OXFORD

LIBRARY

Directions for the Management of Bees; from Mr. Wildman's Trearife on that Subject.

STRA

Of HIVES.

TRAW hives, as far as regards the bees, are preferable to any other habitations, becaufe the straw is not fo liable to be heated by the rays of the fun at noon, to which they are generally expofed, and is a better fecurity against the cold than any kind of wood or other material. Their cheapness renders them of an eafy purchase, even to the cottager, which is of great advantage in an article, the production of which in a confiderable quantity depends on its being cultivated by the multitude, as muft be the cafe here, if a quantity of wax is collected fufficient to make it an object of utility in a commercial view. I might also have mentioned the greater quantity of honey produced; for when it is obtained in the plenty I flatter myfelf the inftructions given in this work will enable men to do, they will then have in their own hands a material which will yield them wine, in flavour equal to many imported, and in wholesomeness much fuperior.

As I propofe that the management of bees in hives fhall be altered from what is now practifed, fo the fize and form of my hives are different from thofe now in common

ufe, I fay, now, because I take to myself fome fhare of honour, that without any communication with the Count de la Bourdonnaye in Britany, nearly the fame thought: has occurred to us both.

My hives are feven inches in height, and ten in width. The fides are upright, fo that the top and bottom are of the fame diameter. A hive holds nearly a peck. In the upper row of ftraw there is a hoop of about half an inch in breadth, to which are nailed five bars of deal,full a quarter of an inch in thicknefs, and an inch and quarter wide, and half an inch asunder from one another; a narrow fhort bar is nailed at each fide, half an inch diftant from the bars next them, in order to fill up the remaining part of the circle: fo that there are in all feven bars of deal, to which the bees fix their combs. The space of half an inch between the bars allows a fuf ficient and eafy paffage for the bees from one hive to another. In order to give greater fteadiness to the combs, fo that upon moving the hive, the combs may not fall off, or incline out of their direction, a ftick fhould be run through the middle of the hive, in a direction directly acrofs the bars, or at right angles with them. When the hives are made, a piece of wood fhould be worked into the lower row of ftraw, long enough to allow of a door for the bees of four inches in length, and half an inch in height.

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The proprietor of the bees fhould provide himself with feveral flat covers of straw, worked of the fame thickness as the hives and a foot in diameter, that so it may be of the fame width as the outfide of the hives. Before the cover is applied to the hive, a piece of clean paper of the fize of the top of the hive should be laid over it, and a coat of cow-dung, which is the least apt to crack of any cement eafily obtained, fhould be laid all round the circumference of the hive. Let the cover be laid upon this, and made faft to the hive with a packing needle and packthread, fo that neither cold nor vermin may enter.

Each hive fhould ftand fingle on a piece of deal, or other wood, fomewhat larger than the bottom of the hive: that part of the ftand which is at the mouth of the hive, fhould project fome inches for the bees to rest on when they return from the field. This ftand fhould be fupported upon a fingle poft, two and a half feet high; to which it fhould be fcrewed very fecurely, that high winds or other accidents may not blow down both stand and hive. A quantity of foot mixed with bar ley chaff fhould be ftrewed on the ground round the poft, which will effectually prevent ants, flugs, and other vermin from rifing up to the hive. The foot and chaff fhould from time to time be renewed as it is blown or washed away: though as it is sheltered by the ftand, it remains a confiderable time, efpecially if care be taken that no weeds rife through it. Weeds indeed fhould not be permitted to rife near the hive, for they may give fhelter to vermin, which may be hurtful to the bees.

The flands -for bees fhould be

four yards afunder: or if the apiary will not admit of fo muchi, as far afunder as may be, that the bees of one hive may not interfere with those of another hive, as is fometimes the cafe, when the hives are feated near one another, or on the same stand; for the bees mistaking their own hives, light fometimes at the wrong door, and a fray enfues, in which one or more may lofe their lives.

The perfon who intends to erect an apiary fhould purchase a proper number of hives at the latter end of the year, when they are cheapest. The hives fhould be full of combs, and well stored with bees. The purchafer fhould examine the combs, in order to know the age of the hives. The combs of that feafon are white, thofe of a former year are of a darkish yellow; and where the combs are black, the hives fhould be rejected, becaufe old hives are moft liable to vermin and other accidents.

