DEVOTED ZE^SZCT-iTTSI^rEI^X- TO BEES .A^ISTD HONEY. 



Vol. II. 



JULY 1, 1874. 



No. VII 



MOW TO CONDUCT AN APIARY. 



No, 7. 

 L E fear we shall be obliged this month, 

 to let the fortunate ones, who have 

 none but full colonies and are doubtless busy 

 with their surplus honey, run the machinery 

 their own way, while we consider the wants 

 and needs of the unfortunates like ourselves, 

 who are building up again from a few mere 

 remnants. 



When all the spare combs can be put under 

 the supervision of the bees, by June 1st, but 

 little or no apprehension need be felt of the 

 depredations of the moth miller ; but when 

 1000 combs or more must be kept safely through 

 the warm weather, or until needed, it may be 

 a serious matter as to how best to do it. A 

 little knowledge of the habits of the moth at 

 such a time may enable us to save much need- 

 less time and manipulation. We believe 

 it lias been well demonstrated that freezing, 

 entirely destroys the moth, worms and eggs, 

 and accordingly hives that have been destitute 

 of bees ever since freezing weather, if kept per- 

 fectly closed, that the moth may deposit no 

 fresh eggs, may be considered safe. It should 

 be remembered however that they will in the 

 summer months, deposit ejrgs around the 

 cracks, etc., ihe larvae when hatched from 

 these make their way inside, soon change into 

 the cocoon, thence into a moth, and when 

 once a laying moth is inside a hive of combs, 

 destruction follows very quickly. On page 27 

 Vol. 1, we are informed by a subscriber that, 

 "combs hung in the open air, that is, not in a 

 hive, at a distance of 1 or l 1 ., inches apart, are 

 almost secure from their depredations" 



This although seemingly strange has proved 

 to be the case in at least* two instances, and 

 even when combs are left in the hive, if they 

 are spread so as to be at least an inch apart, 

 they are seldom troubled by the moth. 



Although little danger may be apprehended 

 from chilling brood during this month, by 

 spreading too much, yet where the unsealed 

 brood is thus pushed out-side the cluster, the 

 effect is bad and wasteful; When you have a 

 hive full of bees there seems to be little danger, 

 and if 'tis a possible thing all hives should be 

 full before commencing any kind of artificial 

 swarming or Queen r< iring. 



A single story hive for instance if full of 

 bees, could spare a frame of brood once a week 

 without feeling it. If wi dozen hives 



or more, that will do the same, we ma; 

 to be able to produce at least two new col 

 every week. When these new on< 



able to spare a comb with the rest, w T e shall 

 have colonies accumulating at the rate of 3 a 

 week, then 4, and when our number gets up to 

 25 or 30 one new one per day. This "plan will 

 soon re stock an Apiary, and it has the advan- 

 tage of not reducing any hive so long as all 

 are kept rearing brood. Later in the season 

 we would give the new colony 6 or 8 combs, 

 and then they will be sure to be all right no 

 matter when the season closes. We once in- 

 creased from 11 colonies to 48 in this manner, 

 and wintered the whole without loss. 



Notwithstanding all we have said about 

 grass and weeds in front of the hive during 

 the working season, we rarely visit an Apiary 

 where such negligence is not the prevailing 

 fault. We have seen a single spear of grass 

 not more than three inches in hight, knock 

 down half a dozen heavily laden bees in suc- 

 cession as they sweep laboriously toward the 

 entrance, which they would have gained had 

 it not been for this trifling obstacle; this oc- 

 curred in a period of not more than five min- 

 utes. Now how many bees did the same blade 

 interrupt in a whole day? Where a thicket 

 of grass and weeds obstruct the entrance, the 

 bees almost all of them tumble somewhere near 

 the hives, and panting from the exertion they 

 have made, crawl in as best they can, rejoicing 

 with a glad hum, poor abused patient little 

 fellows, when their home is safely reached at 

 last. Many will say, "Oh we raise the hive up, 

 above the grass etc.," but that won't do either, 

 for in one sense it makes matters worse ; those 

 that fail to make the hive get down, and some- 

 times never get up. Any careful observer may 

 see bees from their suspended hives, when very 

 heavily laden, take wing again and again, be- 

 fore making the entrance. A broad board be- 

 fore the entrance 'tis true is a partial remedy, 

 but such boards warp, and give a lodging 

 place for toads spiders and bugs, underneath ; 

 if you have only the bare ground, kept clean, 

 it is firm, solid and simple. 



We would set the hive directly on a frame, 

 made of two inch strips, a little smaller than 

 the hive ; this would raise it two inches from 

 the ground, but we would bank sawdust up 

 around it high enough to cover this frame, and 

 this wouid help to keep down weeds. 



Around the entrance to the hive for at least 



a yard each way, we would keep it clean with 



a hoe and broom, picking out each spear of 



grass as soon as it can possibly trip up a bee. 



Thai bees lake pride in such a door yard is 



'. for they may frequently be seen carry - 



and dead bees that lie around 



the hive, and the Italians will 



