V 
 
 m 
 
I 
 
 MANUAL 
 
 ON THE 
 
 MANAGEMENT OF BEES; 
 
 GIVING A 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE BEE, ITS 
 DISPOSITION AND HABITS, 
 
 AND 
 
 DESIGNED TO DESCRIBE AND ACCOMPANY 
 THE SELF-PROTECTING BEE HIVE; 
 
 Illustrated. 
 
 BY ABRAM FRANK, 
 
 OP BUSTI, N. V. 
 
 > 
 
 1848 
 
v O~* / — -iTA. 3 
 
 (? //< S'? if 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Ir is always usual for an author to give the public his 
 reasons for introducing a new work to their attention, by 
 way of preface, and inform them what he designs to do 
 in his book. Following the usual custom, though the 
 preface to a book is scarcely ever read by the mass of 
 readers, the Author desires to say that a new Bee Hive 
 patented in August, 1848, and receiving the first premium 
 at the Fair of the New- York State Agricultural Society , 
 in September of the same year ; combining all the advan- 
 tages of most of the Hives now in use) was introduced to 
 his notice for the purpose of testing its practical value, 
 about two years since by the patentee, Mr O. Stoddard 
 of Busti, New-York. The Author had devoted much 
 time and attention to the management of Honey Bees, 
 making from time to time, a variety of experiments, in 
 order to secure the greatest advantages from them, in multi- 
 plying laborers, and securing the results of their labor. 
 He has used six different kinds of Hives, and feels confident 
 that a good Apiarian can secure the most profitable results, 
 and double his money expended in Bees, with a good 
 Hive. That Hive which combines the most advantages, 
 is the most profitable to the Apiarian, for all who have any 
 experience must acknowledge that much depends upon the 
 Hive, in managing Bees. The Author believing the above 
 Hive to be the best in use — styled the Seef-Protectim, 
 Hive — writes the following work to describe it, to com- 
 mend it to the public who are interested, and also to afford 
 a concise and useful manual on the management of Bees 
 
IV 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 fie cheerfully commends the above Hive to the confidence 
 ot those who may be engaged in the management ol Bees, 
 and to all who wish to engage in the business, as being 
 just what it claims to be. Much credit is due to Mr Stod- 
 dard, the patentee, for bringing so useful a hive to the 
 notice of the Public. THE AUTHOR. 
 
 BvVri, November, 1848. 
 
lOUAL 
 
 ON THE 
 
 MANAGEMENT OF BEES 
 
RULE FIRST. 
 Construction of a Bee Hive. 
 
 Front view of Self-Protecting Bee Hive. 
 
 A Bee Hive should be made of good lumber, and in 
 a workman-like manner, and painted white. It should 
 he made smooth on the inside, and the head of each 
 Hive should be scratched, so as to make it convenient 
 for the Bees to cling to the top Board, while commenc- 
 ing their work in a new Hive. If it is not mode rough 
 by scratching, it will be very difficult for them to ad- 
 here to the Hive; and they frequently fall to the bot- 
 tom board ; and when this falling of Bees is repeated 
 
8 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 for a few times, they will leave the hive, and seek a 
 habitation in the woods. 
 
 I will now give the reader a description of the best 
 Hive in use. After using several different kinds, and 
 after ten years’ study and experience, 1 have come into 
 possession of a Hive that possesses most of the advan- 
 tages of all others now in use. 
 
 First; 1 make the Casement 28 inches high, and 18 
 inches from front to rear, and also 18 inches from side 
 to side. The Casement should he made of inch Boards, 
 excepting the top, which should be 1 1-4 inches thick! 
 The top should project over the casement i inch all 
 around, except on the back side, where it should pro- 
 ject 1 i inches, in order to receive a groove for the slid- 
 ing door. I put the bottom board two inches from the 
 bottom of the Hive, to give room to form short legs, as 
 you see in the following engraving. The bottom should 
 be made of 2 inch plank, the top of which should be 
 4 inches from the bottom of the legs. I leave a space 
 between the bottom plank and chamber floor, of 16 
 inches, to receive the two Hives which are occupied by 
 the Bees and their winter store. The chamber floor is 
 3-4 of an inch thick, leaving the Chambers C inches. 
 This Chamber is to receive two small long drawers. 
 The Chamber floor and bottom plank are grooved into 
 the sides of the casement. The front board and sliding 
 door behind, should be each 1 inch thick, leaving the 
 sides 16 inches wide. The Chamber floor and bottom 
 plank should he the same width of tho side boards. 
 There should be a strip, grooved the same as the top 
 board, and nailed on to the edge of the bottom plank, 
 on the back side, to receive the lower end of the slid- 
 ing door. I then make a tenon on each end of this 
 sliding door, to fit the grooves. This should he done 
 with much care to prevent insects from entering the 
 casement. Here you have a back view of the Self- 
 Protecting Bee Hive, with the sliding door moved to 
 the right hand side of the Hive. 
 
 N. B. instead of a Groove in the bottom board it 
 should be beveled so that the door may slide up, instead 
 of sliding in. and then put two small buttons to hold it 
 tight. 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 9 
 
 In the front view of the Hive, you will see a venti- 
 lator, covered with fine wire gauze, or perforated tin. 
 The ventilator is 1 inch wide, and 5 inches long, cut 
 through the front board 1 inch below the bottom of the 
 chamber floor, to let the breath and bad air escape from 
 the Hive. I cut the gauze larger than the mortice 
 through the front board, and tack it or perforated tin 
 over the mortice. Then I mitre a strip 3-8 of an inch 
 thick, and 3-4 of an inch wide around the mortice, over 
 the gauze, taking care that my mitre and mortice shall 
 he exactly of a size. This gauze should be made of 
 fine wire — such as is used for milk strainers — or perfo- 
 rated tin, with the holes so fine that no insect can enter 
 them, and pass into the casement. 
 
 The tube (which is the only entrance) should be put 
 in front, near the bottom of the Hive. The top of the 
 tube must be even with the top of the bottom plank. — 
 
10 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 This tube should be 6 inches long, on the top, 6 inches 
 wide, and 1 1-2 inches thick. The bottom should pro- 
 ject 1 1-2 inches beyond the top and sides, to make a 
 convenient place for the Bees to alight. The space in 
 the tube is 1-2 inch high, and 5 inches wide. The tube 
 should pass through the front of the Hive, and 1 inch 
 into the bottom plank, to prevent the Bees from enter- 
 ing between the casement and the inner Hive. A 
 mortice should be made in the top of the tube, half 
 way from the front of the Hive to the front of the tube, 
 1 inch wide by 5 inches long, to receive the tube of 
 the robber Box. 
 
 There is a tongue irt the tube 1-2 inch thick, and 1 
 inch wide at the inner end, and comes to an edge at 
 the outer end, which must be even with the mortice in 
 the top of the tube. This tongue must bo fastened at 
 the wide end with n wire or screw, so as to turn it to 
 the right or left, as occasion may require. The tongue 
 must be in the centre of the tube, there being 2 inches 
 space on each side, for the Bees to enter the Hive. I 
 then make two grooves in the bottom plank, corres- 
 ponding with the entrance ways in the tube. These 
 grooves are 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep at the end 
 of the tube, running to an edge in the centre of the 
 Hive. There is a strip left between the grooves on the 
 bottom plank which is not cut out, that the inner edge 
 of each inner hive stands on. 
 
 The Robber Box should be made 14 inches high, 10 
 inches wide, and 6 thick, with a glass in front 8 inches 
 by 10; and a hole in the back side 1 inch in diameter, 
 to let the robbers into a box, if occasion should require. 
 This hole should be covered by a piece of tin fastened 
 at one end by u screw ; so that it can be made tight 
 to prevent the robbers escaping, or opened at pleas- 
 ure. 
 
 A tube that just fills the mortice in the top of the 
 Hive tube, should be fitted into the bottom of the box, 
 passing half way through the box, to prevent the rob- 
 bers from making their escape, by the same way that 
 they entered. The back part of this tube should be 
 made long enough to close the entrance to the Hive. — 
 
MANAGEMENT OK BEES. 
 
 11 
 
 This keeps the robbers out, and your own bees in, 
 while you are catching the robbers. The front side of 
 this tube should be 1-2 inch shorter than the back side, 
 to give the robbers free access to the box. The hole 
 at the lower eud of this tube should be as large as 
 possible, and taper to a half inch hole at the upper end. 
 The robbers can then readily pass up this tube into the 
 box, but not one in a hundred will ever return by the 
 same way. In this way you can effectually prevent the 
 depredations of robbers. 
 
 The two inner hives, to contain the bees and their 
 winter stock, in the lower part of the casement, should 
 be made of half inch boards, well seasoned. 16 inches 
 high, 151-4 inches wide from front to rear, and 7 5-8 
 inches thick. There should be several holes through 
 the inner side of each inner hive, meeting each other, 
 so that the Bees can freely pass from one to the other ; 
 and also four holes through the top of each inner hive, 
 corresponding with holes through the chamber floor, 
 and honey boxes in the chamber, to give the bees an 
 entrance into the honey boxes. 
 
 Make a hole 1 1-4 inches iu diameter through the 
 front side of each inner hive, to correspond with the 
 ventilator in front of the casement, and cover them 
 with coarse wire gauze, or perforated tin, to prevent 
 the bees from passing between the inner hives and the 
 sasemeut. 
 
 If hives are made according to the rules here given, 
 a space will be left all around the inner hives. This 
 will prevent the comb from being melted by the hot 
 weather, which is very important. 
 
 Make the Honey drawers so that two of them will 
 just fill the chamber of the casement ; and see that the 
 apertures in the bottom of each drawer correspond 
 with those in the chamber floor, and in the upper sides 
 of the inner hives. 
 
 But a glass in the back side of each inner hive, and 
 each drawer, as you see iu the engraving giving a back 
 view of the Hive. By using glass in the hives and 
 dawers, you will be enabled to see the skill and work- 
 manship of your bees, and also to ascertain when your 
 
12 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 drawers arc lull. The drawers should always be re- 
 moved as soon as they are full, and empty ones put in 
 their places. 
 
 By using glass in your Hives, you can learn the na- 
 ture and disposition of the Bee, which is interesting to 
 every Apiarian. You will also beable to tell when the 
 miller is making depredations in the hive, if it ever 
 should effect an entrance. In such cases, unless you 
 discover much brood comb in the hive, the inner hive 
 containing the moth, should be immediately removed ; 
 or in the other case as soon as the brood is hatched, 
 and the place supplied by an empty hive. But with the 
 self-protecting hive, but little danger need be apprehend- 
 ed from these destructive insects. 
 
 RULE SECOND. 
 
 On Swarming and Hiving. 
 
 A uooo Apiarian or Bee owner will have bis Hives 
 made by a good mechanic, of good material, painted 
 white, and honey drawers in the chambers of each 
 Hive. He will have the Hives in their places in the 
 Apiary, and all things in readiness by the first of 
 May. 
 
