar of the “‘ Abbott ” frame is
fitted with two machine-cut grooves to receive foundation
(38), (73). The frames are kept at the correct distance apart
by the shoulders at each end of the upper bar. Bar-frames.
should be made with the greatest accuracy as to measurement
so that they may all be exactly of one size ; it is therefore best
to buy machine-made frames rather than to make frames at
home, which is almost certain to prove unsatisfactory. The.
dimensions of the “‘ Abbott” bar-frame as here described are.
as follows :—Extreme width of top bar, 17 inches; extreme
breadth of shoulder, 14 inches; ‘width of top bar between:
shoulders, about $ inch; extreme width from outside to out-
side of perpendiculars, 14 inches; depth of frame from under:
side of top bar to under side of bottom bar, 8 inches; depth of
top bar, 4 inch.
The division-board, usually called the “dummy ” (Fig. 5), is.
used for separating that portion of the
25. Division-board body-box to which the bees have access
or Dummy. from the portion from which they are ex-
cluded ; it is a board the full depth of and.
almost the full width of the body-box, strengthened by two.
14

‘perpendicular laths nailed to the back of the board to prevent it
from warping, some soft pliable material being inserted between
the boards and the laths in such a manner that it slightly pro-
jects at each side. This board is rigidly attached to an upper
bar 164 inches long, $ inch wide and 34 inch thick, in such a
manner that the front edge of the upper bar shall project ;’; inch
beyond the face of the dummy, the whole being so constructed
that when the division board is placed in position it shall fit
so closely to the sides and bottom of the box as to prevent the
passage of bees or air from the rear to the front side of the
dummy or vice versa, and that it shall remain in position as

‘fixed.

The quilt (Figs. 1 and 34) is a strong canvas covering, made about
17 inches wide, and of the full length of

26. Quiltand the body-box, so that it shall be large enough
Coverings. to cover the upper bars of all the frames

and the dummy when the body-box is full

-of frames, and thus to confine the bees to the brood chamber.
Upon it are placed other warm coverings of the same shape,
preferably made of woollen material, the number of such cover-
ings varying at different seasons according to the temperature
‘it is desired to maintain in the brood chamber. Woollen
material should never be placed next the bees, as itirritates them.

‘The kind of section recommended for use is that known as the

“D” section (Figs. 1 and 6), made in

27. Sections. one piece to hold approximately one pound

of honey in the comb. It is supplied in the

flat, and consists of a piece of thin wood, jointed in three places

with V joints by being partly cut through, so that it can be bent

into a square measuring externally 4} inches by 4¢ inches by 2

inches, and fastened by dovetails, which unite it at the fourth

-corner.

Separators (Fig. 1) are thin sheets of wood which are inserted

between the sections when the latter are

28. Separators. placed in crates, to prevent the bees from

drawing out the comb beyond the proper

width. They are made in two sizes—the long separator is for

use in the ‘‘ Economic” crate (29); the short separator is for

use in the “ Divisional’? crate (80). Tin separators are not

recommended ; they are more expensive than wood, and are
liable to buckle and rust.

‘The ‘‘ Economic ”’ section-crate (Fig. 6) is a four-sided wooden

frame large enough to hold twenty-one

29. “ Economie” two-inch wide one-pound sections, which

Section-crate. are placed in three rows resting on wooden

rails attached to the under-side of the crate;

the sections are firmly pressed to the front of the crate by means

of a wooden board called a ‘‘follower,’’ made the full width of the

-erate internally, and kept in position by one or more springs

-wedged in between the “ follower” and the back of the crate.
 

 

 

 

 

Fie. 5.—Division Boarp or Dummy.

z
g

&
g
3

aT

 

Fig. 6.—SrctTion CRATES.

E, Economic Crate, the back of crate being next the follower.
F, Follower. D, Division of Divisional Crate. F.D, Follower of Divisional
Crate. DS (A), D. Section folded. DS (B), D. Section in flat. 8, Spring
for keeping follower in position.
 

 

y

Fic. 7.—DovuBLING-BOX,

 

 

Fic. 8.—Epmonpson’s IMPpRovED Swiss ENTRANCE.

A, Entrance arranged to give a very small opening. B, Entrance fully
opened.
15

The upper and lower edges of the “follower” should beso bevelled
on one side as to provide a bee-way between the section and
the “ follower ’’; the bevelled side should be turned towards the
sections. The inner edges of the front board of the crate are
similarly bevelled. The spaces between the rails on which the
sections rest are blocked by slips of wood to a distance of 14
inches from the back of the crate, so as to prevent bees passing
up behind the follower.

The ‘“ Divisional’? section-crate (Figs. 1 and 6) is similar in
principle; it consists of three separate crates,
30. Divisional each capable of holding seven two-inch wide
Section-crate. one-pound sections in one row; the three
divisions, holding twenty-one sections in all,
may be placed on the hive together, or one or two divisions may
be used, as necessitated by circumstances ; it is principally in-
tended for use when the honey flow is restricted, at which period
it is often advantageous to remove completed sections, leaving
on the hive those which have not been filled. If it is desired to
use the divisional crate in lieu of an economic crate, it is advis-
able to screw laths to the front and back of the three divisions,
so that they may be used as one crate. Many bee-keepers use
the “ economic ”’ crate only.

The “ doubling ”’-box (Fig. 7) is a box to hold ten bar-frames ;
it is somewhat similar in construction to
31. Doubling-box. the body-box, on which it is placed when
in use (120); it is only used when it is
desired that the bees shall store honey in frames from which
it is afterwards to be extracted (124). The “ doubling ”’-box is
often referred to as a “‘ super ’’-box. A hole 3 inch in diameter
should be bored about 3 an inch from the bottom of the front of
the “‘ doubling ’’-box to permit of the escape of drones therefrom,
this hole to be fitted with a wood or cork plug, so that it may be’
opened occasionally. ;

Two kinds of comb foundation are required, ‘‘ brood” or

“frame”? foundation, and “super” or
32. Comb Foundation. “‘ section’’ foundation. The make known

as ““weed’”’ foundation is considered the
best ; inferior foundation is liable to stretch, thereby producing
vadly-shaped combs, which cause trouble in the brood frames
and reduce the value of sections. Foundation should be stored
in a dry room at a moderate or warm temperature ; if kept in a
damp room it will be mildewed, and if stored in a cold room it
will become brittle. When foundation is mildewed or brittle it
should not be used in frames nor in sections until its original
colour and pliant condition have been restored by warmth: a
convenient method of doing so is to hold the sheet of founda-
tion at a moderate distance from a fire, first placing the founda-
tion in frames or sections, or else using paper or any other suit-
able material to prevent the fingers coming into contact with
the sheets of foundation when holding them.
16

Frame foundation (F, Fig. 9) should be used for all frames,
whether they are required for the brood
chamber in the body-box, or for the doub-
ling-box for extracting. It can be pur-
chased in sheets cut to the correct size to fit standard frames ;
it varies in thickness, sheets of weed foundation running from
about eight to eleven per pound ; sheets weighing eight to the
pound are recommended as suitable. It should not be used in
sections, as often it is not made of pure wax, and its thickness
would spoil sections.

** Section foundation” (S, Fig. 9) should be used in sections
: only ; it is supplied in different-sized sheets ;

asc eeellon the most convenient size for general use

Foundation. is that made for insertion in three sections,
and measures about 12? inches by about 44 inches. The full
sheets, measuring 122 inches by 84 inches, weigh about six-
teen to nineteen to the pound. Section foundation should not
be used in frames.

Wiring and embedding appliances (Fig. 10) are used for wiring
95. Wiri aa frames and embedding the wire in founda-
ae ae tion; those recommended for use consist
eee of an embedding-board (86) fitted for use
Appliances. with ‘‘ Abbott” frames; an embedder
(87); a fine bradawl (A, Fig. 10), and a coil (C, Fig. 10) of No.
30 gauge tinned wire.
The embedding-board (B, Fig. 10) for use with the “* Abbott ”
36. Embedding- frame, is a wooden board, which should
ea measure 13 inches wide by 74 inches deep,
: by 43-inch thick. Across it are tacked two
slips of wood, 94 inches long, 3-inch thick, and about one-inch
wide, so placed that at each end they shall project one inch
over the board, that they shall be parallel, at right angles to the
board, and 74 inches apart between their outside edges. The
embedding-board is used for marking frames for wiring, and
also for embedding the wires in foundation after it has been
fixed in the frames.
The embedder (E, Fig. 10) is a piece of iron }-inch thick, set in
a wooden handle, the opposite end being
37. The Embedder. sharply curved, slightly pointed, and fitted
with a groove to take a piece of No. 30
wire. When required for use the iron is heated sufficiently to
melt beeswax when brought into contact with it. The iron
will retain heat long enough to permit of several sheets of
foundation being embedded without reheating it.

Many patterns of feeders are used. Suitable feeders for general
use are the graduated glass feeder (Figs.

38. Feeder. 11 and 34), which is specially suitable for
slow feeding, and the round tin feeder

(Fig. 11), which is specially suitable for quick feeding. The

383. Frame
Foundation.
Sees
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Fic. 9.—Coms FoOUNDATIONa

F, Frame foundation. 5S, Section foundation

 

Fic. 10.—WirEep FRAMES AND WIRING APPLIANCES.

ired for extracting. P, Frame wired for brood chamber.
E ee 3 Embedding Board. C, Coil of Wire. A. Awl. G, Gauge

for wiring.
 

Fic. 11.—FEEDERS AND SMOKER.

G, Graduated Bottle Feeder. R, Round Tin Feeder. 8, Smoker.

 

Fig. 12.—ConrE BEE-ESCAPE.
17

graduated glass feeder consists of a glass jar which when in use
is inverted over a tin plate inserted in a hollowed-out wooden
stage (Fig. 11); the jar is closed by a metal screw cap, in which
are pierced nine holes, one or more of which may, by turning the
jar, be exposed at will over a curved slot cut in the tin plate,
the number of holes exposed at any time being indicated by a
pointer. The round tin feeder (Fig. 11) is a thoroughly good
one, especially for quick feeding. It consists of a tin cylinder,
of about 1} pint capacity, so constructed that when placed over
a hole in the quilt, the bees obtain access to the syrup by passing
up a tube in the centre of the feeder. It can be readily filled
on removing the lid.

Beat in with a hammer the bottom of a lever-lid one pound tin,
so as to provide a 3-inch deep space under

39. Cheap Feeder the tin. Bore two or three very small
for Slow Feeding. holes in the bottom of the tin about the
centre with a very fine awl or the point of

a darning needle, each hole just large enough to permit one drop
of syrup to pass in every two seconds. When in use, place the
tin over a hole on the quilt, and pack around it. To refill the
tin, do not remove it, but remove the lid, fill, and then press the
lid down again tightly. The vacuum which will be created will
prevent the syrup from flowing out until drawn off by the bees.

Use an ordinary one or two pound glass jam jar, the mouth of
which should be covered by a piece of
40. Cheap Feeder butter muslin tied on after filling the jar
for Quick Feeding. with syrup. Make a wooden stage to hold
the mouth of the inverted jar. This may
be done by cutting a circular hole a little wider than the mouth
of the jar out of two pieces of wood, each about eight inches
square, then place a piece of perforated zinc rather larger than
the holes, between the boards, and tack the two boards firmly
together so that the hole in one board shall be exactly over that
in the other, and that the zinc shall cover the entire hole. When
required for use, the jar containing syrup is inverted on to the
zinc, and the whole stage is placed over a hole cut in the quilt
(102).
The super-clearer (Fig. 1) is a close sheeted frame of wood, of
such dimensions that when placed under a
41. Super-clearer. section-crate (29) or doubling-box (81) it is
impossible for any bees in the crate or
doubling-box to pass therefrom except through a trap bee-escape
fitted in the centre of the frame, through which bees can freely
pass from the crate or doubling-box to the body-box or crate of
sections on which the super-clearer has been placed, but through
which they cannot return into the doubling-box or crate which
it is desired to clear. The trap which has been in general use
for some time is known as the “ Porter bee-escape”’; it has
proved thoroughly effective. Another very good form of bee-
escape has been introduced by the Irish Bee-keepers’ Federa-
2
18

tion. Another trap with four exits may be used; it permits
of clearing supers more rapidly than when a single trap is fitted.
When the super-clearer is in use, it should be placed with the

round entry hole to the bee-escape, upwards, under the crate
of sections to be cleared.

The cone bee-escape (Fig. 12) consists of two perforated brass

cones, flanged at the base. They are fitted
42. Cone Bee-escape. to the roof, at the front ventilating hole ;

one is inserted through the hole from inside,
the cone projecting in front, the flange being tacked to the
inner side of the roof-front, while the second cone is tacked to
the outer edge of the same hole, thus projecting immediately
in front of the inner cone, leaving a space equal to the thickness
of the wood between the apertures of the cones; this permits
bees to have free egress from the hive, but prevents the ingress
of bees or wasps. A single cone as fitted on some hives permits
the ingress of wasps, and to some extent of bees.

The subduing cloth (Figs. 1 and 21) is used for subduing bees ;
it should be made of coarse canvas, gar-
43. Subduing dener’s scrim, or some similar material.
Cloth. Scrim possesses the merit of permitting the
bees to be more easily seen through it than
is possible when a material of closer texture is used. The cloth
should be 18 inches long by 17 inches wide, with a broad
hem on the 17-inch side, wide enough to permit of the insertion
therein of a light stick about 17 inches long, a full length of 18
inches being left exclusive of the hem; a cloth thus fitted,
greatly facilitates manipulation, especially when only one hand
is available for that purpose. When required for use the
cloth should be thoroughly damped with subduing solution
(180). When not in use it may be preserved in a damp con-
dition, if kept in a tin canister or other suitable vessel with a
close-fitting lid.

The smoker recommended for use is of the ‘‘ Bingham ” pattern
ar (Fig. 11), and consists of a small hand

44. Smoker. bellows attached to a tin cylinder in which

is placed the material to be burnt; the

cylinder is fitted with a conical nozzle, through which the
smoke is ejected. The best fuel is dry rotten wood, as it leaves
little residue except ash, and smoulders well. Brown corrugated
paper is the next best material; when used it should be loosely
rolled up. Rags should not be used, as they tend to foul and
clog the apertures in the smoker. The wood or paper should
be lighted and thrust smouldering into the cylinder, the burning
end downwards. The fuel will continue to smoulder when not
in use, if the smoker is placed nozzle upwards. If the smoker
becomes clogged, the cylinder should be detached from the
bellows, to which it is fastened by screws, and opened so that
the tube connecting the bellows and cylinder may be cleaned
 

Fic. 13.—OPERATOR WEARING VEIL AND SLEEVELETS
WHILE EXAMINING A HIVE.
 

Fig. 14.—APPLIANCE-BOX.
19

et The mouth of the nozzle and the perforated disc at the
ase of the nozzle should be frequently cleaned.

The veil (Fig. 13) is used to protect the head and neck from the
attacks of bees. It should be made of fine
45. The Veil. netting, roomy enough to cover in the
; y wearer’s hat, and long enough to permit
of its being tucked in under a man’s coat, or when used by a
lady, drawn down to a peak on the back and chest and attached
by safety pins to the clothes. A net bag about two feet deep
will usually be found suitable. The part of the veil in front of
the face should be dark; light colours impede the vision; the
rest may be ofany colour. Veils for the use of men are frequently
made with a hole at the top, which is bound with elastic to grip
the crown of the hat; but the bag veil above recommended
suits most head-gears, except ladies’ large hats. Woven wire
veils are not recommended.

Sleevelets (Fig. 13) are made of calico or any other suitable

material. They are about six inches long

46. Sleevelets. and fitted with elastic at each end. When

in use, one end is slipped over the end of

the coat sleeve, the other grips the wrist, thus preventing bees

from creeping up inside the sleeves. They will be found most

useful when handling bees, especially in the evenings or in cold

weather, under which circumstances bees are specially disposed
to creep.

It is recommended that the beekeeper should possess an
** appliance-box” (Fig. 14), in which ap-

47. Appliance-box. pliances usually required at the apiary may

be kept in a suitable dry place, to be

carried out to the apiary when required for use. A plain wooden
box about eighteen inches long, nine to twelve inches wide, and
nine inches deep, fitted with a hinged lid and a handle, will serve
the purpose well. In it the following articles, as well as any
others for which the individual beekeeper has a preference,
should be kept :—A table knife, turn-screw or chisel, goose or
duck wing, tin of petroleum jelly, bottle of subduing solution
(180), subduing cloth (48) in tin, and stick for cloth, spare frames
containing comb or foundation, veil, sleevelets, note book, and

smoker, if used.

luder zinc (Fig. 1) is sheet zinc perforated with oblong
SRCED Ghee aa through which the worker bees can,

48. Queen Exeluder. but the mated queen and drones cannot,
pass. Its use is to confine the queen to

the brood chamber or to a particular portion of the brood
chamber. Wilkes’ wire queen excluder (Fig. 1) is In every way
better than excluder zinc, but dearer; it is strongly recom-

mended for use in lieu of excluder zinc.
20

The extractor (Fig. 15) is a machine by which honey may be
removed from the comb by centrifugal
49. The Extractor. action, after which the empty comb may
be returned to the hive to be refilled (124).
There are a number of different patterns of extractors on the
market, all constructed more or less on the same principle,
but varying considerably in price. The extractors illustrated
in Fig. 15 are the ‘“‘ Marvel,”’ costing, with gearing and covers,
23s. ; and the improved “‘ Cowan,”’ costing 50s.; both made by
W. P. Meadows, Syston, near Leicester. Each of these extractors
is fitted with two movable open-meshed wire cages, each cage
capable of holding one frame or six one-pound sections of honey ;
the cages are held in a revolving iron frame attached to a central
spindle worked by a handle operating cogged gearing. The
‘“* Marvel ” extractor is smaller, lighter, and of cheaper construc-
tion throughout than the “‘ Cowan.” The “Cowan” machine
is fitted with reversible swing cages, which enables the operator
to extract from each side of a frame without removing the
frame from the cage as is necessary when using the ‘“‘ Marvel.”
Each machine can be readily taken to pieces for cleaning.

The ripener (E, Fig. 15) is a tinned iron cylinder fitted

with a treacle tap at the base. Its use is

50. Ripener. to hold extracted honey while ripening

(124). Unripe honey being lighter than

ripe honey, the latter gradually settles below the former and
can be drawn off by the tap.

The Strainer (F, Fig. 15) is a tin vessel constructed to fit on the

top of the ripener, and to which a piece of

51. Strainer. canvas, jute, or other suitable material

may be attached, for the purpose of strain-

ing the honey as it passes from the extractor to the ripener.

Strainers are made in different patterns at varying prices. The
type shown in F, Fig. 15 will be found suitable.

The uncapping-knife is used for uncapping combs in frames or
sections prior to extracting. The pattern
52. Uncapping-knife. illustrated (G, Fig. 15) is called the
‘“w. B. C.” knife; it is slightly curved.
A large table knife may be used for uncapping, but it is not
at all so suitable as a special uncapping-knife.

The frame-box should be made of wood, large enough to hold at
least twelve frames, and with a close-

53. Frame-box for fitting lid, and rails on which the
carrying Frames for frames may be suspended. Handles should
Baicine: be fitted at each end for carrying the box,

and it should be remembered that twelve frames well filled with
honey for extracting will weigh about 60 to 70 lbs. A box of
the following internal dimensions would be suitable :—25 inches.
long, 174 inches broad, 84 inches deep; a rail 25 inches by 14
inches by 3 inch to be nailed to each side of the box, at 8-inch
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Fie. 16.—Hivinae Boarp.

 

Fic. 17.—QUEEN CaGES.

A, Abbott Queen Cage. Q, Queen Travelling Cage.

a“
21

below the upper rim. It is to be remembered that comb for
extracting is often drawn out more than ordinary comb, so that
the frames take up more space than brood frames.

The hiving-board (Fig. 16) is a light board about 8 feet long
by 18 inches broad, by about half an inch
54. Hiving-board. thick. Its use is to support the sheet on
which bees are thrown when hiving them
by the hive entrance (76). It may be made of two nine-inch by
half-inch boards, held together by cross-battens underneath.
In the “C. D. B.” hive, a slip of wood is screwed on under
the front of the alighting-board to support the end of the hiving-
board when in use, but it is well to nail two small narrow slips
of wood, about a foot apart, to the upper side of one of the
18-inch wide ends of the hiving-board, projecting about three
inches, so that they may rest on thé alighting-board (20); the
hiving-board when thus fitted can readily be placed in position,
in front of any hive (Fig. 29).

Queen cages are used for introducing queens to stocks; they
are made in several patterns, of which it
55. Queen Cage. will suffice to describe two. The “ Ab-
bot ” queen cage (A, Fig. 17) consists of
a zinc frame to which is attached a wire net of fine mesh, the
whole forming a cage measuring about 6 inches by 14 inch by
7s inch; one edge of the cage is open for its full length, leaving
an aperture 6 inches by 35 inch; a movable wire which passes
through the zinc top and bottom of the cage, and is thus held in
position in the centre of the aperture, can be withdrawn so
as to permit the imprisoned queen to pass out of the cage; the
flanged top of the cage permits of its being suspended between
two adjoining frames. The ‘“‘ Dome” cage consists of a metal
circular rim about 14 inches in diameter, covered with a dome-
shaped roof of fine meshed netting ; when in use the metal rim
is pressed to its full depth into the honey comb. This type of
cage is recommended ; the bees can release the queen by eating
away the honey comb, thus sometimes saving the life of a
queen that has been overlooked.

The ‘‘ Abbott”? swarm-box (Fig. 18) is intended for forward-
ing bees by parcel post. It is a light box

56. Swarm-box. made of very thin wood, covered with
canvas, and measuring about 18 inches

long by 9 inches broad by 9 inches deep; the detachable lid
consists of a light wooden frame sheeted with perforated zinc ;
it rests on slips tacked to the sides and ends of the box; two
light movable skeleton frames, to each of which a piece of coarse
canvas is attached, are fitted into position about 3 inches
apart, as shown in the illustration ; a slip of wood is wedged
between them to spring them apart. The bees cluster on the
canvas frames. The same style of box may be made of light
wood; and instead of canvas sheeted frames, strips of canvas,
22

held in position by cords passed through holes in the box ends,
may be substituted.

