Poised through the air on even pinions float."
Sotherby's Georgics.
This is now ascertained to be erroneous, and is ascribed by Swammerdam and Reaumur, to preceding observers having mistaken the Mason Bee, for a Hive Bee; the former builds its nest against a wall, with a composition of gravel and its own saliva, and when freighted with the former article, may easily have led a careless observer into the erroneous opinion alluded to. The Abbe della Rocca appears to have fallen into, and perpetuated, the same error.
Though large ponds are very injurious, a small stream is beneficial to them, which if they are not supplied with, water must be given them, for it is absolutely necessary, and enters, as much as honey and farina, into the composition with which they nourish the brood. The plan that I have for many years adopted, is to fill an unglazed earthen pan, eighteen inches by eight, four inches deep, and square at the sides, with water, upon the surface of which floats a very thin deal board perforated with holes: in Spring and Summer, the Bees may be seen coming in great numbers to drink, or rather to carry water into their hives to mix with the farina they collect so abundantly at this season of the year for food for their young. In my opinion, Dr. Bevan says very justly, that "the Apiary should be near the residence of the proprietor, as well for the purpose of rendering the Bees tractable, and well acquainted with the family, as for affording a good view of their general proceedings."
I am a decided enemy to Bee houses of all kinds for they are the means of causing the ruin of a great number of hives, by affording a home to their worst enemies, viz. mice, moths, spiders, earwigs, and various other insects, thousands die from imprisonment, and many hives are destroyed by humidity. The method of placing several hives upon the same bench is also very injurious, it very much facilitates pilfering, and renders it impossible to operate upon one hive, without disturbing the others.
The hives should be placed upon separate boards, supported by single pedestals four or five inches in diameter, firmly placed in the ground, and standing about fifteen inches from the surface, (see [fig. 1. plate 1.]); upon the top of this post should be nailed firmly a board nine inches square, upon which should be placed the board the hive stands upon, but not nailed, the double boards will be found very convenient for weighing or removing the hives, without disturbing the Bees.
On no account use clay or mortar as is usually done to secure the hive to the board, the Bees of themselves will do it more effectually;[1] clay or mortar tends very much to decay the hives, and to harbour moths and other insects; each hive should be covered with a large milkpan, and be well painted every year, for hives managed upon the depriving system, are expected to stand from fifteen to twenty years.
[1] This fact, though it has been denied by those who profess to have had much experience in the management of Bees, is known to every novice in Apiarian science, for he does not suffer much time to pass, after having purchased a swarm of Bees, without endeavouring to ascertain how much honey they have collected, and finds the difficulty of separating the hive from the board upon which it was placed.
The hives should be placed about three feet apart from each other, and in a right line, but should the number be too great to allow of this arrangement, and render two rows necessary, they must not be less that fifteen feet asunder, and those in the front row intersecting the line formed by the hinder one.
The boards on which the hives are placed, should be cleaned about four times in the year, January, March, April and November, much time and trouble will be saved the Bees thereby.