 As soon as a swarm comes forth and commences 
 gathering on a limb, or in any other spot where they 
 may choose to light, the Apiarian should immediately 
 bring forth his llivc, open it, and with a wing or 
 brush, cleanse it well from cobwebs and dust; and if 
 he chose, rub the inside with Brine, Bee-balm, or 
 Spirits. But this I consider useless. If your Hive 
 is cool and clean, it is sufficient. He should place a 
 clean board on the ground where he intends to hive 
 his Bees, and set the Hive upon it, and place under 
 the hive three or four small blocks, so as to give the 
 bees rapid ingress and egress, cut off the limb or 
 whatever they may light on, (with care to prevent their 
 dropping from the limb,) shake them gently on the 
 board, and if they appear reluctant to take possession 
 of this new and strange habitation, brush them under 
 the Hive with a goose or turkey quill, and they will 
 
MANAGEMENT OP BEES. 
 
 13 
 
 soon enter. Should it be necessary to invert the Hive, 
 (which is sometimes the case,) theu see that your draw- 
 ers are secured to the floor of the chamber, (which 
 may be done by inserting a stick above the drawers,) 
 invert the Hive, shake the bees into it gently, and then 
 restore it to its upright position, on the hoard or table. 
 As soon as the bees take possession of the Hive, thev 
 should be removed to the Apiary or place where you 
 intend to have them remain through the season. If 
 they remain for any length of time where they are 
 hived, they commence their work, and in their first ad- 
 venture, make very careful and accurate observations, 
 survey their location, and if removed after this, many 
 of the most ambitious and industrious bees of the col- 
 ony may be lost. But Bees should never be allowed 
 to light on a tree. The lliver should always be used, 
 as you will' see in another rule. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 Bees swarm from 7 o’clock in the morning, to 4 
 o’clock in the afternoon, on a fair day, and on a cloudy 
 day, they seldom swarm before 1 o’clock, and perhaps 
 not at all, unless arrangements were made the previous 
 day. When this is the case, they sally forth, unless the 
 wind be strong and cold. I once had a swarm come 
 forth in a rain storm, and I had the curiosity to know 
 the cause of their adventure, on such an unfavorable 
 occasion. I put them back into the Hive from which 
 they had come forth ; and they came forth again by 7 
 o’clock the next morning. By close examination, I 
 found 6 young Queens of the same age. This was no 
 
 doubt the cause of their coming forth on a wet day. 
 
 It was the third swarm from the Hive, and I lost the 
 colony by experimenting. 
 
 Only two reasons can be given for the swarming of 
 the Honey Bee. The first is, the want of room for the 
 Bees to work, and the Queen to lay her eggs; and the 
 second is, to avoid the conflict of the Queens, which 
 will always occur, if more than one Queen is in pos- 
 session ol the Hive at the same time. Some authors 
 inform us that swarms have been known to come forth, 
 
14 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 before the Hive was full, but during more than nine 
 years’ observation, I have never seen an instance of the 
 kind, and I am led to believe that it is contrary to the 
 nature of the Bee. 
 
 The old Queen always goes out with the new colo- 
 ny, and leaves the old colony, retaining the Hive des- 
 titute of one. But it appears that they have a knowl- 
 edge of their wants, and the capacity and most com- 
 monly the means of supplying them. They remove 
 the Larva or Grub of the common working Bee to roy- 
 al cells; and feed them on royal jelly, which produces 
 female or Queen Bees. This may seem incredible to 
 some, but it is a well attested fact, that as soon as they 
 discover that their Queen has forsaken them, they set 
 themselves to work to fill the vacancy, by constructing 
 several royal cells into which they remove the grubs 
 which would have been workers, and by feeding them 
 on what is called royal jelly, they soon come out per- 
 fect Queens. These grubs may be removed to the 
 royal cells at different stages, and by receiving this food, 
 (which others do not receive,) they come forth different 
 persons from what was intended, when the Queen (the 
 only female in a colony of from 15 to 30,000) deposited 
 her eggs in the dry comb. 
 
 One of the best Apiarians of the age, J. M. Weeks, 
 remarks that “the eggs are commonly laid in litters, 
 about three times a week, during the breeding season ; 
 and the Bees to be more sure of succeeding in their 
 experiments, divide themselves into squadrons, and 
 undertake to make more than one, by taking them from 
 different litters, and thus avoid the confusion of having 
 a number of Queens hatched at the same time. This 
 accounts for having more than one Queen at the same 
 time. Two Queens cannot exist together long in the 
 same hive. Nature has implanted an implacable ha- 
 tred between them, and as soon as the notes of the 
 first hatched Queen are heard, they are answered in 
 tones of defiance by the nymph Queen younger, which 
 is yet in her cell, and has not seen the light; and if 
 not prevented by the workers, she is torn from her 
 cel! by her elder sister, and immolated to her love of 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 15 
 
 indisputable sway.’’ But if the young Queen is suffi- 
 ciently guarded to prevent that immolation, the elder 
 sister soon collects her followers, and seeks a new hab- 
 itation, and leaves the old one to he controlled by the 
 young Queen. These Queens never return to their 
 native home, and the Bees following her, loose all at- 
 tachment to those remaining in the Hive from whence 
 they came, as soon as they enter their new domicil, and 
 commence laying up their winter store. It seems 
 strange to a person unaccustomed to rearing and man- 
 aging Bees, yet it is nevertheless true, that Bees, after 
 working for months in a hive, may come forth with a 
 swarm, be hived, and placed on a bench within ten 
 ieet of their old home, and after working a week in 
 their new habitation, remove it; and all the bees out in 
 the field of labor, on their return will fly around, and 
 linger about the place, and such is their distinct nation- 
 ality, that they soon give up and die in despair, and 
 not one finds his way back to his old home and friends. 
 This shows the necessity of placing your hive where 
 you intend to have it remain through the season. You 
 can remove your Bees into any part of your yard, if 
 you do it before warm weather sets in — say in March 
 or April. I would recommend to all Bee Cultivators, 
 this method of managing stands of Bees: Change their 
 position every spring, before the working season com- 
 mences, and good will result from it. All good Farm- 
 ers know that it is beneficial to change stock, from 
 place to place. It seems to inspire them with new life 
 and ambition. 
 
 Second swarms will generally make their appearance 
 within ten or fiften days after the first swarm. If they 
 do not come out within nineteen days, you need not 
 expect them through the season. The probability is, 
 that the Queen has disposed of all the younger queens, 
 and being invested with full government, remains con- 
 tented. 
 
 It is impossible to give any rule by which to deter- 
 mine the exact time of the first swarming. In the old 
 fashioned Box Hive, you can calculate near the time, 
 by the quantity of Bees hanging on the outside of the 
 
16 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 Hive. After Bees hang out in a cluster for a number 
 of days, and all things are in readiness, they frequently 
 enter the Hive again, to fill themselves with honey ; 
 for as a general thing, swarms go loaded from the Hive, 
 though it is not always the case. Many burden bearers, 
 on their return to the Hive, finding their companions 
 gone, go in pursuit of them ; and if they are near by, 
 fall in with them and return not again. This, I am 
 convinced by several years’ observation, is a fact. The 
 emigrants carry with them honey-bread and materials 
 for gluing up the inside of the Hive, to exclude the 
 light and cool air. In my opinion, the working bee 
 has constantly on hand, a greater or less supply of wax, 
 through the wax making season. It is made of small 
 flakes, resembling minute particles of bran, which 
 they remove from the scales on the belly. I have 
 frequently seen them picking them out and placing 
 them on the unfinished part of their work. This may 
 be fully ascertained by any observing Apiarian, espec- 
 ially if he uses Stoddard’s Self-protecting Hive. In 
 the evening, which is an appropriate time for observing 
 their handy work, you can slip back the sliding door, 
 and as the back of the Hives are glass, you can observe 
 much of the nature and habits of the bee, with a can- 
 dle light. 
 
 The days of second and third swarming, may be 
 generally predicted as follows: The Apiarian passes 
 through his stands of Bees in the evening, listening 
 near the entrance of the Hives attentively ; and if a 
 swarm is about to come forth, he will hear the Queen 
 giving an alarm at short intervals, which will be kept 
 up till the swarm comes forth, or one Queen is destroyed 
 by the other. He will generally hear two Queens at 
 the same time, in defiance of each other; one (in her 
 cell) making much less noise than the other. The 
 noise can be readily discovered, being different from 
 any other noise made in the Hives, and sounding 
 much like that of the mud wasp. Sometimes the 
 weather is unfavorable for swarming for a number of 
 days, and this generally results in the death of all of 
 the Queens but one. The knowledge of the existence 
 
M 4NAOP.ME!VT OF I>EES. 
 
 17 
 
 of another Queen in the same Hive inspires them with 
 the greatest rage, and a general issue takes place 
 between the royal bloods. If theeldestcannotsucceed 
 in pouring out her vengeance, and satisfying her thirst 
 for blood, in wilful murder, she will sally forth with as 
 many as see fit to join their destinies with hers, 
 leaving the government of the Hive to the infant 
 Queen. 
 
 It is often the case with the old box Hive, that a 
 number of quarts of workers hang in a cluster on the 
 outside of the Hive for several days, waiting patiently 
 for their leader to give the alarm. When this takes 
 place, all the Bees on the outside of the Hive, are in 
 perfect confusion for a few moments, and soon leave 
 the old Hive and engage with the new colony. It is 
 not the case, as some suppose, that the older Bees all 
 sally forth, and leave the younger ones to finish the 
 work. Both the elder and younger swarm forth at 
 the same time. I have frequently seen Bees engage 
 in this grand rally so young that they would soon be- 
 come fatigued, and fall down on the ground or sur- 
 rounding objects sometime before the swarm made 
 choice of a place to light. The younger Bees may he 
 readily distinguished from the others, by their appear- 
 ance. When the Bees come forth from the cells they are 
 lighter colored than they ure when older; and they do 
 not fold their wings in the same manner as when they 
 have been freed from the cells for twenty-four hours. 
 