Nucleus hives are only required for use in summer, and should
be large enough to hold four standard
57. Nucleus Hives. frames and a dummy. The nucleus hive
(Figs. 194, 198) is made in two parts,
to take four frames and dummy, and has a detachable roof
high enough to permit the use of a feeder; it costs 4s.
A nucleus hive may be made by any handy person by following
the measurements of the body-box, dummy, and bar-frame of
an ordinary hive, except that the nucleus hive need only be 8
inches wide. An ordinary 11 frame, C. B. D. hive, or one of
similar type, may be temporarily converted for use as a nucleus
hive by inserting two dummies in it, and making an entrance
1 inch by 3 inch half way along one side of the body-box, and
another in the centre of the back of the body-box; the back
entrance may be formed by boring straight through the back
wall of the body-box at the proper height, and the side entrance
by cutting a passage sloping upwards through the floor-board
and the base of the exterior overlapping side of the body-box
thus leaving the inner side wall intact. Fit an alighting-board
under each entrance, by tacking a side of a section to a piece
of wood screwed on to the hive. The entrance holes may be
narrowed by plugging with wood, or may be plugged up entirely
when the hive is no longer required for nuclei. The hive may
be placed on legs or on a stone.

The following is a list of the appliances and articles which
should be procured by anyone who desires
to commence beekeeping on the principles
recommended in these instructions :—
(1.) One bar-frame hive, of capacity to take three crates
of sections, with 11, 12, 18, or 14 frames and dummy ;
painted three coats; fitted with roof ventilating cones,
and Swiss metal entrance.
(2.) One quilt of jute or strong unbleached calico and two
woollen quilts.
(3.) Three economic crates.
(4.) 100 one-pound “D”’ sections.
(5.) Twenty-five 12? inch separators.
(6.) 14 Ibs. brood foundation.
(7.) 1 lb. super foundation
(8.) One tin petroleum jelly.
(9.) One subduing cloth, with stick for same.
(10.) One veil and sleevelets.
(11.) One feeder.
(12.) One wiring apparatus, with wire.
(18.) One painter’s stripping knife, or cabinet maker’s steel
scraper, for scraping frames.
(14.) One sheet of excluder zinc, 16 inches by 16 inches, or
one Wilkes wire excluder.

58. -Requisites for com-
mencing Beekeeping.
 

WARM-BOX.

8

”

.—‘* ABBOTT

8

]

Fic.
 

 

 

 

Fic. 19a.

 

Fic. 193.

Fias. 194, 198.—Two views oF Nuctevs HIvE oF CHEAP CONSTRUCIICN
MADE OUT OF AN OLD BOX.
23

(15.) One bottle of Calvert’s No. 5 carbolic acid, or other
subjugator ; one bottle of Izal.

(16.) One smoker.

(17.) One super-clearer, fitted with Porter or other’ bee-
escape.

(18.) One queen cage.

IV. SUBDUING, CONTROLLING, AND HANDLING
BEES.

Bee stings are to be avoided not only on account of the pain

which they produce, but because if one bee

59. Stings. uses its sting, it tends to irritate the others.

It is, therefore, manifest that the bee-

keeper should not only take suitable precautions to avoid being

stung, but the bees should also be handled in such a manner
as to irritate them as little as possible.

The beekeeper when manipulating bees should wear a veil (45)

and sleevelets (46). A further precaution

60. Protection from which may often be advantageously

Stings. adopted is to draw the socks over the base

of the trousers; a hat with a widish brim

should be worn, in order to prevent the veil lying against the

head ; any light-coloured hat is preferable to a black felt hat,
which bees appear to dislike.

When manipulating a stock in a hive the frames of which are

parallel to the front, as in the “C. D. B.”

61. Position of hive, the operator should stand at the back

Operator. of the hive (Fig. 18): under no conditions

should the operator stand in front of the

hive, as bees are irritated by meeting an obstacle in their line
of flight.

The operator must invariably bear in mind that success in
manipulating bees can only be obtained by

62. Handling Bees. performing all operations gently and quietly,
avoiding any rough or hasty movements

tending to irritate the bees or jar the hive. Carelessness in
lifting or returning a frame, or removing a section crate, often
results in crushing a bee and thereby giving cause for the first
sting, which may lead to the irritation of the whole stock. A
rapid motion of the hand may also produce the same effect.
When bees appear to be irritated and disposed to attack, the
operator should remain quite quiet for a moment or two; this
will probably pacify them. When handling a frame forexamina-
tion, it should be held so that the comb will always hang per-
pendicularly ; if the frame is held in such a position that the
comb would lie more or less horizontally, the comb, if soft or
heavy, would tend to bend or break away from the frame: a
suitable and convenient method of handling a frame is indi-
cated by the positions illustrated in Fig. 20. If the frame
24

shoulders have been fixed by propolis, it will be difficult to remove
them with the hands without jarring them: in such cases it is
a good plan to press the frame gently back by a lever applied
between the frames close to the shoulder. If, when holding a
frame, or during any other operation, bees creep on to the hands,
do not roughly disturb them. When holding frames, keep them
as much as is possible over the body-box, so that the queen or
any bees when falling may drop into it. When it is desired to
remove bees from a frame of comb, this can be done by giving
the frame a sharp jerk downwards while holding it over the brood
chamber, provided that the comb is fairly tough and rigid, such
as comb which has contained brood ; if, however, the comb in
the frame is new and soft, or if it contains much thin unripe
honey, as would frequently be the case during the honey flow
period, the bees should be brushed off the frames with a wing
or feather; soft comb, especially if it is carrying honey, would
easily be broken or damaged by a jerk, and it would not be pos-
sible to jerk the bees off a comb carrying thin unripe honey,
without slinging honey over, into, and about the hive, thereby
doing much harm in many ways. A little vaseline rubbed over
the fingers wiil prevent propolis adhering to them, and will lessen
the chance of receiving stings. Bees are quieter in the morning
than in the afternoon or evening; the examination of stocks,
and most operations, should therefore, so far as possible, be
performed in the morning; certain operations should be per-
formed in the late afternoon or evening ; this will be mentioned
when describing such operations.

When bees in a hive are frightened, they at once gorge them-

selves with honey, in which condition they

63. Controlling and find it difficult and probably painful to use

Subduing. their stings; hence when gorged, bees will

only use their stings under great provoca-

tion. Obviously, therefore, a simple method to prevent stinging

is to induce the bees to gorge, which can be done by the methods
described in the three following paragraphs.

When about to examine a hive, first take one or two long, strong
feathers such as goose quills, saturated with

64. Use of Subduing subduing solution (180), and push them
Feather. as far as possible into the hive through the

door and under the frames, leaving them

thus (Fig. 18); then take off the roof and any coverings over
the quilt; it will generally be most convenient to remove the
lift aiso; then with a feather smear the frame shoulders with
subduing solution ; this tends to prevent the bees running out
on the shoulders of the frame while it is held by the operator.

Having inserted the subduing feathers, damp the subduing cloth
.__ (48) with subduing solution (180), insert the

65. Use of Subduing stick, and then while holding the stick in
Cloth, one hand, with the other take hold of the

side edge of the quilt and gently peel it off, and as the upturned
 

 

 

B. Second Position.

 

 

C. Third Position,

Fic. 20.—How to Hanpre A Framer wHen TurRNING It.

(Continued on next page.)
 

 

D. Fourth Position.

 

E. Final Position.

Fic. 20 (contd.)—How to HanpLE A FRAME WHEN TURNING IT.
25

quilt is drawn off exposing the top bars of the frames, draw the
subduing cloth after it, so that it shall lie on the frames (Fig. 21).
Then lay the quilt on the ground under side up, in front of and
pay lying on the alighting board, so that the bees adhering
to :< may pass into the hive. If it is desired to examine the
bac: frames only, the quilt should be peeled off from back to
fronc, as far as necessary, drawing the subduing cloth over the
frames as the quilt is removed. If after a little time the bees
show a continued inclination to surge up to the top of the
frames, the feathers (64) should be withdrawn from the
entrance. The subduing cloth should be allowed to rest on the
frames for from one to three minutes according to the special
circumstances of the case; if it is left on too long the bees will
be driven off the brood combs, and the brood would be liable
to be chilled (164). If it is necessary to lift the dummy (25),
another subduing cloth should be allowed to hang behind the
last frame ; this will drive the bees to the front, so that the rear
of the body-box (21) will be clear of bees when it is necessary
to replace the dummy. If, notwithstanding the above-men-
tioned treatment, the bees become so unmanageable as to render
manipulation difficult, it may be advisable to replace the cover-
ings and postpone operations, taking care to withdraw the sub-
duing cloth and feathers; or the smoker (66) may be used.
To replace the quilt, spread the subduing cloth over the frames ;
then spread the quilt flat on the subduing cloth; next, while
holding one side of the quilt with one hand to retain it in its
proper position, withdraw the subduing cloth with the other,
leaving the quilt ontheframes. If, asmay often occur when food
is scarce, the hive does not contain stores of unsealed food with
which the bees can gorge themselves, some syrup should be
poured on the combs so that it may trickle down them, the
bees will then readily gorge themselves with it; about two
tablespoonfuls of syrup is sufficient for a strong stock. A good
method of giving syrup for quieting is to spread a piece of
butter-muslin across the top bars, and to pour the syrup upon
it.
The use of the smoker is not recommended in ordinary practice ;
so far as possible bees should be subdued
66. Subduing with by one of the methods already described ;
Smoker. there are, however, occasions on which
the use of the smoker is recommended in

the instructions which follow.

Having charged and lighted the smoker (44), insert the nozzle
at the hive door, and then blow in three or four puffs of smoke.
Then wait for three or four minutes, after which the hive may
be uncovered as described above (65). Then turn back the
quilt and blow a few pufis of smoke on the tops of the frames as
the quilt is withdrawn; the smoker should then be placed at
hand, nozzle up, for further use when necessary.
26

V. ARRANGEMENT OF APIARY.

Unless a stock (5) is procured in a bar-frame hive, the bees

67. Commencing must necessarily be provided in one of the

Bee-keeping. following ways :—
(1.) By obtaining a natural (92) or artificial (XXTII.) swarm.
(2.) By transfer of a stock from a skep or other fixed comb
hive (87).

The necessary appliances mentioned in the list already given
(58) should be procured, and a suitable site should be selected
for the apiary.

The hives should preferably be placed in an open position, but
‘ it is desirable that they should be protected
68. Site of Apiary. from northerly winds: it is essential that
the bees should have a clear flight to the
front ; a high hedge or wall or other obstruction in front of the
hives that would impede the outward or homeward flight of
the bees is very objectionable. The site should be dry, and
grass or other herbage should be kept low immediately about
the apiary, which should be protected by a fence from disturb-
ance by live stock, and there should be sufficient clear space
behind the hives to permit of manipulating the stocks with
facility. It is inadvisable to place hives immediately in front
of a south wall, as in such a position the hive temperature is
much increased on hot days, and the variation of temperature
in the hive between the hottest part of the day and the coldest
part of the night is objectionably intensified. Whenitisintended
to have many hives in an aplary they should be at least six feet,
and if possible twelve feet or further apart. If it is necessary
to place one row of hives in front of another, there should be a
space of at least twelve feet between the rows, unless the ground
falls so rapidly as to permit the bees from the back row of hives
to have a free flight over the front row. Double rows of hives
close together should not be adopted except from want of
space, as the double row system places difficulties in the way of
manipulations. Hives should not be placed in damp or closely-
sheltered situations. When there is more than one hive in an
aplary, the hives, or at least the front of the hives, should be
painted in different colours, so that the bees may readily re-
cognise their own hives. Fig. 22 represents a well arranged
cottager’s apiary in Donegal.
The hive should stand upon a solid foundation, capable of sus-
taining it perfectly level when it is fully
69. Hive Stand. loaded with honey. A “‘C. D. B.” hive,
carrying five crates of well-filled sections
might weigh about 12 ecwt. The best description of stand is
one made of concrete; the site should be levelled, the surface
soil removed and replaced by broken stones up to the ground
level; a layer of concrete should then be put over the stones
and finished off so as to give a smooth level surface, measuring
“IVDANOG NI AUVIdWY ANVLLOO—'ZZ dL

 

WO 1) Sumpqne ‘e

“AS() NI HLOT) DNINGTAS—]Z oT

t

 
 
 

Fie. 23 —Frame Hancine on Empepprne Boarp
FOR MARKING FOR WIRING.

 

Fig. 24.—WireD FRAME.

a, b, Places where wire is tied to frame.
27

26 inches by 26 inches, at about three inches above the ground
level. It will be found convenient to use a wooden frame four
a deep in which to mould the concrete, which should consist
of :—

3 parts sharp sand,

3 parts fine broken stone,

1 part of Portland cement.

Two bent irons should be set in the concrete, one on each side
of the hive, to provide means for tying it down in windy weather.
If the site is infested by ants, a groove two inches deep and two
inches wide should be made in the concrete all round the hive
to hold water. The surface of the stand should be made quite
level, using a spirit level to ascertain that it is so. If it is
desired to have a movable stand, the concrete may be moulded
in a box, or a large flagstone may be used. It is a good plan to
lay a heavy dressing of cinders for about a yard all round the
stand to prevent the growth of herbage.

VI. WIRING FRAMES AND FIXING FOUNDATION IN
FRAMES.

Although the upper edge of the foundation is held by the top
bar of the frame (24), it is necessary to
70. Reason for _ give it further support to prevent it stretch-
Wiring. ing or breaking down under the weight of
bees which it has to support when the
brood chamber is at a high temperature ; such support is pro-
vided by fastening wires across the frames and embedding
them in the foundation.
To wire a frame, cut a piece of zinc 6 inches by 4-inch (G, Fig. 10),
or a piece of hard wood of same dimensions
71. Wiring Frames and about }-inch thick, and in this bore a
for Brood Chamber. hole with a fine bradawl at two inches from
one end, and another at 4 or 44 inches from
the same end, the holes being equidistant from either side: this
is to be reserved for use as a gauge. Hold the gauge against
one side bar of the frame so that one hole in it shall be 2 inches
from the under side of the top bar, and that the edges of the
gauge shall be flush with the edges of the side bar; then bore
holes for the embedding wire (85) through the two holes in the
gauge and through the side bar ;_ bore similar holes in the other
side bar ; cut off 44 inches of embedding wire and pass it through
the two holes nearest to the top bar (a, Fig. 24), draw the wire
through, leaving about seven inches of wire outside the frame ;
fasten it to the second side bar by taking it right round that bar,
and back through the hole, then lead it down inside the side
bar, out through the lower hole in that bar (6, Fig. 24), then right
round the bar and in through the hole to the second hole in the
opposite bar; pull each end of the wire tight enough to twang
sharply when struck, and then secure each end as shown in Fig.
25. A little experience will enable the operator to do this with-
28

out cutting the wire until all that is required has been taken off
the coil.

The following is an alternative method of wiring: Draw a
line on the embedding board parallel to and 2 inches from one
of its long sides, and another line at 4 or 4} inches from and
parallel to the same side; then write along that edge of the
board from which the measurements were taken, ‘ Place top
bar at this side, and bore for wires over horizontal lines”’; place
the embedding board flat side up on a table, allowing one end of
the board to project as far as the inner edge of the cross slip :
hang the frame by one side on the board, with its top bar
next that side which is two inches from the nearest line;
bore a hole in the centre of the frame side directly over each
line; then bore two holes in exactly similar positions in the
opposite side of the frame; the holes will be 2 inches and
4 or 43 inches respectively from the under side of the top bar.
Drive a gimp pin or light tack partially into the centre of each
side of the frame, directly over each hole ; pass an embedding
wire through the two holes nearest to the top bar, and back
through the two holes furthest from that bar, grip the wires by
hand, and pull them towards one frame side, slip the middle
of the wire over the two tacks on the other frame side, tighten
the wire and secure it by winding each end round a tack ; the
wires should be so tight as to twang sharply when struck ;
then drive the tacks home.

The above described methods of wiring (71) are the best to adopt

when stocks are to be worked mainly for

72. Wiring Frames sections, as they provide sufficient support

for Extracting. for the comb hanging perpendicularly.

Beekeepers who work largely for extracting

frequently prefer to wire the frames as shown by X, Fig. 10;

this system interferes with the brood nest more than does the

parallel wire system (71), but it supports the comb better
during the process of extracting.

To fix the foundation in the frame after the latter has been
wired, hold the frame inverted perpendicu-

73. Fixing larly, gripping it by one hand at the
Foundation in Frame. shoulder, then take a sheet of frame foun-
dation (88) in the other hand, and insert

one corner of it at that end of the centre groove on the top bar
which is next the hand holding the frame, steadying the foun-
dation with the thumb and fingers of that hand; then, with
both hands work the foundation into the centre groove (Fig. 26),
and draw it gently from side to side to work it down into its
proper position in the bottom of the groove; next hold the
frame still in inverted position in one hand, the arm being ex-
tended downwards and the frame so held that the foundation
is supported by the wires (Fig. 27), then holding the wedged slip
in a slanting position as indicated by Fig. 27, run the end of the
wedge right along the groove, so as to press the mid-rib against
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fig. 25.—MeEtHop or FasTENING_WIRE.

 

 

 

apes
ed
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3 7 I
ge rn ppg

ddd sda ven
fe aed edd
ey ee ES ee
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tie tbs

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LET PTE LIT LPL
Core Le te 4

be pee
Libs Ce eee
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| . Frame,
Fig. 26.—Piacing FounpDATION IN
ee zi
sae Te
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Fie. 27.—Weperna FounDATION IN FRAME.

 

 

 

 

 

Fic. 28.—Drivine Irons.
29

the foundation and open the groove for the wedge, after which
press the wedge tightly home in its groove, thus firmly fixing
the foundation. If the foundation has erroneously been fixed
in the outer instead of in the centre groove, it should be taken
out and correctly inserted, otherwise the comb will be useless.

To embed the wires in the frame in the foundation, lay the frame
in which the foundation has been fixed on
74. Embedding the embedding-board (86) with the wires
Foundation. above the sheet of foundation. Take care
that every part of the foundation is resting
on the board and that the wire rests evenly along the surface of
the foundation. Now take the embedder (87) and heat it in
a fire, then run it lightly along the wire with an even pressure,
so as to sink the wire into but not through the foundation ; the
embedder should be just hot enough to melt the wax sufficiently
to cause it to flow over and cover the wire.

VII. HIVING.

To prepare a hive for receiving a swarm, place the floor board
(20) in correct position on the stand.

75. Fixing Hive in With a spirit level ascertain if the floor-
position and preparing board is level; if a spirit level is not avail-
it for Swarm. able, a bowl of water may be used as a
rough substitute. If the floor-board is not

level and steady, it "should be made so by wedging up the legs
where necessary with pieces of zinc, iron, slate, or other suitable
material. Place the body-box (21) on the floor-board, taking
care that it fits closely thereto, leaving no space between the
floor-board and the back or side walls of the body-box ; when thus
correctly placed the spirit level should indicate that the body-
box is level. Smear with petroleum jelly or vaseline the upper
chamfered edges of the inner side walls of the body-box on which
the frames will rest, and the under sides and meeting points of
the shoulders of the frames which are to be inserted in the hive ;
these frames should have been previously filled with foundation
(78), unless frames filled with good empty drawn-out worker
comb are available. One frame should be provided for each
pound in weight of the swarm, allowing an extra frame if the
weight of bees exceeds any given number of pounds by half
a pound or more. Place these frames in the front part of the
body-box, behind them place the dummy (25), the sides of
which should first be smeared with petroleum jelly so that it
may slide alofig the body-box walls when pushed back or for-
ward; if a frame containing honey is available, it should be
inserted next to and in front of the dummy; then push the
dummy and frames tightly up against the front of the hive. It
is important to remember that when the hive is closed, the
shoulders of the frames in the brood chamber should always be
in close contact, those of the front frame being in contact with
the hive front; any propolis or dirt which prevents the frame
30

shoulders being in contact should be removed; spaces left
between the frame shoulders permit the escape of heat or pos-
sibly of bees, and they also permit of the comb being drawn out
beyond the proper limit, which may lead to the destruction of
bees, possibly of a queen, when the frames are pressed together.
The remaining frames of the hive may now be placed in the body-
box behind the dummy (Fig. 81). Then spread the canvas
quilt (26) over the frames, covering them so that no bees can
escape. If the quilt is wrinkled and does not lie flat, it should
be damped and flattened out. Over the quilt place a couple of
woollen or other coverings. The lift (22) should now be placed
on the body-box in its summer position, that is, resting on the
body-box ; in its winter position it is inverted, and slips down
outside the body-box; the roof (28) should then be placed on
the lift, with the cone bee-escape (42) to the front. The hive is
now ready for the swarm.

In warm weather in which swarms usually rise, it is best to
7 defer hiving the swarm until the heat of

76. Hiving a Swarm the day has passed, but on a cool day the
ee bees may be hived at any hour. The treat-

F ment of swarms is referred to later (98).

There are two methods of hiving a swarm; the best and proper
methed to follow, when circumstances permit, is to hive the
bees through the hive entrance ; but special conditions, such as
coming rain or approaching darkness, may render it desirable
to adopt the speedier method of throwing the swarm into the
brood chamber through the frames (80). To hive the swarm
through the entrance (Fig. 29), place the hiving-board (54) in
position against the alighting board (20), and spread a white
sheet on the hiving-board, placing stones on the edges of the
sheet to prevent the wind from blowing it about and to keep it
in position. Open the sliding doors of the hive to their fullest
extent; also open the floor ventilator if one is fitted. Now
bring the skep or box containing the swarm to the new hive.
If the afternoon is hot and close, it is a good plan after uncovering
the bees to sprinkle them lightly with cold water to prevent
their rising ; then catching the swarm-box or skep firmly with
both hands, jerk all or part of the bees out, depositing them on
the sheet in a continuous stream from about.six inches from the
hive entrance to the extreme lower end of the hiving-board.
This will prevent the bees unduly crowding at the entrance, and
will permit of observing the queen’s movements. Now turn
back the veil so as to facilitate finding the queerf; it is impor-
tant to discover the queen as quickly as possible, and not to lose
sight of her until she is observed entering the hive. If the
bees do not show an inclination to enter the hive, they may be
urged on with a feather ; it will soon be noticed that ee will
fen almost simultaneously towards the entrance, through
which they will move in a continuous stream. If, however,
the bees still show a disinclination to enter the hive, a sharp
 

 

Fic. 29.—Hivine Swarm THROUGH Hive ENTRANCE.
 

Fic. 30.—Drivinc Brees From A SKEP,
31

tapping on the hiving-board will make them do so. Some
operators wedge up the body-box so as to afford a freer entrance
to the bees, but this should not be done, as there is a risk of
crushing the queen when afterwards lowering the body-box.
When all the bees have entered the hive, the operation has
been completed.

For signs of queenlessness see par. 145. If the queen has been

lost in hiving a swarm, the swarm will

77. Queen lost when immediately return to its own hive, if the

Hiving. hive is in the neighbourhood ; if, however,

the swarm has been brought from a place

more than two miles distant, if possible introduce a queen (158),

or a frame bearing a queen cell containing a young queen, or

carrying eggs or young larve.

