¶ Of the Bees newe settled in a swarme togyther, and taken or recouered agayne. Cap.xv.
When the Bées are nowe in a tumulte in the ayre, by throwing fine earth on high ouer the Bées, or ringing a basen or kettle, they be with the shrill sound made astonied, that they maye the sooner settle downe neare to the kéeper, whiche if the same happen to be on the branch of a trée, or on a graft or yong set, then with a very sharpe sawe, gently sawe that off, and laye it on the grounde, and spéedily set a Hiue on the same prepared for the purpose. For by that meanes (without doubte) will the whole swarme flye vp to the toppe and head of the Hiue. Yet it often happeneth, that they doe not wholy cleaue on a heape to the braunch of a trée, but to the stocke or body of the trée, whych by that meanes muste néedes be cutte by a greater force, so that not able to be recouered by this meanes, the swarme muste be quickly swéepte off, either with the hand, or with a Gose wing, that they may so fall togither into the hiue. If the swarme happen to be clustred togither on the top of a trée, so high, that they cannot be climed vnto, to take them downe, then after the shaking of them into the Hiue (turned vppe) either with a pole or high forke, the hiue must spéedily be turned down to the earth. And if they be not thus taken or recouered, yet if the King shal be still in the Hiue, then doth the swarme fly in againe, if he remayneth not, then wil none of the swarme abide in the hiue, but flye forthwith vnto the former place. Wherfore, that they may be moued to abide, you muste then sprinckle the hiue with water and hony togither, and couer the same within with the gréene Nettle, or rather the gréene Fennell, or some such swéete herbe, annointed a little with Hony, and after set at the Euening in their proper place. For the hiue in the day time, after the recouering thus of the Bées, may not be stirred vntil the Euening, that the Bées so quietly resting all that night, may in the morning leisurely go forth. But for thrée daies togither in a manner, muste the kéeper dayly looke, whether the swarme kéepeth belowe in the Hiue, for if it doth, then are the Bées purposed to flye awaye. And if none of al these remedies, may yet moue the Bées to stay and tarry in the hiue, then be-smoke the hiue with flaxe, and they will after enter in and abide in the hiue. Which so staying in the hiues, set at the Euening in his proper place. Here learne a farther instruction, that if the swarme of Bées cannot be gathered and recouered togither all at one time then may you gather the swarme at two or more times togither, and alwaies put eche part gathered vnder the hiue. If it happeneth that you haue gotten the King, with a part of the swarme, then will all the others soone come to hiue (without further trauaile) of their owne accorde. If the Bées also be entred into the hollowe of a trée, then to the hole, whiche they vse to go in and out at, as their proper doore, sette a prepared hiue, and beneath their hole, neare to the roote and bottome of the hollow (as you can gesse) boare another bigge hole, that ye may wel put in a smoke of Brimstone to them, whiche may so cause all the Bées to fly out at their hole into the Hiue, set ouer the mouth of it. For no better deuise or inuention can be had in this matter, than by such a smoake made. If the same hollowe trée be so thinne, that it may easily be sawed asunder, then with a sharpe sawe lette that hollowe parte be cutte asunder, bothe aboue and beneath, and after couering it with a cleane shéete, carrie the swarme home, which at euening couer with a newe Hiue sprinckled with water and honny mixed togither. For so they will tarrye the willinglier, being all shaken forth of the body of the trée, and couered with the Hiue. Besides the hearbe Mugworte (whiche the Bées by a naturall hatred do abhorre) doth chase them with the onely smell from place to place.
¶ Which are the best and fittest Hiues for the Honny Bees. Cap.xvj.