 As young Bees engage in the regular labors of the 
 Hive witlfcn a very few hours after they are hatched, 
 every Apiarian should avail himself of a Hive that 
 will prevent the great loss of time in the best part of 
 the honey season, occasioned by their hanging out in 
 clusters for days and weeks, entirely idle. I have 
 found great advantage in using Week’s Vermont Ilivc, 
 in this respect; but I think Stoddard's Self-Protecting 
 Hive far superior to any other now in use. In these 
 Hives you can keep all your Bees at work, until the 
 moment of swarming ; and by so doing, you will have 
 from ten to fifteen pounds of honey ready for market, 
 in the small drawer?, while the old box Hive is giving 
 
18 
 
 MANUAL OF TIIK 
 
 you no profits, except the young swarms. Any Apia- 
 rian in possession of the Self-Protecting Hive, contain- 
 ing healthy swarms of Bees, can with due attention 
 secure greater profits in the capital invested, than with 
 money drawing 50 per cent, interest. People often 
 object to Patent Hives, on account of the expense, 
 hut this is all folly. A good Hive may be made for 
 50, and your profits above the Box Hive in a good 
 season will be from $300 to $500. Besides this, your 
 Hives well painted, and kept from the weather, will 
 last an age, and are really more valuable if well cleaned 
 after being once occupied by Bees, than when entirely 
 new. Much labor in gluing up the cracks and crevices 
 in the Hive, is already accomplished, and they can 
 adhere to the chambers with more ease than when 
 entirely new. Bees sometimes forsake the new hive 
 in consequence of being unable to adhere to the cham- 
 ber readily and commence thoir work. They soon be- 
 come disheartened, and seek a new habitation. This is 
 one cause of a swarm leaving a hive, from one to three 
 days after they are hived. 
 
 The second is for the want of room in the Hive. — 
 The third is mere carelessness in the Apiarian. The 
 Hive is placed where the sun beats directly upon it, 
 and their domicil becomes so extremely hot, that they 
 must leave it or suffocate. It is very essential that 
 they be kept from the hot sun. In hiving Bees, you 
 should cover the Hive with a bush or board as soon 
 as the Bees enter it, that their house may stand in the 
 shade. 
 
 Bees are sometimes irritable in swarming, and one 
 reason is, the air is forbidding to them, by being cold, 
 extremely hot, damp, windy, or otherwise, so ns to 
 impede their determined emigration. Another reason 
 is, that they sometimes hang out in clusters for many 
 days, not being apprized of the intemion of the Queen, 
 and finally come forth in confusion, without having an 
 opportunity to fill their sacks with honey. In all such 
 cases, the Apiarian should be provided with a veil to 
 cover his face, and wollen gloves. These should be 
 in the Apiary, ready for use at uny moment. Quick 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES 
 
 19 
 
 and harsh movements on such occasions are very 
 offensive to them. They are easily enraged by strik- 
 ing or blowing them, and they will he very sure to 
 show becoming resentment. They should be treated 
 with great respect always, but especially on such occa- 
 sions. 
 
 I suppose that not one swarm out of a hundred 
 know where they are going when they sally forth from 
 their Hives ; and for this reason they should be hived 
 as soon as they gather in a cluster, to prevent their 
 sending off an embusssy to seek a tenement. If this 
 is done, they will never fly to the woods, admitting they 
 have sufficient room, and the Hive is free from every 
 thing offensive to them. 
 
 Bees sometimes go directly to the woods when they 
 sally forth from the Hive. This seldom occurs, and 
 when it does, it arises from one of the two following 
 causes : 
 
 First: A colony may be ready to come (brth. and 
 be detained several days in the Hive by unfavorable 
 weather ; or they may come out and be driven back 
 by wind or rain. At length the Queen sends off an 
 embassy, and the first favorable opportunity they come 
 forth, and follow the guides, who have already been 
 thither, to some hollow tree in the forest, and take 
 possession of it as their future home. Some have sup- 
 posed that the Queen takes the lead in this journey, 
 but this is a mistake. She remains at home until she 
 comes forth with all her adhering subjects about her. 
 It is an old whim that yon must rattle bells and blow 
 horns to prevent their hearing the calls of the Queen. 
 This only seiwes to drive them away. There are many 
 superstitious notions, such as a man must not sell his 
 bees, because he will sell bis luck. A man might as 
 well say it would bo selling his good luck to sell his 
 sheep or cattle. 
 
 Second: Sometimes swarms come forth and fly 
 about for some time, contending with a heavy wind, 
 and at length settle on an adjoining Hive that are about 
 sending forth o colony. This causes great confusion 
 throughout the Hive, and sometimes they will come off 
 
30 
 
 MANUAL OK THE 
 
 and flee to the woods. This unpleasant scene may be 
 prevented, as you will see, by another rule, and I think 
 it worthy of the attention of the Apiarian, as he can 
 save those swarms in this way which would otherwise 
 be lost. 
 
 My rule is, as soon as I see the Bees sally forth, to 
 prepare my Hiver, and when I discover where they 
 are going to light, I place my Hiver directly over the 
 first small cluster that gathers, and as soon as a pint 
 or more of Bees have collected in the Hiver, 1 move 
 it from 4 to 20 feet from the place where they first 
 commenced lighting, and fasten it in the air by setting 
 a croch under the pole of the Hiver. By the time 1 
 have prepared my Hive and placed it on a board, the 
 Bees have collected in the Hiver. I then take down 
 the Hiver carefully, and shake the Bees on to the 
 board, and with a quill brush them gently, to hasten 
 them into the Hive. As soon as they are fairfy in the 
 Hive, I remove them to the place which I intend' them 
 to occupy during the season. If the swarm is very 
 large, I let them into the drawers immediately, to pre- 
 vent their leaving the Hive, and to give the whole 
 colony an opportunity to commence labor at the same 
 time. The Bees then commence rearing their comb 
 first in the largest part of the Hive, and there they 
 deposit a portion of bread and honey ; the Queen 
 commences the task of depositing her eggs to rear up 
 a large family to supply her wants, and lay up a store 
 for the approaching Winter. The chamber being 
 supplied with the small drawers, the Bees will then 
 divide off into companies, and a portion of the colony 
 will occupy each small drawer, while the greater part 
 continue in the body of the Hive. Here you discover 
 the advantage of the Vermont and the Self-Protecting 
 Hives. You are collecting honey in the drawers ready 
 for market, and the most of the Bees are engaged in 
 filling up the body of the Hives for their Winter’s 
 store. 
 
 Small swarm3 should not be admitted to the draw- 
 ers under 10 or 15 days after hiving, to prevent their 
 commencing work in the drawers before they do in 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 21 
 
 the Hive. If they commence work first in the draw- 
 ers, the Queen will commence laying her eggs there. 
 The workers will deposit more or less bread at the 
 same time, and your drawer honey will not be fit for 
 use. 
 
 Swarming commences about the 10th or 15th of June, 
 and continues from 18 to 25 days in this climate, (West- 
 ern New-York.) It depends some, however, upon the 
 season, and they seem to possess a peculiar instinct 
 which teaches them when the season is so far advanced 
 that they cannot form new colonies with safety. — 
 They soon commence a slaughter among the drones, 
 and they will not permit any of the Queens to leave 
 the Hive, hut sufl'oeate all but one that may chance to 
 he in the Hive by piling themselves on to them in large 
 piles, and then draw them out of the Hive, to prevent 
 swarming. 
 
 RULE THIRD. 
 
 On Equalizing Colonies. 
 
 If you use the Vermont or Self- Protecting Hive, pre- 
 pare your Hive as directed in Rule Second. Now 
 hive your small colony in the body of the Hive, and 
 place the Hive in your Apiary. Collect another small 
 swarm in one of your drawers, and in the evening after 
 swarming, insert the drawer in the Hive, and let the 
 Bees have access to the body of the Hive, and in the 
 morning, having disposed of one of their Queens, they 
 will then he one colony. If you find your colony yet 
 too small, introduce the 3d, and even the 4tb, swurm, 
 as above directed. If you use the Hiver you will a- 
 void all this trouble. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 It is of the greatest importance to every Apiarian to 
 to keep colonies nearly of a size. Small swarms re- 
 turn very little profits to the owner os a general thing. 
 They are obliged to work under great disadvantage. — 
 
22 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 The Hive being large and the colony small, they can- 
 not keep up animal heat enough to make their wax work 
 to good advantage. Bees cannot make comb in a cold 
 Hive. In such case, most of the workers must remain 
 to keep a heat sufficient for the wax workers ; and con- 
 sequently very few Bees can be spured to resort to the 
 fields to obtain honey and bread. They will remain in 
 this forlorn condition for a short time, and then aban- 
 don their work aud their desolate home. If is hard to 
 trace the footsteps of these little disheartened families. 
 I suppose that they sometimes emigrate to unknown 
 parts at a distance, but they are more generally over- 
 come by their neighbors, and they generally carry off 
 what remains of their work that is moveable ; and the 
 owner looks for his little laborers, and finds himself dis- 
 appointed. They have fled, and left their comb which 
 they had constructed, to feed and increase their great- 
 est enemy, the moth. 
 
 Second swarms are generally about half as large as 
 the first swarms. The third and fourth decrease in the 
 same ratio. The Apiarian should make additions to his 
 second and third swarms, till they are about as large as 
 a good first swarm. In this way, late swarms will be 
 profitable ; but if suffered to remain single handed, they 
 become discouraged for want of numbers, aud cannot 
 at the same time, carry on their work, and guard the 
 Hive, to prevent their being robbed of what little they 
 have laid up in store. 
 
 Small Hives should not be prepared for second and 
 third swarms. Every Hive should be of the same size. 
 Any drawer can be made in this case, and fit the cham- 
 ber of the Hive. Let the Apiarian use every means to 
 hasten their labors, and the Bees will do all in their 
 power to enrich your tables with a luxury, and your 
 pockets with a few Dimes. Very much depends upon 
 the construction of the Hives. If you wish to reap 
 bountifully from their labors, supply yourself with the 
 best Hive in use; but if you wish to keep Bees, merely 
 for the sake of keeping them, an old box hive, gun, or 
 barrel, will answer. 
 
 Swarms may be doubled any time within three days. 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 2 S 
 
 with perfect safety. After this they become more hos- 
 tile. It is then unsafe for neighboring Bees to call at 
 their door, for they may be seized and dragged a- 
 
 way. . 
 
 Bees are provided with a sack, in which to carry 
 their provisions. They leave the old Hive supplied 
 with several days’ provisions, and they are compelled to 
 build comb before they can empty themselves. In this 
 condition, they are not easily vexed. I have doubled 
 swarms at ten days’ interval between swarming, with 
 perfect success. 
 
 I would recommend doubling second swarms, and 
 sending third and fourth swarms back into the old Hive 
 from whence they came. This may bo done by shak- 
 ing the Bees on to a board near the mouth of the Hive, 
 and brushing them with a quill toward it. You will be 
 apt to see the queen, making her way in. It you are 
 quicker than she, you may succeed in catching her. — 
 She is very quick in all her movements, especially at 
 this time. If you fail to find her, they will be very apt 
 to come off the next day ; and you should reuew the 
 attempt until she is destroyed. The feeble colony will 
 then remain with the old one. By this means you 
 will keep your old stock well filled with Bees. Tpo 
 much swarming is injurious. They become weak in 
 numbers, and they are apt to fall a prey to the moth or 
 robbers. 
 
 RULE FOURTH. 
 
 On Preventing Robberies. 
 