On the day after hiving a swarm, or as soon after that

Aci as possible, ascertain if any foundation

.78, Examination of p45 broken down in the hive; for instruc-

Bie ain Hiving tions as to opening and examining hive

oP Reate see Section IV. Having subdued the bees,

draw back the dummy so as to afford space to permit of the frames

being drawn back and examined one by one. If the foundation

or comb of any frame has broken down, hold the frame over the

body-box, and with a sharp jerk, shake, or with a feather, brush

the bees off it into the hive ; then insert a fresh frame of founda-
tion in place of the frame withdrawn.

The length of time which should elapse before inserting a frame
to spread the brood chamber (90) after
hiving a+ swarm will vary very much
according to circumstances, but as it is a
bad practice to open hives oftener than is
necessary for examination, it may be stated, as affording some
guidance to the beginner, that if a swarm of about four pounds
weight has been hived on say four frames, and that the weather
continues favourable and the honey flow is good, the hive
should be examined on the eighth day after hiving to ascertain
if another frame is required. For instructions as to inserting
a frame, see ‘“ Brood-spreading” (90). If after hiving a
a swarm the weather is unfavourable for gathering honey, it
may be necessary to feed the bees (108) ; after brood-spreading,
it will be necessary to attend to supering (XIII).

As already stated, it will sometimes occur that owing to threat-

be ening rain, limited daylight, or other
80. Hiving a Swarm circumstances, it is desirable that hiving
__ by Casting Bees should be performed rapidly; in such
SOE ep eE. Ko nses prepare the hive for receiving a
Swarm (75), remove the roof but not the lift, damp the
tops of the shoulders of the frames and dummy and
the channel beneath with subduing solution (180), to deter
the bees from crawling out over them, draw the dummy
to the back of the body-box and spread the frames,

79. Treatment of
Stock after Hiving
a Swarm.
32

leaving the central frames about two inches apart. Next,
if necessary, sprinkle the bees lightly with water (76), then while
firmly holding the skep or swarm-box with the open side up,
shake it so as to detach the bees from the sides, and then rapidly
reversing it, throw the bees down so that they may fall between
the frames into the body-box. Then leaving the frames spread
out, cover them at once with the quilt and replace the roof.
The bees willrapidly go down amongst theframes, after which the
dummy and frames should be pressed to the front and covered.
Next morning examine the hive and remove any frame the
foundation of which has fallen, replacing it by a new frame of
foundation (90); afterwards treat the stock as already described
in the case of a swarm hived through the entrance ('76).

VIII. DRIVING.

Driving is practised to remove bees from skeps or boxes having

fixed combs, either for the purpose of trans-

81. Driving ferring the bees to a bar-frame hive, or in

Appliances. order to make an artificial swarm; if the

bees are in a skep, have in readiness a

chair, an empty skep to receive the driven bees, two driving-

irons, a skewer, a subduing cloth (48), a feather dipped in

subduing solution (180), and if the stock is in a round-topped

skep, a bucket or large pot of such size that the skep when in-

verted may rest in it with at least half the skep exposed above the

rim of the bucket or pot. Driving irons (Fig. 28) are made of

No. 4 wire or light iron, about 12 inches long and with 14 inches
at each end turned at an angle and pointed.

Driving should be performed in the forenoon, as bees move more
sluggishly in the afternoon. It will be

82. Open Driving assumed that the stock to be driven is in
from a Skep. a skep. If the weather is moderately cool,

and the honey flow is slight, spread a

subduing cloth (48) flat under the skep, then lower the skep
down on the cloth, placing a small stone or bit of wood under
the front rim so as to keep that rim about one inch above the
subduing cloth. The fumes rising from the subduing cloth will
cause the bees to gorge (63) and drive them upwards. Then
place the bucket a few yards from the skep. After three
minutes remove the stone, let the skep down on the subduing
cloth, and then lift and invert the skep, taking care that its
mouth is entirely covered by the cloth, thus confining the bees
therein; if the weather is hot, or the honey flow is good, the
skep to be driven should be at once inverted after placing it on
the subduing cloth; then place the inverted skep in the bucket
and fix an empty skep into position on the stock hive, as in-
dicated by Fig. 30, using the skewer to pin the skeps together
where their rims meet, and the driving irons to hold the empty
skep at the proper angle ; the skeps should be skewered together
at that point on the rim of the inverted skep towards which the
33

combs run, and should be so placed that the operator when
driving shall have his back to the strongest light. Next, remove
the subduing cloth, and rap the lower hive with the hands so as
to jar the combs without detaching them ; in very hot weather
rap lightly ; the bees will soon run up into the empty skep,
a careful watch should then be kept for the queen, as it is im-
portant that the operator should be aware whether she has} or
has not passed into the upper skep. An empty skep or box to
receive flying bees should be left on the stand from which the
skep to be driven has been removed.. When all the bees, or as
many as are required, have been driven, the driving irons may
be removed, and the new hive with the driven lot may be covered
over for removal, or if it is desired to catch the flying bees in it,
it should be placed on the old skep stand; the hive from which
the bees were driven should be replaced on its stand if it is
intended that the flying bees shall return to it; whereas if all
bees have been driven from it in order that the honey comb may
be removed, it should be covered and put away so that no bees
can get at it.

In cold or wet weather, or late in the evening, driven bees are

slow to go up into the new hive; in such

83. Close Driving. circumstances it is best to place the new

skep or hive directly on the top of the old

one, and to fix it there with skewers so that the bees will not

not be able to escape; proceed then as in open driving} (82)

This is called ‘‘ close driving.”” The drawback to this method
is that the queen’s movements cannot be observed.

If the stock which is to be transferred is in a wooden box, the
same procedure should be adopted, except
84. Driving Bees that a light box may be used in preference
from a Box. to a skep for driving the bees into. This
receiving-box should be fixed in position
over the inverted box hive and held there by two nails ; to avoid
disturbing the bees before driving is commenced, the nails
should be driven through the rim of the upper box before it is
placed in position, and holes to receive them should be bored in
the rim of the lower box, after which the nails should be driven
home. If necessary, the upper box may be further supported
by one or two laths tacked to the side of each box.

IX. TRANSFERRING BEES FROM A FIXED-COMB
HIVE TO A BAR-FRAME HIVE.

A method of transferring which is often adopted, that of cutting
out the combs, fixing them in frames with
85. Transferring tape and wire, and transferring bees and
Comb and Bees from comb thus to a bar-frame hive is not re-
Fixed-Comb Hive to commended. It is very troublesome to
Bar-frame Hive. carry out, is likely to cause much loss of
brood, and is almost certain to result in

having a lot of frames with old and misshapen comb that should
be discarded.
3
34

The best time to transfer a stock from a fixed-comb hive is when
the stock is so strong that the combs are
86. Preparing a Crowded with bees, and the brood almost
stock for transfer extends to the bottom of the combs; the
from a Fixed-Comb sooner the transfer is effected after that
Hive to a Bar-frame period, the better; the earlier the transfer
Hive. is effected the better; therefore the stock
that is to be transferred should be pushed
forward by stimulative feeding (106), if it appears to be advis-
able to do so. To stimulate the stock in the fixed-comb hive,
a feeder should be fixed on the top of the box or skep containing
it, in which a hole must be cut for this purpose; the feeder
should be secured in position by wires or nails, and protected from
the weather by a covering-box or skep.

Prepare a stand (69) for the bar-frame hive. If the new hive
is to be placed on the site of the old one, a

87. Transferring good plan to follow is to move the old stock
Bees from a Fixed~ two yards straight to the front of its old
Comb Hive to a_ position, and then to provide a stand for
Bar-frame Hive. the new hive on the site of the old one. If

it is desired to place the new hive at some

distance from the site of the old one, the removal of the old one
should be carried out some time in advance as described in
paragraph 182. Prepare the bar-frame hive as for receiving
a swarm (75), giving from six to eight frames, in accordance
with the strength of the stock to be transferred ; if some only,
but not all, the frames required can be supplied filled with
empty comb, place the frames containing foundation in the
centre; push all frames to the front with the dummy, and in
the space behind the dummy place empty frames, or cover the
space with an extension board (95), the top of which should
lie flush with the tops of the bar frames. Fit a quilt of
linoleum, American cloth, or oil cloth, over the frames, and
cut in it a hole 6 to 8 inches square, or about seven inches in
diameter, in such position that the hole shall be in front of the
dummy and over the centre of the frames when the quilt is on
them. Place the skep or box containing the stock to be trans-
ferred, over the hole in the quilt (Fig. 33) put on the lift, and
pack well all round, to maintain warmth and prevent bees
getting out under the edges of the fixed comb hive, and close
the doors to 14 inches apart. Leave the feeder in position as
before (86) and attend to feeding, as it is necessary to stimulate
breeding (106). About seven to fourteen days after trans-
ferring, turn up the quilt at the front corners to ascertain if the
bees have descended to the bar frames; if they have, and if
breeding has commenced below, remove the skep, and examine
the frames for eggs or larve ; also ascertain if the queen is on the
frames; if she is not, drive the skep (82) in order to find her, secure
the quilt in its former position, place a sheet of queen excluder to
cover the hole in it (Fig. 82) andreturn the skep or box, packing
‘pavoqpred Io ‘umMeToOUTT

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Fic. 33.—Bopy-Box, wit SKEP IN
POSITION FOR TRANSFERRING.

Note.—Feeder is not shown in position,

 

Fic. 34.—-Bopy-BoX WITH QUILT ARRANGED FOR FEEDING.

i 1 i i feeder showin,

lt. H, Feeding hole in quilt. F, Graduated : g
mo Pa cap on pase, and the marker on same. 8. Feeding stage
showing curved slot: when in position for feeding, the centre of the
stage should be over the hole “ H.”
35

1t securely round the edges as before, but making in it a small
exit by which drones may escape to the roof, which should be
lifted now and then to permit them to escape; then hive the
driven bees with the queen at the entrance (76). On no account
must the queen be confined to the combs in the bar-frames, unless
eggs have been laid in those combs ;_ otherwise queens will pro-
bably be hatched in the upper or fixed-comb hive. In from seven
to fourteen days after confining the queen to the bar-frames, if
the conditions have been favourable for breeding, weather fine,
and honey coming in, it will be advisable to add a frame of
foundation, see ‘“‘ brood spreading’ (90). On the twenty-
second day after placing on the excluder, all worker brood will
be hatched out in the skep, which may then be removed; the
bees should be driven from it and hived in the bar-frame hive,
after which treat the stock in the ordinary way; or the skep
may be left in position, in order that the bees may fill the empty
combs with honey ; the excluder zinc being of course left on.

X. BROOD-SPREADING.

Brood-spreading signifies artificially assisting the expansion of the
area occupied by the brood nest, by placing
88. Reasons for a frame of foundation or empty comb in
Brood-spreading. the centre of the brood chamber for the
queen to lay in, or by transferring to the
same place a frame carrying little brood. By providing empty
cells in the centre of the brood chamber, the queen is induced
to lay more rapidly than she otherwise would; it also lessens
the tendency to swarm, by providing space for the queen to lay
in when there are few vacant cells available for that purpose.
In the early spring, the brood nest in a bar-frame hive occupies
a somewhat circular space about the centre of the middle
frames in the body-box; the area thus occupied is gradually
extended as the season advances, provided that the conditions
for breeding are favourable. The area of comb occupied by
brood in each frame diminishes the further the frame is from the
centre of the brood nest; in a strong, well-managed hive,
brood would in early summer occupy part of the eight or nine
central frames, whereas a weak stock might have brood in only
three or four frames, because the queen will limit the number
of eggs laid in accordance with the capacity of the stock to pro-
vide nurses. At times every frame in a strong stock may be
more or less occupied by brood. —— .

- i ould not be practised unless there is a
Ered Dee ee sufficient supply of food, nor in chilly,
inclement weather. If necessary, artifi-
cial feeding (108) should be resorted to,
otherwise piped: preeee re more

+c most important tha e stocks should be
harm than good. This mest Pon eeding (106) and brood
ae rene the honey flow commences locally ; in such

89. Time for Brood-
spreading.
36

cases brood-spreading carried on with care, and accompanied
by judicious feeding, may advantageously be practised, provided
that plenty of covering is provided to assist bees to keep up the
temperature of the brood nest, which must then be maintained
at a much higher temperature than would suffice in winter. It
is also necessary to practise brood-spreading when it is desired
to strengthen a stock which has been hived from a swarm (76),
or transferred from a skep (87). To ascertain when brood-
spreading is desirable, gently turn up the back of the quilt so as
to expose the top bars of the dummy and back frame to view ;
if the space between them is crowded with bees, brood-spreading
is necessary.

If in the early breeding season it is desired to encourage brood-
raising in order to strengthen the stock,

90. Method of the best course will usually be to transfer
Brocd-spreading. a frame carrying little brood from the out-
side to the centre of the brood chamber ;

if, however, an examination of the stock, made by merely turn-
ing up the back of the quilt without subduing (68) in any way,
indicates that the bees are crowded between the back frame and
the dummy, a frame of foundation may be inserted in the centre
of the brood-nest, instead of transferring a frame of brood. To
do this, first subdue (68) without using subduing feathers, draw
back the dummy and all frames behind the centre of the brood-
nest, so as to permit of transferring or inserting a frame as may
have been decided on. If a frame of foundation is to be in-
serted, mark the date on the shoulder of the top bar, smear the
shoulders with petroleum jelly (75), and place it gently in posi-
tion, without striking the combs on the adjoining frames; then
press the dummy and frames tightly to the front, and replace
the covers. When spreading brood frames do not place two
frames of foundation in the brood nest at one operation. In
ordinary conditions during summer, from seven to ten days may
be allowed to pass before examining the hive again for brood-
spreading ; when the bees are crowded between the back frame
and dummy, a frame of foundation should be given until the
hive contains the desired number of frames. It is, perhaps, well
to repeat here the caution already given, that all unnecessary
examination of brood frames is objectionable, and that the bee-
keeper should therefore endeavour to combine the operation of
brood-spreading with any other operation which may necessitate
the opening of the hive. hen the hive contains the desired
number of frames, the introduction of more frames of foundation
may be continued, if there is necessity to do so for the purpose
of replacing old or badly-shaped comb, or to get rid of frames
containing an undue amount of drone cells. If any frames are
found to contain an excess of drone comb, they should be removed,
unless they contain worker brood, in which case the frames
should be placed next the dummy, to be removed when the
brood has been hatched out. Subject to these conditions brood.
37

spreading should be discontinued when section crates are on

(110).

XI. NATURAL SWARMING.

Natural swarming and its cause has been shortly referred to

(11). The subject will now be dealt with
91. Natural Swarming. in its relation to profitable bee-keeping.

Except when the bee-keeper desires to in-
crease his stocks or to provide swarms for sale, swarming should
be prevented as far as possible. The beginner will, as a rule,
desire to increase his stocks moderately, and therefore will not
object to having a few swarms; but when the production of
honey is the main object in view, swarming must, so far as
possible, be kept down.

Amongst the signs that swarming may shortly be expected are
the following :—Bees ceasing to bring in
92. Signs of pollen, and clustering listlessly about the
Swarming. hive entrance while other stocks are at
work; a marked increase in the number of
drones on the wing on the morning of or a few hours before
swarming, these drones dashing about excitedly, making a loud
noise ; and the building of new queen cells, usually on the edges
of combs. The earliest date at which swarming will probably
take place may be estimated pretty closely by noting the age
of the brood in the most advanced queen cell (10). Top or
first swarms usually issue in the forenoon of a fine day, but may
issue at an earlier or later hour. The old fertilised queen goes
with the top swarm; if she fails to issue with or remain with
the swarm, it will return to the hive. The swarm when it issues
will probably settle on some bush orbranch adjacent to the hive;
immediate steps should then be taken to secure it for the reason
already given (11).

When the swarm is settling down, or immediately afterwards, it

should be sprinkled with cold water by
93. Securing a Swarm. means of a sprayer, syringe, or wisp, to cool

the bees, so that they shall have no tendency
to rise. The next thing is to get the swarm safely into a straw
skep, or a light box. If the position of the swarm is such that
the skep can be held underneath it to receive the bees when
jerked into it by giving a sharp upward movement to the branch
or other object to which the swarm adheres, this is a good and
simple method to adopt. It may be, however, that the swarm
is so placed that this method of securing it could not well be
carried out, in which case the skep should be fixed in position
immediately over the swarm, and as close as possible to it; if
the bees have only just settled, they will probably ascend into
it; if they do not, they may be induced to do so by placing a
cloth saturated with subduing solution (180) under them.
When by either method the swarm has been secured, the skep
should be taken down, and its mouth should be covered with
38

butter muslin or similar material, so as to confine the bees
while giving them plenty of air; it may then be left in a cool
shady place until required for hiving (76), placing it on its
side, or mouth downwards but tilted, so as to permit of ample
ventilation. If the swarm is not confined, the bees might
abscond, and either move to a distant spot selected by the
scouts, or possibly return to the hive. The flying bees will not
be lost, as they will return to the parent hive. Assuming that
it 1s not intended to dispose of the swarm, a hive should at once
be prepared for hiving it (95).

To identify the hive from which a swarm has issued, place
a teaspoonful of flour in a large cup, scoop
94. Identifying into it from the swarm about a wineglassful
Hive from which of bees, shake them up with the flour,
Swarm issued. throw them up in the air at about ten yards
from the hives, and then watch the hive

entrances to ascertain which hive the floured bees will enter.

The parent stock and swarm should be treated as follows :—
Remove the hive from which the swarm
issued to a temporary position about a yard
from its original stand; then place an
empty hive on the stand thus vacated, and
prepare this hive as for receiving a swarm ('75), except that only
one frame of foundation is required. Then open the parent hive,
and take from it the two frames which contain most capped
brood, brush the bees off them, and place them in the new hive ;
then transfer the front frame, probably containing pollen, from
the parent hive to the front of the new hive, and if the parent
stock is a strong one of ten or eleven frames, remove also the
back frame from the parent hive to the back of the new hive ;
any queen cells on these frames should be removed ; then arrange
these frames in the new hive in the following order :—

(1.) Front or pollen frame.
(2.) Capped brood frame.
(8.) Foundation frame.
(4.) Capped brood frame.
(5.) Frame of honey (if parent hive is strong.)

The dummy should now be inserted, and all the frames
should be pushed forward into their correct positions ('75).
Then place an extension board sixteen and one-half inches long
by four inches wide by half-an-inch thick, behind the dummy,
resting it on the sides of the body-box ; this board is thus placed
to prevent the bees passing down behind the dummy from a
crate of sections ; the top of this board should be flush with the
top of the dummy. Next place a new crate of sections on the
hive (110), and over it place any crates that may have been on
the parent stock, without removing the bees from them. Then
cover and roof. Next place the parent stock on a new stand
at some distance from its old stand, after which hive the swarm
('76) in the new hive. This is the best procedure to adopt with

95, Treatment of
Parent Stock and
Swarm.
39

the first swarm when it is desired to get as much honey as possible
and no serious objection exists to forming a new stock. Firstly,
it is the best known preventive of after swarms or “ casts ” (100)
as all the bees which issue from the parent hive on the day alter
swarming will return to the new hive, leaving the parent stock
too weak in bees to allow casts to issue from it. Secondly, the
bees in the new hive, having very little brood to feed, can for the
next fourteen days devote themselves almost entirely to honey
collecting. On the following day all queen cells (9) except the
two best should be removed from the combs of the parent hive,
if possible leaving two good cells of different ages, one capped,
the other uncapped ; or a mated queen, if one is available, may
be introduced (158), in which case the queen cells should be
removed.

If the bee-keeper does not wish to increase the number of stocks
' in the apiary, or has not a spare hive, the
96. Alternative following modification of the procedure
Peete oe just described (95) should be adopted. It
: will be assumed that there are at least two
increase of Stocks. . :
or three bar-frame stocks in the apiary.
Secure the swarm as already described (98). Then transfer all
the frames in the parent hive into a suitable box in which they
can be suspended and covered, keeping them’ in the order in
which they hung in the old hive, and leaving a small aperture to
serve as a door; this box should be placed close to the old hive
so that flying bees may enter it. Then clean out the hive from
which the frames have been removed, prepare it to receive
the swarm and frames (75), and replace it on its stand. Now
return to the old hive the front and back frames, replacing them
in their original positions; then select the four frames having
most capped brood and replace them in the parent hive, destroy
all queen cells on frames thus returned, and also place one frame
of foundation in the centre of the brood frames: the frames in
the parent hive will accordingly be hung in the following order,
viz. :—
(1.) Front or pollen frame.
(2 & 3.) Two frames of capped brood.
(4.) One frame of foundation.
(5 & 6.) Two frames of capped brood.
(7.) One frame of honey (back frame).

Next insert the dummy, press all frames forward into position,
fit an extension board (95) behind the dummy and place super
crates, as above explained (95) ; then brush all adhering bees off
the frames remaining in the box, remove all queen cells from
them, and distribute those which contain eggs or brood amongst
the other hives in the apiary, if necessary withdrawing from such
hives frames which contain honey or pollen only, so as to make
room. The frames without brood should then be stored away
for later use, placing them hanging as in a hive, in a dry place
to which wasps and bees have not access.
40

If for any reason the procedure recommended in paragraph 96
cannot be adopted, and yet that it is
97. Returning Swarm desired not to increase the number of stocks,
to Parent Stock. the swarm should be hived in a box or skep
and kept therein in a cool place until
evening, when it should be returned to the parent stock, as when
hiving a swarm. Before returning the swarm, examine the
parent stock and remove all queen cells; if desired remove
completed crates ; then put a frame of foundation in the centre,
if necessary removing a front or back frame to provide room.
If a hive is being worked for extracting, transfer to the super-
box of the extracting hive as many frames of brood as
may be removed in accordance with the instructions given in
paragraph 98.

If, as is improbable, the swarm issued from a hive which had
been supered with frames for extracting, or
98. Treatment of from one which had not been supered, but
Swarm which issues which it is intended to work for extracting,
from Hive Supered the procedure would be slightly different ;
for Extracting. still assuming that it is not desired to in-
crease the stocks, first, in the case of a
hive supered for extracting, instead of transferring the frames
from the parent hive to a box as directed in paragraph 96,
remove from the super-box as many frames as are fit for removal
for extracting, extract them, and in their place transfer from the
brood chamber to the super-box as many of the most advanced
brood frames, not exceeding six, as there is room for in the super-
box, removing all queen cells from them. Next examine
the remaining frames in the brood chamber and remove all
queen cells; then place three or four frames of foundation in
the brood chamber, alternating them with the frames left therein ;
fit an extension board (95) behind the dummy to fill the space
under the doubling box left vacant by the removal of frames ;
replace the super, and then return the swarm to the parent hive
by the entrance (76).

