Bee-keeping for profit

by W. S. Morley

It is a commendable practice to keep combs that contain pollen by themselves when they are not in use.

Spiders.—In this country the spider is not to be so dreaded by the bee-keeper as it is in hotter climates. For cleanliness' sake, however, it is well to keep the hive clear of its webs.

Green Fly.—It is the bee-keeper rather than the bee that has cause to dislike the green fly. To the bee, indeed, the aphis ranks as great a friend as it does to the ant. To both it is the excretion with which the aphis surrounds itself that is the attraction. To the gardener and the bee-keeper, however, it is an abomination to be warred against by all means at command.

The excretion of the aphis, popularly known as "honeydew," is white when at first sprayed out by the little creature, but after it is stored by the bee in the comb its presence is marked by a dark patch in the honey, and the bee-keeper knows that the latter is spoiled. This dark colour is attributed to a fungus generated by the honeydew. Where large quantities of honeydew are contained in combs the most economical method of dealing with the latter is to give them to the bees for drawing-out combs, for it is practically impossible to separate the honey, and for commercial purposes the presence of honeydew is prejudicial.

Occasionally honey that contains honeydew will crystallise, sometimes to look like a sponge, and in such cases the honeydew can be run off. If not so treated it will ferment and permeate the candied honey.

Wasps.—When particularly numerous, wasps become a source of anxiety to the bee-keeper, and it is therefore to his interest to aid in keeping their numbers down as much as possible. The usual method is to destroy the nests before the queens are hatched out—which generally occurs about the middle of September.

Snails and Slugs.—Here again the bee-keeper and the gardener are at one in their efforts against common enemies. It is probably due to the trail of slime left by both slug and snail that the bees do not care to interfere with these intruders to the hive and leave them to roam about at their leisure.

The practice of using old honeycombs as bait or traps for these marauders is not to be commended, for their fermenting contents near the hives is in no way good, and may lead to ill, for the bees. Where snails and slugs are troublesome it is better to raise the hives at least a foot from the ground and clear away all grass and weeds in their immediate neighbourhood, sprinkling the ground with strong salt and water—or if the ground is to be fallowed, dry salt may be used.

Birds.—For the most part birds are indirect enemies of the bees, for they injure them by injuring the buds and flowers on which they draw for nectar. Finches and sparrows are the worst offenders in this respect.

A bird that often makes a direct attack on bees, however, is the blue-tit, an insect-eating bird. When the winter is severe, and insects rare, the blue-tit will venture to tackle bees. Its methods afford a curious instance of the adaptability of wild creatures to circumstances. The general proceeding is for the blue-tit to alight on the front of a hive and tap gently with its beak at the entrance. The tapping attracts the attention of the inmates, and one is usually curious enough to investigate its cause. The bird seizes it immediately, flies off with it to a convenient branch, and, holding it down with one claw, with a quick motion abstracts the sting organs. That source of danger removed, "little Billy Bluecap" proceeds to peck off the head—which he likewise discards—and to lay open the thorax, the contents of which are all that he requires. From this, it is evident that blue-tits have developed an epicurean taste with regard to bees, and, when one has acquired it, it is astonishing the number of bees it will demolish to satisfy its cravings.