 Apiarians have tried many experiments to prevent 
 robberies, and have failed of finding a perfect remedy, 
 until Stoddard’s Patent Robber Box was offered to 
 the public. This, most certainly, is a great discovery, 
 and worthy the attention of every Apiarian. I think 
 few words are needed on this subject, as the first sight 
 of this improvement, satisfies any man of its utility. 
 
 It only needs to be applied, and the work is done. 
 
 If you discover that your Bees are attacked by 
 
24 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 robbers, close your Hive by means of the tongue in 
 the Hire Tube, so that one Bee only can enter at a time, 
 and then your Bees can guard the entrance. If the 
 contention has just commenced, this will be sufficient- 
 If it is of long standing, close up the entire entrance, 
 observing well to give them sufficient air. Let your 
 Hive remain closed till sunset, then open it, to admit 
 your own Bees, and give any robbers which maybe 
 within an opportunity of escaping. Close the Hive 
 again before sunrise ; and if any Bees appear, give 
 them a shower of cold water from a water pot or 
 broom. They will be so offended with your treat- 
 ment, as to leave very soon. Then give your Bees free 
 ingress and egress, and they will again resort to their 
 labor. 
 
 Bees are not likely to make war, and rob each other, 
 except in the Spring and Fall. Sometimes extreme 
 hot weather causes honey to drip, and then most of the 
 Bees engage in the work, and carry it off, and leave an 
 empty Ilive for the owner. 
 
 In case you have a young swarm robbed, and the 
 comb is clean from the moth, and light colored, close 
 your Ilive and set it away until swarming. Hive a 
 small colony in it, and they will soon cleanse the comb, 
 and commence storing up honey. Here you will find 
 a great saving, and the Bees are always fond of such a 
 habitation. If the comb is old and dark colored, never 
 put Bees into it. 
 
 I would recommend all Apiarians to adopt this rule: 
 II you find a swarm of young Bees robbed, and honey 
 remaining in the comb, secure it well from ants and 
 spiders, and set in a dry room until November — then 
 look for a weak swarm that is destitute of honey, and 
 transfer them into this Hive, and you have a good col- 
 ony. This I huve practised for a few years with good 
 success. In March, 1840, I examined my Bees, and 
 found them destitute of honey: I transferred them in- 
 to such a Ilive of comb and honey — preserved them — 
 and they swarmed twico during the season. Here you 
 discover good resulting from experiment. I proceeded 
 the same way with a swarm in January, 1848, and my 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES 
 
 25 
 
 profits from the same swarm during the past season, 
 were $14. This operation may be performed with 
 much more ease than to remove the honey from the 
 Hive, and feed the Bees. In feeding bees, you are apt 
 to loose your Bees by robbers, unless great caution is 
 used. 
 
 Many ways of transferring Bees have been advised 
 by different Authors. There appear to be objections 
 against all the methods recommended, and it is esteemed 
 a difficult operation. But this difficulty seems to be 
 obviated by the Self-Protecting Hive, as you will see 
 by another rule. An eastern gentleman has tried the 
 experiment of administering Ether, which soon pros- 
 trates them and thay are transferred to another Hive 
 before they recover ; perhaps this may be used with 
 success, but it is doubtful. 
 
 RULE FIFTH. 
 
 On Removing Honey. 
 
 ' As soon as you discover that your drawers are full, 
 and all the cells capped over, and most of the Bees 
 left the drawers, (a few will remain to guard them,) 
 insert a tin slide between the drawer and the chamber 
 floor, then remove the drawers and insert empty ones 
 in their place. Now remove the slide and let the Bees 
 pass through the aperture, into the empty drawers. — 
 They will discover that they have been robbed of a 
 part of their Winter’s store, and unless the working 
 season is too far spent, they immediately set them- 
 selves to work to repair the loss. The labors of mak- 
 ing comb and depositing honey, end, in this country 
 about the last of August, or the first of September. 
 
 After you have removed the honey drawers in this 
 manner, take them near the house and set them on 
 the glass end that the Bees may return to the Hive. — 
 From this place take your drawers to a dark room, 
 with a small opening ; set your drawer near the open- 
 ing — rap a few times on the box, blow occasionally in 
 the aperture, and the Bees will soon leave the drawer 
 and honey for the owner. If their work is not com- 
 
MANUAL OF THE 
 
 2t> 
 
 pleted, they are very slow to leave, and unless expelled 
 by harsh means, they will stay until they have sucked 
 every drop of honey from the comb. 
 
 Sometimes you will find brood comb in your draw- 
 ers, and the Bees are not then easily expelled. Such 
 drawers should be immediately returned to the Hive, 
 in the same manner as they were taken from it, that the 
 Bees may finish the work. 
 
 Apiarians should use much care in removing honey, 
 to prevent the effluvia of running or dripping honey, 
 which is always the greatest temptation to robbers. — 
 Bees will engage in robbery at all seasons of the year, 
 when it is sufficiently warm, if they can get access to 
 running honey. Bees never manufacture honey, but 
 extract it from flowers and such other substances as 
 yield it, in its original state. This any one can prove 
 by letting his Bees have access to a field of buckwheat. 
 The effluvia arising from the honey is the same as that 
 arising from a cluster of buckwheat blossoms. There 
 will also be a material difference in the color ; honey 
 made from the flowers of buckwheat has a darkish 
 color, from dandelions, a most beautiful yellow, from 
 white clover and basswood, white. Bees extract but 
 little honey from red clover; the cells are so deep, that 
 the Bee caunot plunge his trunk, or proboscis, to the 
 bottom, where the sweet liquid is deposited. Red clo- 
 ver yields abundance of honey, if the Bees could only 
 obtain it. In this country, Bees extract honey from 
 apple tree blossoms — white clover — soft maple — willow 
 — dandelion — basswood — hearts ease — buckwheat, and 
 many other scattering blossoms. 
 
 If there is much Buckwheat in reach of your Bees, 
 you had better remove your honey, before your poorer 
 honey can be extracted. Buckwheat honey is the best 
 honey for wintering Bees. 
 
 Druwers should be cleansed, and put into your old 
 stocks in the Spring as soon as blossoms open, — and 
 then taken out as fast ns they are filled. Feeble swarms 
 should not be admitted to the drawers until swarming 
 is over. 
 
 Drawers should be made as tight hb possible in the 
 
MANAGEMENT OK BEES. 
 
 27 
 
 joints, to prevent dripping honey from leaking out, 
 which makes them unfit for market. After the Bees 
 have left the drawers, paste thick paper over the aper- 
 tures, and store them in a chest made perfectly tight, to 
 prevent Ants from destroying the honey. Pack your 
 drawers with the apertures up, and in this way you can 
 keep honey for years. 
 
 RULE SIXTH. 
 
 On Multiplying Colonies without Swarming. 
 
 In stating this rule, I only speak in reference to Dr. 
 Reynold’s Hive and Stoddard’s Protector. I have 
 never seen any other non-swarming Hives, that 1 con- 
 sider of any importance. 
 
 If you use Stoddard’s Hive, and wish to increase 
 your colonies without their swarming, prepare your- 
 self with two or three tin slides ; and when you dis- 
 cover that your Bees are about ready to come out, 
 (and you can determine this by looking into the glasses, 
 as they will appear crowded, and hang around the 
 mouth of the Ilive,) place an empty Hive where you 
 wish them to stand through the season, and remove 
 one of the inner Hives from the empty one, and place 
 it near the one you iutend to divide. Now insert two 
 tin slides between the two inner Hives, and remove 
 one of them, and insert the empty one in its place, ob- 
 serving well to keep the apertures closed in both Hives, 
 to prevent the Bees escaping from either; then insert 
 your inner Hive, containing Bees and bread comb, in 
 the empty one. Close the tubes of both Hives with 
 pieces of tin punched full of holes, and prepared for 
 the purpose, so as to give a free circulation of air into 
 the bottom of the Hive — passing up through the body 
 of it and off through the ventilator, which is cov- 
 ered with fine wire gauze, to prevent the entrance 
 of the Miller. Both Hives should be closed at the 
 same time. Give both swurnts pure cold water daily, 
 for 3 or 4 days, after which, let them have their liher- 
 
 >y- 
 
28 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 This operation, says Mr. Weeks, is both practicable 
 and easy, and is of prime importance to all cultivators 
 who wish to avoid the necessity of hiving their Bees 
 when they swarm. And yet, it will not prevent swarm- 
 ing, except in that part of the divided colony contain- 
 ing the Queen at the time of their separation. The 
 other part are compelled to make another Queen ; 
 and as they generally make two or more, may swarm 
 to avoid their conflict. The Hive containing the old 
 Queen may swarm for want of room; but, at any rate, 
 you save hiving, and prevent one swarm fleeing to the 
 woods, by performing this operation. It should be 
 performed in the evening, for two reasons: First, that 
 all the workers may be at home in the Hive; and, tec- 
 ond, that the Bees may become <piiet through the cool 
 of the night. Much care should be used in watering 
 Bees while in a state of confinement. If a dish of 
 water be set in the Hive, they will be very apt to get 
 drowned. To prevent this, it is best to set a shallow 
 dish into the Hive, and fit into it a thin piece of wood, 
 full of small holes, so that the Bees can suck water 
 from the dish. The hoard should be made very thin, 
 and a little smaller than the dish, that it may settle as 
 fast as the Bees drink the water. Place the water in 
 the most convenient part of your Hive. 
 
 It is important to remove imperfect comb. Every 
 brood that hatches leaves a cocoon, in the cells: so 
 that the Bees soon become dwarfs. The welfare of a 
 colony depends upon their being transferred once in 
 three or four years. You should remove but one of 
 the inner Hives the same year. When you wish to 
 transfer an inner Hive, turn the tongue in the Hive 
 tube within 1-4 of an inch of the side of the tube, and 
 the Bees on their return will enter on the other side, 
 and the one you wish to remove may, in this way, be 
 nearly evacuated. After the Bees have mostly left, re- 
 move the inner Hive, and insert a clean one in its place. 
 You can then remove the comb from the one taken out, 
 and huve it in readiness for another Hive. Observe 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 29 
 
 the same rules for removing the inner Hives as in di- 
 viding swarms. 
 
 RULE SEVENTH. 
 
 On Compelling Swarms to Make and Keep Extra 
 Queens for Destitute Swarms. 
 
 Take a drawer containing brood comb and Bees and, 
 [dace it in the chamber of an empty Hive, some dis- 
 tance from the Hive from whence you removed it, and 
 stop the entrance to the Hive containing the drawer 
 of brood comb and Bees. Give them water according 
 to the directions in the preceding rule. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 The prosperity of every colony depends upon the 
 condition of the Queen. An experienced Apiarian 
 will soon discover it, if a swarm be destitute of a 
 Queen; and if lie can supply them with another, he 
 can save them from certain destruction. If he cannot, 
 he had better suffocate them at once, and remove the 
 honey from the Hive, as this is his only chance of sav- 
 ing it. If you should chance to have an extra Queen 
 in a drawer with a few Bees, remove the drawer to a 
 tight room, where your windows are free from broken 
 glass. Then let her out of the drawer, and she will 
 immediately fly to the window. Take her by the 
 wings and introduce her to the destitute Hive, at the 
 upper aperture, and the Bees will soon discover that 
 they have a leader, and resort to their labors. Much 
 care should be used in taking the Queen, lest she should 
 be injured. 
 