If the hive which swarmed had not been supered, but is to be

worked for extracting, and has been so far

properly treated, and is therefore fit for

7 _ ©... supering, hive the swarm in a box (97),

ea aR aE fice act according to the instructions given

for Extracting. in paragraph 120, and then return the
swarm to the hive by the entrance ('76).

99. Treatment of
Swarm issuing from

Casts are swarms which issue after the first swarm (12). If
honey production is the first consideration,

100. Treatment of they should be suppressed as much as
Casts. possible by adopting the treatment recom-
mended in paragraphs 18, 95, 96 ; but

if the object is to produce swarms for sale, the first or even
subsequent casts may be taken by experienced bee-keepers
41

who would have the knowledge requisite to enable them to deal
properly with both the cast and the parent stock under varying
conditions; it is advised that the inexperienced bee-keeper
should return a cast to the parent stock (97).

XII, FEEDING.

Feeding is necessary from time to time throughout =the year
for the following reasons :—
101. Reasons for In Summer :—{a.) When, owing to un-
Feeding. favourable weather the inflow of honey is
so precarious that unless food is supplied,
breeding will be slackened or cease, or brood may be cast out.
(b.) To assist swarms to develop when the honey flow is in-
sufficient. (c.) To assist a stock during or after transfer from
a fixed comb hive (87).
In Autumn : —(a.) To stimulate breeding. (b.) To bring the
winter food supply up to the proper weight.
In Spring :—To stimulate breeding, and to preserve the lives
of bees when their stores are running short.

The feeder (88) is used as follows:—Cut a hole in the
quilt of a size to suit the feeder to be
used; the centre of the hole to be about
six inches from the front edge of the
quilt and midway between its sides,
leaving a section uncut so that the flap may
be turned back for feeding and afterwards replaced (Fig. 34).
Place the feeder or feeding stage over the opened hole in the quilt,
and pour into the feeder the desired amount of syrup. Then
cover the feeder and brood nest amply with warm coverings,
taking care when packing not to push the feeder out of position.
At all times when feeding is practised, the food should be given
in the evening after the bees have stopped flying ;_ this is neces-
sary as a precaution against inciting to robbing (141).

102. Method of
Using Feeder.

If the weather is warm and the honey flow good after a swarm
has been hived (76), the bees should be
103. Summer Feeding. able to provide for themselves; but if the
weather is wet or cold, or if the bees are
bringing in little honey, the swarm should be fed with one quart
of summer syrup (178) by quick feeding (40), after which slow
feeding (88) may be given if necessary. It is to be noted that
no harm can at any time accrue by feeding a swarm until supers
can be put on (108), provided that the feeding is limited to
what is necessary, but very serious harm may ensue if the swarm
is left without food when food is wanted. Breeding should be
encouraged in the case of a newly-hived swarm, and it will cease
if the food supply falls too low. Dead brood lying at the hive
entrance is an almost certain indication that the stock is starv-
ing; sometimes, but rarely, it is the result of robbing.
It is generally considered by beekeepers that stocks may be
42

safely left to take care of themselves as to food supply during
the summer, but they frequently suffer severely from want of
food during that period. Honey is often very scarce during the
period after the early tree blossoms have gone and before white
clover is in full bloom, and again when the white clover bloom
is over and before ling-heather is in bloom ; stocks may dwindle
so much during these intervals as to be unable to recover strength
in time to make use of the succeeding honey flow. The necessity
for feeding at such periods is therefore obvious. At such times
supers not containing honey should be removed, unless the stock
is so strong as to require one for extra space. If there is honey
available in sections, it may be fed as described below, but it
is best not to leave more than one crate on under such conditions ;
if the stock’s food supply is low, and comb honey is not avail-
able for food, feeding as necessary with summer syrup (178)
should be adopted. If the stock is on the verge of starvation
when noticed, give one quart of summer syrup rapidly. If,
however, it is only necessary to keep a strong stock in good
breeding condition, so that it will be capable of taking full
advantage of the return of the honey flow, give about } to 4 pint
of summer syrup daily. The honey in uncompleted sections
may advantageously be fed to bees. If there are only a few
such sections they should be placed behind the dummy, in the
lower edge of which a passage is in. to 3 in. deep should be cut for
the workers topassthrough. Agood method for providing sucha
passage, is to cut a piece 2 in. wide by 3 in. deep out of the base
of the dummy, and to fix it in its place again by a fine screw or
nail driven through its centre up into the dummy ; its ends may
be slightly bevelled : this piece of wood may be turned as desired
to open or close the passage from the brood chamber to the rear
of the dummy ; if there are many sections they may be left in
a crate on the hive, turning back the fore end of the quilt to let
the bees come up between the two front frames. The unripe
honey taken from the ripener (124) may advantageously be
used for summer feeding, either by itself, or mixed with summer
syrup. Ifa stock is found to be without food, a good method
of affording immediate relief is to take out a back frame contain-
ing a large number of empty cells, lay it down flat on one of its
sides and pour summer syrup slowly over the face of the comb,
so that it shall flow into the empty cells on the upper side of the
comb ; then return the frame, placing it at the back of the brood
nest.

When it is desired to stimulate breeding in order to bring a

stock up to the full strength for wintering,
104. Autumn Feeding. it should be fed with two holes, but not

more, of summer syrup (88, 178). In
order that a stock may winter safely, it should be provided with
at least twenty, but preferably thirty, pounds of capped honey
in frames. A well-filled frame will contain about five pounds of
honey. If the bees have not been able to provide sufficient store
43

after the removal of supers in autumn, they should be fed
rapidly with autumn syrup (179), replenishing the feeder with
warm syrup as often as it is emptied: this feeding should be
given rapidly, as all the food store must ripen in the cells before
it can be capped, and it is therefore necessary to supply it before
the period passes away in which capping can be completed (126).
A cheap pattern quick feeder holding about one quart (40)
or the round tin feeder (88), holding one quart, would , be
very suitable for autumn rapid feeding.

The beekeeper should seize the first favourable opportunity on
a mild day in February to examine his
105. Supplemental hives in order to ascertain if the food
cs of supply is sufficient. The bees will not
i empty the upper portions of the back
frames until all their other food supply has been exhausted: if,
therefore, the cells in the upper portion of the back frame are
empty, it is a clear indication that food is required. At this
examination the bees should be disturbed as little as possible ;
therefore, neither smoke nor the subduing cloth should be used
to subdue the bees. The coverings should be removed to permit
the back of the quilt being gently turned forward until the three
back frames can be seen; a subduing feather (64) may if neces-
sary, be used to brush down the bees which rise ; if the cells in
these frames are capped, as far as can be seen without removing
the frames, no food need be given; but if they are empty, and
a frame of honey is not available, a cake of about five pounds
weight of soft candy (174) should be placed on the frames over
the brood nest under the quilt. This should support the bees
until spring stimulative feeding is necessary.

The stocks should again be examined on a suitable day about
the middle of March; if it is then noticed

106. Spring that the food supply is short, they should in
Stimulative Feeding. late districts receive candy, preferably flour
candy, given as above described (105). If,

however, there is a sufficient food supply, stimulative feeding
may be commenced when the time for it has arrived. In those
districts in which in ordinary seasons there is a good flow of
honey in May and June from tree blossoms, clover, &c., it is
very desirable to stimulate early breeding; in such districts
stimulative feeding may be commenced about the middle of
March: if the bees are flying freely and carrying pollen to the
hive it is a sign that stimulative feeding may be given. If
pollen-bearing flowers do not abound in the district at this
period, about a teaspoonful of pea flour per hive should be placed
in some sheltered spot to which the bees have ready access ;
if no such suitable spot exists, an artificial shelter can be erected
for the purpose near the hives; or a little pea flour may be
dredged over flowers. If the district is one in which little
honey is gathered before July, stimulative feeding should not
44

be resorted to until April. If it is desired to stimulate breeding,
scrape away the capping from about 2 to 3 square inches of
comb, using a subduing feather between the frames to move
the bees off the comb surface which is to be thus treated. The
frame should be drawn back, not lifted up, for this operation.
Repeat this process as necessity arises, increasing or decreasing
the area of comb treated as may appear to be advisable. It
would usually be sufficient to scrape the comb about once a week,
but care should be taken at all times to leave a fair amount of
sealed store untouched, say 14 to 2 in. in depth of sealed store on
each of four frames. If there is not sufficient sealed store to
permit of utilising it as above recommended, and in any case
when the above treatment has started breeding fairly well,
stimulative feeding by means of spring syrup (178), given by a
feeder, should be commenced. The syrup should be given warm
every evening, one hole of the feeder only being opened (88),
and the supply should be shut off in the morning. The actual
amount required will vary greatly ; it should usually suffice to
commence with about a quarter of a gill, and gradually to increase
the quantity as required, taking care never to give so much that
the bees will store it, and not to give syrup when the bees can
collect enough food from flowers. Any honey which has been
held over during winter in frames may advantageously be used
for spring stimulative feeding, placing the frame at the back of
the brood nest, and removing any empty frames not required.
When spring feeding is being carried on, a half-inch wide opening
only should be left between the hive doors, as a preventive
against robbing (140).

XIII. PRODUCTION OF SURPLUS HONEY FOR SALE
OR CONSUMPTION.

The production of surplus honey in bar-frame hives is carried
on in two ways :—
107. Methods of (a.) By producing comb honey in sec-

Producing Honey tions ;
for Sale. (b.) By extracting liquid honey from
combs.

A strong stock would usually be ready for supering in early

honey districts in Ireland, about the middle

408. Time for of May: in exceptionally early seasons

Supering. they may be ready towards the end

of April. To ascertain if a stock is ready

for a super, peel off the quilt (65) sufficiently to expose about

half of each frame to to view; if on examining the frames

from above it is noticed that on ten frames the bees are

crowded, and that they have added new white comb to the

old comb to a depth of about }-inch on each side of the top

bars in order to provide increased storage space for honey, a
super may be put on.
 

 

Fic. 35.—PbLacinc FOUNDATION IN SECTIONS.
 

 

Fic. 36.—Economic CRATE FILLED witH “D”
SECTIONS.

X, Section placed with wrong side up.
45

To prepare an economic section-crate for use, it is first’ necessary
to fold the sections (27) required into shape:
109. Preparing todo this, damp the grooved V-joints, then
Economie Section- bend three sides inward until they form a
erate. square with the V-joints closed and lock the
dove-tails (Fig. 6); this can be done con-
veniently by folding the section in an empty section-crate (29),
using the side of the crate to ensure that the section when folded
is square ; then place three folded ‘“‘ D ”’ sections’ (27) in'a row
across the front end of the section-crate (29), pressing them close
up to that end of the crate, the unsplit side of each section resting
on the crate rails. Wedge them in this position by inserting a
wedge of wood between the front half of one section and the
crate side, then while standing behind the crate, open the split
in all three sections by drawing back the back halves of the
sections with one hand (Fig. 35), then, with the other hand
insert a 122-inch by 44-inch sheet of section foundation (84) into
the space thus formed, letting it go well down into the splits ;
the thickness of the foundation will prevent its being let down
as far as is necessary, therefore squeeze it by closing the sections,
after which again draw back the back halves and lower the
foundation into its proper place, almost to the bottom? of the
sections, leaving the upper edge of the foundation flush with
the tops of the sections ; press the halves of the sections tightly
together. with the follower (29), and if the operation {has
been neatly performed the foundation will be fixed in correct
position and free from buckles. Next place a long separator
(28) in position against this first row of sections,;and place
and fill the remaining sections in the same way until the
crate contains twenty-one sections. Then place the follower
behind the last row of sections, taking care to turn the
bevelled edge towards them, and wedge it tightly against
them by inserting two or three springs (29) between it
and the back of the crate (Fig. 36). The first crate to be put
on a hive should be covered with a piece of calico or other suitable
cheap strong material, cut 18 inches by 18 inches, damped,
and stretched neatly over the sections; over this should be
placed another cover of woollen material, large enough to fall
over the sides of the crate; it should be secured by a cord
passed round the sides and tied firmly. Crates should be covered
to protect from dust until required for use. Before placing a
crate on a hive, smear the under sides of the crate including the
laths with petroleum jelly, to prevent its being propolised and
thus causing trouble when removed.

To place a section crate, uncover the hive, remove the lift, place
5 . the crate on the lift, remove the quilt, and
aoe she Section- + the same time draw the subduing cloth

eee over the frames (65) (Fig. 21); then with
a hand on each side of the crate, hold it over and just clear of the
cloth. While doing so grip the stick of the subduing cloth with
46

the fingers (Fig. 37c) of one hand, and with a rapid movement to
one side jerk off the cloth and at once place the crate in position
over the frames (Fig. 37p). If these movements are performed
quickly, it will be possible to place the crate before a bee rises
above the frames. The crate should be placed with its narrowest
side to the front of the hive on an 11-frame hive, and with its
broadest side to the front on a 10-frame hive. The front side
of the crate should rest on the top bar of the front frame, and
the sides of the crate should so cover the shoulders of the frames
as to leave no spaces through which bees or heat can escape
from the brood-chamber. If for any reason the crate is placed
over less than nine frames, fit an extension board (95), 164
inches long, 4-inch thick, and as wide as is necessary, to lie
across the body-box behind the dummy, so as to prevent
bees getting behind the dummy; the top of this board
should lie flush with the tops of the frames. Now, replace the
lift, and pack well with cloths all round and over the crate, to
prevent the escape of heat, taking care when doing so to pack
well round the edge of the crate, and to avoid moving the crate
out of position. Then place wedges between the back of the
hive and the top bar of the dummy, to keep the latter in position.

If the conditions are favourable for collecting honey, and the
stock is strong, it should be capable of

111. Tiering. taking another crate in about seven or ten
days. Under very favourable conditions

it might be advisable to give a second crate on the fourth to
sixth day after giving the first. It is most important to provide
additional storing accommodation for the bees in advance of
their requirements, as otherwise they will probably start queen
cells and prepare for swarming (91), which should be avoided
if the production of honey is the object in view. The objection
to putting on a second crate before it is required is that to do
so would cool and therefore retard the progress of the hive. In
exceptional circumstances the experienced bee-heeper may put
on two crates together if he cannot add the second crate at the
proper time, but this practice is one that should be avoided, if
possible. If the weather has been favourable for honey gather-
ing after putting on the first crate of sections, the beekeeper,
guided by what has been stated, should examine the crate when
or soon after it has been four days on, to ascertain if the bees
are ready for a second crate. To do this, the covering of the
crate should be removed just enough to permit of examining the
outer sides of the last row of sections; the follower should not be
removed, nor should the sections be disturbed, but the upper
edge of the follower may be drawn back against the springs to
widen the area of observation. If it is noticed that the combs
are crowded with bees, or that the foundation sheets in the sec-
tions have been partially drawn out, asecond crate may be added
if the weather is favourable ; but if the weather is unfavourable
it should not be added until there is a change for the better.
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‘ONIUGLT— ape “oy ‘ONIVAILT—'OLe “OIA

 
47

If, however, there are very few bees on the sides of the three
back sections facing the follower, or if these sections have not been
drawn out, a second crate should not be given until it has been
ascertained by a further examination that one is required. To
place the second crate or subsequent crates in position, proceed
as follows :—Place the lift on the ground just by the hive, and
on it place angle-wise, the new crate of sections (Fig. 37a) ; then,
without lifting the crate which is on the hive, gently twist it
from side to side to insure that it is free; if it is propolised, a
knife-blade or turnscrew may be used to free it; then, having
inserted the stick in the subduing cloth (48), place the stick
against one side of the crate on the hive, seize the crate with
both hands, gripping the stick of the cloth with the little finger
of one hand (Fig. 37a), lift the crate, and in removing it draw the
cloth across the frames and leave it on them, completely covering
them ; then hold the old crate just over but clear of the cloth, so
as to drive the bees up into thesections, and then place it correctly
in position on the top of the new crate, taking care to see
that it is so placed as to prevent bees escaping between the
crates (Fig. 37s). The frames should now be carefully examined
for queen cells, which if found should be removed. Then grip
the lower crate with both hands (Fig. 378), hold the crates over
the subduing cloth, and while doing so grip the stick of the cloth
with the fingers of one hand (Fig. 37c), then with a rapid move-
ment to one side jerk the cloth off the frames, place the crates
in position on the body-box (Fig. 37p), and pack them precisely
as explained above for placing the first crate (110). It is very
important that the crates should be well covered with packing
material on all sides as well as on the top; if the crates are not
well covered all round, the outside sections will probably be in-
completely capped, the honey in the cells failing to ripen owing
to want of heat. A good method of packing two or more crates,
is to wind a long strip of flannel, flannelette, or other suitable
packing material, round the sides of the crates, and to fasten it
with twine or pins ; then put on the lift, and complete packing at
thesidesandtop; themethod often adopted of forcing the packing
material down between the crates and lift with a narrow lath,
is not so effective, and unless very carefully done, the operator
is liable to press the crates out of their proper position and thus
to leave spaces by which heat and bees may escape. If the
weather continues favourable, in about ten days later a further
examination should be made to ascertain if a third crate is
required. If the back sections of the upper crate are then
crowded with bees, it may be assumed that a third crate is
required ; the same procedure should be adopted in placing it
as that above recommended for placing a second crate. If the
stock is very strong, and the season is good for gathering honey,
it may in certain circumstances be advisable to tier up to four or
five crates in a similar manner, but a second lift will be required
formore than three crates. This lift, which may be purchased, or
made locally, should be deep enough to take two extra crates,
48

and made so that it shall rest on the lower lift, its sides flush
with the sides of the lower lift, on which it is held by a 2-inch by
3-inch slip, tacked all round its outside lower edges. The
advantages gained by tiering four or five crates together are that
(a.) The bee-keeper can then absent himself for a longer
period than would otherwise be possible, with the assurance that
the bees will have space enough for storing. (b.) The bees will
not be disturbed or irritated by the removal of their stores.

The objections to tiering more than three crates are :—(a.)
That if a bad spell of weather comes, the bees may rob the upper
crates. (b.) It may be more profitable to market the finished
sections at once, rather than to hold then over. (c.) The sections
may not be so well drawn out and filled, and hence not so heavy
as when the storage space is smaller. (d.) The bees moving over
completed sections are likely to spoil their appearance, and thus
reduce their market value.

The method of tiering above described is that which should be
adopted under normal conditions, but if the honey flow is irre-
gular, or if the close of the honey season is approaching it is best
to place the empty crate on the top of those on the body-box.

 

One or more crates of sections may be removed at any time
after the sections have been completely

112. Removing sealed, which may be ascertained by look-
Section-crates. | ing to see (111) if the sides of the sections
next the last row are sealed; if that is so,

the crates to be taken off may be removed on the morning
of a fine day when the bees are flying freely, in the follow-
ing manner:—Take off the crates which it is desired to
remove and clear of bees, then repack as before those crates
if any, to be left on; place the crates which are to be cleared on
the top of the packing, inverting any which are completed, so
as to avoid bringing brace combs which may be attached to the
crates into contact with the hive coverings, or crushing bees
which are clustering under the crates. Pack round but not
over these crates. This operation should never be performed in
the afternoon, as the bees, if they did not clear out of the crates
before evening, would almost certainly puncture the sections.
Before replacing the roof, see that the cone escape is clear. The
bees should nearly all pass out by the evening; if they remain in
the crates, search carefully for the queen, as it is possible that
she may have ascended into the crates. Care should be taken not
to over-subdue the bees when about to remove crates, as such
procedure is calculated to make them puncture the capping.
The bees should nearly all pass out by the evening ; the crates
may then be removed. Ifthe honey flow ceases during the sum-
mer when crates are on, and may not be expected to come on
again for some time, remove crates which contain completed
sections, take out the latter, and make up a crate with the best
unfinished sections, adding new sections as necessary, and
replace the crate on the hive, holding over other incompleted
 

 

Fic. 38.—Srction or C. D. B. Hive, sHowinc THREE
CRATES OF SECTIONS IN PosITION.

Nore.—Top sections completed; middle row partially
filled ; bottom row contains foundations only.
 

Fic. 39.—SuPER-CLEARER IN POSITION.

8, Supcr-clearer.

 

Fig. 49.—Rack vor spacInc FRAMES IN DOUBLING-BOX.
49

sections for use when the honey flow comes on again. If crates
containing completed sections are left on when the honey-flow
has so far fallen off as to make the bees cease storing in the
supers, the completed sections will probably be more or less
damaged in appearance by the bees. The beekeeper must bear
in mind that if the honey flow ceases during the ordinary period
of its continuance, it is frequently advisable and sometimes
essential to supply the bees with syrup to prevent the stock
dwindling (108). The beekeeper may prefer to let the bees take
down the honey from the supers, but even that supply of food
may be insufficient to maintain a stock at this period. Many
stocks have perished from inattention to this matter.

If 1t is preferred to use the wooden super-clearer (41), remove
the lift (22) and place it on level ground
pee close to the hive ; place the super-clearer on
escape the lift ; then remove the crates that are to
, be cleared (111), place them on the super-
clearer, and at once replace them on the hive as before, but with
the super-clearer underneath them. Bees will pass out from the
crates by the super-clearer both by night and day, whereas they
will only use the cone bee-escape (42) in the roof, when bees are
flying in the daytime.
Towards the close of the honey season it is necessary to provide
for the completion of as many sections as
114. EA ialcnee of possible. When it is considered that the
ee honey flow will not last much longer, all
; the crates should be removed and taken to
a room to which bees and wasps have not access. Then take
out the sections, put away those that are completed, and replace
the unsealed sections in an economic crate (29), putting the most
advanced sections on the outer side of the crate, with the six
section sides which are most thoroughly sealed to the front and
back of the crate respectively, and the least advanced sections
in the centre ; if there are not sufficient sections for an econcmic
crate, one or two divisions of the divisional crate (80) may be
used (116) ; then replace the crate of unfinished sections on the
hive in order that the bees may fill and complete them cr take
the honey down to the hive, as will be determined by the season.
If there is little or no honey coming in, the uncompleted sections
should be given to the bees behind the dummy, as described in
paragraph 108, to empty as rapidly as possible. The empty
sections may then be put away for use next season, taking care
to wrap them up carefully in paper, cardboard boxes, or other
suitable covering, so that they may be inaccessible to spiders, &c.
If a spare economic crate is available, it will be most convenient
f to fill the sections as described in paragraph
115. Preparing 109, and then to separate them by cutting
Divisional Section through the foundation between each pair
Crate for Use. oF sections with a knife, or by breaking the
connection by twisting the sections while holding them firmly,
4
50

one in each hand, so that the foundation within each section
shall not be disturbed ; if an economic crate is not available,
the same procedure may be followed, if the sections are placed
in a line on a table, and held firmiy together asthey would be if
in a crate; the sections may then be placed in the divisional
crate, taking care so to insert the separators that the beeways
shall be at the top and bottom.

