Book VII. THE HONEY BEE. 



1061 



like proportion, to smaller hives. This work must not be delayed, that time may he given 

 for the bees to make the deposit in their empty cells before they are rendered torpid by 

 the cold. Sugar simply dissolved in water (which is a common practice), and sugar 

 boiled with water into a syrup, form compounds very differently suited for the winter 

 store of bees. When the former is wanted for their immediate nourishment, as in spring, 

 it will answer equally as a syrup : but if to be laid up as store, the heat of the hive quickly 

 evaporating the water, leaves the sugar in dry crystals, not to be acted upon by the 

 trunks of the bees. Hives may be killed with hunger, while some pounds weight of 

 sugar remain in this state in their cells. The boiling of sugar into syrup forms a closer 

 combination with the water, by which it is prevented from flying off, and a consistence 

 resembling that of honey, retained. Howison has had frequent experience of hives 

 not containing a pound of honey, preserved in perfect health through the winter, with 

 sugar so prepared, when given in proper time, and in sufficient quantity. 



6834. To protect hives from the cold, they are covered with straw or rushes, about the 

 end of September, or later, according to the climate and season. This is an essential 

 business, as well covered hives always prosper better the following season than such as 

 have not been covered. In October, the aperture at which the bees enter should gene- 

 rally be narrowed, so as only one bee may pass at a time. Indeed, as a very small por- 

 tion of air is necessary for bees in their torpid^state, it were better, during severe frosts, 

 to be entirely shut up, as numbers of them are often lost from being enticed to quit the 

 hive by the sunshine of a winter day. It will, however, be proper at times to remove 

 by a crooked wire, or similar instrument, the dead bees and other filth, which the living 

 at this season are unable to perform of themselves. To hives, whose stock of honey was 

 sufficient for their maintenance, or those to which a proper quantity of sugar had been 

 given for that purpose, no further attention will be necessary until the breeding season 

 arrives. This, in warm situations, generally takes place about the begirkning of May, 

 and in cold, about a month after. The young bees, for a short time previous to their 

 leaving their cells, and some after, require being fed with the same regularity that young 

 birds are by their parents ; and if the store in the hive be exhausted, and the weather 

 such as not to admit of the working bees going abroad to collect food in sufficient quan- 

 tity for themselves and their brood, the powerful principle of affection for their young 

 compels them to part with what is not enough for their support, at the expence of their 

 own lives. To prevent such accidents, it is advisable, if, during the breeding season, it 

 rain for two successive days, to feed all the bees indiscriminately, as it would be difficult 

 to ascertain those only who require it. 



6835. The sivarming of bees generally commences in June, some seasons earlier, and 

 in cold climates or seasons later. The first swarming is so long preceded by the appear- 

 ance of drones, and hanging out of working bees, that if the time of their leaving the 



'hive is not observed, it nmst be owing to want of care. The signs of the second are, 

 however, more equivocal, the most certain being that of the queen, a day or two before 

 swarming, at intervals of a few minutes, giving out a sound a good deal resembling that 

 of a cricket. It frequently happens that the swarm will leave the old hive, and return 

 again several times, which is always owing to the queen not liaving accompanied them, 

 or from having dropt on the ground, being too young to fly to a distance. Gooseberry, 

 currant, or other low bushes, should be planted at a short distance from the hives, for 

 the bees to swarm upon, otherwise they are apt to fly away ; by attending to this, 

 Howison has not lost a swarm by straying for several years. When a hive yields more 

 than two swarms, these should uniformly be joined to others that are weak, as from the 

 lateness of the season, and deficiency in number, they will otherwise perish. This junc- 

 tion is easily formed, by inverting at night the hive in which they are, and placing over it 

 the one you intend them to enter. They soon ascend, and apparently with no opposition 

 from the former possessors. Should the weather, for some days after swarming, be un- 

 favorable for the bees going out, they must be fed with care until it clears up, otherwise 

 the young swarm will run a great risk of dying. 



6836. The honey may be taken from hives of the common construction, by three modes, 

 partial deprivation, total deprivation, and suffocation. 



6837. Partial deprivation is performed about the beginning of September. Having ascertained the 

 weight of the hive, and consequently the quantity of honey-comb which is to be extracted, begin the 

 operation as soon as evening sets in, by inverting the full hive, and placing an empty one over it ; particu- 

 lar care must be taken that the two hives are of the same diameter, for if they differ in their dimensions, 

 it will not be possible to effect the driving of the bees. The hives being placed on each other, a sheet or 

 large table-cloth must be tied round them at their point of junction, in order to prevent the bees from 

 molesting the operator. The hives being thus arranged, beat the sides gently with a stick or the hand, 

 but particular caution must be used to beat it on those parts to which the conibs are attachetl, and which 

 will be found parallel with the entrance of the hive. The ascent of the bees into the upjier hive will be 

 known by a loud humming noise, indicative of the pleasure in finding an asylum from their enemy j in a 

 few minutes the whole community will have ascended, and the hive with the bees in it may be placed upon 

 the pedestal from which the full hive was removed. The hive, from which the bees have been driven, 

 must then be taken into the house, and the operation of cutting out the honey-comb commenced 

 Having extracted the requisite quantity of comb, this opportunity must be embraced of inspecting the 



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