 In the year 1844, I hived a large swarm of Bees 
 from an apple-tree ; and as Boon as they were in pos- 
 session of the hive, I set them on the Bench as is my 
 practice. Early the next morning, I discovered that 
 the Bees were all on the outside of the Hive. On ex- 
 amining the cause, I found the Queen dead upon the 
 ground. 1 tied a silk thread around her middle, and 
 put her in the upper aperture of the Hive, and fastened 
 
30 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 the string to prevent her falling. The Bees returned, 
 and commenced building comb within 20 minutes. — 
 The next morning, I found them clustered on the out- 
 side of the Hive, as before. I again found the Queen 
 on the ground. The Bees finding her confined, had 
 rescued her by gnawing off the string by which she 
 was tied, and site rolled out of the Hive, and the Bees 
 followed her. They had made 4 pieces of comb, but 
 not one Bee was inside the Hive. 1 then tied a horse 
 hair around her, and introduced her into the Hive again. 
 The Bees followed, and worked finely for ten days, be- 
 fore I could supply them with a living Queen. 1 remov- 
 ed the dead Queen and introduced a living one ; and the 
 swarm filled the Hive, and made 24 lbs. of extra honey. 
 
 In the year 1846, I had occasion to try the same ex- 
 periment ; and 1 performed it with the same success, 
 only 1 wasjenabled to furnish them a Queen much sooner 
 than the first. Every Apiarian should pursue this course, 
 if he has occasion, and has no living Queens on hand. 
 
 It is my opinion that I injured both of these un- 
 fortunate Queens in hiving them. 1 was not accus- 
 tomed to using the Hiver in those days. If a man 
 has bnt one swarm of Bees, he should use the Hi- 
 ver; and he will never kill his Queens by Hiving. 
 
 RULE EIGHTH. 
 
 How you may Know a Swann is Destitute of a Queen 
 
 As soon as it is discovered that the Queen is gone, 
 Bees should be supplied with one ; for it is better to 
 destroy a feeble swarm, to procure a Queen for a good 
 awarm, than to suffer the good one to pine awny and 
 die, and feed the feeble one through the winter. 
 
 BeeB when deprived of their Queen, cease labor — 
 fly about the Hive — return to it — run up and down it 
 in great haste — chase one another about, as though in 
 pursuit of a friend — but do not venture far from the 
 Hive. They seem to be actuated by no ambition — they 
 carry no Pollen or Bee-bread on their legs— no dead 
 bees are drawn out of the Hive — no deformed Bees are 
 removed from the ccIIh, and carried out — no flakes of 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 31 
 
 comb are seen round the Hive as is the case with 
 healthy and prosperous colonies. They diminish in 
 numbers, and loose all their industrious habits. If they 
 stand near another swarm, they sometimes leave their 
 own habitation and join their neighbors ; and at other 
 times they remain in, and about the Hive, till they 
 dwindle away and all die, and leave the honey and 
 comb for the robber, and the depredations of the moth. 
 
 In November 1844, one of my best swarms lost their 
 Queen, and I was not able to supply them with a liv- 
 ing one. I suffered them to retnaiu in the Apiary, and 
 watched all their movements. They diminished in 
 numbers rapidly, and soon numbered not more than 
 100. No Bees left the Hive, and the living Bees at 
 last gathered in a cluster, where they remained for 4 
 days; and finally died in this condition, leaving GO 
 (rounds of good honey in the Hive. The death of 
 this numerous family was caused by the destruction 
 of only one of their number, the Queen. 
 
 RULE NINTH. 
 
 To Prevent the Depredations of the Moth, 
 
 Many Apiarians have spent much time in contriving 
 Hives, and placing their Bocs in different situations, 
 to prevent their destruction by their groat enemy the 
 moth. Much credit should be given to Mr. Weeks 
 for his improvements, which have been very beneficial 
 to those that have used them with care. 
 
 In case you are using the old box Hive, It is very 
 necessary that you use much care iu managing them, 
 to prevent the intruder’s progress. Examine your 
 Hives, and fill all the cracks with a mixture of Lime, 
 Gypsum, and Salt. This should be done in April. — 
 Turn the Hive on the upper end, examine the comb, 
 and if the cells have become black and contracted by 
 constant hatching (as every brood leaves a web in the 
 cell) you should remove them without disturbing the 
 Bees, and they will soon repair the breach with new 
 comb; and the youug Bees will come forth a good size, 
 whioh is very important. This operation should be 
 
MANC4I, OP THE 
 
 32 
 
 performed in a cool day. If there are Millers, and 
 Webs in the Hive, remove them by means of a long 
 hook made of wire, and return the Hive to the place 
 where you intend it to remain. Place a half-inch block 
 under each corner of the Hive, so as to give Bees an 
 opportunity of passing out and in, on either side of the 
 Hive. This space will prevent the miller from depos- 
 iting her eggs between the Hive and bottom hoard, and 
 if the miller worm gets possession of the Hive, they 
 frequently come down in the evening on to the bottom 
 hoard ; and being somewhat clumsy, they scarcely ev- 
 er return to the Hive. They will wander around, and 
 finally fall off on the ground. 
 
 There are many reasons for Bees being troubled , 
 with millers; hut the principal one is, that many use 
 old tubs, and barrels for Hives : make Hives of shaky 
 lumber, make very imperfect joints, thinking that any- 
 thing that will hold Bees is sufficient. This is a great 
 mistake ; because the Bees will cleanse the Hive, glue 
 up the cracks, and imperfect joints, and make it dark 
 with a substance different from wax. This labor con- 
 sumes much time which might be better spent, and 
 would be, if they were provided with a Hive smooth 
 in the inside, with perfect joints. Bees will frequently 
 commence rearing their cells within 20 minutes after 
 they are hived in a perfect hive; otherwise, it will take 
 them several hours to cleanse the Hive, secure the 
 oints, ana prepare it to receive their comb, and honey. 
 
 Millers often attack swarms occupying a good 
 Hive in consequence of too much swarming, so as to 
 reduce their nmnbors: or of small swarms occupying 
 targe Hives. A colony should never be allowed t o 
 swarm out. and reduce their numbers so that they can- 
 not guard triemseives against intruders, and at : he 
 same time have a portion of their number out in pur- 
 suit of their winter’s store. If a portion of the Hive 
 is destitute of Bees, the miller may enter it and depos- 
 ite her eggs in the unguarded comb, and leave it unbe- 
 known to the Bees. The worm soon commences his 
 depredations, and in defiance of the Bees, takes posses- 
 sion of the Hive and its contents. 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 33 
 
 When small swarms are put into large Hives the 
 Bees soon become disheartened. They cannot keep 
 up animal heat sufficient to make their wax work well, 
 guard the Hive, and carry on their necessary labor for 
 want of numbers; and they give up their habitation 
 and property collected in store, to the moth, and nekrh- 
 boring Bees. 
 
 The miller more frequently encounters Bees in the 
 old Box Hive than any other. Those who use them, 
 and will take the pains to examine, will find, if the mil- 
 ler has not already gained possession, that they are in 
 every crack in the Hive, and under the bottom board, 
 ready to make an entrance as soon as an opportunity 
 is presented. When they once gain possession of the 
 Hive, the work of death commences ; and the loss of 
 the Apiarian is sufficient to have purchased the right 
 to use the Vermont Hive, or almost any other one guard- 
 ed against these assassins. 
 
 RULE TENTH. 
 
 On Feeding Snail and Weak Swarms. 
 
 Every Apiarian should examine his Bees in Octo- 
 ber, and if any swarms have not sufficient quantity 
 of honey to winter them, they should be supplied by 
 removing the honey drawers from the chamber, and 
 setting in a shallow dish ol honey or good maple 
 molasses. The Hive should be well secured from 
 robbers; and if strained honey or molasses is fed, it 
 should be filled with small pieces of comb to prevent 
 the Bees from drowning, and they will soon secure 
 the honey, and deposite it in their cells for their Win- 
 ter’s store. 
 
 If you have several swarms that need feeding, and 
 are not able to supply them all, it will be best to suf- 
 focate part of them and feed their store to the living- 
 colonies. By this means, a part of your feeble swanns 
 will be saved : otherwise, they will all die in the course 
 ot the winter. I have adopted the above rule with 
 much benefit for a few years past. The most appro- 
 priate time for feeding is in October, before the weath- 
 
MANUAL OF THE 
 
 34 
 
 er gets too cool. If tho weather is col<l they will not 
 remove the honey to the cells. It will remain in the 
 dish and become sour. It is then very unhealthy. — 
 Much care should be used to prevent the honey from 
 dripping down on to the bottom board, as in this case 
 robbery will be apt to follow. 
 
 All Hives should be weighed, and marked, before 
 using; then the amount of honey in the Hive can be 
 nearly ascertained at any time. Each good swarm 
 needs 30 pounds of honey to keep them through the 
 feeding season. Some swarms need more than others 
 Much depends upon the winter and the manner of 
 wintering them, as will be seen in Rule Eleventh. 
 
 Weigh your swarms in October, and deduct from 
 the weight 8 or 10 pounds for the weight of the Bees ; 
 from 3 to 6 pounds for the weight ot the comb and 
 the weight of the Hive. This will give nearly the 
 number of pounds of honey. All good Apiarians a- 
 copt this rule. Many swarms are lost by not making 
 calculation in regard to their winter’s stock. They live 
 perhaps till March, or April, and having consumed their 
 food perish, when a very few pounds of honey (per- 
 haps 2 or 3) fed in the right time would have saved 
 them. Had you destroyed your Bees in the fall, you 
 might have saved the honey ; had you fed them a little, 
 you might have saved the Bees. But in this case, both 
 are a dead loss. 
 
 Bees fed in the spring are very apt to get robbed.— 
 Neighboring swarms become destitute, or nearly so, 
 and commence a warfare upon weak swarms before tho 
 blossoms put forth. 
 
 RULE ELEVENTH. 
 
 On Wintering Bees. 
 
 As soon as frost has killed the blossoms, and no- 
 more honey and Pollen are to be obtained, you should 
 remove all the drawers from the chambers of the 
 Hives, and cover the apertures by placing a piece of 
 board in the chambers, to prevent the breath of the 
 Bees from entering the drawers, and chambers, as is 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 35 - 
 
 will cause a dampness, and they will become sour and 
 mouldy. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 If the drawers are permitted to remain in the cham- 
 bers after freezing weather commences, the breath of 
 the colony will cause a dampness in drawers, a thick 
 frost will collect in them, in a warm day it will melt 
 and run down into the Hive, moisten the comb, and 
 prove injurious to the swarm. 
 
