BEE. 



421 





Bm. we have now exposed, for they demonstrate the pre- 

 v V cise plan that sho. W be followed by a cultivator in pro- 

 tecting his hives. As the seasons of danger approach, 

 he ought himself to diminish their entrances, an expe- 

 dient which will prove the chief means of security. 

 During the period of swarming, they should be left al- 

 together free, but after that time, they must be con- 

 tracted. When in danger of being pillaged by their 

 neighbours, there may be only two apertures, each 

 so large as to allow two or three bees to pass : and 

 in countries where their great enemy, the xphynx atro- 

 pox, abounds, the apertures, when the chief collection 

 of honey takes place, must be made very low, that 

 this insect may be excluded. Some observers have 

 used a longitudinal or triangular cover of the en- 

 trance, turning by one corner on a pivot ; by simply 

 elevating or depressing which, the access was impe- 

 ded or facilitated. An intelligent naturalist recom- 

 mends adapting a slider, containing various aper- 

 tures, at the entrance of the hive : merely by shift- 

 ing it along, those suitable to the different seasons 

 and conditions will be presented for the exit of the 

 bees. 

 Cultivators From the preceding remarks, the necessity of fre- 

 must in- quently inspecting hives is evident ; not by tearing 

 spect their them from the boards, as is usually done, to the 

 " manifest destruction of the combs and derangement 



of the whole colony, but by examining the entrance 

 with caution, and by using hives of such a construction 

 that part of them opens to expose what is contained 

 within. An apparatus of the description proposed 

 by Bergman, should be kept for weighing the hives 

 from time to time, that the increase or diminution 

 may be known. This consists of a steelyard hung to 

 a small frame : from one arm of the steelyard the 

 hive is suspended by three slight chains, and a weight 

 shifts along the other. The common iron spring 

 steelyards may be conveniently employed, providing 

 their accuracy has been previously ascertained. 

 Feedinjr When seasons are peculiarly unfavourable for the 



Bees, secretion of honey, sometimes, we have said, a whole 



swarm may perish in the middle of summer. Then, 

 or when they are deprived of too great a portion of 

 their stores, it becomes the cultivator's care to supply 

 the deficiency. There are various methods of doing 

 so, always regulating the supply by the number of 

 bees and the temperature of the atmosphere. The 

 hive may be placed above a section of another hive 

 containing several combs with honey ; or combs may 

 be laid on the boards of the hive before the entrance, 

 which is less to be recommended from exposing the 

 bees and their provisions to the invasion of stran- 

 gers. Syrup or sugar, treacle, and other sweet sub- 

 stances, may be given them as food, introducing their 

 allowance every afternoon in nutshells, or in a ves- 

 sel with a grated covering, by an opening in the back 

 of the hive. Unless the supply be daily administered, 

 it is extremely difficult to preserve the bees; and by 

 admitting of longer intervals, the most skilful culti- 

 vators have failed. A practical operator informs us, 

 that he takes an oblong box, in one end of which 

 in a reservoir containing honey, that is allowed to 

 flow from the bottom of the reservoir under a thin 

 float I p by cork. This float has many small 



perforations, through which the bees standing on it 



Bee. 



supply themselves with the honey. There is one 

 hole in the side of the box, which is to be applied to V""""" 



the entrance of the hive, for admitting the bees above 

 the float, and another on the opposite side, which is 

 opened at pleasure, to allow them to escape, should 

 the box be too much crowded The lid of the box 

 is a glass pane. On pouring honey into the reser- 

 voir, the float rises, whence there should not be such 

 a quantity as to raise it close to the lid or pane above. 

 The box is about ten inches long, four broad, two 

 and a half deep, and the reservoir is an inch wide. 

 When used, the hole in the side is to be placed close 

 to the entrance of the hive, which must be gently 

 rapped on if the bees do not immediately find the 

 way down. It is entertaining to observe bees ac- 

 customed to be fed in this manner, watching the ap- 

 proach of the feeder : when the ordinary time draws 

 near, they rush down to the box the moment that it 

 is put on the board, and after speedily filling them- 

 selves they return to the hive, from which they very 

 soon come back for a second supply. By throwing 

 a little fine flour on those leaving the box, it will be 

 seen that they can fill themselves in three minutes, 

 and are absent not above five. One convenience that 

 attends feeding in such a box, is the exclusion of 

 stranger bees ; as the sole communication with the , 

 interior is from the entrance of the hive. Several 

 practical operators recommend a mixture of sugar 

 and small beer as food, which we should warn others 

 to be cautious of adopting, as they will find honey or 

 syrup quite adequate to their purpose. It is main- 

 tained that fruit may likewise be presented to bees 

 for feeding them. 



Supposing, by a concurrence of favourable circum- precau- 

 stances, that a hive is well provided with bees ; that lions dn- 

 they are protected from enemies, their collections nn S 'J le 

 ample, and their brood abundant ; the cultivator has P er _ _ 

 to watch it strictly during the summer season when 

 swarming takes place. It is only during the warmer 

 weather that bees swarm, on fine days, and when the 

 heavens are unclouded : if the sun be overcast, they 

 hesitate to depart, awaiting the moment when he 

 shines forth in full lustre. Though what are called 

 precursors cannot be depended on, as we have shewn, 

 they are not to be altogether neglected ; and in at- 

 tending to them the time of swarming will scarce- 

 ly be overlooked. It is commonly between ten and 

 three o'clock, sometimes a little earlier or later, that 

 a swarm leaves the hive, during which interval the 

 owner should be on the watch to follow it. A sud- 

 den buzzing is heard, the bees are seen in innumerable 

 multitudes traversing the air in all possible direc- 

 tions, and the entrance of the hive soon appears de- 

 serted. After wandering about for some" minutes, 

 they are generally seen in small clusters, on some 

 neighbouring shrub or tree, which gradually unite 

 round the queen, and all are collected together in a 

 single heap. If they rise high in the air, it frequently 

 indicates their inclination to take a long flight, which 

 is usually endeavoured to be checked by beating pans, 

 ringing bells, and throwing dust or sand among them. 

 The former can have little influence ; if it does ope- 

 rate, it may be by producing a slight concussion of 

 the air, which, alarming the bees in the same way as 

 thunder, may induce them to settle ; but the discharge 



swarming. 