Palladivs writeth, that the best Hiues be those, which are made of the barkes and light corke of trées, bicause they be neither too colde in the Winter time, nor too hote in the Sommer. And of this, those Hiues whiche be wroughte and made of the small Osier or Willow trée, or of the Vine stickes knit togither, or Canes cleft in the middes (whiche be of like condition to the barke) wroughte close togither, and stopped close aboute wyth flockes and clay, tempered togither with water and salte, may aptly serue, if you will. But if neither of those fashioned Hiues like you, then may you make the Hiues of the woodde of a hollowe trée, or of light bourdes made square, and stowpyng somewhat afore. The worste Hiues be those, which be made of turfes or earth, bycause they be ouer hote in the Sommer, and ouer colde in the Winter. There be other two kinds of hiues, as the one made of drie hard Cow dung, and the other of tiles. Of whiche the one doth Celsus rightly condemne, bycause the same is so lightly burned, and the other he alloweth, althoughe he dissembleth the speciall commoditie of it, bycause the same, if néede requireth, cannot easily be remoued and carried into an other place. And among these, I suppose oure forme of Hiues here in Englande, are not altogither to be disallowed, although they be in like daunger, to be easily burned, as the other Hiues aboue taughte, in that they be made with strawe. But to be briefe, for a greate swarme you ought to haue in a readinesse a greate hiue, and for a small swarme a little Hiue. And the Hiue also oughte to be a foote and a halfe, or two foote high, and in breadth aboue two foote and a halfe, or somewhat larger. Hauing besides two very small and narrowe holes, somewhat asunder, and so little ought the mouths to be, that neyther Béetle, Butterflie, gret Moth, Humble Bées, Euet nor Mouse may enter in, to spoile the Honny combes. Some suppose, or rather affyrme of experience, that the Bées are delighted with this closenesse, in that they more ioy to do their works and businesse in the darke, than otherwise.
¶ Of the clenlinesse and sweetenesse of the keeper of Bees, and howe Hiues ought to be fenced aboute, and prepared within. Cap.xvij.
The kéeper of Bées which mindeth to handle and looke into hiues, ought the day before to refraine the veneriall acte, not a person fearefull, nor comming to the hiue with vnwashed handes and face. And one that oughte to refraine in a manner from all smelling meates, poudered meates, fryed meates, and all other meats that doe stinke, like as the Léekes, the Onions, the Garlike, and suche like, whiche the Bées greatlye abhorre. Besides, to be then swéete of body, and clenly in apparell, minding to come to their hiues, for in all clenlinesse and swéetnesse the Bées are muche delighted. Nowe thus prepared & in a readinesse, open the hiues first of the Bées, about the .viij. or .x. day of Aprill, being then a cleare & warme day, & purge the hiues of all such filth which be gathered in them all the winter before, like as Spiders webs, which oughte especially to be wiped awaye, bicause they corrupt the combes, not with hands, but with a goose wing, the same ought to be done. After that, the Hiue oughte to be smoaked with Oxe or Cowe dung, for in that (as it were, by an affinitie of the kinde) do the Bées greatly delight. The little wormes also, whiche some name Maggots, that bréede in the combes, throughe the blowing of the Butterflies, and also the Butter-flyes ought to be killed and purged oute of the hiue. If the combes happen to fall throughe infection or corruption in them, then make a smoake with the drie dung and marowe of an Oxe or Cowe mixed togither, that the sauour may go vppe to them, whiche for that time will cure the weake combes, strengthen the Bées, & cause them to worke the lustier afterward. And from the beginning of May, vnto the last of Iune, the hiues ought then to be diligently looked vnto, that the yong swarmes flye not away. Also from the tenth of Iune, vnto the tenth of August, the hiues ought to be opened now & then, & to be smoked with such like as afore is taught. Whiche althoughe it be grieuous for the time to Bées, yet the same is very profitable, and strengthneth them. And from the beginyng of the Dog dayes, vnto the eightéenth of September, ought the Bées to be carefully looked vnto and defended, from the violence of the Hornet Bées, which often awaite before the mouthes of the Hiues, to set vppon and eate the Honny Bées. Nowe the kéeper in a fayre sunny daye, ought to clense the Hiues of al maner annoyances as before is taught, and diligently to stop the chincks, or clefts about, sauing the mouthes of the Hiues, with Oxe dung & clay mixed togither. And this ought to be done, for two or thrée daies before the change of the Moone, the better to defend the Butter flye and others, from créeping in. The Hyues besides ought to haue two bigge stickes cleane scraped, and running a crosse from side to side, and sprinckled rounde about within, and swéete and pleasant wine, or else the stickes to be harde rubbed ouer, with the gréene braunches of the Fennell or other swéete smelling herbs, or with a little hony & leaues of the Pere-trée, togither, or with the branches of the herb Time flouring, or Sanerie, or Maiorame, or the hearbe Balme, and Honny togither. Some annoint the stickes and hiue within, with the swéete creame of the newe Cowe milke, or with Water and Honnye sodden togither, and that sprinckled aboute within the Hyue, that the Bées maye be the rather and sooner moued to tarrie and dwell stil in the Hiues.
