§ XV. THE STEWARTON HIVE.
The Stewarton hive (also called the Ayrshire hive) is so often spoken of, and in such favourable terms, by bee-keepers, that we deem it necessary to give it a place here, and to supply some explanation of its construction and management. We consider this especially needful, as some of the principles of its management are so imperfectly understood that many mistakes are made, and also because, for the convenience of bee-keepers, we keep a supply of these hives on hand.
The name is derived from their having been first brought out at Stewarton, in Scotland; and they are still made so well, and at so moderate a price, in that country, that London workmen are unable to compete in their manufacture. Our supply is therefore from that source; so that, with a little addition for carriage, the price approximates that of the makers themselves, affording a convenience to many of our apiarian friends in being able to obtain these hives in London.
Our illustration shows the four boxes set up when the hive is complete. We will suppose that the beginner has just received the four octagonal boxes detached, with the bundles of grooved slides. About one-half of these are short pieces, or pegs, termed sectional slides, but similarly cut to the longer ones; these are to fill up the openings where the full slides are not put in, or are required to be withdrawn, as hereafter explained. He will find himself in possession of four boxes so neatly dovetailed on the bevel, that, if he be of a mechanical turn, he will not only be surprised at the way in which they are put together, but also at the price for which they are offered. Three of the boxes, A, B, C, technically called "body boxes," are precisely similar, each being fourteen inches in diameter and five inches and a half deep inside. Nine bars range along the top of each box. These are not movable, but are designed to induce the regular building of the combs. Between these and beyond the outer ones are ten narrow slides, the slides and bars being grooved to fit into each other, so that the top is completely covered as if with a crown-board. In the figure the slides are shown as partly withdrawn. The fourth box, D, is the depriving box or super; it is only four inches deep, but the same in diameter as the others. This being the honey-box, it is furnished with seven wide fixed bars instead of nine, because, as stated at [page 183], bees construct deeper receptacles to contain the honey than for breeding in: thus, should the queen go up into this compartment, she may find the cells are too much elongated to enable her to reach the base when her body is inserted for the purpose of depositing an egg. The honey is thus kept pure, and the thick comb has a more massive, richer appearance, and that which not unfrequently mars the quality of a super—viz., cells that either contain brood or have been bred in—is prevented. Each box is furnished with two small windows, back and front, closed by sliding shutters, by which opportunity is afforded for inspecting the progress made, and also for ascertaining when the cells are filled and the box may be taken away.
Each of the boxes A, B, C, is furnished with an entrance-way four inches wide and half an inch high, a wooden slide either wholly or partially closing it as required. When at work the bees need only one entrance open, and that at the lowest box. The long slides before mentioned are pushed into their respective receptacles from the back of the hive to close the openings between the bars; those of them that are shorter will be seen to belong to the sides of the octagon, and their ends are cut angular to suit the form of the box. A little examination will suffice to show the right allotment of the slides, the appropriation of which may be said somewhat to resemble the putting together of a child's puzzle.
The box B must be left open at the interstices that correspond with the box A, placed above, the little openings being closed by the insertion of the ten sections of slides, thus leaving free communication inside with the upper box A, and admitting of no outlet for the bees except at the entrance. When the four boxes are placed above each other, the structure measures twenty-two inches high.
The Scotch carpenters send no floor-board, and no covering or roof for the top to shoot off the rain; they evidently expect that the purchaser is provided with a shed or bee-house of some kind, and also with a floor-board. Should the apiarian, however, not have these necessaries, we can supply the deficiency.
The sides of the boxes are furnished with wooden buttons, which, when turned round, keep each box exactly in its place one above the other; there are also projecting irons or screw heads for tying the two boxes A and B together preparatory to hiving the swarm, also for weighing; or if the boxes stand out exposed, all may be thus secured, to prevent their being blown over by high winds.
In putting the hive into use, take the two boxes A and B, made one by the junction before mentioned, with complete access from one to the other inside by the free communication afforded. Shake the swarm in just as with a common cottage hive.
If the weather be favourable these two boxes will be nearly filled in ten days. To get the full advantage of the Stewarton hive the first year, put two swarms into two body boxes, A and B. Allow the bees to remain there till they have nearly filled the body boxes with comb, which (with this increased number of workers, and in favourable weather) should be from five to ten days. Two swarms are seldom procurable the same day so as then to be joined together, and even if they were there is a doubt whether greater progress may not be attained by hiving one swarm a week or so earlier than the other, so as to build comb and raise brood ready for the reception of the new comers.
The second swarm should be hived in the third body box, C, and placed close to the boxes A, B, and at dusk these last are placed on the top of the box C. The entrance being open in the lowest box, that of the central box, B, should now be closed with the slide. The top slides of box C must be withdrawn and the interstices pegged with the sectional slides. In the course of the night the second swarm will ascend and join the other, thus becoming one family. In the morning one of the queens will probably be found thrown out in front.
