Stands.—Let the pedestals which support the hive be well looked to at this time. Although to the eye they may appear sound, let them be examined 2 or 3 inches below the surface of the ground, and should they be found in an unsound state replace them by new ones: and if they are little charred before fixing, it may be the means of preserving them a little longer.
Bees with a North Aspect.—Much has been said of late as to the advantages arising from placing Bees with the hive's entrance to the north, which the following letter from a gentleman in Devonshire tends very much to strengthen. He says:—
"In compliance with your wish, I visited B—— yesterday, and, although not fortunate enough to find Mr. D. at home, I had a long conversation with his gardener, who alone appears to take any interest in the apiarian matters. One wooden hive, brought by Mr. D. from Oxford, is placed behind a wall, through which the Bees issue towards the south; another wooden hive is completely embedded in shrubs, but the entrance faces the north. There is a stock in a portion of a hollow tree, which was found when the tree was cut down, and removed to its present position, also facing the north, and a row of fifteen common straw hives have the same aspect: thus you will perceive that seventeen out of a total of eighteen stock are kept permanently facing the north. The gardener states that he has preferred a north aspect during the last ten years, and that he gets earlier swarms and more honey than his neighbours. For two or three years previously he kept half his Bees to the south, and half facing the north, and by weighing them in the autumn and spring (September and April), invariably found that those facing the south consumed ten times the quantity of food as compared with the others—for instance, if one consumed 10 lbs., the other consumed but 1 lb.; and if one lost 15 lbs. during the winter, the other would only diminish 11/2 lb.
"I should state that B—— appears to me a first-rate locality, being close to an extensive heath, now in full flower. The gardener told me that not only had he no difficulty in maintaining second swarms, or casts, during the winter, but that he considered them quite equal to the first or prime swarms. The row of straw hives is sheltered by trees and shrubs towards the south, but lies exposed to the north wind, which the gardener considers most important, as he attributes the diminished consumption in the winter to the cold winds keeping the Bees torpid. The above is all the information I was able to glean during a long conversation, as no kind of memorandum of any of the experiments has been kept, and in the hope that it may prove interesting, I am, &c."
Now, it must be remembered that this has been done in Devonshire, and it is not unlikely that climate may have to be considered as to aspect, and what may do in Devonshire might not answer so well in colder parts. It has frequently been recommended to give Bees an aspect more or less southerly in summer, and a northerly one in winter; but there seems now to be the strongest reason to expect that for all seasons the north will be found most suitable.
NOVEMBER.
The requirements of the apiary are but few during the present month, provided that feeding has been well attended to in the last. Should it, however, have been neglected, no time must be lost in setting about it before cold weather sets in, which may now reasonably be expected.
Feeding.—By this time hornets and wasps will have finished their work of destruction and pillage; each hive, therefore, must now be carefully examined and weighed, and should any be found having less than 18 or 20 lbs. of honey, supply them immediately with a sufficient quantity to bring them up to that weight.
Floor-board.—Clean the floor-board of each hive by scraping It with a knife, and brushing it afterwards with a dry brush, and see that each hive stands firmly on its pedestal, and is well defended against wet; and for effecting this (especially during winter), I have never yet found anything equal to the milk-pan, heavy and unsightly as it unquestionably is. I have seen covers of zinc used, but they are too light and frequently blown off by the wind; and one night's heavy rain at this time of year will very nearly, if not quite, destroy one of the best stocks. A gentleman of my acquaintance has had covers of cork made at a cost of 30s. each, and very elegant things they are; but, after about fourteen months' trial, they are abandoned because they will not effectually keep out wet.
Entrances.—The entrance to the hives must now be narrowed so that only two or three Bees can come out at the same time for at this season mice are very likely to lodge themselves in the hives, and they are very hurtful and destructive to the Bees; for, having once fairly lodged themselves in a hive, its entire destruction will be effected by them in a few days. Mr. Huish relates an anecdote of having found a dead mouse in one of his hives. He says, "In the month of December, on inspecting my apiary, I perceived a hive to be in an unusual bustle and the Bees in great agitation. I was convinced that some accident had occurred in the interior of the hive, and I resolved to examine it. To my great surprise I found a dead mouse on the stand, and it was almost covered with propolis (Bee-bread). I first resolved to remove this nauseous object; but, on more mature reflection, I was not willing to forego the opportunity of Experiencing, by actual observation, one of the most profound acts of foresight and wisdom which can possibly be found in the works of the animal creation. What power is that which taught the Bee the necessity of covering the dead mouse with a plaster? It might have been thought sufficient to kill it, that their property might be saved, and then leave it to waste away in the common process of putrefaction. But were this process to be allowed to take place, the health and safety of the whole hive would be endangered. To prevent, therefore, this occurrence, the body of the mouse is, as it were, embalmed in a case of propolis, and the object rots away without emitting any offensive odour." I have myself occasionally found a snail fastened to the floor-board in a similar manner. But a greater enemy to Bees during the winter months than even the mouse will be found in that little marauder the blue titmouse (Parus major of Linnæus), which may be said to stand foremost as their enemy. Mr. Purchase says, "She will eat ten or twelve Bees at a time, and by-and-by, be ready for more. When she comes to the hive and finds none, she knocks with her bill at the door, and as soon as the Bees come out to inquire the cause, she catcheth, first one and then another until her belly be full." This I have observed in an apiary of about twenty hives, in a village nigh to me, for the last two winters; the entrances of the hives by the end of the winter having the appearance of being gnawn by rats, which has all been done by these birds. Shoot and trap them in the winter, and destroy their nests in breeding time.