¶ How Bees lacking honnie may be fedde in that present neede. Cap.xviij.
Bycause the boysterousnesse of the ayre doth sometimes constraine the Bées to abyde in their hiues, and that they may not only féede of Honny, but at the rysing of the constellation (named Vergiliæ) they maye be fed and cherished, and the same done in this manner without greate cost. As firste, if you take the number of ten figges, séething them in sixe pintes of fayre conduite or spring water, vnto a pynte wasted, whych after set the one side of the hiue within, laying many smal stickes a crosse ouer the Lycour, that those may serue in stead of bridgs, the apter for them to drinke of the Licour, without drowning in the same. Others wyll to séeth Honny and water togither, & the same to be poured into dishes set at the one side of the Hiue, in the whiche they will to put fine carded wooll, that the Bées maye the better drincke now and then, and be not cloyed with too much drinking of the licour, by lighting into it. Others take figs & raisons beating them togither, and after boyling them in the swéete lycour named Cuyte, they poure into dishes, couering the same with Oaten strawes a crosse. Others also will to take a little Hony, putting into the same a fewe Oate cornes, that the Bées lighting on them, maye so kepe their wings from wetting in the licour. Now all these meanes may well suffise to cherish and féed the bées in the Winter time, lacking then foode, beyng set neare to the mouthes of the Hiues. So that if a longer hunger oppresseth them, then with the hiues fast by the entring in, set little gutters made of halfe canes, or greate elder stickes cleft, into which poure of the swéete licours aboue taught, for by that meanes may they be wel recouered and strengthned in the déepe of Winter, when their foode fayleth them. Some wil to put fresh birdes cleane drawne, or the fleshe of a Henne finely shred into hiues, for the Bées to féede and sucke vpon in the déepe of Winter, & the fine feathers also they will put into the Hiue, that they may giue then a warmth to the Bées lying in them. And others also will to put the meate of rosted Chickens into their Hiues, to féede and sucke vppon, and not the boanes withall, least the sauour of the bones after the meate eaten off, might annoy the bées by lying still in the hiues, in that they so greatly abhorre all sowre and stinking sauors. Also these kinds of flesh ordered (as aboue sayde) may well serue the Bées in another drie Sommer, when as the most floures are then faded or quite gone away. Here note, that in the Spring and Sommer time, the bée-hiues ought to be loked vnto thrice in the moneth, gently smoking the Bées, to clense the Hiues of al maner filth, and to swéepe forth the wormes. Also Menecrates willeth the kéeper of Bées, to kill the king blacke of colour, whiche by hys malice disquieteth the other king, and corrupteth the Hiue, in that he flieth out alone, or with a company of the bées folowing. So by that meanes (as Virgil writeth) shall the battel of Bées be stayed. Palladius writeth, that the swarmes be increased in the moneth of May, and that in the outmost sides of the combes be the drone Bées bred, which ought to be killed, in that those do muche disquiet the rest of the swarme. The Butterflies also do abounde, which he willeth diligently to kill, for their greate annoyaunce to the honny Bées.
About the beginning of Nouember ought the Hyues then to be cleared of their filth, so that al the Winter following they may neyther be remoued nor opened. And this may not be done but in a warme sunny daye, the combes maye not be touched with hands, but with the feathers of a stiffe goose wing, or such bigge foule. After that to stoppe the chinkes round about wyth Oxe dung and clay finely laboured togither, and to lay strawe thicke ouer the toppes of the Hiues, the better to defende the Bées from the cold and tempestes.
¶ How the dead Bees may be restored to life againe. Cap.xix.