This royal wailing continues during the evening, and is sometimes so loud as to be distinctly audible many yards from the hive. When this is the case, a swarm may be expected either on the next day, or at latest within three days. The second swarm is not quite so chary of weather as the first; it was the old lady who exercised so much caution, disliking to leave home except in the best of summer weather.
In some instances, owing to favourable breeding seasons and prolific queens, a third swarm issues from the hive, this is termed a "colt;" and in remarkable instances, even a fourth, which in rustic phrase is designated a "filly." A swarm from a swarm is called a "maiden" swarm, and according to bee theory, will again have the old queen for its leader.
The bee-master should endeavour to prevent his labourers from swarming more than once; his policy is rather to encourage the industrious gathering of honey by keeping a good supply of "supers" on the hives. Sometimes, however, he may err in putting on the supers too early or unduly late, and the bees will then swarm a second time, instead of making use of the store-rooms thus provided. In such a case, the clever apiarian, having spread the swarm on the ground, will select the queen, and cause the bees to go back to the hive from whence they came. This operation requires an amount of apiarian skill which, though it may easily be attained, is greater than is usually possessed.
II. MODERN BEE HIVES.
NUTT'S COLLATERAL HIVE. No. 1.
The late Mr. Nutt, author of "Humanity to Honey Bees," may be regarded as a pioneer of modern apiarians; we therefore select his hive wherewith to begin a description of those we have confidence in recommending. Besides, an account of Mr. Nutt's hive will necessarily include references to the various principles which subsequent inventors have kept in view.
Nutt's Collateral Hive consists of three boxes placed side by side (C. A. C), with an octagonal box B on the top which covers a bell-glass. Each of the three boxes is 9 inches high, 9 inches wide, and 11 inches from back to front; thin wooden partitions,—in which six or seven openings corresponding with each other are made—divide these compartments, so that free access from one box to the other is afforded to the bees; this communication is stopped when necessary by a zinc slide passing down between each box. The octagonal cover B is about 10 inches in diameter and 20 high, including the sloping octagonal roof, surmounted with an acorn as a finish. There are two large windows in each of the end boxes, and one smaller one in the centre box; across the latter is a thermometer scaled and marked, so as to be an easy guide to the bee-master, showing him by the rise in temperature the increased accommodation required. This thermometer is a fixture, the indicating part being protected by two pieces of glass, to prevent the bees from coming between it and the window, and thereby obstructing the view.
D D are ventilators. In the centre of each of the end boxes is a double zinc tube reaching down a little below the middle, the outer tube is a casing of plain zinc, with holes about a quarter of an inch wide dispersed over it; the inside one is of perforated zinc, with openings so small as to prevent the escape of the bees, a flange or rim keeps the tubes suspended through a hole made to receive it. The object in having double tubing, is to allow the inner one to be drawn up and the perforations to be opened by pricking out the wax, or rather the propolis, with which bees close all openings in their hives. These tubes admit a thermometer enclosed in a cylindrical glass, to be occasionally inserted during the gathering season; it requires to be left in the tube for about a quarter of an hour; and on its withdrawal, if found indicating 90 degrees or more, ventilation must be adopted to lower the temperature—the ornamental zinc top D must be left raised, and is easily kept in that position by putting the perforated part a little on one side.
The boxes before described are placed on a raised double floor-board, extending the whole length, viz., about 36 inches. The floor-board projects a few inches in front. In the centre is the entrance;—as our engraving only shows the back of the hive, we must imagine it on the other side,—it is made by cutting a sunken way of about half-an-inch deep and 3 inches wide, in the floor-board communicating only with the middle box; it is through this entrance alone that the bees find their way into the hive,—access to the end boxes and the super being obtained from the inside. An alighting board is fitted close under the entrance for the bees to settle upon when returning laden with honey; this alighting board is removable for the convenience of packing. The centre, or stock-box, A, called by Mr. Nutt the Pavilion of Nature, is the receptacle for the swarm; for stocking this, it will be necessary to tack the side tins so as to close the side openings in the partition, and to tack some perforated zinc over the holes at top; the swarm may then be hived into it just the same as with a common hive. A temporary bottom-board may be used if the box has to be sent any distance; or a cloth may be tied round to close the bottom (the latter plan is best, because allowing plenty of air), and when brought home at night, the bees being clustered at the top, the cloth or temporary bottom must be removed, and the box gently placed on its own floor-board, and the hive set in the place it is permanently to occupy. E E are two block fronts which open with a hinge, a semicircular hole 3 inches long, 2 wide in the middle, is cut in the upper bottom-board immediately under the window of each box; these apertures are closed by separate perforated zinc slides; these blocks, when opened, afford a ready means of reducing the temperature of the side boxes, a current of air being quickly obtained, and are also useful for allowing the bees to throw out any refuse.