It is recommended to persons during their operations on Bees, to carefully avoid breathing upon, them, as nothing is more offensive, or more irritating to them than the human breath; this however, is partially obviated by closing the mouth, and suffering the breath to pass gently through the nose, by which means a full current is not allowed to fall upon them.
CHAPTER V.
Proper time for taking away the Box and how to expel the Bees from it.
When the Box is filled with honey and the combs all sealed up, (which will generally be done about the middle of June) it may be taken off, or it may remain till the one placed beneath it is also sealed up, which in all probability will be completed by the first week in August.
Upon the very strong and populous hives, it is necessary in some seasons to place even a third, which must be removed with great caution, for at this time of the year every stock should contain at least twenty pounds of honey; should however the stock have that quantity, it may be safely removed and placed upon a weaker one, for the combs not being all sealed, the honey therefore is not saleable. The Box taken off, must be lifted very gently at noon, upon a fine day, and carried forty or fifty yards from the hive; place it upon a board or table, raising it a little that room may be given to the Bees to make their escape, which they will do in a very short time.
Much difficulty appears to have arisen with some persons in getting the Bees to leave the Box when taken off, but in this as in all other operations with Bees, gentleness is very important, indeed it is the only means of accomplishing the end desired, and as I have before said, "the Box must be lifted very gently," and placed about six inches from the ground, or table, upon bricks, flower pots, or something of the kind. Shaking, beating, or burning paper under it, as is sometimes done, have all a contrary effect upon the Bees, they are alarmed by it, and will not leave the box perhaps for days, when these means have been resorted to.
The box being thus placed, a loud humming noise is first heard, and the Bees are then seen to leave it within five or six minutes, (all except a few stragglers), but should the Queen be in the Box, (which very rarely happens) quite a different appearance presents itself, no noise will be heard, or a Bee scarcely seen to leave it, but the hive from which it has been taken will in a very short time appear in great confusion. Whenever this occurs, the Box must be returned immediately, and taken off again the next day.
When a hive or glass of honey is taken, it ought not to be left till the Bees are all out of it, for it is very likely to be attacked by robbers, thus a great part of it will be carried away in a short time, and what is left rendered unfit for sale, on account of the cells being opened, from which the honey will drain out upon the position of the hive being changed.
Robbers may be known by their desire to enter the hive or glass, the Bees belonging to it, being separated from their Queen, fly home immediately upon leaving it.
In taking off a box of honey it will be found convenient to pass a very thin knife, or fine wire, between the hives or boxes intended to be separated; if that precaution be not taken, a piece of comb frequently projects from the top of the one left, or the bottom of that taken, which causes much trouble to the operator: two adapters ([fig. 5.]) placed between the boxes will be found very convenient, for the knife or wire will only have to be passed between them, and the danger of breaking the combs will be obviated—they should be made of mahogany, for it will allow of being worked very thin, without the risk of warping.