 If the chambers are empty and the apertures remain 
 unclosed, the dampness will swell the Hive open the 
 joints, and give the miller access to the inner portions 
 of the Hive, besides causing a sourness in the chamber, 
 which makes it obnoxious to the Bees and congenial 
 to ants and spiders. 
 
 The chambers and drawers should always be kept 
 dry and clean. If the apertures are well covered, the 
 breath will pass off through the ventilator, and prevent 
 mould and sourness within the Hive, and the whole 
 inner' Hives will be dry and healthy. 
 
 There are three principal causes of death among 
 Bees in the Winter, viz: want of honey , want of air 
 and freezing. 
 
 Bees sometimes die of hunger with honey in the 
 Hive. But this occurs only in extremely cold weather. 
 If the colonly be small they will cluster together in a 
 small compass in order to keep warm, and at the same 
 time their breath and vapor collect in frost, in all parts 
 of the Hive except the region they occupy. The hon- 
 ey becomes crusted over with frost, and the Bees are 
 compelled to remain in the cluster to prevent freezing. 
 If the weather does not moderate so as to thaw out the 
 honey, they will remain in the cluster till they die of 
 absolute starvation. This however, is seldom the case 
 with old and large swarms. 
 
 Bees may be chilled till they are to all appearance 
 dead, and be resuscitated by exposing them to the ac- 
 tion of a warm atmosphere. This experiment may be 
 repeated three times before life is extinct. I once had 
 a very small swarm in a large box Hive. The Bees 
 
36 
 
 MANUAL OP THE 
 
 had made a small cluster of comb in the top of the 
 Hive. I wished to make it smaller to accomodate the 
 swarm. In January I brought them out of the cellar, 
 on a very cold day, and turned the Hive bottom side 
 up in the cold air. In a few moments the Bees were 
 to all appearance dead. I then carefully, to prevent 
 injury to the comb, took the Hive to pieces and re- 
 duced its size one-half, put it together again with 
 screws to prevent jarring it, and then removed them 
 to a warm room, and in one hour I had a fine little 
 swarm, full of life. In extreme cold weather Bees 
 that are exposed to cold winds and storms, should 
 be examined, and, if chilled and the Hive filled with 
 frost, they should be removed to a warm room and 
 resusciatcd. It may be done with safety and suc- 
 cess. 
 
 When I first commenced rearing and cultivating 
 Bees, I practiced burying my weuk swarms about the 
 first of December, and could succeed in bringing them 
 forth alive in the Spring in nine cases out of ten; but 
 they generally appeared weak and inactive for some 
 time, aud finally I have found them either dead or 
 robbed by stronger stocks as a general thing. In this 
 case the comb is for the most part sour and mouldy, 
 and renders the Bees unhealthy. Prom several years’ 
 experience I am fully persuaded that this practice should 
 be entirely abandoned. 
 
 After this I carried my feeble swarms into my cellar 
 in the fall, and let them remain there until warm days 
 in March or April. I have also abandoned this method 
 of wintering feeble swarms, and proceed in the follow- 
 ing manner : I set my Hives on a bench one foot from 
 a board fence or some building, and place the Ilives G 
 inches apart. I then put up some boards in front of 
 the Hives, and cover the ventilators with perforated tin, 
 so as to let them have air, and then take dry straw and 
 press it in well back, in front, and between the Hives, 
 and cover them over the top one foot deep with straw, 
 and then put a good cover over them to keep out 
 the sleet and rain. If you hear much buzzing in the 
 Hives in warm days in March, take them out. This 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 37 
 
 method of wintering is preferable to any other now in 
 use. 
 
 I find by experimenting that a swarm in a dry cel- 
 lar will eat from 3 to 10 pounds more honey through 
 the feeding season that the same sized swarm standing 
 out doors well covered with straw. Bees standing in a 
 warm cellar will feed every day more or less, as the 
 occasion may require. But Bees exposed to a cooler 
 atmosphere will eat when it is warm enough for them 
 to move about the Hive with safety, and in cold weath- 
 er they will cluster together and remain in a dor- 
 mant state until a change of weather ; but they will 
 not freeze if well covered with dry straw, and the 
 comb remain dry and healthy. 
 
 A swarm of Bees standing out doors, exposed to the 
 storm and warm rays of the sun, will eat a number of 
 pounds more of honey than one covered with dry 
 straw. Bees standing in the sun will fly out every 
 warm day through the Winter and empty themselves, 
 and return to the Hive. They then feed bountifully 
 until they become full again. After this they eat but 
 little until another warm day. Then they leave the 
 Hive again, as above stated. This is repeated through 
 the feeding season. But Bees covered with straw ane 
 kept from the wind and the warm rays of the sun. — 
 They do not struggle to leave the Hive when the sun 
 shines upon them, because they do not feel the effects 
 of it enough to give them any uneasiness. Conse- 
 quently they do not empty themselves through the 
 winter, as they never empty themselves in the Hive, 
 unless the weather is so warm that they become 
 restless, and are confined in the Hive. If the wea- 
 ther be very warm, and they insist upon it, it will be 
 better to let them come out. They are sometimes 
 lost by being kept confined when the weather is warm. 
 
38 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 RULE TWELFTH. 
 On using the Hiver. 
 
 This instrument is but little known among Apia- 
 rians, and yet such is its simplicity, cost, and conveni- 
 ence, that any man who has one swarm of Bees should 
 have it and use it. 
 
 A Hiver should be made of three pieces of thin 
 boards 18 inches long, the top, 8 inches wide, the 
 sides 5 inches wide. The top should be 4 an inch 
 thick, the sides 1-4 of an inch thick, with two bars 
 across the bottom to support the sides. There should 
 be 6 or 8 half inch holes through , the top, to give the 
 Bees rapid ingress. The boards should be rough, to 
 enable the Bees to adhere to the box to prevent fall- 
 ing. In the middle of the top board place an eye 
 made of stout wire ; and then take a long piece of 
 large wire, make one end last in the eye, and bend it 
 so that it will come down over the side of the Hiver. 
 Then prepare 3 or 4 handles of different lengths, and 
 make holes in one end of each a trifle longer than 
 your wire, say 4 inches deep. The wire can then be 
 inserted in either handle, to accommodate the location 
 of the swarm ; and when they have entered the Hiver, 
 you can remove them to the Hive, without conveying 
 the handle. 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 39 
 
 Those who make use of the Hiver, can avoid climb- 
 ing trees to bring down clusters of Bees, anil are 
 never under the necessity of cutting away choice fruit 
 trees. 
 
 As soon as a swarm come forth, have your Hiver 
 in readiness, and when you discover where they in- 
 tend to light, place it over the little cluster that have 
 gathered, and they will enter. As soon as a pint or 
 quart are gathered, move it a few feet from where they 
 commenced lighting, and set the lower end of the 
 handle in the ground and place a crotch under the pole 
 or wire, to keep your Hiver suspended in the air until 
 all the Bees have collected in it. Have your Hive 
 placed on a hoard, as in Rule II. Now take down 
 the Hiver, and drop them on the hoard, and they 
 will soon take possession of the Hive. In using the 
 Hiver, you are in no danger of killing the queen or 
 other Bees, as is frequently the case with the old meth- 
 od. 
 
 Apiarians having a large stock, should have two or 
 three hivers, so that they may be prepared, in case a 
 number of swarms should come out at the same time. 
 They will be found very useful in doubling second 
 and third swarms. I have a small swarm in my Hiver, 
 and leave it suspended in the air for a short time. If 
 another small swarm comes forth, 1 remove my Hiver 
 containing the Bees amoug those coming forth, and 
 they immediately go on to the Hiver. Now I have a 
 fine large swarm worth $4 or $5; and if they were 
 suffered to remain single, they were worth only $1. 1 
 
 have sometimes let a small swarm remain in the Hiver 
 suspended in the air from four to six hours, to receive 
 the second swarm. If you do not succeed in getting 
 the second swartn the same day, hive the Bees in your 
 Hiver and double them as in Rule III. 
 
40 
 
 MANUAL OF TJfE 
 
 RILE THIRTEENTH. 
 History of the Queen. 
 
 I here are three classes of Rees in every swarm 
 and the Queen differs very much from the other two" 
 
 •Mi'nitn l * ie ° n ^ ^ e,,ia ^ e a population of 15,000 to 
 h0,000. She differs very much in size and shape from 
 both the workers and drones. Her head resembles 
 that of the workers. The eyes are covered with hair 
 tor protection. The black balls on each side of the 
 head are made up of hundreds of stationary eyes placed 
 in such a position that they can see in every direction, 
 i hese eyes are set in rows, resembling honey comb ; 
 but they cannot be seen with the unaided vision. — 
 The face between the eyes is covered with hair. The 
 chest is nearly round, of a dark chestnut color, and 
 covered with hair. She has 6 strong legs, with 2 
 hooks for a foot at the extremity of each, to enable her 
 to adhere to the hive, and cluster. She has four wings 
 of which the two nearest the 'head are much the larg- 
 est and longest. The rump is sloped very much like a 
 sugar loaf, and is much longer in proportion than that 
 of the worker. Rut little hair is ever seen on this part 
 of the body, and it is covered with 6 belts or scales.— 
 She lias also 2 antetmtE_or feelers, which are made up 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 4t 
 
 of 12 short joints, and furnish them with the means of 
 communicating their idear. She is armed with a large 
 sting, differing from that of the workers by being curved. 
 This she never uses except in conflict with a sister 
 Queen. 
 
 Her duty principally consists in laying the eggs ; and 
 in her proceedings, she is attended by a guard of work- 
 ers who pay her the greatest attention. Hence she is 
 the Mother of the Hive, and it is one of the most cu- 
 rious points in the history of this insect to notice the 
 immense influence which this female has over a popu- 
 lation of many thousands. Did not the accounts 
 which have been given depend upon authors of the 
 most indisputable veracity, it would be almost impos- 
 sible to believe them. Ueaumur, by dividing a Hive, 
 clearly proved the careful attention and devoted affec- 
 tion with which she is regarded. He enclosed the two 
 portions of the society in glass Hives, anil ascertained that 
 that portion which contained the Queen and only a 
 small portion of the workers, quickly reared two piec- 
 es of comb. The other portion, by far the most nume- 
 rous, did not construct a single cell; whence it is evi- 
 dent that the instinctive proceedings of the workers 
 depend upon the love of progeny; and what is more 
 remarkable still, they labor and toil, not for their own 
 offspring, for they are totally incapacitated for be- 
 coming parents of the Hive. 
 
 The Queen passes 3 days in the egg state, and re- 
 mains 5 days in the larva slate. Their cells are now 
 closed over by the workers, and they spend 24 hours 
 in forming their cocoons. They remain nearly 3 days 
 in their cocoons, and are then transformed to pup®, in 
 which state they remain 4 or 5 days, She appears in 
 the perfect state on the 16th day after the eggs are de- 
 posited. 
 
