The Bées also endure if they be diligently loked vnto, for the space of ten yeares, and beyonde this age no swarme can passe, althoughe the kéepers supplye the Hyues yearelye with yong Bées, in the steade of the olde deade, for in the tenth yere, in a manner, of the generall death of them, the vniuersall kinde of the whole Hyue is then consumed. And therefore, that thys maye not happen throughe all the Hyues in that place you must alwayes increase your Hyues with yong Bées, which diligently Hyue in the springtime, or beginning of Sommer, when as the swarmes be first and newe thrust forth of the Hiues, and so maye the number of your Hiues be encreased. Agayne some wryte, that in the Countrey of Pontus, the beste Bées bée white, bycause they gyue theyr yéelde of Honnye twyce in a moneth. And Gulihelmus de couchis affirmeth the beste Bées to be aboute Thermodoon in Capadocia, abyding in the Earthe, for that these doe buylde and make a tryple yéelde of waxe, and giue also aboundaunce of Honny.
The foresayde Varro, affirmeth those Bées to be in healthe, which often kepe and be in a swarme togither, that be clenly & can do their businesse and worke alike, and that quicke & light in the same, beyng neyther hearie nor foule of body, or appearing dustie, such also which be not ouerleane of body, and that out of any of their cotages no dead bées be carried thence, & forth of their Hiues. For all these notes do declare suche like Bées, to be both euill and vnprofytable. Palladius declareth, that the best Bées may be knowen by the fulnesse or emptinesse of their vessels, for if the Hiues be full, then those Bées doth he best commende, if the Hiues be nothing so full stuffed, those Bées doeth he greatly dissalowe. And he also praiseth those Bées, whiche excelleth or passeth others in the loudnesse of humming, or do abound in the great haunte of the swarme, not broughte to the Hiues from farre places, so that there maye be such agrement, that they be not after feared awaye, with the newnesse of the aire and place.
¶ Where the Hiues of Bees ought especially to be placed. Cap.x.
Aristotle willeth the Hiues of Bées in the winter time to be placed in a warme place, and in the hotte season of Sommer, in a colde place. Palladius Rutilius in his firste Booke of husbandrie teacheth that the fittest place for bées, is that, whiche is in a Garden, not farre or rather neare to the owners house, which by that meanes suffereth not the windes, nor the accesse of théeues or beastes.
Which also nourisheth Trées growing on the Northside of the place, the better to defend the cold ayre from them, & cleare springs or faire riuer water running by. Columella willeth the Hiues to be set open toward the south, far from noyse, & haunte of people and beastes, neyther in a hote nor colde place, for eyther of these do molest and harme the bées. Also that the hyues stande in the bottome of a valley, or if not so possible, then placed neare to the valley, the better and easier for the Bées to bring their foode gathered to their hiues, and in anye case farre from stincking puddels, ditches, dung-heapes, and such like filthy stinckes, which greatly annoye and endamage the bées beyng neare hande to their hiues, M. Varro writing in his second booke vnto a huswife of the countrey, willeth hir also to set the Hiues close to hir house, and vnder some shed, & that far from the noyse of formes, whiche is mente from a groue or wood, leaste through the woodde or groue neare hande, the same may giue a sounding noyse, like to that whiche men commonlye name the Eccho, whiche sounde in verye déede the Bées do greatly hate. Virgil willeth bushie trées to be planted and stand right before their hiues, like as the Peare trée is, the Peach trée, the Oake trée, many kyndes of Apple trées, the birche trée, Holy trée, the Iuy trée also, not allowed for his goodnesse, but bycause the same giueth out muche honny, and al other trées which beare no bitter floures. And he willeth these plantes and hearbes to grow neare hande, as the Rosemary, the red and damaske Rose, the white Lillie, the Violets, the Flouredeluce, the Organye, the Time, the running Time, the Sauery, swéete Maiorome, the Saffron floure, which coloureth the honny and maketh it smel swéete, the beane floures, the French beane floures, the Mellylot floures, the hearbe Baulme, the white Poppie floures, the Bitonie floures, the Borage and Buglosse floures, and manye other swéete and wholesome floures, not here named. But the Boxe trée, the Masticke trée, the dogge or Gatten trée, or as some suppose the long and high Chéeri trée they greatly hate, for that tasting of the floures of anye of these, they die forthwyth. Maro wylleth standing waters, to be neare to their hiues, & so shallow, that smal stones thrown into them, may appeare aboue the water, & serue in stéede of bridges for their often recourse to them, & that they may aptly stretch their wings abroad on the stones, at the heate of the sun. The standings for hiues ought to be thrée foote distant from the ground, & wittily stopped about with red clay, least vermine, and Myse créepe into the hiues, and spoyle the honny combes. The Hiues also oughte to be set a little asunder the one from the other, least by loking into them, you shake one another by cleauing togither, and so disquiet the bées nexte to, which feare al manner of shaking least the same throw not downe their weake workes of waxe. And the mouthes of the hiues ought to stand somwhat stiper than the back part, leaste rain beating in, might not lightly run out again by their entry or hole. For remedy of the which, some make a couer ouer theyr hole the better to kéepe off the weather & raine. And no manner of heate so much harmeth them, as doth the bitter cold, & for this the faces of hiues ought to be toward the winter rising of the sun, that the Bées may so receiue the warme comfort, in the morning comming forth, & be the liuelier, for colde doth cause them to be sluggish, and for that cause their holes ought to be very narrow, that as little colde as is possible, may enter into them, and so narrowe made, that the Bées within may receiue the encrease but of one Bée at once, For by that meanes can neither the Béetil, butterflie, nor great moath enter, to annoye them. Besides for their often recourse home, Maro willeth to make two or thrée commings into the hiue, somewhat distant asunder.
¶ What things Bees doe chiefly abhorre, or greatly hate. Cap.xj.
To bées, is that (named the Eccho) vngratefull or much displeasing, which as Plinie writeth, doth greatly fear them, through the straunge sounde rebounding againe, and the miste also doth muche molest and trouble them, besides the spinner through hir web hanging downe before the Hiue, and the sluggishe butterflie (which Plinie nameth dishonorable) that is two wayes pestiferous, as the one, when he spoyleth the waxe, and dungeth within the Hiue, and the other, breading Magottes or little wormes within the combes. They greatly hate oyle, like as all the kindes of the other Bées doe, and a stinking sauoure, which euidently appeareth by that kind of herbe named Mugworte, that they especially hate, bycause the same is of a strange stincke to them. The hornettes also of the like sorte creast, but bazer of kynde, they greatlye feare, for that to the Hornets the Hony Bées are a speciall foode. Also they be meate to swallows, to sparrowes, and to all other small byrdes.
The frogs besides, they do greatly feare, which only lye in waite for them, both in Marishes, running springs, shallowe waters, and little ditches, and the like doe the Toades lye in wayte for the Bées, whiche destroye manye of them. And the shéepe doe greately trouble the Honnye Bées, if so be they happen to fall or lighte into the Wooll of theyr backes, out of whyche, they cannot easylye wynde or gette themselues againe.
And if any happeneth to boyle or seathe Riuer Creauisses, or sea Crabbes neare to the Hiues, and that the Bées féele the sauour therof, they die forthwith.
¶ By what signes men may know, when the hony Bees are diseased, and how men may cure them. Cap.xij.