When it is desired to use one division, or two divisions only of

a divisional crate, to finish off sections,

116. Using Divisional they should be placed on the hive in the

Crate. same manner as an economic crate (110),

but the space over the frames on either side

of the crate or crates should be covered with two strips of canvas

or other suitable material, which the bees will not eat through, the

inner edges of which should be just caught under the sides of the

erate. The crates should, of course, be warmly packed all over,
as when using large crates,

The bee-keeper must ever remember that success in supering
greatly depends upon very thoroughly and
117. Packing Section- carefully packing all round the super-
crates. crates, so that they may retain sufficient
warmth to induce the bees to work in
them ; it frequently occurs that bees refuse to go up into supers,
solely because the covering has been carelessly put on, and the
temperature of the supers is too low. A little experience in
supering will indicate to the beginner that the outer sections in
a crate are generally the worst, not being so well drawn out or
filled as those in the warmer interior parts of the crate; this
clearly indicates the importance of carefully packing super-
crates, using plenty of material for doing so. In very hot
weather, when bees are clustering outside the hive it is
advisable to reduce the amount of covering over the quilt, or so
to loosen the covering as to provide extra ventilation ; but care
should be taken to make sure that sufficient covering is replaced
before night.

XIV. WORKING HIVES FOR EXTRACTING.

Extracting signifies the operation of removing honey from the
comb by a centrifugal machine, which
118. Extracting leaves the empty comb in a fit condition
versus Sections. to be returned to the hive that it may be
refilled by the bees. Hives may be
worked for extracting as an alternative to, or in conjunction
with, the production of section honey. It is not advisable to
work for extracting when there are less than four stocks in an
apiary, nor when heather is the principal source from which
honey is obtained. The relative merits of the two systems of
producing honey may be shortly summarized as follows :—
The advantages of extracting are :—
(a.) Greatly increased honey production; a stock which
51

would on the average produce 60 lbs. of section honey,
would probably produce 100 lbs. of extracted honey
per annum.

(b.) Cheaper production of honey per pound, neither sections
nor section foundation being required.

{c.) Very considerable reduction in the cost of forwarding to
market, due to the fact that extracted honey can
be easily and cheaply packed to bear transit without
injury.

(d.) Extracted honey, when held over for a lengthened
period, deteriorates in quality less than section honey
unless the latter is treated with exceptional care ;
all honey is likely to granulate when stored in a cool
temperature, say below about 55° F.; granulation
deteriorates and reduces the market value of comb
honey more than that of extracted honey.

(e.) It facilitates the management of an apiary, and when
properly worked is probably the most effectual method
of preventing swarming.

The disadvantages of extraction as compared with working

for sections are as follows :—

(a.) The initial cost is usually greater, as it is necessary to
provide an extractor (49), ripener (50), strainer (51),
uncapping-knife (52), doubling-box (81), and a frame-
box (58), the whole costing from about £2 10s.upwards.

(b.) If an extractor is used in common by several bee-keepers,
the chances of spreading foul brood (165), if it exists
in the district, are increased.

(c.) Section honey of good quality can generally be sold for
at least 50 per cent. more per pound than extracted

honey.

It will be assumed that the apiary consists of four stocks, and
that it is proposed to work two of these

119. Preparation of sy ee and oe Fae gee
: A arch, or early in Apri, selec e two
Srgeks (pe Better nue. strongest stocks for extracting; other
_ things being equal, the preference should

be given to Italian bees (5), pure or cross-bred, as they excel
as honey gatherers. If it is convenient to do so, it is advisable
to use a 18 or 14 framed hive (21) for the stock which is to be
worked up for extracting. Stimulate (106), if necessary,
and pay attention to brood-spreading, in order to make the
stocks as strong as possible. When the other two stocks which
are to be worked for sections are strong in brood, withdraw from
each of them the frame containing most capped brood, brush
all bees off, and place one of these frames in each hive which is
to be worked for extracting. If the apiary contains a backward
but healthy stock, it may advantageously be united (188) to
the stock which is to be worked for extracting ; this operation
may be conveniently carried out at the time of doubling (120),
52

but of course the stocks to be united should have been brought
together (182) previously.

When the stocks for extracting’ are ready for supering (108), or
better, a few days before they are ready for
120. Placing supering, treat each hive that is to be
Doubling-box, | worked for extracting as follows: Remove
the hive from its stand, and if spring cleaning
(186) has not been carried out, place a clean empty hive on the
stand, uncovering it: this hive need not necessarily be capable
of carrying more than 10 or 11 frames. Place the doubling-box
(81) of the new hive on a sheet or board next the old hive. Now
transfer eight frames from the brood-chamber of the old hive to
the doubling-box of the new hive, including all frames containing
honey, and as many frames containing brood as can be spared,
having regard to the strength of the hive, carrying with the
frames all bees onthem except the queen : it is advisable to avoid
transferring frames containing an excess of pollen; then transfer
all the remaining frames, say three to six in number, to the body-
box of the extracting hive, and make sure that the queen is on one
of the frames in the body-box. If there are not six frames avail-
able for transferring as directed, add to the frames in the body-
box of the extracting hive as many frames of brood withdrawn
from other stocks as can be spared to bring the number of
frames in the body-box up to six, or, if brood frames cannct be
spared from other stocks, substitute for them frames of founda-
tion, which should be alternated with the frames of brood in the
body-box : it would be injudicious to commence with more than
six frames in the body-box, as to do so would be likely to cause
brood to be chilled owing to insufficiency of bees to cover
the brood, but eventually the number of frames in the body-
box should be increased to ten; fit an extension board (95) to
prevent the bees passing from the doubling-box to the space
behind the dummy; next cover the frames in the body-box
with zine or wire excluder (48), and over this fit the doubling-
box in position on the body-box ; then pack all round and over
the doubling-box with woollen or other cloths, as when packing
section crates (111). The procedure above described is
that which should be adopted when the stock to be worked for
extracting has not been transferred to a clean hive (186). If,
however, the stock has already been transferred to a clean
hive, it will, of course, only be necessary to remove frames from
the body-box to the doubling-box, and to place the proper
number of frames in the body-box, as above directed. When
brood frames are transferred from other hives to the ex-
tracting hive, all bees should be brushed off them before their
removal.

All brood frames in the doubling-box should be placed to-
gether in the centre ; those in the body-box should be alternated
with any frames of foundation which it may be necessary to
place therein.
53

As the brood in the frames transferred to the doubling-box
hatches out, the bees will fill the vacated
121. Further treatment cells with honey as soon as the honey flow
of Stocks worked commences: brood frames need not be
for Extracting. again placed in the doubling-box unless it
it is desirable to do so in order to prevent
swarming by the removal of such frames from the body-box of
their own or any other stocks. The frames in the doubling-box
should be examined on the sixth or seventh day after they were
placed therein, and any queen cells found should be destroyed ;
these queen cells will be found on the faces of the combs, where
brood existed. The frames in the doubling-box may be kept
close together, in which case it may by degrees be filled to carry
ten frames if that is desirable; in any case they should be kept
close together until after the first extracting : some bee-keepers
prefer to space the frames in the doubling-box at two inches
apart from centre to centre ; it will assist the beekeeper in thus
spacing the frames and closing the spaces between the shoulders,
to use a wooden spacing rack, as shown in Fig. 40; the reason
for spreading the frames in the super to two inches apart, is to
induce the bees to draw out the combs to the width of two-inch
sections, but it may from time to time through the season be
necessary to place them close together when returned after
extracting, in order to permit of increasing the number of frames
in the super, in which case it will of course be necessary to
cut the combs down to their normal width before returning the
frames to the doubling-box. Ifthe frames placed in the doubling
box carried drone brood, the jhole in the doubling box (81)
should be opened for one to two hours, two or three times weekly,
until the drones have passed out.

It is best that the frames should be completely sealed over
before extracting, but it may often be

122. Removal of advisable to remove frames on either side
Fram3s for of which from one-fourth to one-third of
Extracting. the cells are unsealed, in order to provide
more space, or to make up a sufficient quan-

tity for extracting, or to permit of transferring frames from
other hives. Frames which have less than about two-thirds of
the comb on each side sealed, should not be removed for extract-
ing. When it is believed that some frames are ready for removal
from the doubling-box, the beekeeper should examine them,
removing the quilt from the back frames, and putting the sub-
duing-cloth (65) on instead; if these frames are not ready,
the front frames need not be examined; if they are ready,
remove the quilt entirely, cover the frames with the subduing -
cloth, letting it lie until the bees have gone down, and then re-
move all frames fit for extracting, first’shaking the bees off them
with a sharp jerk, or brushing them off with a feather, and place
the frames in the frame-box (58) for removal to the extracting
room, taking care to close the lid of the box at once as each frame
is placed in it, to prevent robbing (141). On the first occasion
54

of removing frames for extracting, say three weeks after putting
the doubling-box on, it is necessary to examine the frames in the
brood nest, as probably some of them will have been filled with
honey only, and should be removed for extraction. Before
opening the brood nest the bee-keeper should take one or two of
the best-filled frames of brood from any hive which is being worked
for sections and which might swarm if notchecked; after brushing
the bees off these frames, they should be transferred to the
brood nest of the extracting hive as explained below. To
examine the brood chamber frames, place the quilt on the
doubling-box, which should then be lifted off, first tilting up one
side so as to free it if propolised ; then place it, with the frames
in it, on a cloth or board on the ground; then subdue (65) the
bees in the body-box, and remove from it all frames containing
honey only, putting those which are capped in the frame-box (58),
and those which are not capped in the doubling-box; then in
lieu of the frames removed, place in the body-box the brood
frames, if any, removed from other hives, with, if necessary,
one or more frames of foundation; then replace the excluder
zine and doubling-box. Next, place in the doubling-box; as
many empty frames of comb as are required. If no empty
frames are available, replace the doubling-box and cover the
hive until the withdrawn frames of honey have been extracted,
after which the necessary number of emptied frames can be
added to the doubling-box. When adding empty frames to the
doubling-box, first draw the partially completed frames to the
back of the doubling-box and put the empty frames in front of
them ; thus the frames which will be first ready for removal
will be at the back of the doubling-box. If frames are to be
returned to the doubling-box after their honey has been
extracted, they should be returned to the stocks from
which they were taken; this precaution is unnecessary if such
frames are held over a few days until the scent has somewhat
disappeared.
When working hives for extracting, the greatest care should be
taken to avoid doing anything which may
123. Precautions conduce to robbing (141); empty frames
against Robbing when should not be returned to the doubling-box
Extracting. until after the bees have ceased flying.
Frames of comb, whether full or empty,
should never be left about uncovered, but should be kept covered
in the frame-box or some other suitable place.

XV. EXTRACTING.

This operation should be performed in a room to which bees and
wasps have not access, at a distance from

124. Extracting. the apiary. There should be a fire in the
room to keep the extractor warm if the

temperature is cool. The honey should be extracted from the
frames as soon as possible after their removal from the hive ; if
55

they are cooled the honey will thicken, rendering its extraction
difficult, and increasing the liability of breaking combs. The
following articles should be in readiness in the extracting room :
The extractor (49), ripener (50), strainer (51), two uncapping-
knives (52), or one uncapping-knife and one table-knife, a
wooden table, one or two large earthenware or enamelled iron
dishes, and a tin or galvanised iron or wooden pail of about 14 to
24 gallons capacity, with a wooden lath laid across its mouth and
tied to the handle lugs on each side. If the extractor has not
been used before, or has not been thoroughly cleaned out since
use, scald and rinse it out with two or three gallons of boiling
water to clean and heat it; in any case it must be rinsed out
with hot water to heat it, and if the room is cool it is well to
keep it near a fire and to turn it from time to time. Place the
uncapping-knives in a jug of hot water; then take a frame out
of the frame-box, and hold it by one shoulder in the left hand,
resting the opposite lower corner on a dish, and, with the knife
in the right hand, cut upwards from the bottom with a
sawing motion, thus paring off the cappings, which after a little
practice can be cut off in sheets quite dry. When two frames
have been uncapped, place them ends up in the extractor cages,
and turn the handle so as to revolve the cages, slowly at first, but
increasing the speed until it is just sufficient to cause the honey
to be flung out of the cells ; after revolving the extractor for one
minute, most of the honey will have been removed from the
outer side of the combs; the frames should then be reversed in
the cages, and the operation repeated to clear their other sides,
revolving the cages a little faster than before, until these sides of
the combs are quite clear: the frames should then be again
reversed in the cages, to complete the clearing of the sides first
extracted. The reason for not completing the extraction of the
first side in one operation is, to avoid the possibility of the comb
being broken by being too rapidly revolved while containing a
considerable weight of honey. Ifthe combs are soft or new, it
is best to extract only about half the honey from the side first
treated, and to clear it after all has been extracted from the other
side; this will lessen the chances of breaking the comb. When
extracting is over for the day, the extractor should be placed
on a_ stand at such a height that the ripener, with the
strainer on it, can be placed under the tap of the extractor, the
honey in which should then be strained jinto the strainer,
in which it should be left for at least one day; the ripe
honey may then be run off into tins (163), and any unripe honey,
which may be distinguished by its thinness, should be left in
the ripener or some similarly shaped vessel, covered with butter
muslin or some other porous material, in a place where it can
be kept at a temperature of not less than 80° F., under
which conditions most of it will ripen ; any which does not ripen
may be kept for feeding bees. When the honey is ripe its con-
sistency will closely approximate to that of honey obtained from
sealed combs taken from the doubling-box, and it willthen remain
56

throughout of uniform consistency, whereas when it is unripe
the lighter liquid will rise to the top : the process of ripening may ~
occupy from say two to ten days, the period varying according
to the condition of the honey and the temperature at which it
is kept. The ripener should then be carefully covered, and the
extractor and strainer should be cleaned, scalded, and covered
to exclude dust, insects, &c. Frames hold from 4 to 6 lbs. of
honey, according to the width to which they are drawn out.
Shallow frames are largely used for extracting, especially in
England, as the comb in them is less liable to break and easier
to uncap than that in standard brood frames; but, as they hold
less honey than the latter, and are not interchangeable with
them, they are not recommended. After frames have been
extracted, those to be returned should be replaced (122) (128);
if not immediately required, they may be kept hanging for a
few days in some place to which wasps and bees would not have
access, but as they would soon mildew, they should, if not re-
quired for a doubling-box, be placed behind the dummy (108)
in a hive, preferably the hive from which they were taken, to
be cleared by the bees. If foul brood (165) is prevalent in
the district, great care should be exercised in thoroughly scrub-
bing the extractor before and after use ; and if there is the least
suspicion that fowl brood exists in the apiary, the frames from
the suspected hives should not be transferred to any other hives,
as has been advised above (119), (120).

XVI. WINTERING.

Successful wintering largely depends upon stocks being strong,
and having a sufficient food supply ; there-

125. Preparing fore, when supers have been removed, the
Stocks for Winter. bee-keeper should examine each hive care-
fully, to ascertain its condition with respect

to strength of stock, brood, and store of honey. The strength of
the stock can be best ascertained by examining it when few bees
are flying. This may be done without disturbing the bees,
by removing the quilt and looking down on the frames from
above, without withdrawing them. The period at which super-
ing should cease will vary from the middle of July to the end of
September according to the district. At this period a strong
stock which has been well managed should have sufficient bees
to cover both sides of eight frames. If the stock is strong,
covering both sides of eight frames, and that breeding is going
on satisfactorily, and sufficient honey is coming in for breeding,
it is only necessary to see that there are sufficient vacant cells
for the queen to lay in; if there are not, add a frame of empty
drawn comb (90), if that is available. If less than eight, but
not less than six frames are covered with bees on both sides,
stimulative feeding should be resorted to (104), at the same time
taking care, as above advised, to provide laying space for the
queen. «If less than six frames are covered with bees on both
57

sides, the stock should be united to another weak stock (183),
or strengthened by adding driven bees to it, or by giving it a
frame of capped brood from a strong stock: if these methods
cannot be adopted, give stimulative feeding and keep the brood
nest very warm to assist hatching. By carrying out the fore-
going instructions, the stocks should be brought up to proper
strength for wintering before the 1st October in late districts,
and earlier in early districts. If the frames in the hive are not
well filled, the number may be made up by selecting well-filled
frames that can be spared from other hives, or by using some
that have been removed during the summer ; if such frames are
slightly mildewed, they may be used without fear of harm en-
suing, but any cells of capped dead brood which they contain
should be uncapped. The stock should have 20, but preferably
30, pounds of honey for wintering, and if the store of honey is
less than 20 lbs., rapid feeding (104), with autumn syrup (179)
should be given.

The honey stored by the bees for winter food should be ripe
: enough for capping by the middle of October
126. oe to Feed in late Sistricts a earlier in early dis-
or Winter. ;
tricts; uncapped honey would not keep
sound, and is unwholesome as food for bees, and if feed-
ing is given too late the bees will be unable to cap it; the
period for rapid feeding (104) must therefore be regulated accord-
ingly, bearing in mind that in unfavourable, damp, or cold
weather, honey may take quite a fortnight to ripen in the cells.

If the proper supply of honey (125) has not been stored and

capped in sufficient time (126), the de-

127. Feeding with ficiency in weight should be made up by

Candy. supplying a corresponding weight of soft

candy ; this candy may be given in a cake

of the requisite size, laid across the top bars of the frames; on

this lay the quilt, first slightly damping it, then cover as usual.

Soft candy may be made at home (174), or it may be purchased

in sections, glazed on one side, so that when such a section is laid

over the feed hole in the quilt (102), glass side up, the bee-
keeper can at any time see how much has been consumed.

The chief objections to retaining more framesina hive than are re-
ee quisite for carrying the stock safely through
Sao at the winter are, that the outside frames are
likely to become mildewed, and the honey

Number of F ;
a in their combs would probably granulate.

The frames on which the bees are to winter (125) should be
pushed to the front with the dummy.

129. Winter Three pieces of wood about six inches long
Coverings. and 2 inch square, should be laid across the
centre of the top bars of the frames about

one inch apart, to form a passage by which the bees can pass
from frame to frame without going under or round the frames,
where the temperature would be lower than at the top of the
58

frames. A suitable passage can be made by using a small piece
of the branch of an alder about ? inch in thickness, from which
the pith has been removed, leaving a tunnel for the bees. If
soft candy is provided over the frames (127), an artificial
passage 1s unnecessary. The canvas quilt should be left on as
usual, and over it should be spread a few woollen coverings
or, a still better plan is to make a bag of cheap material, of
such shape and dimensions that when partially filled with cork-
dust, it may be laid as a cushion of about two inches thick
entirely covering the frames and fitting closely to the body-box.
Such a covering is admirably adapted for the purpose, as it
retains the warmth in the hive, while permitting excess of
moisture to escape readily. Another good method is to place
over the quilt which lies on the frames a covering made from a
piece of cheap red-edged tarred felt, which costs about 24d. per
yard: this should be beaten or rubbed with the hands to make
it somewhat porous. It is thoroughly efficient as a bee covering,
and is a good moth preventive.

To secure a hive for winter, the lift should be inverted and
: slipped down over the body-box ; the porch
180. Securing = if movable, being transferred to the lift.
ee The doors should be closed to about four
. to six inches apart; the floor board ven-
tilator should be closed. Hives in very exposed positions should
be so secured by wire or rope as to prevent their being blown
over (69). The less a hive is disturbed during the winter the
better. If the roof leaks it should be covered with waterproof
material: a cheap, simple, and efficacious method of treating
roofs to render them waterproof is the following: apply a thick
coat of paint to the roof, and while the paint is wet, cover it with
strong, cheap calico, which should be pressed down on the paint,
so that it shall fit closely to the wood. When dry, apply another
coat of paint. On a fine day in February, the doors should be
opened widely, and the front part of the floor board should be
cleared of dead bees, &c., with a piece of bent wire, care being
exercised not to touch the frames.

XVII. UNITING.

Strong stocks are always more profitable than weak stocks ;

the bee-keeper should therefore at all times

131. Reasons for endeavour to avoid having weak stocks.

Uniting. Hence it will sometimes be necessary to

unite two swarms, or two weak stocks, or

to unite a weak stock to a stronger one. Uniting is also prac-

tised when it is desired to unite a queenless stock (145) to one

that has a queen, and when in the autumn it is desired to reduce

the number of stocks in the apiary. All uniting operations

should, when circumstances permit, be performed when bees
have ceased flying for the day.
59

To unite two swarms on the day on which they issued, or the day
oe after, prepare a hive for their reception
482. ven Ewe (75), place the hiving-board in position
: (76), remove the queen from one swarm,
and place her (151) with a few bees in an empty match box or
other suitable small box, to be kept thus in a warm place until
it is ascertained that the other queen has been accepted ; dust
the bees in each skep or swarm-box with flour; this may be
conveniently done by placing the flour in a small flour dredger,
or a small canister in the bottom of which a few holes have been
bored, and lightly dusting the bees while turning the skep or
swarm-box about so as to expose them all to the falling flour ;
then, if there are two operators, throw the contents of each skep
or swarm-box together on the hiving-board, and the bees will
pass into the hive; but if the operation is performed by one
person, it is best after flouring the bees to throw the contents
of one skep into the other, and then to throw the whole out on
to the hiving-board. Swarms should be placed in the position in
which they are to remain permanently, as soon as possible after
they issue : it isa wasteful practice to permit a swarm to expend
its energy, building comb and storing food which is ultimately
to be lost.

To unite two stocks which are in bar-frame hives, the stocks
to be united should be brought within six

133. Uniting feet of each other (182), (188), when that

Two Stocks which C@n conveniently be done. If both stocks
are in Bar-frame have queens, the least valuable queen
Hives. should be secured and boxed (182). Then

crowd the bees in each hive upon as few

frames as possible, taking care not to remove any containing
brood; this should be done on the evening before, or at least
some hours before, uniting. Place an empty hive between the
two stocks, uncover it, and place the dummy only in the body-
box. Give a few puffs of smoke to each stock at the hive en-
trance (66), or if a smoker is not available, insert two subduing
feathers (64) ; after three minutes uncover, and place subduing
cloths (65) over the frames in each hive. Then lift the back
frame of one stock, dust the bees on both sides of the frame with
flour (182), and place this frame at the back of the empty hive;
then deal similarly with the back frame of the other hive, and so
on with the remainder of the frames, placing them alternately
in the centre hive. When all frames have been removed from
the old hives, any bees remaining in them should be dusted
with flour; then remove the body-box from the floor-board
of one of these hives, and place its floor-board against the
entrance of the centre hive, and brush off on to it any bees
in the body-boxes or on remaining floor-board of the old hives.
The hive should then be covered up as usual. If any fighting is
observed at the entrance, a few puffs of smoke should be driven
amongst the bees to quiet them, and a few smart blows should be
60

given to the body-box, to cause the bees to gorge themselves,
which will have a quieting effect. The hive should then be
covered up as usual. If a spare hive is not available, first
dust with flour all the bees on the frames in one hive, then
spread these frames, leaving spaces between them for the alter-
nate insertion of frames from the other hive; dust the bees on
the frames in the second hive, and as that is done, transfer each
frame to the space available for it in the first hive. Provided
that when uniting two hives the frames from each hive are placed
alternately in the new hive, it is not necessary that they should
be inserted in the precise order in which they hung in the old
hives ; the operator should rather place them in the most suitable
positions, having regard to the condition of each frame, of course
keeping the brood framesinthecentre. Ifon examining the hive
on the next morning, it is found that the queen has been accepted
by the united stock, the reserve queen may be destroyed.

