It may seem unnatural to fight the swarming instinct, as swarming is the natural way for new colonies to be formed. It is, however, the nature of bees to swarm at a time when swarming will result in a division of the working force, and just at the period when they should be concentrating on the principal flow of the season. Therefore the beekeeper arranges, if possible, that any increase in the number of colonies shall be made when it will not prevent the gathering of nectar. This requires vigilance just at the swarming season, since no satisfactory way has been devised for treating the whole apiary long in advance of this season to check the swarming instinct. There are, however, ways of control by weekly visits during the swarming season—ways which can not be explained in this short monograph, but which can be learned from literature or in an agricultural college course in beekeeping.
The busy season for the beekeeper begins about two months before the main honey flow, continues through the swarming season, and ends when the comb honey is taken from the supers or when the honey is extracted from larger frames which have been added to enable the use of the extracting machine. Afterwards there is less rush, the only important work being early preparation of the bees for winter. Every latitude in the United States has its winter problem, and it is of the first importance that prospective beekeepers realize that success depends more on proper wintering than on any other one thing.
Winter Occupations
It will be evident that most of the work of the beekeeper comes in the spring, summer, and fall. When your bees have been properly prepared for winter with plenty of stores, there is nothing to be done for their welfare until the early spring and “flying-out” time. There are, however, many profitable winter jobs for the beekeeper. Equipment should be stored, repaired, and put in complete readiness for the next season. Many beekeepers turn their time into money by retailing the honey crop during these out-of-season months, and when all their own honey is sold they buy from other beekeepers to supply the trade. By developing a home market you will get the profit not only of the producer, but as well that of the wholesaler and retailer.
Everyone ought to have free a part of each year for study and recreation, and the winter is the free time for the beekeeper, while his little workers themselves are resting. Wintertime well employed in study will prepare you for better returns. A thorough study of some new phase of beekeeping can be taken up every winter. There is an abundance of literature, and you can greatly profit by the experience of other beekeepers and experiment-station records. Interest and determination to acquire knowledge of your chosen vocation will be the best evidence of your suitability for bee culture. Your enthusiasm may cause you to cover the literature speedily. If there remains time unemployed, you may desire to take up some other line of work, either physical or mental. Some beekeepers have found it pleasant and profitable to teach in the winter. Teaching interferes but slightly with beekeeping. Mornings, evenings, Saturdays, and the long summer vacations can be devoted to the bees. The teacher should produce extracted honey to avoid the difficulties of swarm control.
Farm mechanics may prove advisable for a winter vocation and become an income-bearing side line for one who is handy with tools, tractors, trucks, and other machinery. The demand for able mechanics to repair and place in overhauled readiness for spring use all the up-to-date machinery now used on the farm is constantly growing. (See [Farm Mechanics]).
Number of Colonies Needed to Make a Living
In deciding on beekeeping as a life work, one should have some idea of the necessary amount to invest and the work entailed. There are many persons in the country who earn a livelihood almost or entirely from bees, and the number is increasing every year. In the Eastern States, where the weather during the summer may interfere with the work of the beekeeper, a skilled man may care for perhaps 600 colonies. In the West, however, where the weather does not so greatly enter into the beekeeper’s calculations, this number may be increased to 1,000. In giving these figures, it is assumed that the beekeeper is able to put in a full day’s work, is capable of considerable physical effort, and is a good manager. If he does not possess these qualifications, he may be much behind in his work at critical times, which necessarily means loss of honey, perhaps a total loss of the year’s work.
During and since the war, prices for honey have been high, making the returns larger than one may ordinarily expect. Perhaps the safest plan is to use figures which applied before the war, although in all probability honey prices will not for a long period, if ever, drop to their former level. With honey figured at prewar price of 25 cents a pound retail, the good beekeeper may confidently expect to average $10 a colony. This is on the basis of extracted honey, which will probably be produced by those about to engage in the business, certainly after the first year’s experience. The expense in addition to labor per colony will not average more than $1 a year. Income may be greatly increased by selling honey locally at retail.
For one whose physical condition does not permit regular and hard work, the number of colonies must be correspondingly smaller, at least at first. When one has thoroughly mastered the business, the actual physical labor may be greatly reduced and by the proper hiring of unskilled labor the beekeeper may be saved much of the hardest part of the work. Women have made a success of commercial beekeeping, and while unable to do the hard physical work, they have had it performed under their personal supervision by hired labor. Comb-honey production is lighter work and not so many colonies are necessary to get the same financial returns if the beekeeper retails his comb honey at the apiary. However, with large apiaries composed of hundreds of colonies the conditions change and comparison of financial returns are favorable to the production of extracted honey. The large commercial beekeepers follow extracting.