764 



(iLEANiNGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15. 



so much by loofcs rather than by the Utste, in 

 their purchases. But there is a time coming, 

 and we hope it will come very soon, when there 

 will be a strong demand for this rich, ripe, 

 thick, waxy honey. When consumers know 

 what it is they will be willing to pay a big price 

 for it — a price more than sufficient, we hope, to 

 pay the producer for holding it over. J 



SELF-HIVERS. 



SOME EXI'EKIMENTS; A NEW DEVICE. 



During the past season I did a great deal of 

 experimenting with the self-hiver — not only 

 trying all the known devices, but also originat- 

 ing many others never heard of. and perhaps 

 never to see the light again. My faith in the 

 self-hiver. after an experience with it of three 

 years, is unbounded; and while my devices 

 were imperfect my success was enough to con- 

 vince me that the thing was not only practica- 

 ble but destined to make a great advance in our 

 pursuit. No doubt many others have conducted 

 experiments on this line, and it is to be hoped 

 that they will give their experience during the 

 winter, as bee-keepers are greatly interested in 

 knowing all that can be learned on the subject. 

 It seems to me like foolishness, because one 

 thinks he has discovered some new kink, to at 

 once rush to the Patent Office, no matter how 

 ill he can afford the expense, and, where his 

 money is usually lost to him for ever, in order 

 to get a patent, a sort of notice to prevent the 

 adoption of his devices. But I did not intend 

 to switch off on patents, and will confine myself 

 to the matter with which I started. 



Last year my experience was not entirely 

 satL-l'nctory with the enipty-liive-oii-top princi- 

 ple, though by close watcliing and aftei'-manip- 

 ulation. I succeeded fairly well. Tlu-re was no 

 difficulty in getting the queen to run up into 

 the hiver attached to the empty hive; and if 

 one could always be present, it would be an 

 easy matter to remove the old hive and thus 

 secure all the swarm in the new hive. But if 

 left to themselves, as would be the case in an 

 unattended out-apiary, only a small swarm 

 would be secured; and if left a number of days 

 without attention it would gradually return "to 

 the old hive till only mere handfuls would be 

 left, ami would be liable to be overlooked in ex- 

 amini)ig the hives for swarms. 



During the past winter the devices of Pratt, 

 Alley, and others were published in Gleanings, 

 and they set me to thinking that it would be 

 entirely practicable to secure the entire swarm, 

 and as many more as the old hive could spare, 

 without any after-manipulation. But after 

 studying over the various devices a while, I 

 decided that none of them would do the work 

 without serious objections, and concluded to 

 give the most promising a good trial before 

 abandoning my old plan. Owing to my heavy 

 losses in bees during the winter and spring, I 

 had many hives of empty combs, and I thought 

 that, by using these for hiving the swarms on. 

 better results could be secured. I also used 

 more wire cloth and less perforated zinc in my 

 device, and generally secured larger swarms: 

 but it was not an entire success. One thing 

 learned was, that, during warm weather, a good 

 many bees would take possession of the combs 

 and keep them clear of moth, so there was no 

 great trouble on that point. 



While these experiments were going on I was 

 trying both the Pratt and Alley methods, and 

 soon found objections to both. The Pratt 

 method, where the old hive rests on top of the 

 empty one, works very well, secures good large 



swarms, and, if one could only tell when the 

 bees had swarmed, it would not be very objec- 

 tionable. But as the self-hiver will be wanted 

 largely in out-apiaries, where the keeper can 

 see them but once a week, it is another matter. 

 Now. suppose I were to use this plan on an out- 

 apiary of too colonies. I should have to lift oft' 

 100 full heavy hives, supers and all. just to see 

 if any bees had swarmed. If you think this an 

 easy matter, just try it, and I think you will 

 soon be looking for something easier. Then, 

 too. when the old colony becomes very strong 

 they will often extend their combs into the 

 empty hive, and many bees occupy it without 

 having swarmed at all. In such cases the old 

 hive must not only be lifted oft', but the combs 

 in the lower hive must be examined for queen 

 or eggs, and this must be repeated on every 

 visit. While all this can be done, it is too much 

 wo^'k, and an easier plan must be found. 



Mr. Alley sent me one of his very latest 

 hivers, for which I was very thankful, although 

 it cost me .?1.50 for express charges. It was 

 very late when it came, and I did not try it as 

 thoroughly as I wished. I had a swarm issue 

 through it twice on succeeding days, but some- 

 how both returned to the old hive. In the sec- 

 ond instance I saw the queen plainly in the 

 trap, and a comb had been placed half an inch 

 back of it, just as directed: but still, by evening 

 nearly all the bees were back in the old hive. I 

 am not ready to say that it will not generally 

 catch the swarm, as I have too much coulidence 

 in Mr. Alley's statements, tind think my ex- 

 perience was exceptional. Some experiments I 

 had previously made on the ^ame principles 

 have convinced me, however, that, where there 

 is no guard of any kind, the queen is often liable 

 to return to the old hive. Then I do not see 

 that Mr. Alley's device is a self-hiver at all. 

 He simply aims to catch the swarm in an 

 empty box, to be afterward hived by the keeper. 

 It would seem to me that it should be called a 

 new sort of swarm-catcher rather than a self- 

 hiver. 



I will now give the plan that I have finally 

 adopted, and one that has so far worked to my 

 entire satisfaction. In the first place, we want 

 as few traps about it as possible, and to use 

 such material as we already have, as far as 

 practicable. I remove the hive expected to 

 swarm, back its own length, and place a bottom 

 in front, with the rear strip removed. On this 

 I lay a queen -excluding honey-board, resting 

 on the side strips, thus leaving a bee-space 

 under it: connect this space with the entrance 

 by bridging, the top of which may be wire 

 cloth, but it should at first be covered by a 

 board, to keep the bees from bunching on it, 

 till they become accustoiued to their new en- 

 trance. Lay -^^H -inch strips on the side and rear 

 of the honey-board, to make an entrance for 

 the new hive, and place the empty hive on it. 

 Make a frame of lath, the size of the front of 

 the hive, or less if the hive has no portico or 

 projections. The lower strip should be placed 

 up from the bottom, about an inch, so the upper 

 edge will come flush with the honey-board, and 

 it is to be provided with two or three wire-cloth 

 tubes, for drones and queens. The direct en- 

 trance to the old hive is through the two lower 

 rows of perforations, and under the honey- 

 board. Now. when the bees swarm, the drones 

 and queen find their way through the tubes, 

 and remain only a few inches above their old 

 entrance, and most of the bees will unite with 

 the queen in the new hive upon their return. 

 Now. when I find a hive that has swarmed 

 (which can be readily ascertained by lifting off 

 the cover) I place an inch-square stick in front 

 of the old entrance, thus compelling all the bees 

 to use the new entrance, and greatly strengthen 