To unite a swarm to a stock in a bar-frame hive, place an empty
hive alongside the hive to the stock in
134. Uniting a which the swarm is to be united, subdue
Swarm to a Stock (65)the bees of that stock, and then trans-
in a Bar-frame fer three or four frames of honey or brood
Hive. from it to the empty hive, first shaking or
brushing the bees off these frames, and, if
necessary giving a frame of foundation in place of the frames
withdrawn : the frames left in the stock hive should be covered
at once; then hive the swarm (76), (80) in the hive to which
the frames were transferred. After twenty-four hours the bees
in those two hives may be united (188). If an empty hive is
not available, utilize the space behind the dummy for the
reception of the swarm, transferring thereto the frames on which
the swarm is to be hived, and making a temporary entrance,
about 4 inch by 2 inch, or $ inch round, at the back of the body-
box for the swarm: after 24 hours the stocks may be united as
described in the latter part of par. 183. Ifit is desired to remove
the queen of the swarm, this must not be done until the moment
for uniting has arrived, as otherwise the swarm would abscond ;
but if desired the queen may be secured, and placed over the
frames in a wooden match-box, in each side of which a few
holes should be bored to enable the bees to ascertain that the
queen is therein.

135. Uniting a Stock To unite a stock in a fixed-comb hive to
in a Fixed-Gomb a stock in a bar-frame hive, first drive the
Hive to a Stock in bees from the fixed-comb hive (VIITI.), then
a Bar-frame Hive. proceed as described in paragraph 184.

d To unite two stocks that are in fixed-
5 hie oa two comb hives first drive each stock (82), (84),
Ocks tat are 10 then unite the driven bees as when
Fixed-Comb Hives. eg
uniting two swarms (182).
61

Always unite in the evening, after bees have ceased flying. If
the bees that are to be united are short of
food they should be fed rapidly (XII.) with
warm summer syrup (178), given on the
evening before uniting will take place.
Bees whose honey sacs are full, are not
only quieter on that account, but they will
be more readily accepted by the bees to which they are to be
united.

137. Points to be
observed in Uniting
Operations.

XVIII. WAX EXTRACTING.

Beeswax is worth about ls. 4d. per pound. The economical
beekeeper should therefore preserve all
188. Wax old comb, cappings, and scraps of founda-
Extracting. tion, to be melted into beeswax. Several
patterns of extractors by which the wax is
melted by steam heating, are sold at prices varying from about
10s. upwards; there is also a solar extractor in which the wax
is melted by the heat of the sun. Steam extractors give the best
results, and should be used by those who have to deal with much
comb, but the system of rendering wax by boiling in water is
very simple, costs practically nothing for appliances, and gives
satisfactory results ; this system is therefore the most suitable
for owners of small apiaries.

To extract beeswax by rendering, provide a clean iron pot of
about eight gallons capacity ; make a bag

139. Extracting Wax of coarse open texture sacking to contain the
by Rendering. | comb which is to be rendered ; a bag about

15 inches long by 10 inches wide would be

suitable for an 8 gallon pot. Reject any comb containing
brood. Clear the combs of pollen as much as possible by shaking
them and then by rinsing them in luke-warm rain water; then
squeeze the comb into balls, and place these balls in the bag ;
tie its mouth securely, and place it in the pot, letting it rest}on
a piece of wood to prevent its being burnt: place a heavy flat
stone on the bag to press it down, put sufficient soft water in
the pot to cover the bag by three inches in depth and yet to
leave a space of at least three inches between the surface of the
water and the top of the pot, so as to avoid the risk of setting
the contents on fire when boiling; boil slowly for about two
hours, after which cool; as the water cools a thin cake of
wax of fairly good quality will form on the surface ;| remove
any dross adhering to its under surface, then break it up and
place it in a bowl which has been rinsed with boiling water, after
which about one to four tablespoonfuls of water should be placed
in the bowl to prevent the wax sticking to it ; then set the bowl
in a saucepan of water which should be heated until the wax in
the bowl is thoroughly melted; it may then be ladled into
moulds or allowed to cool in the bowl. By this system about
three pounds of very fine wax can be rendered in one boiling
62

in an 8 gallon pot; more could be dealt with by using a larger
pot.

XIX. ROBBING.

The term “robbing” as applied to bees, signifies the robbing
140. Robbing. of the honey stores in one hive, by the bees
of another.

Robbing is generally brought about by one or more of the fol-
lowing causes :—(1) Weakness of stocks,
144. Causes of | rendering them unable to properly guard
Robbing. their stores. (2) Careless and unnecessary
exposure of honey-comb or feeding syrup,
and supplying food to stocks when bees are flying. (8) IIl-
fitting hives, which permit the access of strange bees to the honey
store by openings other than the door, and which, owing to the
odour of honey from the hives, tempt strange bees to rob. (4)
Unduly exposing hives for purposes of manipulation when honey
is scarce. (5) Placing the hives too close together, that is,
within less than six feet of one another. (6) Queenless stocks
(145), which rarely vigorously defend their stores. (7) When
manipulating stocks in an apiary containing several hives stand-
ing near one another, failing to observe the very necessary pre-
caution to avoid so far as possible opening a stock which stands

next and close to the one last treated.
When robbing is going on bees will frequently be noticed fighting
on the alighting board ; it will be observed
142. Signs of that frequent struggles take place, the
Robbing. bees of the attacked hive gripping the
robbers, and if strong enough to do so,

killing them.

For the prevention of robbing, avoid the causes of robbing
mentioned in paragraph 141. Keep stocks

143. Preventive strong; unite weak stocks; if robbing
Measures. has commenced, narrow the entrance to
about 3 inch wide, just enough to admit

one bee; cut a piece of glass about 12 inches long and 2 inches
wide, and let it rest on the alighting board, leaning against the
hive front, so that the bees going out of or returning to the hive
must pass round it, while the robber bees will be puzzled by this
arrangement and render it easier for the attacked bees to defend
themselves. The glass should, of course, be put in position when
bees are not flying. If several hives in an apiary are robbed at
the same time, it is very likely that all the robbing is done by
one stock ; this can be ascertained by flouring (182) the fighting
bees, and ascertaining which hive the robbers return to; if it
is found that the robbing is due to one stock, its hive should be
removed to a site more than two miles away (182). Another
good method is to put a wisp of hay damped with subduing
solution (180) on the alighting-board, leaving a sufficient
passage to the entrance for the bees of the stock ; it should be
63

damped occasionally with the solution while in use, and removed
after a few days if the robbing has then ceased. Another method
which might be adopted when the above-mentioned preventive
measures prove ineffectual, is to provide a tunnel about 2 inches
long, 4 inch wide, and 3 inch high, made of perforated zinc, and
fitting close against and covering the entrance; the tunnel
should be placed in position after bees have entered the hive in
the evening, and should be so fixed on the alighting-board that
though secure it may easily be removed; the robbers will try
to enter at the ordinary place close to the hive door, and will
rarely try to enter by the tunnel, the narrow passage of which
while affording means of egress for the bees in the hive, could
readily be defended by them ; as the bees of the attacked stock
will probably on their return crowd at the hive entrance, the
tunnel should be removed for a short time after bees have
ceased flying for the day; the robber bees will then have re-
turned to their own hives, and only the bees belonging to the
robbed stock will enter; after they have done so the tunnel
should be replaced in position: this treatment should be con-
tinued for a few days, until robbing appears to have ceased.
The Swiss entrance (21) is a preventive against robbing.

XX. REARING, CHANGING, INTRODUCING, FOR-
WARDING, AND WINTERING QUEENS.

As explained in paragraph 6, a prolific queen rapidly exhausts
herself when afforded every facility for

144. Necessity for laying in a bar-frame hive; as such queens

Re-queening Stocks. deteriorate in egg-laying powers after two

seasons, they should not as a rule be re-
tained longer. It may also be necessary to re-queen a stock for
other reasons; possibly because the queen has been rendered
useless by an injury received: queens are sometimes injured or
killed when frames are carelessly or roughly handled; or the
queen may be lost when on her nuptial flight, owing to her having
been seized by a bird, or having fallen into grass, or failing to
recognise her hive on her return to it.

A virgin queen is very active, and difficult to find ; it therefore
frequently occurs that on examination of a hive after the issue
of a swarm or the supersedure of a laying queen, neither eggs
nor brood are to be seen, nor can a queen be found; nevertheless
it is quite possible that a virgin queen or one that has not
begun to deposit eggs is present; such a queen would be apt
to take to flight if on a frame which has been removed from
the body-box and exposed to bright daylight for examination ;
great care should therefore be taken to avoid lifting out a frame
carrying the queen : a simple and reliable method of ascertaining
whether or not a queen is present is to examine one or two of the
centre frames which the operator should hold while standing
with his back to the strongest light ; if about the centre of any
comb there is a circular patch of empty dry cells highly polished
64

at the bottom, surrounded by cells containing honey or pollen,
it is an almost certain sign that there is a queen in the hive, as
these cells have been prepared for her to deposit eggs in.

The signs that a stock is queenless are as follows :—On the first
day after losing their queen, the bees run
145. Queenlessness. about in a bewildered, agitated state, in
and out of, and over, the hive, this com-
motion being most observable immediately, say one hour, after
the loss of the queen; in 48 hours they will have quieted down,
and may work, but do so in a half-hearted way,; those returning
to the hive will often linger on the alighting board, as if un-
decided whether to enter or not ; in spring, little or no pollen is
brought in (7); and drones are allowed to remain in the hive
after other stocks have expelled theirs (8). When such signs
are observed, narrow the entrance to 3 inch wide to prevent
robbing (140) ; examine the hive when other bees are not flying,
and if there is no queen, and if there are no eggs nor brood pre-
sent, except possibly those of a drone breeding queen or a fertile
worker (7), the stock should be re-queened or else united to
another stock (183) possessing a queen.

When a fresh queen is required she may be procured from
146. Providing another apiary, care being taken to select
Queens: one from a stock which is unrelated to the
stock for which she is intended, or the bee-
keeper may may have one or more queens in readiness in nucleus
hives (148), from which he can take a queen; or he may utilise
a ripe queen cell. A stock should never be without a fertile
queen, except when it is left thus in order that it Imay more
readily accept a fresh queen (152); therefore any [method of
re-queening which necessitates leaving the stock queenless, or
with an unmated queen, except for the purpose just mentioned,
is objectionable ; the beekeeper should therefore arrange to keep
in readiness a supply of mated queens: some people may
prefer to purchase queens from time to time, rather than to
devote to queen rearing the small amount of extra time required
for that purpose ; but all who desire to work their stocks to the
best advantage, should rear queens in nucleus hives. Queen
rearing is not more troublesome than many other practices carried
out in ordinary beekeeping, and it should be regarded as an
essential part of intelligent up-to-date bee-keeping. Change
of blood is as essential in apiculture as in stock breeding, there-
fore it is most desirable that a queen from an unrelated stock
should be introduced occasionally, and when she has been tested
and proved satisfactory the young queens reared in nuclei
should be raised from her, or she may, be used to produce drones.
In selecting a queen from an_unrelated stock for the purpose of
introducing fresh blood to the apiary, great care should be taken
to insure so far as possible that the new queen is from an apiary
that is free from foul brood, and that she is of a prolific strain,
noted for producing a good race of workers.
65°

A queen which it is intended to use for queen rearing, should be.
selected from a strain known to be prolific,

147. Preparing for she should herself be a prolific breeder, pro-.
Queen Rearing. ducing bees which are good workers, good
cappers of cells, and not disposed to gather

too much propolis. A queen procured from another apiary.
should be tested as to these points before she is extensively used.
for breeding queens. Select a stock containing such a queen ;
this stock should be well furnished with good fresh worker combs,
and should be in thoroughly good condition for wintering ;
remove all drone comb from this stock, which may be called
stock “Q.”? Stimulate (106) and spread brood (90) in the
spring, so as to bring this stock forward as much as is desirable.

When stock ‘“Q” swarms, hive the swarm as described in
: paragraph 95. Then move stock “Q” to
Rit, eee a position clear of the line of flight of bees
Seared: Sisal from the other hives, at which place the
* nucleus hive or hives are later on to stand ;
then transfer the frames from stock ‘‘ Q ”’ to the nucleus hive or
hives (57), using three frames to form each nucleus, and taking
care that each nucleus shall contain one or preferably two sealed
and perfect queen cells, and that the brood, food, and bees shall
be equally distributed amongst the nuclei. Frames containing
queen cells must not be shaken, nor jarred, as the young queens
in the cells might be injured by doing so; if it is necessary to
remove bees from such frames, do so with a feather. Cover
the nuclei snugly, and if they must be placed near other hives,
let them face in a different direction. The presence of eggs
regularly deposited in a nucleus hive indicates that the queen
has been fertilized, she may then be introduced into any stock
which it is desired to re-queen (152); each nucleus hive may
be further utilized for rearing queens (149): when no longer
required for that purpose, the nuclei may be united with each
other, or with stock hives.

If it is desired to provide additional nuclei to accommodate all
the perfect queen cells in the nuclei formed
149. Providing from stock “Q” (148); take from a strong
additional Nuclei. stock one frame of honey and pollen and
two frames of sealed brood together with the
adhering bees, but taking care that neither the queen nor a queen
cell is on any one of the frames ; place the three frames with the
bees adhering to them, in a nucleus hive, and shake the bees
of three other frames on to them; all the old bees will return
to the parent stock, leaving only the young bees in the nucleus
to nurse the brood. Cover up; place a wisp of grass in the
entrance, through which the bees will have to cut their way to
find an exit; this will cause them to mark the site; place the
nucleus hive where it is to stand (148); put two frames of
drawn worker comb or foundation in the parent stock to take
the place of the three frames removed, and on the following day
5
66

introduce to this newly formed nucleus hive a queen cell from
one of the nuclei already formed, by carefully cutting out the
queen cell with sufficient adhering comb to permit of its being
thereby attached by a pin to the nucleus comb: great care must
be taken not to crush, jar, or chill the queen cell during this
operation.

Keep the nuclei well covered, to conserve heat. Attend to
feeding, giving syrup if necessary (108),
150. Management or better, give a frame of sealed food from
of Nuclei. a stock that can spare it. When the pre-
sence of eggs regularly deposited denotes
that young queens in nuclei have been fertilized, they may be
given to stocks in which they are required to replace aged or
defective queens: when a queen has been removed from a
nucleus, a capped queen cell or brood frame containing a queen
cell or eggs may be introduced to the queenless nucleus for the
purpose of providing another queen (149).

There are many good queen cages; it will suffice to describe
the use of one, the “‘ Abbott”? cage (55) ;
151. Caging Queen. which can be recommended. If the queen
is on a frame, have the cage at hand,
opened to receive her; rest the frame on which the queen is
on the hive, supporting it with the left hand, and with the right
hand catch the queen gently by the wings (Fig. 41), insert her
by the opening at the bottom of the cage; as soon as her body
is in the cage let go her wings, cover the opening with a finger,
and when she moves up the cage, adjust the wire to close it.
If the queen has been received in a box, take it to a room,
close the window, open the box by lifting the lid; do not slide
the lid, as the queen might be injured by doing so; catch the
queen by the wings and cage her as above described. The queen
should always be held by the wings or the thorax, but never by
the abdomen.

If it is desired to place the queen in a match-box (158), in lieu
of a cage, the queen if in a hive may be caught as above described
and placed in the match box; but if the queen is to be trans-
ferred from the travelling box (154) in which she was received
to a match box, all that is necessary is to open each box
sufficiently to allow her to pass from one into the other when
they are placed in contact.

The best time for general re-queening of stocks is the autumn.
: There is a danger of bees objecting to a

152. Introducing newly introduced queen, and killing her
Queen to Stack by “ balling ” her, that is, surrounding her

a ie and hugging her or starving her to death.

It is therefore best, especially in the case

of a valuable queen, to adopt the precaution of introducing her
by means of a cage, such as the Abbott queen cage (55), which
may be introduced between two frames in the centre of the brood
nest, through a hole in the quilt large enough to let the cage pass
67

freely through it. Whatever may be the method by which a
queen is introduced to a stock, it isalways best that she should not
be released yntil the evening, and if it is desired to introduce a
queen to a stock in the daytime, it is best to do so by means of
a cage or match box as described in this paragraph. A caged
queen may generally be released with safety 24 hours after her
introduction. Before introducing a queen, make sure that
there is neither a queen nor a queen cell in the hive. A stock
that has been queenless for twenty-four hours, will be in the
best mood to receive a queen. If a stock has been queenless
and broodless for more than a week, give it a frame of brood
the day before introducing the queen, and keep her caged for two
days. Examine the stock a few days after introducing a queen,
to ascertain if she is all right.

If the dome cage (55) is used, get the queen into the cage, place
the latter on a card, and then lay the card with the cage on it on
the honey cells in the comb of a frame taken from the centre of the
hive in which it is proposed to introduce her, laying the frame hori-
zontally for that purpose : then carefully withdraw the card, and
while taking great care not to injure the queen, screw the cage
into the comb to the depth of the cells; leave it thus for thirty-
six to forty-eight hours, and then release the queen ; after doing
so, watch her closely, and if the bees attack her, cage her again
and leave her for twenty-four hours longer, after which she may
be released.

Another method is to introduce the queen by a match-box as
described in paragraph 1538, but instead of allowing the queen
at once to enter the hive, the match box when placed in position
should only be opened 3 inch, just sufficiently to allow the bees
in the hive to have access to the queen, but not to enter the
match box, and taking care that the match box is so placed as
to permit of this; after twenty-four hours the queen may be
released as described in paragraph 153.

A queen may be introduced by any of the methods mentioned
in this paragraph, at any hour of day or night, but she should
not be released until after dusk. A queen may generally be
released with safety twenty-four hours after she has been intro-
duced.

As a general rule, queens may be introduced to hives by the
‘direct ’? method, with every prospect of

153. Direct Intro- success, provided that the operation is
duction of performed after nightfall, that the queen has
Queens. been fasting for at least half-an-hour, and

that the stock has been queenless for at

least six, preferably for twelve to twenty-four hours. Place the
‘queen in an ordinary chip or cardboard box for holding matches ;
after dark, turn back the flap of the feed hole in the quilt (102)
sufficiently to leave a hole through which the queen can pass into
the hive, place the match box over this hole, in such a position
that the box shall cover the hole, and that when the box is
68

slightly opened the queen shall have access to the hive: all this
should be done as quietly as possible without using a subduer
or disturbing the bees ; then slightly withdraw the cover of the
match box, leaving the inner portion in position over the hole
in the quilt; the queen will then move quietly into the hive ;
cover up and leave the hive undisturbed for two days.

Bees may be safely forwarded by post in boxes made for the
purpose, accompanied by a few workers
154. Sending Queens and a supply of food. The style of box
by Post. illustrated (Q., Fig. 17) is very suitable ; it
consists of a piece of wood four inches long
by two inches broad by ? inch thick, in which two holes of 1}
inches diameter are bored to a depth of } inch, the holes being
1 inch apart from centre to centre ; two small holes 3 inch in
diameter are bored to the same depth at the end of and opening
into one of the large holes; the box is covered with a lid of
perforated zinc, secured at one end by a tack. When required
for use fill the two small holes with a mixture of honey and soft
candy (174), or honey and fine white sugar, worked together to
the consistency of stiff putty, put 18 to 24 workers in the large
space and then place the queen in that space with them; tie
the cover in position, then loosely wrap the cage in a strip of
calico, linen, or paper, taking care to leave ample ventilation,
tie over all, and attach an address label, or enclose the whole in
an envelope, the corners of which should be cut off to afford
ventilation; mark the package ‘Live Bees.”

As it is always advisable to have on hands spare fertile queens,

any queen not required at the end of

155. Wintering the season may be wintered on three or

Spare Queens. four frames placed behind the dummy of

a stock hive; these frames should be well

crowded with bees, and fully two-thirds of two of them, and at

least half of the others, should be filled with sealed stores. An

entrance should be made at the back as for nuclei (57), and an
alighting board should be fitted.

XXI. STORING AND MARKETING HONEY. .

When it is intended to sell honey, the sections as removed
from the hive should first be cleaned by

156. Grading and scraping the wood to remove any wax or
Storing Sections. propolis adhering thereto; they should
then be graded into classes as follows :—

First grade sections should weigh 17 ounces gross, be well filled,
completely and evenly capped, free from brood marks and pop
holes, with even faces to the combs, uniform in colour, of good
appearance and quality, and firmly attached to wood all round.
Second grade sections should correspond to first grade sections,
except that the weight may fall as low as 15 ounces gross, and the
other conditions need not be so thoroughly fulfilled. All other
sections may be regarded as third grade, and such as will sell only
 

 

Fie. 41.—Hoipine QUEEN.
 

Fic. 42.—WRAPPING A SECTION.

 

Fic. 43.—WRaprinG A SECTION. Fic. 44.—-WraprED SECTION.

  

 

Fig. 45.—SrEctioN PREPARED FOR GLAZING. Fig. 46.—GLAzED SECTION.
69
at a low price. Having graded the sections, store them until
Bre for sale in a dry warm place, the temperature of which
should not fall below 60° F. It would be well to pack them

in tin, cardboard, or other suitable boxes, to keep them free
from moths, dust, &c.

Extracted honey may best be sold in tins holding about 56 lbs.,

fitted with close-fitting lever lids (Fig. 50).

157. Grading and If desirable for purposes of sale, the honey

Storing Extracted may be put into glass jars; many shapes

Honey. and styles of glass jar are sold for the pur-

pose, particulars of which can be obtained:

from most dealers in apiarian appliances. Extracted honey,

like section honey, should be kept in a dry warm place until
sold.

All sections should be wrapped in transparent wax paper, or
glazed, before they are sent out for sale.
Glazing is necessary for certain English
markets, but wax paper wrapping is con-
sidered sufficient in Ireland and in many English markets.

