It is necessary only to send the lower or stock hive to the party furnishing the swarm, taking the precaution to fix the slides at top with tacks, as the hive has to be inverted to receive the bees. They are shaken into it in the usual manner,[10] as they cluster around the branch of the tree or shrub on which they may have chosen to alight. After the hiving is accomplished, the hive should be left near to catch any stragglers, for there will always be a few; towards evening, close the entrance, and remove them to the exact position they are intended permanently to occupy. Success depends on this, and also on their careful removal on the day or evening of swarming. The following morning the bees labour in the new location, marking well their habitation before they take flight, and to which they will not fail to return, loaded with luscious store.
[10] Sometimes swarms alight on trunks of trees or on walls, where it may be difficult to shake or brush them off. In the Journal of Horticulture, Mr. Woodbury mentions an instance of this kind, which he experienced last summer:—"A swarm clustered among the large branches of a pear-tree, just at their point of union with the trunk. In this case he merely supported a straw hive just over the swarm with the left hand, whilst he struck the trunk of the tree with the open palm of the right. The vibration thus produced sent the bees up into the hive with great rapidity, and the entire swarm was speedily hived in the most satisfactory manner." A few whiffs of smoke will accelerate upward movement of swarms in such circumstances.
A fortnight must be allowed for filling the stock-hive; then, if the weather be fine and warm, they will prepare to swarm again, as will be indicated by the thermometer rising rapidly to 100 degrees or upwards. One of the zinc slides on the wooden top must now be withdrawn, and a bell-glass put on, covered and protected by the upper hive; the other glasses may then be given in the same manner, a day or two after which, should the weather continue favourable, all signs of swarming will at once disappear, the bees now having increased store room, which they will readily fill with comb. It is often found useful to attach a piece of clean empty honey-comb to the ventilating tube of the glass; it is an attraction, and induces the bees to commence working in it sooner than they otherwise would do. The ventilator should always remain open during the day, to allow the hot air to pass away from the interior, thereby contributing to the whiteness and beauty of the work; the bees enjoy the refreshment of coolness thereby afforded, and they work the faster for it. At evening, all ventilation should be stopped, and the glasses wrapped round with flannel or some warm material, for the reasons mentioned at [page 65].
The directions for taking honey are much the same as before mentioned. Some apiarians, however, consider that deprivation is more easily accomplished by disconnecting the super over night, in the manner described at [page 58]. The bee-keeper, equipped with bee-dress and gloves, must first raise the glass of comb, and, blowing a little smoke to intimidate and drive back the bees, wedge it up all round, an inch or so from the crown-board, by means of three or four blocks, thus to remain all night. This operation is best performed a little before dusk. Bees are then less likely to come out, and if they should do so, will speedily return. The opening in the crown-board remains unclosed, to afford the bees the opportunity of descending, and joining the stock-hive below, which they will naturally do for warmth. The upper straw-hive, or cover for the glasses, is better placed on for the night. Early in the following morning, before the bees are much about, the super will be ready for removal. The few bees that remain within may be speedily induced to quit, and will fly to the entrance. The slides covering the holes in the crown-board must be inserted, or an empty glass can be put on, to take the full one's place. A slide seven and a half inches square is furnished with the hive; this is useful to remove the glass upon.
The holes in the wooden top of this hive are of a peaked shape, to act as a preventive against slaughtering any bees whilst pushing the slide in for the purpose of removing the glass when full. The tacks before alluded to should be removed from the slides when the hive is fixed in its place; they are now in the way of cutting off the glass. The entrance slide is very serviceable during the winter months, to lessen the passage way, thereby' preventing the admission of too much cold air: it is also occasionally useful on a summer evening, to lessen the entrance when moths are troublesome; for if there be only a small opening, the bees can guard it, and easily repulse intruders. During the time of gathering, they require the whole width to remain open.
When the weather is so unfavourable as to prevent the bees leaving home for a few days after being hived, it will be necessary to feed them. Bees should not be fed in the midst of winter; the proper time is in the autumn or in the spring.
The best mode of feeding is at the top of the stock hive. This is done by using the round feeder.
The bottle feeder may be used instead of the round feeder, and in the same place, by those who give the preference to that method.
Whilst on the subject of feeding, it may be well to suggest to the bee-keeper, that, after the honey harvest, he should ascertain the state of the stock-hive, because we have sometimes found that hives which were very strong during summer, and which have yielded a good supply of honey, have been left rather poorly off for the winter. No doubt, under the impression that those nicely-filled supers which the bees intended for themselves would be amply sufficient for their sustenance, they have, for the most part, devoted the space below to the queen for breeding, little imagining that the precious store would be taken away, and consequently have left themselves too small provision for autumn and winter.
The apiarian having, therefore, so richly reaped the fruit of his bees' labours, it is but right that he should guard against the labourers themselves suffering any want therefrom. The state of the interior of the hive may be ascertained by applying a weighing machine, and the requisite supply administered by feeding. Both weighing machine and feeder are described further on.