If the number of hives wanted were not purchafed in the autumn, it will be neceffary to remedy this neglect after the feverity of the cold is paft in the fpring. At this feafon, bees which are in good condition will get into the fields early in the morning, return loaded, enter boldly, and do not come out of the hive in bad weather; for when they do, this indicates that they are in great want of provifions. They are alert on the leat disturbance; and by the loudnefs of their humming we judge of their strength. They preferve their hive free from all filth, and are ready to defend it against every enemy that approaches.

The fummer is an improper time for buying bees, because the heat of the weather foftens the wax, and

thereby

thereby renders the combs liable to break, if they are not very well fecured. The honey too being then thinner than at other times, is more apt to run out at the cells, which is attended with a double difadvantage, namely, the lofs of the honey, and the daubing of the bees, whereby many of them may be deftroyed. A firft and ftrong fwarm may indeed be purchased; and if leave can be obtained, permitted to ftand in the fame garden till the au tumn; but if leave is not obtained, it may be carried away in the night ́after it has been hived.

I fuppofe that in the ftocks purchafed, the bees are in.hives of the old conftruction. The only direction here necessary is, that the first fwarm from thefe ftocks fhould be put into one of my hives; and that another of my hives fhould in a few days be put under the old ftock, in order to prevent its fwarming again.

Of the Management of Bees in Hives.

Have already mentioned that the fwarms are put into one of my hives, which has a cover fitted to it. A good fwarm will foon fill one of thefe hives, and therefore another hive may be put under it the next morning. The larger fpace allowed the bees, will excite their induftry in filling them with combs. The queen will lay fome eggs in the upper hive; but fo foon as the lower hive is filled with combs, the will lay most of them in it. In little more than three weeks, all the eggs laid in the upper hive will be turned to bees, and if the feafon is favourable, their cells will be foon filled with honey,

So foon as they want room, a third hive fhould be placed under the two former, and in a few days after the end of three weeks from the time the fwarm was put into the hive, the top hive may be taken away at noon of a fair day; and if any bees remain in it, carry it to a little diftance from the ftand, and turning its bottom up, ftriking it on the fides, the bees will be alarm ed, take wing, and join their com panions in the fecond and third hives. If it is found that they are unwilling to quit it, it is probable that the queen remains among them, In this cafe the bees must be treated in the manner that shall be directed, when I give directions for taking the honey and wax without killing them. The upper hive now taken away, fhould be put in a cool place, in which no vermin, mice, &c. can come at the combs, or other damage can happen to them, and be thus preserved in reserve.

So foon as the hives feem to be again crouded, and the upper hive is well ftored, or filled with honey, a fourth hive fhould be placed under the third, and the upper hive be taken off the next fair day at noon, and treated as already directed, as the honey made during the fummer is the beft, and as it is needlefs to keep many full hives in ftore, the honey may be taken out of the combs of this fecond hive for ufe.

If the feafon is very favourable, the bees may ftill fill a third hive. In this cafe a fifth hive must be put under the fourth, and the third taken away as before. The bees will then fill the fourth for their winter ftore. As the honey of the firft hive is better than the honey collected fo late as that in the third,

the honey may be taken out of the combs of the first, and the third may be preserved with the fame care as directed for that.

In the month of September the top hive should be examined, and if full, it will be a fufficient provifion for the winter: but if light, that is, not containing twenty pounds of honey, the more the better, then in the month of October, the fifth hive should be taken away, and the hive kept in reserve should be put upon the remaining one, to fupply the bees with abundant provifions for the winter. Nor need the owner grudge them this ample ftore, for they are faithful stewards, and will be proportionably richer, and more forward in the spring and fummer, when he will reap an abundant profit. The fifth hive which was taken away, fhould be carefully preferved during the winter, that it may be restored to the same stock of bees, when an additional hive is wanted next fummer: or the first swarm that comes off may be put into it. The combs in it, if kept free from filth and vermin, will fave much labour, and they will at once go to the collect ing of honey.