Wax paper for wrapping one pound sections, cut into proper
sizes, about 124 inches by 73 inches, is sold

159. Wrapping at about 6d. per 100 sheets. To wrap a
Sections in Wax section proceed as follows :—Place the sec-
Paper. tion with the bottom side, that is, the un-

split side of a ““D” section, downwards

on the wrapping paper in such a position that one end of the
sheet may be folded over it as shown by Fig. 42, leaving equal
margins of paper on either side of the section; fold the paper
over the section as shown in Fig. 42, pressing it firmly down on
the top of the section ; then apply paste to the paper on the top
of the section, and fold back over it the other end of the sheet
pressing it firmly down so that it shall adhere to the upper side
paper; then fold the projecting margins of the paper as shown
in Figs. 43 and 44, and fix them neatly in position with paste.
If a label is used, it should be attached to the paper on the top
of the section. The top side of the section should be kept
upwards, to prevent leakage of honey from any cells the capping

of which may be imperfect.

If sections are to be glazed, provide squares of the lightest glass
: ¢ procurable, cut 4is inches by 4% inches,

160. Glazing Sections. costing about 2s. to 2s. 6d. per 100 squares ;
provide also slips of suitable paper of any approved colour 18
inches long by 2? inches broad. ee one slip of paper with
paste, place the section oh it aera res sc ore he
plo ane re a ssing the latter firmly and neatly

i the paper, pre oie
st ce all ees (Fie. as): the ends of the paper will slightly
ie erlap. Now place the glasses in position against the wood on

i i d turn the margins of the paper down over them
Bak et thus be held firmly in position (Fig. 46). It

158 Covering
Sections.
70

desired, slips of lace-paper about 4 inch wide may be used in
lieu of wide slips as above described, but they do not protect the
wood, nor do they make as secure a binding for the glasses as the
method above recommended. Lace-paper frilling, in pieces
about 20 inches long, costs 6d. to 7d. per 100 slips.

When small quantities of sections are to be forwarded, a good
method of packing them is to use the cheap
161. Marketing travelling crate (Fig. 49), which can be put
Honey. Parcel together by any intelligent person. It can
Post Crates. be made to hold eight or any smaller
quantity of one-pound sections for parcel
post; the crate for eight sections consists of two end pieces
of wood 5} inches by 5} inches by } inch, joined by eight
pieces of sawn plaster lath, cut 17 to 18 inches long: these may
be purchased three feet in length in bundles which may be sawn
in two. The laths are nailed to the sides of the squares, against
which are placed two pieces of corrugated paper 5} inches by
5$ inches. Carefully drawn hay or straw, long enough to wrap
round four sides of a section, should be laid neatly in and across
the crate from end to end, each wisp lying against three sides of
the crate and sufficient ends being left to permit of their being
folded across the fourth side. The sections, previously wrapped
in wax paper should be re-wrapped in stiff packing paper, and
then firmly tied in one long package, the ends being protected by
wood or cardboard squares 4} by 4} inches (Fig. 47); this
package should then be wrapped in brown paper, again firmly
tied, and then pressed down into the straw or hay in the crate
(Fig. 48), and the ends of the straw or hay wisps should be
drawn over the package and secured down by laths. The whole
should be further secured by cord over the laths (Fig. 49). If
desired, several crates thus packed might be enclosed in one
large crate to be forwarded by rail. Care should be taken not
to forward sections by post or rail unless they are firmly attached
to the wood on all sides.

When sections are to be forwarded by rail, a good method of

: packing is to place them in wooden or card-

162, Packing board boxes holding one dozen sections, and

Rete et then to re-pack these boxes in large boxes

* or crates, holding six of the smaller boxes.

The internal dimensions of the outer case should be, 2 ft. 6 in. in

length, 1 ft. 4 in. in breadth, 1 ft. in depth; a thick layer of

straw should be placed all round the small boxes, and a light
layer of straw between them.

Extracted honey may be conveniently forwarded in bulk in
' tins holding about 56 lbs. (Fig. 50). Such

163. Packing tins, with lever lids, cost about Is. 6d. each,
Extracted Honey for and should be packed in wooden crates or
Forwarding by Rail. cases, also costing about ls. 6d. each.
Extracted honey forwarded in glass jars

should be very carefully packed, to provide against breakage.
 

Fic. 47.—LaTH CRATE, AND SECTIONS WRAPPED IN STIFF PAPER PRIOR TO
PAcKING IN STRAW.

 

Fic. 48.—PrReEssinc BALE OF SECTIONS INTO CRATE.

Note pressure applied by lath.
 

Fic, 49.—Srctions PACKED FOR FORWARDING By ParRceL Post.

 

 

Fie. 50.—Tin For ExtracTED Honry, AND CASE FOR HOLDING
TIN WHEN rorWwARbvED Ly Ratt,
71

XXII. CHILLED BROOD AND FOUL BROOD.

Chilled brood, that is to say, brood which has been killed by cold,
may be produced by any cause which results
164. Chilled Brood. in the temperature of any portion of the
brood nest being too low. It may be the
result of injudicious brood spreading, want of covering, in-
sufficient nurses, exposing frames of brood to cold winds,
especially in the early spring, driving bees off brood frames by
the injudicious use of disinfectants under particular frames,
adding frames of brood to weak stocks that have not bees enough
to cover the brood, leaving the floor board ventilator open when
the weather is too cold to justify doing so, putting on more super
crates than the stock is capable of dealing with, sudden and
extreme changes of the weather from heat to cold, or by any
other means suddenly reducing the temperature of the brood
nest too much. Chilled brood, which is sometimes mistaken for
foul brood, differs from the latter in the following respects.
The odours peculiar to foul brood are absent. If the capping
of cells containing chilled brood is removed during the breeding
season, the dead bees will be found in natural positions, slightly
shrunken, black at the head in early stages, and finally becoming
black all over. The larve turn greyish at first, and afterwards
become almost black. Chilled larvee are not often met with
in a strong stock, as the bees will rapidly remove them ; a strong
stock requiring room will rapidly remove chilled brood from cells
which have been uncapped, whereas they will not usually under
similar circumstances remove diseased brood affected by foul
brood.

A diseased condition known as ‘‘ Pickled Brood ”’ is frequently
mistaken for ‘‘ Foul Brood ” or ‘‘ Chilled Brood,” from which it
may be distinguished by the following characteristics: if the
larva of pickled brood is pulled out of its cell by a pin or match,
it has rather the appearance of liquid matter, and if the brood in
a capped cell is similarly withdrawn the abdomen will be found
to contain liquid matter, and the head will probably be dark
brown in colour as distinguishable from the almost black colour
of ‘‘ chilled ’? brood; there is further a total absence of the
stickiness and peculiar gluey odour which is characteristic of
American foul brood.

It is provided by the Bee Pest Prevention (Ireland) Act, 1908,

that “if any person keeping or having

165. Foul Brood. charge of bees becomes aware that the bees,

or any of them, are affected with the disease

known as Bee Pest or Foul Brood, he shall forthwith give notice

of that fact to the Local Authority of the district in which the

bees are kept; such notice should be given in writing to the

Executive Officer of the Local Authority, z.e., the Secretary of
the County Committee of Agriculture.”

Foul brood is by far the worst disease to which bees are

subject in this country. It is extremely infectious, and because
72

of the readiness with which it can be transmitted from infected
to healthy stocks, it is very destructive, and it behoves bee-
keepers to exercise the greatest vigilance in order to keep their
apiaries free from it.

The term ‘“‘ Foul Brood ”’ is applied to more than one disease
of bees. In Ireland it nearly always refers to one of two forms
of disease, both of which are very prevalent throughout the
country. These are commonly known as “ European Foul
Brood,” Bacillus alvei (hive bacillus); and ‘‘ American Foul
Brood,” the Bacillus larve of Franklin White.

If a stock becomes affected by foul brood, and prompt and
effective measures are not taken to check the progress of the
disease, the infection will almost certainly spread to the remain-
ing stocks of the apiary, and if unchecked will lead to their
ruin. It is therefore most important that efficient measures
should be adopted to prevent its introduction, or to secure
its eradication wherever it has appeared.

A bee-keeper who knows or suspects that foul brood exists
in his apiary, should avoid entering any other healthy apiary.

The commonest causes of foul brood infection are :— -
Healthy stocks robbing diseased stocks.
166. Sources of The supply to bees of honey or combs from
Infection. a diseased hive.
The transfer of frames from a diseased to
a healthy hive.

Neglect on the part of the operator, after handling a diseased
stock, to thoroughly disinfect his hands and clothing or such
appliances as may have been infected.

The acquisition of infected swarms or stocks.

Experience proves that the following conditions are specially
conducive to the development of the
167. Conditions disease :—
favourable to Damp and closely sheltered situations,
Foul Brood. especially where the hives are much
overshadowed by trees.
Dirty hives.
Badly ventilated hives.
Hives which are not weather-proof.
Weak stocks.

A frame of brood in a healthy hive has, near its centre, a more
or less circular patch of brood. In the

168. Symptoms. cells constituting this brood patch there will

be found small grubs or larve, the best

developed of which present a plump pearly-white appearance, as
they lie curled up in the shape of the letter “‘ C ”’ at the bottom
of the cells ; but when the disease is present, particularly in its
more advanced stages, these larvee will frequently be noticed
lying in various other positions, often with their backs up.
In the “ capped ” stage, the capping of healthy brood is usually
flat, or very slightly raised, rarely sunken ; whereas the capping
 

1. Portion of a comb affected by foul brood in an advanced stage ‘The empty
cells are those from which healthy brood has been produced, or which have
been occupied by diseased larve, the remains of which are not discernible in
the print. All the capped cells bear the appearance of being diseased. This
is indicated by the sunken cappings of the cells, and the numerous perforations
jn the cappings.

 

2. Portion of comb affected by foul brood, in a Jess advanced stage than ‘ 1.”
The raised cappings indicate that there is a good deal of healthy brood, but the
presence of diseased brood all over the comb is indicated by the sunken cappings.

H.—A group of healthy cells ; other healthy cells being observable all over
the comb.

D.—Two groups of diseased cells, of which there are many more.

B.—Healthv bees emerging from their cells.

aese larve are not lying like the healthy
 

FOR

Fie, 5
FORWARDING BY

3.—Hive containing Comps aND’ BEES, SECURE
Ral.

Note Jaths fixed to body-box by screws thus confining frames
under canvas cover in position: the hive is so roped that even if
the alighting-board is broken in transit, the rope fastenings remain

tight and sccure.
73

of diseased brood is usually indented, often perforated, and
generally darker in colour than that of healthy brood (Figs.

51 and 52).

Some other readily recognisable symptoms vary somewhat in
the “ European” and “‘ American ” types of disease; they are

as follows :—
European.
Mainly affects unsealed
brood.

Larve when first affected
generally have a yellow spot
on the body, near the head.

Dead larve are first cream
colour, then yellowish, then
brownish, and finally almost
black.

The cell contents do not be-
come sticky, or but slightly so ;
they are rather watery; and
the dead grub gradually shri-
vels up.

The odour in early stages is
sourish, but in later stages be-
comes heavier and more foetid,
but the markedly gluey odour

American.
Mainly affects sealed brood.

Dead larve are first of a
light coffee colour which gra-
dually deepens.

The cell contents become a
sticky mass in which the grub
is not distinguishable. If a
wooden match is inserted into
this gluey mass, and then with-
drawn, the stickiness of the
adhering matter will permit of
its being drawn out for 4 inch,
1inch, or more, before it breaks
off.

The odour is heavy and
foetid, rather resembling that of
glue. This gluey odour is a
marked symptom.

of American foul brood is ab-
sent.

For Instructions as to treatment, read Leaflet No. 48 (revised),
issued by the Department of Agriculture and Technical
Instruction for Ireland.

XXIII. ARTIFICIAL SWARMING.

Under certain conditions artificial swarming may be practised
with advantage by experienced bee-keepers.
If it is desired to increase the stocks in the
apiary or to provide swarms for sale, the
bee-keeper may select the most suitable
stocks for the purpose, and, subject to their being in fit condition
for artificial swarming, may select the most convenient time for
that operation. If a stock shows that it is in fit condition for
swarming and is going to swarm (92), and that an increase of
stock is desired, but that swarming is prevented by unfavourable
weather, an artificial swarm may advantageously be made, as
the bees will then settle down steadily to work, and valuable
time will be gained, and the possible loss of the swarm may thus

169. Artificial
Swarming.
74

be obviated. Artificial swarms should not be taken except
when the stock is strong enough to cause the bees to be crowded
on at least nine frames, and when drones are present. The
existence of queen cells containing brood or larve is a sure sign
that the stock is strong enough to permit of an artificial swarm
being taken. If the swarm is to be sold it may be taken off
under any conditions of weather which permit of the hive being
opened without injury to the stock, but if the swarm is to be made
in order to increase the number of stocks in the apiary, it should
only be taken when honey is coming in freely, though an artificial
swarm may be taken with safety in weather which is not fine
enough to induce bees to swarm naturally. Artificial swarming
should only be attempted by bee-keepers who are thoroughly
conversant with the conditions which indicate that a stock is
in a fit condition for taking an artificial swarm from it; much
harm may be done by making artificial swarms when the con-
ditions are not suitable for doing so; it should never be prac-
tised for the purpose of increasing the number of stocks in an
apiary in which foul brood (165) is believed to exist.

Artificial swarming may be performed at any time of day subject
to the conditions above stated (169). To

170. Making an do so, remove the stock hive to a position
Artificial Swarm for immediately adjacent to, but on one side
Sale, from one Stock. of, its stand ; ascertain and note the weight
of the swarm-box (56) in which the bees

are to be placed for despatch, then, if the stand is of concrete,
place the swarm-box on it in inverted position, with its front
edge resting on a small stone, thus raising the front of the box
so as to permit the bees to run into it; if the stand is not con-
crete, place a board on the stand and invert the swarm-box on
it as above described; then place a hiving-board in position
somewhat as for hiving a swarm (76), letting it rest against the
stand or board on which the swarm-box has been placed ;
uncover the stock hive, lift the frames out in succession, begin-
ning at the back, and shake or brush the bees off the frames on to
the hiving-board from which they will move into the swarm-box :
replace each frame in the stock hive after it has been cleared of
bees: while this is being done, a sharp look-out must be kept for
the queen, as she must be transferred with the bees to the hiving-
board ; about three to three and a half pounds of bees is as much
as can usually be taken artificially from a stock without risk of
chilling the brood; therefore, an artificial swarm is usually
lighter than a strong natural swarm, but as the bees of a natural
swarm have stored their sacs with honey, each pound in weight
of an artificial swarm will contain many more bees than would a
similar weight of a natural swarm (11). The weight of the
swarm may be easily ascertained by weighing the swarm-box
when empty and again when the bees are in it; when sufficient
bees have been thus transferred with the queen, cover the
swarm-box, replace the stock hive, remove the two outside
75

frames and a third if advisable, and supply extra covering to
make up for the loss of heat due to the removal of bees.

To make an artificial swarm from one stock, for the purpose of
increasing the number of stocks in the

: apiary, during the forenoon of a fine day,

171. Making an when the bees are working vigorously, re-
a move the stock hive as above described
one Stoak (170) to a position at one side of its

® stand, then place on the stand a hive con-

taining three or four frames of foundation,

or two frames of empty comb and one or two of foundation ; then
transfer to this hive from the stock hive one frame of honey and
one frame of brood, taking care that the queen is transferred on
one of these frames ; place the brood frame in the centre and the
honey frame at the back, then move the parent hive to a fresh
stand, if possible not less than about ten yards from its old stand,
and there let it remain. The flying bees will enter the new hive
which has been placed on the old stand, and will thus form an
artificial swarm. It would be a great advantage to the parent
stock if after the removal of a swarm with queen by either of
the methods described, a laying queen could be introduced into

it (152).

If it is desired to make a swarm for increase from two stocks,
let it be assumed that the swarm is to be
172. Making a made up from hives A and B. Remove
Swarm for Increase, B to a fresh position, if possible at least
from two Stocks. ten yards from its old stand; place an
empty hive C beside A, and transfer from
A to C, say five frames of brood, first shaking or brushing the
bees off into A; then place C on the stand vacated by B; ifa
fertile queen is available she should be introduced (158) to
stock C, and a frame of foundation should also be given; if a
queen is not available for C, the operator should make sure that
there is a capped queen cell or one containing larva on one of
the frames transferred from A to C, and if necessary the operation
of making a swarm should be deferred until a frame with a queen
cell is available. Each stock should then be warmly covered,
a frame of foundation being first added to A.

XXIV. RECIPES.

When the term “ sugar” is used in the following recipes, it is

to be understood as signifying white lump

178. Sugar. refined sugar. Beet sugar is considered by

many good authorities to be injurious to

bees, and brown or moist sugars are said to produce dysentery,

therefore, bee-keepers are advised to use the purest white lump

cane sugar obtainable, such as Tate’s No. 1 lump, Tate’s crystals,
or Fairie’s crystals.
76

To make soft candy, use an enamelled iron saucepan or pan,
into which put one pint of water and about
174. Soft Candy. six lbs. of sugar, stir over a slow fire until
the sugar is melted, then add one teaspoon-
ful of cream of tartar, and let the whole boil ; then stop stirring,
and let the mixture continue to boil, say for three to four minutes,
until the proper consistency is obtained, to ascertain which, drop
a little of the mixture from a spoon on a plate ; if the substance
withdrawn can be kneaded into a pill without sticking to the
fingers, the condition is right ; if it is sticky, continue the boiling
as long as necessary. When the proper condition has been
attained, remove the pot from the fire and place it in cold water
to cool; while cooling, stir or whip the mixture against the sides
of the pot until it assumes the consistency of a white paste ;
then turn it out on paper laid in suitable moulds, such as a plate.
In half an hour it will be cool enough to place in the hive.

To make flour candy, proceed as in recipe 174, but after taking

the pot off the fire and before cooling the

175. Flour Candy. mixture, stir in about 4 lb. to ? lb. of pea

flour, or if it cannot be obtained wheat

flour may be substituted ; the flour should be slowly added from

a sifter while the mixture is very hot, the whole being vigorously
stirred at the same time.

To make medicated candy, proceed as directed in recipes 174
and 175, but when the mixture is taken
176. Medicated Candy off the fire, add one teaspoonful of naphthal
beta solution for every two pounds of sugar
used, stirring it well through the mixture.

To make naphthal beta solution, procure an eight-ounce glass

bottle, marked in fluid ounces. Put one

177. Naphthal Beta ounce of naphthal beta powder, costing

Solution. about one shilling, into the bottle, which

should then be half filled with methylated

spirit, then shake well until the powder is thoroughly dissolved,

after which add more methylated spirit until the liquid reaches
the seven-ounce mark. It is then ready for use.

Water, ‘ ; . 1 quart,
178. Spring and Sugar, . ; . 8 pounds,
Summer Syrup. Vinegar, . : . 1 tablespoonful,
Salt, : . 1 teaspoonful.

Simmer and stir over a slow fire until thoroughly melted, and
use at blood warmth.

Water, ; : . 1 quart,
Sugar, : ‘ . 5 pounds,

479. ANINMD SyTUp: Vinegar, 1 tablespoonful,
Salt, : . 1 teaspoonful.

Simmer and stir over a slow fire until thoroughly melted, and
use at blood warmth. To prevent the sugar crystallizing, half
a teaspoonful of cream of tartar may be added. . If it is desired
77

to medicate either the summer or autumn syrup, add one half
fluid ounce (181) of naphthal beta solution or 30 grains of para-
form powder to recipes given (178), (179).

‘ Water, ; d 3 . 1 pint,
vee Subduing = Calvert’s No. 5 carbolic acid, . 1 rane
olution.
Izal, ; ‘ : 4 ounce.
Mix in a bottle. Shake thoroughly before use.
APOTHECARIES WEIGHT.
: 20 grains = 1 scruple.
181. Weights and = g seni: = 1 avai
Measures.
8 drams = 1 ounce.
Liquip MEASURES.
60 minims = 1 fluid drachm.
8 drachms = 1 ounce.
20 ounces = 1 pint, = 4 gills.
lminim = 1 drop.
1 drachm = approximately 1 teaspoonful.
2 drachms = do. 1 dessertspoonful.
4 drachms = do. 1 tablespoonful.
2ounces = do. 1 wineglassful.
8tol0 ounces = do. 1 tumblerful.
1 gill = 5 ounces avoirdupois of water.

XXV. MOVING HIVES.

When it is necessary to alter the position of a hive in an apiary
to a greater distance than two or three

182. Moving Hives yards from its old stand, the movement
in an Apiary. can be most conveniently carried out during

the winter and early spring; during this

period the bees only leave the hive for short flights, and it may
be moved as requisite after sunset, the whole move being made
in one operation. If, as is often the case, it is necessary to move
a hive during other portions of the year, when bees may be
flying freely, the hive must not be moved more than four feet
per day when there are no other immediately adjacent hives,
nor more than two feet per day when there are other hives
close to the hive which is to be moved ; in either case the hives
must not be moved on days during which the bees did not fly,
and the movement should always be carried out after the bees
have ceased flying for the day. When about to move stocks as
above mentioned, take care before doing so to see that a firm
level stand is provided on which to place the hive when moved,
so that it shall remain level (69) ; if necessary place flat stones or
slates under each leg of the hive ;_ the hive should be lifted very
gently by two people, who should grip it under the floor-board.
If it is necessary to move a stock in a bar-framed hive in the
summer, say from May to September inclusive, it is advisable
to obtain the advice and assistance of a bee-keeper who has had
78

experience in packing bees for transit at such times, as owing to
the special conditions which then prevail, disaster is likely to
ensue if skill and sound judgment is not exercised in packing.

If it is necessary to move a hive for such a distance that it
cannot conveniently be moved slowly, two
5 to four feet per day as above described
er MOVE Stocks (182) the nee may be made in one opera-
si eae tion, provided that it takes place in the
* winter or before the bees have begun to
gather pollen; but if, as will often be the
case, the move must be made during the remaining period of
the year, when the bees are much afield, then the hive should
be moved to a position at least two miles in a direct line from
where it stands, and preferably rather farther, and as in the
previous case, the move should be made after the bees have
ceased flying for the day. It sometimes may occur that owing
to the intervention of a river, wall, or other obstacle, it may not
be possible to move a hive to a fresh stand close at hand at the
rate of two to four feet per day ; in such cases the hive should
be moved to a spot more than two miles from its original stand,
and after it has remained in the new position for a month or
more, it may be transferred to its final position. This method
of moving may have to be adopted when uniting stocks (188).
Hives containing stocks of bees should not be forwarded long
distances by road or rail during the months from May to August,
inclusive, unless there is urgent reason for doing so; but they
may be moved with safety at any other time, except when the
weather is exceptionally cold. The best time for moving hives
containing stocks is in April and the early part of May.

