To expel the bees from the box or hive when taken off, Gelieu says, "Take a hive or box of the same size, place it over the full one that is turned upside down, bind them round with a napkin, to intercept all passage to the bees, and force them to ascend into the empty box, by tapping gently on the full one. They soon go up into the empty box, and when they are all housed, replace them on the parent hive, whence they were withdrawn; and if the season is favourable and the honey abundant, they soon set to work again."
Honey taken by this method is acknowledged to be very superior in quality to that obtained by the usual barbarous and unprofitable manner of burning the Bees, which arises from the combs in which it is deposited being new and perfectly white, the early period at which it is collected, and from its being unmixed with honey gathered later in the season as well as from the Queen very rarely ascending through the opening at the top of the improved cottage hive, that neither brood nor farina are found amongst it.
This honey sells readily at two shillings a pound, whilst that obtained by burning the Bees, is scarcely saleable at eightpence.
It is usual to obtain from every good stock twenty or perhaps thirty pounds of honey annually. I once obtained forty-five pounds, leaving the stock rich in honey.
It is frequently asked what becomes of the Bees managed on this system, if they are never suffered to swarm nor are destroyed;—the hives will never contain them? To which I would reply, that it is well known to those who are conversant in the care of Bees, that their numbers decrease greatly in Autumn, not only by the destruction of the drones, but also by the unavoidable deaths of many of the working Bees, owing to the thousand accidents they meet with in the fields, and to age;[7] a much less space therefore is wanted for them in the winter than was necessary in the summer.
[7] Mr. Purchas in his "Theatre of Political Flying Insects," published in 1657—says, "it is manifest that the Honey Bees are but yearly creatures," and when giving the sentiments of Aristotle, Pliny, Columella, Cardanus, and others, he says, "the truth is, notwithstanding these men's opinions, that Bees live but a year and a quarter at most, for those Bees that are seen in May, lusty, full, brown, smooth, well winged, will by the end of July following, begin to wither, become lesse, look gray, and have their wings tottered, and torn, and bee all dead before the end of August."
CHAPTER VI.
Method to be pursued in case a Swarm should leave the Hive, after having commenced working in the Box.
This is a circumstance of very rare occurrence, and more especially when the directions given in the former chapter are strictly complied with; however, should it happen, let the swarm be hived in the usual manner into the improved Cottage Hive, (see [fig. 3.]) as directed in Chapter XII, when the Bees are settled, take off the moveable piece of straw from the top of the hive, and place upon it the box partially filled with honey and Bees; cover the old hive with the piece of straw belonging to it, and the milkpan, as no further profit (except the cast or second swarm) will be obtained till the next season; should the proprietor be unwilling to increase his number of stocks, the swarm may be returned immediately to its parent hive; the process is very simple, and I have always found it succeed—as soon as the swarm is settled, turn the hive bottom upwards, and if the Queen Bee does not make her appearance in a few seconds, dash the Bees out upon a cloth, or upon a gravel walk,[8] and with a wine glass she may be easily captured, upon this being accomplished, the Bees will immediately return to their parent hive and resume their labours; she may also very easily be taken during the departure of a swarm, for she appears to leave the hive reluctantly, and may be seen running backwards and forwards upon the alighting-board before she takes wing.
[8] The method of performing this operation, consists in lifting the hive gently about a foot, and with a smart and sudden jar returning it to the ground, so that the Bees be completely dislodged from the hive and left upon the cloth, the hive may now be removed to a short distance, and as the Bees are attempting to return to their former habitation the Queen may be easily captured.