 It appears incredible to those who liavo had no ex- 
 perience with Bees, that the larva intended for a work- 
 er or neuter Bee, can, by being removed to a royal cell 
 and fed on transparent food, be made a Queen — a 
 perfect female — different in size, shape, and move- 
 ments from the worker. She is quick on foot, and 
 
42 
 
 MANUAL Or THE 
 
 skulks when pursued. She seldom leaves the hive, ex- 
 cept in company with the drone, in the season of cop- 
 ulation 
 
 The Queen lives from three to five years. Mr. 
 Weeks informs us that he ascertained by experiments, 
 that he had a Queen that came forth with the first 
 swarm in the spring for 7 successive years. 
 
 RULE FOURTEENTH. 
 llittory of the Working Bee. 
 
 The working Bee is much smaller than the. Queen, 
 and differs in shape from her, and also from the drone. 
 The head is flat, and furnished with antenna;, having 
 12 articulations. They are covered with short hair 
 next to the head, and resembling polished horns at the 
 extremities. The eyes and face, resemble those of the 
 Queen, being covered with short brown hair. 
 
 The jaws are very strong, and smooth at the tip. — 
 The proboscis lies concealed under the throat, and is a 
 most curious structure. If you hold a Bee by the 
 wings, the mouth at first sight, appears to consist only 
 of a transverse lip, and a pair of strong jaws. On fur- 
 ther examination, a flattened instrument of a shining 
 brown color is perceived, extending from the lip to- 
 wards the throat. This is the tongue, and it can be 
 projected forward, in a straight or curved line, at the 
 pleasure of the Bee. 
 
 It consists of no less than five distinct parts. The 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 43 
 
 central piece is of a very delicate structure, ringed a- 
 long the greater portion of its length, having a small 
 circular orifice at the extremity. This is the linguae, 
 or true tongue, and from the case of the ringed por- 
 tion, arises a pair of feelers, which are composed of 
 four joints, the lower one being the longest. These 
 organs when at rest, are defended by a pair of scaly 
 instruments, called sheaths. When unemployed, the 
 tongue is folded back upon the lower portion of these 
 sheaths. 
 
 The chest is round and covered with hair, resem- 
 bling that on a bat. Four wings, and six legs, are at- 
 tached to this portion of the body. The posterior is 
 covered with six belts or scales, covered with short hair, 
 which is light colored on the edges, and grows darker 
 toward the centre of the belts. The hind legs have 
 five joints, ajid on the second long joint is the Pollen 
 concave Basket. The bottom of this basket is smooth 
 and dark colored, while the edge is covered with hair 
 resembling a brush. This brush is used to remove the 
 Farina from the wings and hair, and collects it in little 
 balls in the concaves. 
 
 The Bee loses no time in collecting pollen. In ex- 
 tracting honey, it is brought in contact with the farin- 
 aceous part of the blossoms, and the furz or hair re- 
 ceives it from which it is gradually removed to the 
 pollen basket, by the brush surrounding the concave. 
 These yellow balls you may see on the legs of the Bees 
 on any working day in May or June. 
 
 This little insect is furnished with a powerful weap- 
 on of defence, the sting, which is scarcely less complex 
 in its structure than the tongue. If you take a Bee in 
 your fingers, a dart is seen at once protruded from the 
 extremity of the body. If this dart should be plunged 
 into the finger, it will in all probability be left there, 
 ere the Bee can disengage himself, aud the pain is too 
 well known to need description. 
 
 The sting is composed of five parts. First: a pair 
 of elongated flattened organs, between which, when 
 unemployed the extremity of the sting is lodged. — 
 Second: the instrument, which consists of a canal liav- 
 
44 
 
 MANUAL OP THE 
 
 mg’ a gutter along the upper edge, within which, two 
 darts play backward or forward, at the option of the 
 ■Bee. Ihese darts are armed with fine teeth set hack- 
 wards. The sting by means of the strong muscles at 
 nts base, is thrust forwaad and forms a support to the 
 mtenor serrated darts, which are plunged into the 
 wound, whence from their structure, it is impossible to 
 Withdraw them without considerable force. 
 
 -The poison which is conveyed through the canal of 
 the sting, is contained in a reservoir near the dilated 
 base of the apparatus. 
 
 This Bee is 30 days passing from the egg state to a 
 perfect worker. 
 
 RULE FIFTEENTH. 
 
 History of the Drone. 
 
 It has been supposed that the Drones were females, 
 and deposited the eggs, and that the Queen was the 
 only male in the Hive. But this has been discovered 
 to be a mistake, and any apiariau may be convinced, 
 by making a few observations in reference to this sub- 
 ject. | 
 
 The drones are the males; and appear to be of little 
 use only to increase the population of the Hive. — 
 They sometimes engage in feeding young Bees while 
 in the cells, but tliis is mostly done by workers. — 
 
MANAGEMENT OP BEES. 45 
 
 They are fed on Pollen, which is used for no other pur- 
 pose. 
 
 The drone has a vast number of eyes, but little hair 
 on the face, antennce of 13 joints, and a bulky bodv, 
 which is thickly covered with hair. Their posterior is 
 covered with live scales only, while their wings are 
 long, covering the posterior. They have six legs ; 
 but have no means of collecting Pollen. Their hind 
 legs are large, free from hair, and their feet have each 
 two hooks. They have no sting or means of defence ; 
 and remain quiet with the colony until about the last of 
 August, when a general massacre takes place among 
 them. The span of their existence does not exceed 4 
 or 5 months. 
 
 The drone passes 3 days in the egg state, 6.J in the 
 larva, and makes his appearance at the end of 15 days ; 
 making 24 in all. 
 
 And by the use of Stoddard’s Self-protecting hive 
 these Drones may all be destroyed in one day, by put- 
 ting a clapper on the end of the tube, and hang it by a 
 small pin at each end low enough for the working llee 
 to go out and in. The Drone passing out, being larger 
 will have to croud the clapper out, and when once out 
 he cannot return. In the evening you can go out anti 
 find them all around the mouth of the hive. Then 
 you may destroy them as you please. 
 
 RULE SIXTEENTH. 
 
 Enemies of Bees. 
 
 I suppose that the moth or miller is the most dan- 
 gerous enemy of Bees, and destroys more than all 
 others combined. It is supposed that this insect mi- 
 grated from England about the year 1800, in the vi- 
 cinity of Boston ; and has now spread over the coun- 
 try. One author ridicules the idea of its being trans- 
 ported so far ; but any person acquainted with the 
 habits of the moth, can at once discover that there 
 are tnany ways in which it might have been transport- 
 ed. 
 
 This little insect within a few years has completely 
 
46 
 
 MANUAL OP THE 
 
 destroyed hundreds and thousands of strong and heal- 
 thy colonies in trees, hives, and palaces. No matter 
 how strong and active the colony, if the tnoth once 
 obtains possession, it is soon destroyed unless relieved 
 by the owner. In a few weeks the contents of the 
 Hive are destroyed, .and a multitude of intruders are 
 prepared to commence the work of destruction in oth- 
 er colonies. Every Apiarian should understand the 
 nature and habits of the moth, and use every means to 
 impede his march. The moth makes his appearance 
 about the middle of April, and may be seen as late as 
 the middle or last of October. They fly only in the 
 night; and in the day time lurk in sly places about the 
 Hive, and most generally hang with the head down- 
 wards. They are generally of a whitish gray color, 
 with a pointed head of snuff color. They commence 
 their march about dark, and are very active through 
 the night, liy examining a Hive where they are, in 
 the evening with a candle light, the miller can be dis- 
 covered watching every opportunity to get access to 
 the unguarded comb, through some crack or open place 
 in the Hive. They are not fond of corning in contact 
 with the guards of the Hive. If they fell into their 
 power they are soon dissected and removed from the 
 Hive. You will find it quite amusing to catch a miller, 
 remove one or both wings, and drop him among the 
 Bees. They will soon tell you how they dispose of 
 them when they can get at them. 
 
 In a few days after the eggs are deposited a cater- 
 pillar is formed, and closes itself in a cocoon. When 
 ready to commence his work of devastation, he guards 
 himself by spinning a strong web, and making safe 
 roads in different directions. He seldom exposes his 
 body, and his head is guarded by a shelly substance too 
 hard to be penetrated by the sting of the Bee. As soon 
 as the worm or caterpiller quits the pupa; state it be- 
 comes a winged moth. Again the work of propaga- 
 tion is carried on, and they soon become numerous and 
 accomplish the destruction of the Bee in this manner. 
 
 In Box Hives mice are sometimes found in the win- 
 ter season, and frequently destroy whole swarms. In 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 47 
 
 the spring of 1847, .on examining my old Box Hives 
 I found a mouse nest in one of the strongest of my 
 swarms. The mice had eaten away the comb to the 
 size of a quart howl, and filled the vacancy mostly 
 with feathers. 1 found a number of full grown mice 
 in the nest. The weather had become quite warm, 
 and the Bees had settled in the Hive so that the nest 
 was covered with living Bees. The colony was so 
 strong and the season so far advanced, that the mice 
 would soon have been under the necessity of leaving 
 the Hive. Hives should be made to accommodate 
 Bees instead of mice, if much profit is expected from 
 them. 
 
 Another great enemy to Bees is the King-bird , 
 every Apiarian should pursue him with a rifle as a 
 shepherd does a wolf. You will see this little bird sit- 
 ting on the highest locations about the Apiary, watch- 
 ing the Bees as they return from the field of labor tug- 
 ging along their burden ; and with his utmost velocity 
 he darts through the air and seizes his little victim. He 
 pursues this slaughter until he has satisfied his appetite ; 
 and if you suffer him to remain unmolested, he will 
 in a few days destroy many Bees and the treasure they 
 beur. A certain writer informs us, that he once took from 
 the craw of a king-bird 171 Bees; and no less than 54 
 of them recovered and returned to their Hive. This 
 perhaps may be true, but to me it is doubtful. One 
 thing is indisputable, give this bird an opportunity and 
 he will make a meal of your Boes. 
 
 Ants are very troublesome, if they once get posses- 
 sion of the chambers of the Hive. They seldom trouble 
 Hives that are well made, and the chambers kept dry 
 through the winter season. But if the chambers are 
 permitted to get sour and mouldy, ants and spiders will 
 be very likely to be troublesome, especially the little 
 black ant. 
 
 RULE SEVENTEENTH. 
 
 JJntidotes for the Poison of Bees. 
 
 The sting of the Bee is more poisonous at some 
 
48 
 
 MANUAL OF THE 
 
 seasons of ihe year than at others. This poison is con- 
 tained in a small sack or bag, at the base of the sting ; 
 which when magnified resembles a fish-bladder. The 
 venom-sack is extracted with the sting, and the longer 
 the sting is suffered to remain in the wound, the more 
 poison is injected through the canal of the sting into it. 
 