It is almoft needlefs to obferve, that when the hives are changed, a cover, as already directed for the first, should be put upon every upper hive: and that when a lower hive becomes an upper hive, the door of it should be fhut up, that fo their only paffage out shall be by the lower hive; for otherwife the queen would be apt to lay eggs in both indifcriminately. The whole of the above detail of the management of one hive, may be extended to any number: it may be proper to keep a register to each fet,

because, in restoring hives to the bees, they may be better pleased at receiving their own labours, than that of other ftocks.

If in the autumn the owner has fome wear: hives, which have neither provifion nor numbers fufficient for the winter, it is adviseable to join the bees to richer hives: for the greater number of bees will be a mutual advantage to one another during the winter, and accelerate their labours much in the fpring; For this purpose, carry a poor and a richer hive into a room, a little before night then force the bees out of both hives into two separate empty hives, in a manner that shall be hereafter directed; fhake upon a cloth the bees out of the hive which contains the feweft, fearch for the queen, and as foon as you have fecured her with a fufficient retinue, bring the other hive, which contains the greater number, and place it on the cloth on which the other bees are, with a support under one fide, and with a spoon fhovel the bees under it. will foon afcend; and while under this impreffion of fear, will unite peaceably with the other bees: whereas had they been added to the bees of the richer hive, while in poffeffion of their caftle, many the new-comers must have paid with their lives for their intrufion.

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of

It appears from the account of the management of bees in my hives that there is very little art wanting to caufe the bees to quit the hives which are taken away, unless a queen happens by chance to be among them. In that cafe the fame means may be used as are neceffary when we would rob one of the common hives of part of their wealth. The method is as follows:

Remove the hive, from which you would take the wax and honey, into a room, into which admit but little light, that it may at firft appear to the bees as if it was late in the evening. Gently invert the hive, placing it between the frames of a chair, or other steady support, and cover it with an empty hive, keeping that fide of the empty hive raised a little, which is next the window, to give the bees fufficient light to get up into it. While you hold the empty hive fteadily fup, ported on the edge of the full hive, between your fide and your left arm, keep ftriking with the other hand all round the full hive from top to bottom, in the manner of beating a drum, fo that the bees may be frightened by the continued noife from all quarters; and they will in confequence mount out of the full hive into the empty one. Repeat the ftrokes rather quick than ftrong round the hive, till all the bees are got out of it, which in general will be in about five minutes. It is to be observed, that the fuller the hive is of bees, the fooner they will have left it. As foon as a number of them have got into the empty hive, it Thould be raised a little from the full one, that the bees may not continue to run from one to the other, but rather keep afcending upon one another.

So foon as all the bees are out of the full hive, the hive in which the bees are must be placed on the ftand from which the other hive was taken, in order to receive the abfent bees as they return from the fields.

If this is done early in the feafon, the operator fhould examine the royal cells, that any of them that

have young in them may be faved, as well as the combs which have young bees in them, which should on no account be touched, though, by fparing them, a good deal of honey be left behind. Then take out the other combs, with a long broad and pliable knife, fuch as the apothecaries make ufe of. The combs fhould be cut from the fides and crown as clean as poffible, to fave the future labour of the bees, who muft lick up the honey fpilt, and remove every remains of wax; and then the fides of the hive fhould be fcraped with a table spoon, to clear away what was left by the knife. During the whole of this operation, the hive fhould be placed inclined to the fide from which the combs are taken, that the honey which is fpilt may not daub the remaining combs. If fome combs were unavoidably taken away, in which there are young bees, the parts of the combs in which they are fhould be returned into the hive, and fecured by flicks in the beft manner poffible. Place the hive then for fome time upright, that any remaining honey may drain out. If the combs are built in a direction oppofite to the entrance,

or

at right angles with it, the combs which are the furthest from the entrance are to be preferred; because there they are beft ftored with honey, and have the fewest young bees in them.

Having thus finished taking the wax and honey, the next business is to return the bees to their old hive; and for this purpose place a table covered with a clean cloth, near the stand, and giving the hive in which the bees are a fudden fhake, at the fame time ftriking it pretty forcibly, the bees will be

fhaken