GLEANED BY FRANK BENTON. 



Migratory Bee Culture. 



One of the questions at the Strassburg 

 Convention, in 1875, was : 



" In wandering with bees, what is to be 

 observed in order to obtain a favorable 

 result?" 



The subject was introduced by Herrn G. 

 Dathe, of Eystrup, and his remarks are 

 summed up by Herrn Mayerhoeffer, in Der 

 Bienenvater, as follows : 



" The speaker stated, that in Hanover, 

 where he follows bee culture, migrating 

 with bees is very common. In the spring, 

 the bee-keei)ers go from the heaths to the 

 marshes, and thence, late in the summer, to 

 the buckwheat and heath localities. He 

 migrates yearly, with an average of 400 

 colonies to the buckwheat and heath 

 pastures. 



" This migrating or wandering with bees is 

 by no means easy ; one must observe many 

 points, if, instead of the hoped for benefit, 

 damages will not be brouglit about. The 

 first condition towards a good result is a 

 good location for the apiary. In the selec- 

 tion of the spot for tliis purpose, 3 things 

 are to be observed : 



1. " Whether the pasturage is good or not. 

 Blossoms do not yield honey alike every- 

 where, and much depends upon the weather. 

 Then, the location must not be too far from 

 the pasturage ; this is particularly the case 

 with buckwheat, hence the saying : ' The 

 bees must have the buckwheat before the 

 entrance.' 



" The bees must be protected from the 

 wind and weather, and against the attacks 

 of man and beast ; therefore, many migra- 

 ting bee-keepers like to build closed bee 

 sheds. When a single one is not able to do 

 so, several unite and build a shed together. 



2. "The cost. Even with the best of 

 places, the cost is not covered, if the dis- 

 tance to travel is too great ; the resulting 

 expenses absorbing the return. One must 

 never base his calculations upon good honey 

 years; but on the contrary, upon medium or 

 really poor years. It frequently happens 

 that one takes his stock away from the 

 heath lighter than when it was brought 

 there. Whoever has not far to go, and 

 therefore has small expenses, will not be 

 held back by such misfortunes, but can try 

 migrating every year. 



3. "The hives must be arranged for 

 migrating. The transport-hives must be so 

 constructed that they can be loaded and 

 unloaded with ease, and they must furnish 

 sufficient air to keep the bees from suffoca- 

 tion. Of the basket-shaped hives, the ordi- 

 nary reversible form is best adapted to 

 moving about. Among movable comb 

 hives, however, the equal chambers. In 

 general, migrating with movable comb 

 hives is safer than with others. The 

 speaker said, that in transporting colonies 

 In boxes he had lost none, whicii was not 

 the case with those in common round hives. 



The fourth point is their transportation — 



its manner. That the construction of the 

 hive has an influence in regard to their 

 safety in transporting has been observed, 

 and now comes the consideration of the 

 method of loading and the care during 

 transportation. The means most commonly 

 employed in transporting them are the 

 wagon, the railway and the boat. If one 

 has but a short distance to go, it is much 

 better to take the bees direct by wagon, to 

 their place, for it avoids frequent loading 

 and unloading. Of course, when the dis- 

 tance is great, the railroad is to be used.— 

 Transporting by boat is to be recommended 

 very highly. In loading the hives, they 

 must be so arranged that the corners of the 

 combs are always directed toward the 

 point whence the greatest concussions 

 come ; in wagons, toward the wheels ; in 

 railway cars, toward the buffers. It should 

 be observed that the accidental sliding of 

 tiie hives must be avoided by nailing cleats 

 about them. The wagons must not have 

 any standing racks. The best time to trans- 

 plant them is at night. If, however, one 

 cannot arrive at his journey's end in one 

 night, it is best to stand the hives in a cool 

 place and let the bees fly. Should he be 

 compelled to travel during the day, the 

 bees on board of the cars should be in a 

 cool, covered car ; those on boats, under a 

 canvas roof, and ordinary wagons should 

 be covered with cloth. All rough roads, 

 and the paved streets of cities should be 

 avoided, even though it be necessary to go 

 farther in order to do so. 



"A fifth point is to be mentioned : The 

 bees cannot remain without watching and 

 attention. Tliis is especially necessary in 

 the spring, because the swarming time 

 occurs then, but less so during the heath 

 harvest. In the latter case, looking to them 

 from one to three times a week answers. 



" In closing, the speaker observed that 

 from the remarks it is to be seen that in 

 migrating with bees it is not so easy to 

 obtain a favorable result. But if all condi- 

 tions for a favorable return are at hand, the 

 greatest return can be obtained in this 

 manner. (General applause)." 



In his report of this topic, Herr Mayer- 

 hoeffer makes the following observations : 



" Migi-atory bee-culture is the height of 

 rational, improved management. To say 

 anything more regarding its value would be 

 like ' taking coals to Newcastle.' Yet, why 

 is migrating with bees so little known here 

 in Bohemia ? (This year, so far as I know, 

 only my friend Summer, in Egerland, tried 

 it ; the result was exceedingly favorable, as 

 a surplus of about 20 lbs. per hive was 

 obtained). The first culture of bees in 

 Bohemia was the forest bee culture (Wald- 

 bienenzucht), and in this way, the most 

 productive spring and autumn harvests are 

 to be secured. Then in Bohemia ' gums ' 

 are used, which are wholly unsuitable for 

 migratory bee-culture ; in addition, there 

 exists the superstition that if the bees are 

 moved from the place they will invariably 

 go to destruction. Bohemia is, in conse- 

 quence of its intersected surface and the 

 resulting division into field and forest, 

 (which, perhaps, alternate more rapidly 

 than in any other country,) very favorably 

 situated for migratory bee culture. If in 



