Manual of the apiary

by Albert John Cook

SWARMING.

To prevent anxiety and constant watching, and to secure a more equable division of bees, and, as I know, more honey, it is better to provide against swarming entirely by use of means which will appear in the sequel. But as this requires some experience, and, as often, through neglect, either necessary or culpable, swarms may issue, every apiarist should be ever ready with both means and knowledge for immediate action. Of course, the hives were all made the previous winter, and will never be wanting. Neglect to provide hives before the swarming season, is convincing proof that the wrong pursuit has been chosen.

If, as we have advised, the queen has her wing clipped, the matter becomes very simple, in fact, so much simplified that were there no other argument, this would be sufficient to recommend the practice of cutting the queen's wing. Now, if several swarms cluster together, we have not to separate them, they will separate of themselves and return to their old home. To migrate without the queen means death, and life is sweet even to bees, and is not to be willingly given up except for home and kindred. Neither has the apiarist to climb trees, to secure his bees from bushy trunks, from off the lattice-work or pickets of his fence, from the very top of a tall, slender, fragile fruit tree, or other most inconvenient places. Nor will he even be tempted to pay his money for patent hivers. He knows his bees will return to their old quarters, so he is not perturbed by the fear of loss, or plans to capture the unapproachable. It requires no effort "to possess his soul in patience." If he wishes no increase, he steps out, takes the queen by the remaining wings, as she emerges from the hive, soon after the bees commence their hilarious leave-taking, puts her in a cage, opens the hive, destroys, or, if he wishes to use them, cuts out the queen cells as already described ([page 167]), gives more room—either by adding boxes or taking out some of the frames of brood, as they may well be spared, places the cage enclosing the queen under the quilt, and leaves the bees to return at their pleasure. At night-fall the queen is liberated, and very likely the swarming fever subdued for the season.

If it is desired to hive the absconding swarm with a nucleus colony, exchange the places of the old hive containing the caged queen, and the nucleus, to which the swarm will then come. Remove queen-cells from the old hives as before, give some of the combs of brood to the nucleus, which is now a full colony, and empty frames, with comb or foundation starters, or, if you have them, empty combs to both, liberate the queen at night and all is well, and the apiarist rejoices in a new colony. If the apiarist has neglected to form nuclei, and so has no extra queens—and this is a neglect—and wishes to hive his swarm separately, he places his caged queen in an empty hive, with which he replaces the old hive till the bees return, then this new hive, with queen and bees, and, still better, with a frame or two of brood, honey, etc., in the middle, which were taken from the old hive, is set on a new stand. The old hive, with all the queen-cells except the largest and finest one removed, is set back, so that the apiarist has forestalled the issue of after-swarms, except that other queen-cells are afterward started, which is not likely to happen. The old queen is liberated as before, and we are in the way of soon having two good colonies. Some apiarists cage the queen and let the bees return, then divide the colony as soon to be described.

Some extensive apiarists, who desire to prevent increase of colonies, cage the old queen, destroy cells, and exchange this hive—after taking out three or four frames of brood to strengthen nuclei—with one that recently swarmed. Thus a colony that recently sent out a swarm, but retained their queen, has probably, from the decrease of bees, loss of brood and removal of queen-cells, lost the swarming fever, and if we give them plenty of room and ventilation, they will accept the bees from a new swarm, and spend their future energies in storing honey. Southard and Ranney have been very successful in the practice of this method. If building of drone-comb in the empty frames which replaced the brood-frames removed, should vex the apiarist—Dr. Southard says they had no such trouble—it could be prevented by giving worker-foundation. If the swarming fever is not broken up, we shall only have to repeat the operation again in a few days.

HIVING SWARMS.

But in clipping wings, some queens may be omitted, or from taste, or other motive, some bee-keepers may not desire to "deform her royal highness." Then the apiarist must possess the means to save the would-be rovers. The means are good hives in readiness, some kind of a brush—a turkey-wing will do—and a bag or basket, with ever open top, which should be at least eighteen inches in diameter, and this receptacle so made that it may be attached to the end of a pole, and two such poles, one very long and the other of medium length.

Now, let us attend to the method: As soon as the cluster commences to form, place the hive on the ground near by, leaving the entrance widely open, which with our bottom-board only requires that we draw the hive forward an inch Or more over the alighting-board. As soon as the bees are fully clustered, we must manage as best we can to empty the whole cluster in front of the hive. As the bees are full of honey we need have little fear of stings. Should the bees be on a twig that could be sacrificed, this might be easily out off with either a knife or saw, and so carefully as hardly to disturb the bees; then carry and shake the bees in front of the hive, when with joyful hum they will at once proceed to enter. If the twig must not be cut, shake them all into the basket, and empty before the hive. Should they be on a tree trunk, or a fence, then brush them with the wing into the basket, and proceed as before. If they are high up on a tree, take the pole and basket, and perhaps a ladder will also be necessary.

Always let ingenuity have its perfect work, not forgetting that the object to be gained is to get just as many of the bees as is possible on the alighting-board in front of the hive. Carelessness as to the quantity might involve the loss of the queen, which would be serious. The bees to ill not remain unless the queen enters the hive. Should a cluster form where it is impossible to brush or shake them off, they can be driven into a basket, or hive, by holding it above them and blowing smoke among them. As soon as they are nearly all in—a few may be flying around, but if the queen is in the new hive, they will go back to their old home, or find the new one—which Mr. Betsinger says they will always do, if it is not far removed—remove the hive to its permanent stand. All washes are more than useless. It is better that the hive be clean and pure. With such, if they are shaded, bees will generally be satisfied. But assurance will be made doubly sure by giving them a frame of brood, in all stages of growth, from the old hive. This may be inserted before the work of hiving is commenced. Mr. Betsinger thinks this will cause them to leave; but I think he will not be sustained by the experience of other apiarists. He certainly is not by mine. I never knew but one colony to leave uncapped brood; I have often known them to swarm out of an empty hive once or twice, and to be returned, after brood had been placed in the hive, when they accepted the changed conditions, and went at once to work. This seems reasonable, too, in view of the attachment of bees for their nest of brood, as also from analogy. How eager the ant to convey her larvæ and pupæ—the so-called eggs—to a place of safety, when the nest has been invaded and danger threatens. Bees doubtless have the same desire to protect their young, and as they cannot carry them away to a new home, they remain to care for them in one that may not be quite to their taste.

If it is not desired to increase, the bees may be given to a colony which has previously swarmed, after removing from the latter all queen-cells, and adding to the room by giving boxes and removing some frames of brood to strengthen nuclei. This plan is practiced by Dr. Southard. We may even return the bees to their old home by taking the same precautionary measures, with a good hope that storing and not swarming will engage their attention in future; and if we exchange their position with that of a nucleus, we shall be still more likely to succeed in overcoming the desire to swarm; though some seasons, usually when honey is being gathered each day for long intervals, but not in large quantities, the desire and determination of some colonies to swarm is implacable. Room, ventilation, changed position of hive, each and all will fail. Then we can do no better than to gratify the propensity, by giving the swarm a new home, and make an effort