 Salt wet with vinegar applied to the wound some- 
 times removes the poison. Spirits of Turpentine, 
 Hartshorn, Alcohol, and all alkalies arc antidotes. All 
 such applications must be made externally and imme- 
 diately after the incision is made, or they will afford but 
 little relief. 
 
 ' RULE EIGHTEENTH. 
 
 The Anger of Bees. 
 
 Im Bees are easily provoked, and when irritated, will 
 vent t beitr anger on man or beast as the case may hi?. 
 If Bees are suffered to stand where they are annoyed 
 by cattle, they are more easily irritated. Bees are not 
 displeased with frequent culls from their owner, if ho 
 treats them with respect; but if they are ill treated 
 they will retaliate. Bees will soon be accustomed to 
 their owner, and he can manage them without danger 
 of being stung, if he uses gentle means; but he cannot 
 rule them with a rod of iron. 
 
 I am fully persuaded that Bees can be domesticated 
 from this fact : Before I commenced cultivating Bees 
 it was unsafe for me to go into an Apiary or even 
 within a yard wherej L?ees were kept. In nine cases 
 out often, they would pitch at me, and perhaps drive 
 mo from the yard. When I first commenced keeping 
 Bees I was obliged to use much caution or a blow in 
 the face would be the result. By being among them 
 several times a day, frequently removing the bottom 
 hoard, and looking among them very gently, I soon 
 found little or no danger in managing them. Now I 
 can go among them and manage them with entire safe- 
 ty ; and yet, if 1 go among my neighbors’ Bees, I am 
 very apt to get stung or driven from the field. 
 
 It is a well known fact, that the Bee has a greater 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 49 
 
 antipathy to some persons than to others. They wilt 
 not permit some persons to approach them without 
 attempting to show resentment, and at the same time 
 they will permit others to approach and even handle 
 them, without making any effort to sting them. 
 
 There must be a cause for this partiality, and without 
 doubt it is owing to the exhalations, which havo a dif- 
 ferent scent, in different persons. 
 
 RULE NINETEENTH. 
 
 Method of making swarms from extra Bees. 
 
 The experiment denoted by the above caption, I 
 have frequently tried with much profit and success. — 
 Some may not approve of it, hut 1 give it for the bene- 
 fit of those who may see fit to put it in practice. 
 
 It is frequently the case that during the swarming 
 season, some quarts of Rees will haug in a cluster on 
 the outside of the Box hive, anti remain in that condi- 
 tion for weeks, and sometimes for months, until cold 
 weather drives them into the Hive, providing there is 
 sufficient room, and the cause of their not swarming is 
 not known. Now if any plan can be contrived to en- 
 gage these Bees in labor, and prevent their remaining 
 idle so long, it is worthy of attention. In the year 
 1842, I had a swarm in this condition, and after they 
 had remained so for the most of the swarming season, 
 I tried the experiment. I prepared a clean Hive to re- 
 ceive a new swarm, and after looking some time, 1 
 found an extra Queen among some of my second 
 swarms. I immediately carried her to the new Hive, 
 being careful that she did not make her escape before 
 I could introduce the Bees. I then brushed them from 
 the old box Hive into a box, and carried them to the 
 Hive and poured them in. They soon gathered in a 
 cluster at the top of the Hive. In a few moments 1 
 examined them, and found the colony too small. 1 
 gathered a few more from another cluster, on another 
 Hive, and put them with the first, and in a few mo- 
 ments they mingled together. They commenced rear- 
 4 
 
50 
 
 MANUAL OP THE 
 
 ing comb within two hours— filled the Hive well with 
 honey — end were one of my best swarms. 
 
 The following year 1 had two swarms come forth at 
 the same time, and they both gathered on a Hive that 
 was about ready to 6end forth a colony ; fearing they 
 would flee to the woods, (as they often do in such cases,) 
 1 immediately prepared a Hive, and went in search of 
 an extra Queen. I then removed about 16 quarts of 
 the Bees that hung together on the outside of the Hive, 
 into the one 1 had prepared for the new swarm, and' 
 put the Queen among them. They soon took posses- 
 sion of their habitation, and commenced work the 
 same afternoon. The Bees that were not taken from 
 the Hive, came off soon after and went immediately to 
 the woods. Here I saved one good swarm by making 
 one as described, whereas they would most likely all 
 have gone, had not a swarm been made in this manner. 
 
 I have pursued this method for several years with 
 good success, and if 1 have an old swarm rather dila- 
 tory about swarming, and have hung in a large cluster 
 for some time, I look for an extra Queen, and as soon 
 as 1 find one, I remove the cluster to an empty Hive 
 and put in the Queen, and if I find the colony too 
 small, I gather from other Hives where they hang in 
 clusters, until my colony is large enough. In this way 
 I get their labors— otherwise they would have been for 
 a long time in the cluster and remained idle. 
 
 I think it is of the greatest importance to Apiarians, 
 to manage in a way to get all the labor they can from 
 their Bees. They aro industrious, and wi’ll labor for 
 your benefit if you do all on your part. Every man 
 should ornament his yard with a few of Stoddard’s 
 Self-Protecting Hives, well filled with Bees— well man- 
 aged— and they will afford a luxury for your table at 
 little expenso. 
 
 RULE TWENTIETH. 
 
 Profits of Cultivaiing Bees. 
 
 After several years experience, I am of the opinion 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 51 
 
 that greater profits con be realized from the same 
 amount of capital, than can bo in any other property, 
 if well managed. 
 
 In the first place, tradition must be done away. The 
 improvements of the day must bo observed, and ap- 
 plied. The Hives our Fathers used must not be held 
 sacred because they used them. Many Bee owuers 
 will not use any improved Hive, but cling to the old 
 miller dens, (box Hives,) suffer their Bees to be de- 
 stroyed, and realizo little or no profit. 
 
 I have used the box Hive, and various improved 
 Hives, for the past ten years, and I will show you tho 
 difference between the box Hive, and the best patent 
 Hives. 
 
 In the year 1842, I selected a good swarm from my 
 stock, in order to ascertain the real profit of a swarm 
 well managed. The first one came off the first of June. 
 I hived them in a Vermont Hive, and sold the extra 
 honey from the young swarm, for $10 50. They had 
 plenty of honey to winter them well, and I valued 
 them in December, at $5. The second swarm came 
 off in fifteen days, and made plenty of honey to win- 
 ter a large swarm. This was a good swarm worth in 
 December, $5. The old stock made 48 lbs of extra 
 honey, worth $6, amounting in all to $26 50 real profit. 
 
 Here you discover the real gain from one swarm n 
 a good hive ; and this is not us great profit ns lots been 
 realized by some Apiarians. Mr. Nutt, of England, 
 gives an account of receiving 296 lbs of honey from 
 one swarm in a year. This amounted at 1 shilling a 
 pound, to just $37. 
 
 The income this season, from my best swarms, in 
 my best constructed hives, has been from $10 to $20. 
 From my best box Hives, $5 to $10, all the profits be- 
 ing in swarms that came forth. 
 
 Swarms in box Hives require more than four times 
 ns much care to prevent their destruction by robbers 
 and millers, as Stoddard’s Self- Protecting Hive. 
 
 Some object that patent Hives cost so much, that one 
 ternot afford them. Let "«■ look n" kl « n moment. — 
 
f>2 
 
 MANUAL OP THE 
 
 A box Hive costs 50 cts, and you reap but $5 profit. — 
 A protecting Hive costs $1 50, and the profits $10. A 
 good hive, well painted and taken care of, is good for 
 fifty years. Make your own calculations, and see 
 which costs the most. I do not ask you to take my 
 word for it — try it for yourself. 
 
 I consider it to be very important to Apiarians to 
 avail themselves of the best constructed Hives that can 
 be procured. If it is so constructed that all the Bees 
 can he engaged in rearing comb, and gathering honey 
 from the field and forest, the profit must be much more, 
 than when the Bees are compelled to set a great pro- 
 portion as guards, to keep away intruders, as is the case 
 with the old box Hive. 
 
 RULE TWENTY-FIRST. 
 
 A good Apiarian. 
 
 A Good Apiarian will make his Hives of good ma- 
 terials, paint them well, place them in his Apiary be- 
 fore swarming commences. He will procure the best 
 constructed Hive, and have his Hivers ready with 
 handles of different lengths. He will salt his Bees in 
 the Spring, by placing a lump near the entrances of 
 the Hives. He will gather his Bees in a Hiver, instead 
 of letting them light on the tops of his trees. He will 
 have his Hive clean and cool, when he introduces his 
 Bees, and remove them at once to the place where he 
 intends them to stand, to prevent their being lost. He 
 will sweep the Spiders away from all his Hives, to 
 prevent his Bees being caught in their webs. He will 
 secure them from the rays of the sun, and from storms. 
 He will remove his honey drawers as soon as they are 
 full, and insert empty ones in their place. He will 
 weigh his swarms in October, and feed those that are 
 feeble, and cover them with straw the 1st of December. 
 He will examine those that stand exposed to winds and 
 snow, in severe cold weather, and if chilled, restore 
 them to life and animation in a warm room, and return 
 them to their place. He will mike his honey drawers 
 
MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
 
 53 
 
 so that they will not leak — nil of a size — so that they 
 will fit every Hive. He will go nmong his Bees fre- 
 quently, as a good farmer does among his stock, to see 
 that everything is in order. 
 
 RULE TWENTY-SECOND. 
 
 A poor Apiarian. 
 
 A poor Apiarian makes his Hives of rough hoards, 
 with open joints, to give the miller a good chance to 
 enter and destroy his Bees. He makes his Hives after 
 his Bees come forth and light — suffers them to cluster 
 in the top of his fruit trees — never uses a Hiver — 
 shakes them on a table— and kills a great many in 
 Hiving them. He lets them remain in the sun until 
 they have formed lines to their new habitation — con- 
 sequently, many of the Bees will be lost when the Hive 
 is removed to its destination. They will return to the 
 place where they were Hived, if left long enough to 
 form lines, which takes place soon after hiving. He 
 suffers them to stand exposed to the sun and storms. — 
 He never examines them to prevent the depredations 
 of the moth. He suffers robbers to encounter and de- 
 feat them, leaving only a Hive of dry comb, for the 
 moth and their owner. 
 
 He never feeds feeble swarms, but suffers them to 
 rat 10 or 15 pounds of honey, and starve to death in 
 March, or April. He lets the spiders build their webs 
 about his Hives to catch his most industrious Bees.— 
 He never gives them salt, and allows hogs and cattle to 
 disturb them and upset the Hives. He suffufcites them 
 with brimstone to get what little they have accomplished 
 through the working season. When they swarm, ha 
 rattles bells, pans, tongs, and blows horns, to drive them 
 to the woods, to seek a better home. 
 
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