The box C is then to be removed, and the entrance slide of box B withdrawn. Should all the bees not have ascended, the removal may be deferred until later in the day when many of them are dispersed gathering honey. The object of removing the box C is to restrict the room so that the work of comb-building may be carried on more rapidly, and the bees be sooner ready to work in the super box D, placed above. They may be allured into this by fixing small pieces of worker guide-comb, of pure white colour, on the centre of each side bar. If, however, a box of honey with neatly made, straight, and quite regular comb be desired, a piece of this guide-comb must be fixed to the centre of each bar of the seven. If guide-comb be unobtainable, strips of the impressed wax sheets or artificial comb (hereafter described) will be found excellent substitutes.[22]
[22] The body boxes may be prepared in a similar manner.
Having satisfied yourself, by peeping in at the windows, and from symptoms at the entrance, that the original boxes are well filled, place your prepared honey-box on the top, draw a slide at each side of the middle box to afford communication, and insert the little pegs. It is not well to withdraw the slides in the middle, because the queen is then far more likely to ascend. Bees may more readily be induced to work in the supers if the junctures are covered with gummed paper to preserve warmth. When you notice that the bees have fairly commenced work in the honey-box, and are likely to keep to it, a second and afterwards other supers may still be added, the new one being always placed uppermost; in all cases the remaining box C must be added below the stock, which will afford additional room and prevent swarming, exchanging the entrance to the newly-furnished box and sliding in pieces of wood to close the aperture of that above. Supers and nadirs may in fact be added—in fine seasons and with first-rate management—till there are eight or ten boxes in the pile.
Should the bees begin making comb in the bottom box, draw two more slides for freer access into the super, as there will then be little risk of the queen ascending, having so much range for egg-laying in the three lower boxes.
In very fine weather a good swarm or stock will fill a honey-box in the space of two weeks; but a much longer time is usually occupied. The process of taking the honey differs very little from that ordinarily followed in removing supers ([Chap. V. § xiv.]). The super box is disconnected with a spatula and twine; then drawing out one or two top slides, the bees are smoked or blown with bellows to cause them to make their exit.
Before winter sets in, the box C, if in use, may be removed, and the comb it contains (if well filled) be used for consumption; if the comb be empty, let it remain carefully guarded from moth and other insects, as it will be invaluable next season. Empty comb may be thus preserved by tying or pasting a piece of stout newspaper closely round the bottom, and keeping the box in a dry place. Feeding, when required, may be liberally pursued by withdrawing two slides and supplying a bottle or other feeder.
The chief value of the Stewarton supers consists in the boxes being shallow, so that the combs are more likely to be well filled down to the base; the bees will also commence work more readily in such than in loftier compartments. This is a great advantage with supers, particularly when required to be sent to a distance, as there is less likelihood of the combs breaking down. For the same reason, when the weather is hot and the rays of the sun fall on the hive, the combs might part from their foundations if there were no intermediate bars, which is now the case in the stock hive, composed as it is of two boxes. If these two boxes were in one, the depth of each comb would be twelve inches; and, when filled with brood and honey, would probably weigh ten pounds. This is a great weight to be supported in hot summer weather, when the wax is softened by the heat. Another distinguishing feature that the Stewarton hive possesses is the use of the box C, which, by giving increased room as the season advances, prevents what is often an annoyance to the apiarian, viz., a late swarm—too late to be of any value, and impoverishing the stock by a division of its numbers, thereby perhaps impeding the completion of the super. A further advantage of the box C is that it induces the bees (who frequently hang in clusters about the entrance) to carry on their work instead of remaining in enforced idleness.
An accomplished apiarian who writes much in the Horticultural and Bee Journals under the title of "A Renfrewshire Bee-keeper," and whose descriptions and management of the Stewarton hive render him an authority on this mode of bee-keeping as well as on the subject generally, says the only fault he has to find with the Stewarton hive is the fixity of the bars. With a modified hive used by him they are held in position with half-inch brass screws; thus all are movable, instead of being fastened with nails as in the original Stewarton. In each of the three body boxes are four bar-frames from end to end of the parallel sides; the two combs on either side of these are attached to movable bars, but these have no frames, as there would be a difficulty in making them to suit the angle. If it is requisite to withdraw the bars, they may be easily disconnected from the sides by passing down a knife. These boxes are one inch deeper than those of the ordinary Stewarton. We must say we do not consider that there is quite the same facility for extracting combs as with other movable comb hives described in these pages, but this may be an element of success—it possesses the opportunity without the facility. Many indiscreet bee-keepers are tempted to disturb their bees a great deal too much.
The writer had the pleasure of paying this gentleman a visit when in Scotland last autumn, and saw his apiary, also some remnants of the store of wonderful supers he took from his hives last summer—specimens indeed of good bee-keeping, and of the golden maxim worthy of all imitation, "Keep your stocks strong."