412 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



deposite iheir ejjffrs in eafeiy, in ihe comb, or in 

 the glutinous niiiier wiili whicli ihe bees line 

 ll.er hivtp, they nre expelieij wiih (litfiruliy, luiiJ 

 the lie^iiuijiiiin (jI' the bees is ilie connuon lesuli. 

 'i'lie ei^:^ ol' ilie moih or miller produces a eiuiill 

 grub or worm, which buirows hi ihe cunib, cr 

 hnnig ofihc hive, lor a lime, or eecreles nsell' in 

 crevices of the hive, so thai the bees caniiol «:;ei 

 ai ihem, 10 remove them or ilesiroy ihem in the 

 hive. As ihe grub increases in tize, it s|)iiis a 

 cocoon or web, which it enlarges as il proceeds in 

 the work ol eaiiiiL' the honey and comb, and which 

 protects il Irom the aiiacks ol the bees. Where 

 there iire many bees m a hive, the miller finds il 

 ditficuit to niiiUe a lodgment, and it' the eggs are 

 de; osiied, it is liardly po-sible lor the young grub 

 to e:-capc their vigilance; but a weak hive, will, 

 in such a case, scarcely liiil of being lost to the 

 owner. A great variety ol' meihoUd have been 

 pracnsed and recommended, to prevent the attacks 

 ol' the moth, it was al one time supposed that 

 liives placed in the chambers olelevated buildings, 

 would be above iheir reach ; but some instances 

 have occurred in whicli hives in the garrets ol 

 three story stores have been destroyed ; and be- 

 sdes, eveiy bee hunter knows il is not uncommon 

 to ti.i{.\ ihe inuih or the grub in thn most elevaied 

 trees in which Ihe bee i:> lound. D\\ Thalclier, a 

 Jew years since, announced as an iniallible preven- 

 tive, placing the hive in ilie bee house, on a layer 

 pisAeei c.euii mould or sand, as ilie milier wouUI 

 tio' dejjiis.le Ms eggs in such a jiosiiiuii. Mr, Weeks, 

 h'Mvever, as wen as oihers, lound ihal where ihe 

 nioih was numerous, iliis ineihod aliurded no 

 securiiy, ns, alicr siai.diiig a lew (l.iys, ihe earlh 

 under ihe hive was lound lull ol' giubs, which 

 iijuiid III it a Side retreat Iroin llie l)ee. As u is 

 Jouiid tiiai lUe moiii u^iiially deposiies lis engs 

 under ihe ma gin ol ilie hive, il is ulso loui.d iliai 

 placii g ihe hive on small square blocks al each 

 corner, so as to raise il hall'an inch I'rom ihe boaid, 

 and thus enable the bees to keep the exposed 

 portion clean, is one ofthc best preveniives known. 

 Frequently sprinkling a little fine sail under ihe 

 margin ofthe hive, renders the place untenable to 

 the grub, and is not displeasing to Ihe bees. A 

 genileman of our acquaintance, who has been 

 very successful in hie management of bees, uses a 

 preparation of spirits ol'lurpcntine, oil ol spike, &c. 

 to keep the moth from the hive. These substances 

 are mixed, put in a saucer, over which a piece of 

 niusiin is securely tied, to prevent the bees from 

 getting into it; and this is placed under the hive 

 during the time that the moihsarethe most active. 

 He assures us he has not lost a swarm li^om the 

 moths, during the time he has used this prepara- 

 tion. We believe those who have adopted the 

 Vermont hive, have found little inconvenience Iroin 

 the moth, and think it probable, thai, with such a 

 hive, and li-eqnenl examination, (which is indeed 

 necessary with any hive.) bees may, in most cases, 

 be preserved in salely. 



