THE GENESEE FARMER. 



MANAGEMENT OF HONEY-BEES. 



Many bee-keepers still continue in the use of hives of 

 an unsuitable size, and not unfrequently having them of 

 various dimensions, according to the size of the swarms as 

 they issued. These men are persistent in the opinion that a 

 small swarm requires a small hive, and a large one a ten- 

 ement in proportion to its numbers. This is decidedly 

 wrong, as I shall endeavor to explain. * 



I contend that the proper size of all hives, in all lati- 

 tudes and climates, is in solid contents about 2,000 cubic 

 inches. Now, if we place a very large swarm in a hire 

 of this size, and at the. very same time place a very small 

 one in another of equal dimensions, the result, at the ex- 

 piration of one year or longer, will be the same in regard 

 to the condition p£ the bees, their numbers, future pros- 

 perity, etc. The small family, we must take for granted, 

 has numbers enough to store up honey sufficient to last 

 them till the' first of the following May, when, though 

 they have constructed but a few combs in their hive, and 

 those extending but half or less of its length, they will 

 begin to increase rapidly m numbers, and by the first of 

 July they will, as a general rule, have completely filled 

 their hive with combs and bees, and quite probably have 

 thrown off a swarm, or will soon do so, and perhaps more 

 than one. 



Let us now see what the condition of the large swarm 

 will be at the same time. It will fill its hive with combs 

 the first season ; but in the following spring it will not be 

 a whit more prosperous, nor any stronger than its neigh- 

 boring families, which commenced " housekeeping" on 

 half the numbers that it had at swarming, and on the 

 first of July its condition, as a general rule, will not be 

 in auy respect preferable to that of the small swarm. 



The reason of this is that the worker bees all die within 

 six to eight months from their issue from the cells ; and 

 though a dozen swarms were to unite, and all be hived 

 together in a mass, at the end of eight months not a sin- 

 gle Dee of the whole original numbers, except one queen, 

 would be in existence, and, of course, would be no better 

 or more valuable than a single ordinary swarm would be, 

 except as to the storage of cap honey during a few weeks 

 immediately after being hived. 



If a small swarm be placed in a small hive, after the 

 first season they will labor to a disadvantage, just in pro- 

 portion to the size of their tenement under 2,000 cubic 

 inches ; and if a large swarm, or_ several swarms united, 

 be hived in a box containing more than those dimensions, 

 after the first year the prosperity of this colony, the issue 

 of swarms, and storage of surplus or cap honey, will 

 decrease in an inverse ratio to the size of their hive over 

 2,000 cubic inches. 



Every prosperous family of honeybees contains but one 

 female or queen bee. She produces all the eggs, amount- 

 ing frequently to 50,000 in a season, but ordi-narily I sup- 

 pose about 30,000 to be the average. The cells to hold 

 this number of larvae may be found in the combs of a hive, 

 say 12 inches square in the clear (inside) and 14 inches long, 

 and leave a store comb on each side, and also space for the 

 usual drone bread. Smaller hives are found, by the long 

 experience of our most extensive apiarians, especially in 

 cold latitudes, not to answer the purpose as well as larger 



ones, more especially in not affording space for a sufficient 

 storage of honey to keep the bees through our long, cold 

 winters. If made larger than the foregoing dimensions, 

 too much honey is stored up in the dwelling part of the 

 hive, at the expense of the cap, or market honey, and less 

 swarms are thrown off in such large hives. 



If hives were to be used 18 inches square, and two feet 

 long, but very little, if any, surplus honey would be 

 stored up, and if any swarms were to issue, they would 

 rather be exceptions to the rule than otherwise. The 

 natural causes which determined bees to leave their hives 

 in swarms is the want of room for all to labor to advant- 

 age, and if we place a swarm in a dark room, or in a cask 

 or large box, the probability is that no swarms would 

 ever issue. In some cases, where the hives are not over 

 double the size that I recommend (2,000 cubic inches) an 

 occasional swarm is thrown off; but, as a general rule, 

 give the bees space enough and no swarms will issue. 



Winter Management. — Bees that are protected in out- 

 door situations from the severe frosts of winter by cover- 

 ings of auy kind should not be disturbed, as the more 

 quiet they are kept the better will the} r pass the winter. 

 Nor should they be aroused from their lethargy in any 

 case, unless proper feeding of families short of honey has 

 been neglected in the fall. In such cases, if the bees 

 must be fed or die, on the first mild day take honey in the 

 combs, if it can be obtained, and place it where the bees 

 can reach it, without going over an inch or two from 

 where they cluster. If there are holes in the hive 

 that lead to an upper room or chamber, rap upon it 

 smartly, and where the bees most appear there place the 

 honey, taking care thftt a portion of honey is so placed 

 that the bees will be drawn out to the main supply. 



Where comb honey is not to be obtained, either strained 

 honey or syrup made of sugar will be a substitute. Take 

 white coffee sugar and place it in a kettle, to which add 

 about half a pint of water to the pound ; heat it to the 

 boiling point, then skim it, and turn it into a pitcher. 

 When fed to the bees, this syrup should be slightly ■ 

 heated, in order to allow it to enter the cells of honey 

 combs easily. A piece of empty comb should be placed 

 where the bees will have easy access to it, and the cells 

 filled as often as can be done conveniently. In this man- 

 ner a family of bees may be kept from perishing till the 

 next harvest comes around. 



If any of the readers of the Genesee Farmer are in the 

 habit of allowing their bees to remain out unprotected in 

 winter, permit me to say that if they reside in a climate 

 as cold as Central or Northern New York, I think they 

 are very unwise. Indeed, I may say with propriety that 

 they do not understand what is to their interest, in regard 

 to the management of bees. 



It is a frequent occurrence that beekeepers lose in the 

 winter all the increase of the preceding season, or at 

 least add nothing in numbers to their apiaries, from year 

 to year. This is bad management, and may be easily 

 remedied. I gave detailed rules in preceding numbers of 

 the Genesee Farmer for protecting bees in winter, and I 

 shall endeavor during the current year — 1862 — to impart 

 a large amount of sound, practical information on the 

 management and domestic economy of the honey-bee 

 to the readers of this periodical. Having made the hab- 

 its and practical management of this insect a study for 

 many years, and having one of the largest apiaries in this 

 State, I think that what I shall say on this subject 

 monthly will not be wholly void of interest nor of relia- 

 bility. T. B. MINER. 

 Clinton, K. Y. 