When it is desired to forward a hive containing bees by road or
: rail, the hive must not be moved until after
184, Securing a Bar- bees have ceased flying in the evening, but
frame Hive all necessary preparations, except closing
containing Stock for 41, entrance, may be made earlier in the
Transport by Road d ee : :
or Rail. ay, giving the bees sufficient time to settle
after disturbance. The hive should be pre-
pared for moving as follows :—Subdue the bees (65) ; remove the
body-box from off the floor-board ; tack to the floor-board two
lengths of hay rope of about one inch diameter, these being placed
parallel to one another and about three inches from each side
of the floor-board; these ropes must not project under the
body-box in front nor under the dummy when it is in position ;
if the hive is not fitted with a Swiss or similar metal entrance (21)
affording ample ventilation, perforated zinc should be used to
cover the entrance, and if the ventilating space thus provided
is but small, a floor ventilator, say four inches square, should be
cut in the floor-board and covered on its upper side by perforated
zinc; replace the body-box; remove from the brood nest frames
containing honey only, and place them behind the dummy,
and, if space admits, substitute for them one or two frames of
79

empty drawn comb ; any frame the comb in which is not firmly
attached at the top and sides, should be secured by passing strips
of broad tape or calico under the bottom bar of the frame, and
tying them over the top bar ; treat frames containing new comb
similarly ; in hot weather it is best to send about half of the bees
with the queen in a swarm box (56), thus leaving in the hive
sufficient bees tonurse the brood; pressthe dummy and all frames
both before and behind it tightly to the front and wedge them in
position, so that they cannot shift backwards ; spread a cover of
sacking of open texture about 20 inches by 20 inches over all, so
that it shall project over the body-box allround; place two laths,
each of exactly the internal lengths of the body-box, over the
sacking, so that they shall lie immediately over the shoulders of
the frames on either side, and tack or screw the laths down to the
front and back sides of the body-box, so that they shall keep the
frames in position during transit ; then further secure the sack-
ing cover by tacking over it a slip of wood, at the front and back ;
place the lift over the body-box, inverted as for winter ; it will
thus securely bind the canvas cover; screw or nailthe floor-board
to the body-box with one screw or nail on each side; tie the
body-box firmly to the floor-board with rope, so securing it that
if the alighting board breaks in transit, the ropes round the body-
box will not slacken (Fig. 53); the roof and any spare fittings
should be packed as a separate parcel; after the bees have re-
turned and settled down in the evening, securely close the en-
trance; this may be done by tacking perforated zine over the
entrance, or if a Swiss entrance (21) is fitted, by closing the
doors tightly, and tacking them to prevent them from opening.
The hive, if to be sent by train, should be labelled ‘‘ LIVE
BEES, WITH CARE, THIS SIDE UP.”

An excellent alternative method of packing is to act as above
described until the frames have been wedged in position ; then,
instead of securing the frames by laths over canvas, tack a lath
over the centre of the top of a section crate, then cut a piece of
open texture sacking large enough to permit of its being drawn
neatly over the crate and tacked securely to the crate sides all
round, so that no bee could escape under it; then place the
crate over the frames and secure it in position with screws or wire
nails, so that no bees can escape; this method of packing pro-
vides ample space in the crate for the bees, and makes suitable
provision against risks of over-heating, or chilling of brood:
it is therefore probably the safest method for an inexperienced
person to adopt when the weather is warm.

To secure a stock in a skep for transit by rail or road: if the skep
Pi is not fitted with wooden skewers running
me : pit ie 4 through the combs, they should be inserted ;
Ixec-comb tive it is best that this should be done at least
containing Stock :

two days before the skep is to be removed.

for Transport by :
Road or Rail, T° fit the skewers, subdue (82), invert the
skep, and then drive a couple of sharply-

pointed wooden skewers through the sides of the skep and
80

across the intervening combs, inserting them at about four inches
from the rim of the skep, and at about four inches apart ; the
operator should support each comb with his hand or with a piece
of wood when the skewer is being forced through it, to prevent
the comb being bent out of place or broken, and for the same
reason the skewers should be forced through by aslight screwing
motion of the hand: the bees will quickly attach the combs to
the skewers, but it is best to give them at least two days to do so,
When the time has arrived for moving the skep, subdue (82),
invert the skep, cover its mouth with sacking of open texture
which should then be firmly secured to the outside of the skep,
to prevent the escape of bees: then place the inverted skep in a
crate or box, and tie or fix it therein in such manner that it may
rest securely in inverted position : the sides of the crate or box
should project slightly above the skep so that a strong lath may
be nailed across the top of the box to protect the skep.

If the stock to be moved is in a box or wooden hive: instead
of using skewers, cut two pieces of roughish wood, just long
enough to fit neatly across the hive internally, and about one
inch square ; subdue (82) the bees, invert the hive, and press
the two sticks down across and into the combs, just sufficiently
to permit of the combs being attached to the cross-stick by the
bees ; the sticks should be placed across the combs, about four
inches apart, and pressed down about 4 inch into each comb.

If it is desired to move the stock in warm weather, say in the
period from June to August inclusive, about half the bees with
the queen should be driven and placed in a swarm box as de-
scribed in paragraph 184.

A fixed comb hive should always be kept inverted during
transit, as this position facilitates ventilation, and lessens the
risk of breaking combs, as the heaviest portions of comb con-
taining honey are those nearest to the roof or crown of the hive.

XXVI. SPRING CLEANING.

Advantage should be taken of a suitable opportunity during the
forenoon of a fine mild day in spring, be-

186. Spring fore supers are put on, to transfer each
Cleaning. stock from the hive in which it has been
wintered, to a clean hive. Care should be

taken not to expose the brood more than is necessary. Having
prepared a clean hive to take the frames from the old one (75),
remove the old hive to a position next its stand, place the clean
hive on the stand, subdue the bees (65), scrape all propolis
off the top bars of the frames, smear the frame shoulders (75),
and then transfer them to the clean hive, placing them in it in
the same order in which.they hung in the old hive: after which
cover up. The old hive should then be thoroughly cleaned,
washed out with an emulsion of one ounce of Izal to one gallon
of hot water, or a solution of 23 lbs. of washing soda (soda
crystals) dissolved in one gallon of boiling water, or other dis-
81

infectant solution, and it should then, if necessary, be painted
and left ready for use. Bees do not object to the smell of Izal.
If a spare hive is not available, the frames may be hung in a
suitable box, taking care to provide an exit hole and to cover
them warmly ; in this they may be left while the old hive is
being scraped and cleaned, after which they should be returned
to their hive. This operation need not be carried out in the
case of stocks which it is intended to work for extracting, if the
instructions already given (120) are followed.
INDEX.

Advantages of bar-frame hives, (18)
Age of brood, (10)

oy queen, (6) i
Ants, protection of hive from, (69)
Apiary, site of, (68)

55 arrangement of, (68)
Applance-box, (47) ‘
Appliances for driving, (81) 3

for commencing bee-keeping, (53)

Artificial s swarming, (169 to 172)
Autumn feeding, (104)

Bar-frame, (24)

Bar-frame hive, (18)

Bee, queen, (6)

» worker, (7)

»,  drene, (8)

s escape, cone, (23, 42),

35 » Porter, (41),
5 » Federation, (41)
Pee-keeping, commencing, (67)
a requisites for commencing (58)

works on, (1)
profits of, (3)

Bees, t races of, (5a) :

ss range of flight of, (15)

5 handling, (62) ‘

4s uniting, (132 to 137)

ne subduing, (63)

driving, (81, 84) ,
transferring from fixed- eee hive bo bar- fame hive, (86, 87)
weight of, (11).
esswax, pers: (138, 139) .
Board, hiving, (54)

s embedding (38),.

33 extension, (95, 110)
Body -box, (21)
Box, appliance, (47)

> swarm, (56)

, for sending queen by post, (154)

a for frames, (53) :
Brood (10),

EG age of, (10)

oh chamber, (21). 3

rr spreading, reasons for, (88)
time for, (89)
55 és method of, (90)
» chilled, (164) :
e foul, (165)
» pickled, (164)

” a9

Cage, queen, (55)
Caging queen, (151)
Candy, soft, (174)

PAGE

CAOaANNS

eww re

32
73-75
42

13
11

13, 18

17
26
22

5

lu
23
59-61

32, 33
Candy, flour, (175) :
» medicated, (176)
Capping cells, (17, 126) .
Cast, description of, (12)
Casts, prevention of, (13, 95, 96, 100)
» treatment of, (13, 100)
Cells, (9)
Cleaning hive in spring, (186)
extractor, (124)
Cloth, subduing, (43)
Comb, (9)
Gs foundation, (32)

» transferring from fixed- comb hive to bar- fr ame hive, (85) .

Cone bee-escape, (42)
Corkdust, cover, (129).
Coverings for brood chamber, (26, 129)
Crate, economic section, (29)

» divisional section, (30).
Crates, packing section, (111, 117)

es preparing section, (109, nee)

se tiering, (111)

a removing, (112)

Damp situation unsuitable for apiary, (68, 167)
Definitions, (5) . : ‘ 2
Diseases, (164-168)
Division-board, (25)
Divisional crate, (30, 115, 116)
Doubling-box, (31) :

“i 5 placing, (120)
Doors, (21) :
Drone bee, (8) .

se cell, (9)

Driving appliances, (81) :

3 from a skep, open, (82)

- 5 close, (83)

55 from a box, (84)
Dummy, (25)

+ to fit for feeding, (103)
Dusting bees with flour, (132)
Dwindling of stocks in summer, (103)

Economic section-crate, (29)  .
ss filling, (109)
Eges, (6, 7, 10)
» time when young queen will lay, ( 14)
» laying, (6, 7) : js
Embedder, (37)
Embedding appliances, (35)
2 board, (36)
a5 foundation, (74)
Escape, cone bee, (23) .
P Porter, (41) -
- Federation, (41)
Excluder, queen, (48)
Extension Board, (95)

Extracted frames, treatment of, (122, 123, 124)

a honey, grading and storing, (157)
» sending by rail, (163) .
Extracting, (124) . . '

10, 38, 39, 40

10, 40
8

80

54

18

8

15

33

53, 54
84

PAGE
Extracting versus sections, (118) , : : ‘ 50
os wax, (188, 139) . ; : : 61
_ preparing stocks for, (119) . : 51

55 treatment of swarm eRnEe from hive ea
for, (98). : 40

treatment of sw. arm. issuing from hive which it is
intended to work for, (99) . ‘ 40
is treatment of stocks worked for, (121) ‘ j 53
i removal of frames for, (122) : ‘ ‘ 53
Extractor, (49) . j : : : F : 20
ey cleaning, (124) ; 3 ; : G 56
Feather, use of subduing, (64). : : : : 24
Feeder, (38) ; : ; é 16
* cheap pattern for slow feeding, (39). : : 17
” », quick feeding, (40) . x : 17
55 method: of using, ere ee ‘ fs 5 41-44
Ae round tin (38) . : ‘ ; 16
Feeding, reasons for, (101) . 41
Ms indications ‘of want of, (103, 105, 125-127) ‘ 41, ‘43, 56, 57
a spring stimulative, (106) ; : ; 43
pa summer, (103, 112) ‘ : , ‘ 4 41, 48
. autumn, (104, 125-127) ; : ; 42, 56, 57
* winter, (105, 126-127) ‘ 5 , . 43, 57
8 by means of sections, (103) : : ‘ 3 42
passage in winter, (129) ; . . : 57
Fertile worker, (7) ‘ 7
Fixed-comb hive, preparing stock for franieton from, (86) ¢ 34
¥ 95 », transferring bees and comb from, (85) é 33
S - . . 4 only from, (87) ‘ ‘ 34
», uniting two stocks that are in, (136). : 60
Filling section crates, (109, 115) . : ‘ : . 45, 49
Flight of bees, range of, ae ‘ ° : ‘ : 10
Flightboard, (20) . ; : j : 12
Floorboard, (20) ; : a ‘ , ‘ 12
Flouring bees, (132) : : : ‘ : : 59
Flowers producing honey, (4)" . ; : ; : 6
Follower, (29) . : : : : 14
Food, signs that food is wanted, (103) ‘ ‘ ; ; 41
Foul Brood, (165) ; ; : : A 71
a Be sources of infection: (166) . ‘ ‘ 72
ae conditions favourable to development, (167) ; 72
a symptoms, (168) . . : : : 72
Foundation, comb, (382) : A : : ‘ 15
35 frame, (33) ‘ . ‘ 3 5 16
J section, (34) : 3 ‘ 3 16
A fixing in frame, (73) ; : : 28
es » section, (109, 115) é ‘ . 45, 49
embedding, (74) . ; ‘ : ‘ 29
Frame, Abbott, (24) ‘ : ‘ ‘ : ‘ 13
Frame-box, (53) : ; : ; : ; 20
» standard, (24) . < Z ‘ 5 5 13
Frames, wiring, (71, 72) 3 : . . e 2915 528
Handling bees, (62) ; ‘i ; ; 3 : 23
Hive, C.D.B., (19) 5 : ; P ; ‘ 12
» stand, (69) ; : : : “ 26
»» preparing for swarm, ( 75) . . . ; . 29
* securing for winter, (130) . 5 58

» securing bar-frame hive with stock for transport by rail or

road, (184). 5 : . ; 78
85

PacE

Hive, nucleus, (57) . - 7 s - 22
Hives, moving, (15, 182- 184). A F 10, 77, 78
s location and arrangement of, (68) : 5 ; 26

2 bar-frame, (18) . 5 é : 5 5 ll
Hiving-board, (54) : : : 3 21
ir swarm through hive entrants, (7 6) : : ; 30

Pe queen lost, when, (77). 3 . 31

” examination of hive after hiving swarm, (7 8) 5 : 31

6 treatment of stock after hiving swarm, (79) ; z 31
swarm by casting into brood chamber, (80) ‘ - 31

Honey, supply, (4) : 5 : : - 6
Pe flow, signs of, (16) ‘ ; F A 7 ll

6 ripening of, (17, 124). s 3 é 11, 55

% producing honey for sale, (107) . 4 F 44

a flow ceasing when supers are on, (112) : : ; 48

re uncapped, unsuitable for winter food, (126) . ; 57

= storing, grading, and marketing, (156- me : ‘ 68-70

3 sending by post, (161) Pr . é 70

3 rail, (162, 163) : : ; . 70
Honeycomb, (9) ‘. . ; . : ‘ 8
Inbreeding objectionable, (146) . : A 64
Increasing stocks by artificial swarming, (169-172) : » 73-75
Introducing queen by cage, (152) : ‘ : 66
» direct, (153) . 7 ‘ f 67

Italian bees, as honey gatherers, (5a, 119) ‘ , . 6, 51
Knife, uncapping, (52) . : : ; ; ‘ 20
Lace paper for sections, (160) . : , ; ‘ 69
Larva, (10) : 4 6 ; : : , 9
Laying power of queen, (6, 144) . : ‘ ‘ ‘ 7, 63
Lift, (22) : : , ‘ : : : 13
», second, (111) % , 7 ' ‘ 5 47
Life of worker, (7) : : ; : ; : 7
Marketing honey, (161) ; ‘ : ‘ 70
Manipulating stocks, (62) ; : ‘ ; ‘ 23
os position of operator when, (61) : : ‘ 23
Measures and weights, (181)  . : 5 ‘ ‘ 77
Medicated candy, (176) : ‘ : : : 76
ss syrup, (179) A ‘ : ‘ 76
Moving hives, (15, 182 to 184) . . : : 10, 77, 78
Naphthol beta solution, (177). : : : 3 76
Nucleus hive, (57) : : : 5 : 22
Nuclei, forming, (148, 149) ; : : ‘ i 65
5 management of, (150) . : : : : 66
Operator, proper position of, (61) : ; ; : 23
Packing honey for transit, (161-163) : . 70
55 bar-frame hive with stock for transit by cond or ail, (184) 78

S fixed -comb hive for transit, (185) ; t 5 79
Paper for covering sections, meee ; ‘ j ‘ 69
Parcel post crate, (161) . F ; : : 70
Passage for winter feeding, (129) : : é . 57
Personal supervision essential, (2) 5 : ; . 5
Pollen, substitutes for, (106) 3 ‘ , ‘ ‘ 43
Porch, (21) a 5 ; ; : ; : 12

Porter bee-escape, (41) ‘ : 2 : é 17
86

Post, sending queen by, (154)
Prepari ing stocks for winter, (125)
Prevention of swarming, (13, 88, 95- 100, 118)
a robbing, (143). ‘
foul brood (166, 167)
Profits of bee-keeping, (3)

Queen bee, (6)
% cage, (55)
: caging, Ge
2 catching, (15
= cell, (9) A
»  excluder zinc, (48) 3
5 introduction by cage, (152)
3 5 direct, (153)
» laying power of, (6, 144) .
», lost when hiving, (77)
»  Yearing, (144-150, 155)
» sending by post, (154)
time when young queen will lay eees, (14).
Queeniessness, signs of, (145) ; ;
Queens, providing, (146)
selecting, (146)
sa wintering spare, (155)
Quilt, (26) ;
», for corkdust, (129)

Raiser, (22) :
Recipes, (173-180)
Removing section crates, (112)
Rendering beeswax, (139)
Re-queening, necessity for, (144). ‘
Requisites for commencing bee-keeping, (58)
Ripener, (50). ‘ ‘
Ripening honey, (17, 124)
Robbing, (123, 140-143)
=e causes of, (141)
aa signs of, (142)
ae prevention of, (143)
Roof, (23)

Section, (27) 4
ay crate, (29, 30) .
3 crates, filling and placing, (109- ‘11, 115, 116)
Bs » packing, (110, 117) i
es » removing, (112)
es folding block, (27)
foundation, (34) ; ;
Sections, feeding by means of, (103, 114)
si treatment of uncompleted, (114)

55 versus extracting, (118)
% grading and storing, een
% covering, (158)

95 wrapping in wax paper, (159)
glazing, (160)
Securing hive for winter, (130) .
ss hives for transit (184, ze
Separator, (28)
Signs of robbing, (142) :
Site of apiary, (68) . :

10, 35, 38-40, 50

62
72
87

PAGE
Skep, open driving from a, (82) . 5s . ; 3 32
» Close driving froma, (83) . Z : oe
Sleevelets, (46) 5 ; : ; : ; 19
Smoker, (44) ; 3 : 2 ; : ‘ 18
Soft candy, (174) : 3 : : : : 76
Solution, subduing, (180) ; : 77
55 naphthol beta, (177). 3 : ‘ 76
Spring cleaning, (186) . ; : % : 80
» feeding, (106). : ¥ y 2 43
Stand, hive, (69) : : : i , : 26
Standard frame, (24) : ‘ : ; : : 13
Stings, (59) ; : ‘ : : i : 23
» protection from, (60) : ; : k ‘ 23
Stimulating, (106) 5 3 ; : : ‘ 43
Stock, detinition of, (5) . y : ; - 6
Storing honey, (156, 157) ‘ ; ; ‘ . 68, 69
Streiner, (51). : : : ; : 20
Subduing bees, (63 to 66) ; : ; - . 24, 25
is cloth, (43) . ‘ : ‘ : ‘ 18
Ay use of, (65) E d P ; ‘ ‘ 24
Solution, (180) . 5 p : : : 5 77
Sugar for feeding, (173) . ; ; i ; : 75
Summer feeding, (103) . : : : ; : 41
Super-box (31) . : : ? : : ‘i 15
Super-clearer, (41) . : : ‘ . 17
“3 use of wooden (113) : ‘ 4 3 49
Supering, (107-121) ‘ ‘ : ‘ ‘ . 44-53
$5 time to cease, (114, 125) : g . . 49, 56
Swarm, (11) ; 5 : : : ‘ 9
after, (see Cast)
» box, (56) ; ‘ : , é Px
. preparing hive for, (75) . 3 : : : 29
o hiving through hive exitrenkd, (76) , , F 30
- Searinabion after hiving, (78) . 2 ‘ 5 31
5 treatment of stock after hiving, (79) : : A 31
a hiving by casting into brood chamber, (80) ‘ ‘ 31
+5 securing, (93) . < 37
identification of hive from Ww. hich swarm ‘issued, (94) . 38
treatment of, (95-100) . : ; ‘ Fe 38-40
Sw arming, natural, (11, 91, 92) . : : : 5 9, 37
55 signs of, (11, 92) ss 5 . 9, 37
5 prevention of, ae 13, 88, 95-100, 118) . 10, 35, 58-40, 50
7 artificial, (169 to 172) 3 ; : 73-75
Swarms, uniting two, (1 a . : : : ; 59
Swiss entrance, (21) 5 : , A 12
Syrup, spring and summer, (178) : ; . ‘i 76
ee autumn, (179) . és : ‘ f : 76
PS medicated, (179) 3 s 2 - * 76
Tiering crates, (111) ‘ ; : i : 46
Tins for extracted honey, (163) . 70
Transferring comb and bees from fixed-comb hive to bar- frame 33
hive, (85).
Transferring bees from fixed-comb hive to bar-frame hive, (87). 34
Transfer, preparing stock for transfer from fixed-comb hive to
bar-frame hive, (86). : 3 3 3 34
Uncapping-knife, (52) . 5 : : 20
Uncapped honey unsuitable for winter store, (126) : ‘ 57
Uniting, (131-137) : 3 5 : : - 58-61

re two swarms (132) : s ‘ . . 59
88

Pace

Uniting two stocks which are in bar-framo hives, (133). ; 59
swarm to stock in bar-frame hive, (134) : : 60

a stock in fixed-comb hive to stock in bar-frame hive, (135) 60

BS two stocks that are in fixed-comb hives, (136) . ? 60

» + points to be observed when, (137) : : : 61
Veil, (45) : . : , : : 19
Ventilator, floorboard, (20) 3 : : : ; 12
3 roof, (23). : : ; 7 . 3
Warmth essential to supers, (117, 120). . 60, 52
Wax extracting, (138, 139) : : 4 : : 61
» paper, wrapping sections in, (159) . ; < 5 69
Weights and measures, (181). , : : ; 77
Wilkes’ wire queen excluder, (48) d : : ; 19
Winter feeding, (105, 125-127) ‘ : : : 43, 56, 57
» preparing stocks for, (125, 129, 130) ; : 56, 57, 58

» coverings, (129) : p : : 57

3 feeding passage, (129) . 3 ; i ss 57
securing hive for, (130) : : : % 58
Wintoring on full hive of frames, (128). : 3 3 57
a spare queens, (155) . 3 é ; : 68
Wiring appliances, (35) . 5 ‘ é : : 16
ss frames, (71, 72) u 3 : : . 27, 28

» reasons for, (70) ; : i : 27

Worker bee, (7) 7
r cell, (9) 8

55 fertile, (7) ‘ 7
Works on bee-keeping, (1) : : ‘ : , 5
Wrapping sections in wax paper, (159). ; ; ‘ 69

Wt.P.72—S.20. 15,000. 5/12. B. & N., Ltd.