VV hen bees are kept in improved hives, or in 

 a common house or chamber, the honey may be 

 removed at pleasure, without interfering wiih their 

 labors, or causing thai irritation which, if repealed, 

 will render bees cross and dangerous. Much 

 more honey will be made in a hive, from which it 

 can be removed when filled, than in an ordinary 

 hive, as ihe instinct of bees impels them to desist 

 koiix labor, only where there is no space to store 



ils fruits. When a hive is filled, they only provide 

 iheir daily supply ; if part ol liie honey is removed 

 labor IS imiiicaiaiely recommenced lo replace the 

 ()uaniiiy aiisiracied. But, unless there is an 

 aliunilant supply lor the winteriiiy ol ihe bees, 

 none should l)e taken from the hive laie in the 

 seuifon, as staivrtiion and the loss of the whole 

 stock may be the result. 



It is sometimus necessar}', in unfavorable sea- 

 sons, or when cwarins are lale, to leed them to 

 prevent ihe deaih ol ihe bees, and the expeiience 

 of many a|)uirians vvouUl go to jirove, thai ilie 

 most proper time liir tins is during the warm days 

 iliat occur in ihe liill, belbre the conimenfement 

 of continued cold weather. If the weight of the 

 hive and bees is known, and both should always 

 be asceriaiiied, there is nodiflicul'y, when the sea- 

 son ofmaking honey is clo.~ed. in deiermining, by 

 again weighing, the quaniiiy of honey made, and 

 consequeinly whether Iceding will be required. In 

 leeding, honey in Ihe comb, or strained honey, 

 may be u^ed ; but if the last, a thin board pieiced 

 wiih numerous holes, must be laid on the surface 

 of the honey, through which ihey can obtain the 

 l()od, or many wUI get in ihe honey, and be lost. 

 Unless bees are nearly destitute of honey, it is bad 

 policy to leed them in the spring, as they fill up 

 the combs ihat should be occupied by ihe young 

 bees. From twenty to twenty-five pounds ol" 

 honey will be required, lo carry a swarm ol bees 

 from November lo ihe middle ol A|»ril, or ihe lime 

 when iliey can recruit iheir stores. Where honey 

 cannot be had, sugar disi^olved, or molasses, may 

 be .-;iibr-lituteil; but honey is always to be preleired 

 where it can be obtained, as all oiher kinds of ibod 

 are more or less a|)i to induce disease. 



There is a very great dillerence in (hequaliiies 

 of honey made in dilierenl places, owing to the 

 nature of the flowers I'rom which it is principally 

 exlracied. The honey of a considerable district 

 on the southeast shore of the Black Sea in Asia 

 Minor, is noted for ils inioxicaling or rather mad- 

 dening qnaliiies, when new; qualities supposed to 

 be owing lo a species ol hypericum, which abounds 

 in that region. Bees always extract more or less 

 of the peculiar matterof plants with the honey, 

 and hence new honey is more liable in all cases to 

 induce disease, than that which is old. Il is the 

 opinion of many ihai honey is always pure, no 

 maticr from what source it is derived ; but this 

 is altogether a mistake. Mr. Weeks says — 



"Bees never make honey, but extract it from 

 such flowers, and other substances as yield it, 

 without producing any change from ils original 

 state. Good honey is principally taken from while 

 clover, orchards, sugar maple, bass or linden, and 

 other Ibrest trees, while in blossom. Poor honey 

 is extracted from buckwheat, and low land flowers; 

 hence, ihose who would save their iruod honey 

 unadulieraied by that which is poor, will remove 

 it belbre the latter can be extracted. 



Various modes have been tried of wintering 

 bees ; all of which, ()erhaps, have been more or 

 less successful. ^Fhe dangers to be guarded against 

 aie principally those of starvation, extreme or long 

 continued cold, and toomuch moisiureordampnees. 

 The first can be prevented by proper attention to 

 la'e or early leeding. Death Irom freezing more 

 rarely occurs, but almost every apiarian, in high 

 nortliern latitudes, must have losi here from tins 

 cause. Extreme cold also produces deaih fiom 



