Bee-keeping for profit

The question of the hive is, of course, the all-important one to the bee-keeper; upon it depends in very large measure the success or non-success of his enterprise. To the beginner, especially, it is a matter for serious consideration, one not to be dealt with in any haphazard fashion. There are so many forms and varieties of hive on the market to-day that the novice, who perhaps started out with the idea that a hive was merely "a hive—any one would do—and the bees would accomplish the rest," is puzzled as to how to make a selection. As a general recommendation in this direction I would say, select the one that is least complicated and easiest to clean. Simplicity in working, combined with efficiency in its purpose, is a sure and safe standard to apply when selecting a hive. It is as well for the beginner to try one or two varieties, so that he may find out by experience which is better suited to his particular district, and the most convenient to manipulate. That settled, he can then adopt for general use the one best suited to his purpose.

The Skep Hive.—The skep hive, made of straw, is the survival of those pre-scientific days when bee-keeping was conducted without method, other than providing a house for the bees. Except that it is still used by some who will not take the trouble to adapt themselves to the modern methods, the skep hive would find no mention in a book on bee-keeping for profit. Primarily the skep was made by our forefathers merely as a means of securing the bees for the honey season, by providing them with a ready-made home in which they could prepare their combs and store their honey. Originally it was a rough structure of straw, bound together probably with bramble-runners, peeled and split, and it has developed into the form in which we know it to-day. Its picturesqueness in the cottage flower garden cannot be denied, neither can its utility up to a certain point, and that point was when the time of the ingathering of the honey harvest arrived, for to secure the honey the bees were destroyed. As a rule, it is the hive that contains the best queen which has the most honey, and as the skep that was heaviest was always selected for clearing, it necessarily followed that in destroying the bees the best queens were sacrificed.

The usual plan of "taking" a skep hive was to dig a hole about a foot deep, not quite large enough to hold the skep. A few red hot cinders were placed on the bottom and on these was scattered brimstone. Then the skep was placed over the hole and the bees smothered by the sulphur fumes. It was a cruel and wasteful practice and it is strange that it should survive in these days when the knowledge of better and more economical methods is within reach of all.

Unless, however, disease is rampant in the district the "skepist" is oftentimes a benefactor to a neighbouring up-to-date apiarist by supplying him with swarms, or "driven" bees.

The capacity of a skep is sometimes increased by means of an "imp" made of straw of the same circumference as the base of the skep on which the hive is placed. Another method is to use bell glasses and sections as a "super" placed over the feed-hole of the hive.

Although it can find no place in profitable bee-keeping—unless it be for temporarily hiving a swarm—the skep nevertheless possesses some advantages over the wooden hive. It is not liable to the attacks of fungus, or rot; it is also warmer for the bees in winter if properly covered in severe weather, for as the combs are fastened to the sides of the hive they serve the purpose of a cavity wall or dead space.

Wooden Hives.—The wooden hive now reigns supreme in all well-regulated apiaries, and the mechanical methods of working wood, with their accuracy of joining, &c., from a constructional point of view have brought them practically to perfection. It must be confessed, however, that wood is not the ideal material for hive making. As we have already suggested, it is subject to deterioration from fungus and rot, and, even when well-seasoned, contains a certain amount of moisture which renders it readily liable to these evils. The interior of a hive, too, becomes moist from condensation, which again helps to promote decay, a decay which in turn is favourable to the development of disease among the bees.

As a check to the ill-effects of this moisture some bee-keepers make a practice, when cleaning their hives, of thoroughly scorching the interior walls with a blow lamp.

So-called "rot preventers" are not to be recommended for use inside the hives, for many of them are highly injurious to the bees.

In purchasing hives it should be seen that they are in no wise cracked or warped, that no large knots are contained in the wood, and that the workmanship of the joints is in every way perfect. The roof needs to be completely rain-proof and the eaves should hang well over the sides so as to ensure the rain-water being carried away from the walls of the hive.

Size of Hive.—In the selection of a hive the size must depend upon the bee-keeper's own convenience, so that it is useless to lay down any hard-and-fast rule. Many apiarists have a regular system of moving their hives from district to district to meet the varying crops and honey sources, and it naturally follows that the less cumbersome the hive in their case the better. Personally I prefer a hive of about eighteen inches square, outside measurement. This may be accounted rather large for winter requirements, but it is always a simple matter to reduce the interior space with a dummy.

One or two odd sized hives are convenient to possess; they are useful in emergencies, and the smaller sizes especially come in handy for queen rearing purposes, or when strengthening nucleus.

The Floorboard.—The hive bottom, or floorboard, which includes the sloping platform outside the hive, on which the bees alight, should be removable for the purposes of cleaning—which must be done thoroughly at least twice a year. This alighting board should provide for an entrance ¼ of an inch below the level of the sides and back of the hive and should slope upwards to the floorboard about 4 or 5 inches inside the hive.

When hives are moved frequently from one district to another it is advisable to have a short alighting board, as less space is thereby taken up in the removal conveyance. It is an easy matter to lengthen the board when the hive is in position if it is found necessary. A roofing slate makes a very good addition to a short alighting board.

The Brood Chamber.—The brood chamber rests on the floorboard: it is usually made with a porched entrance from the alighting board, but, although a porch is useful if the hive is in an exposed situation, the bees, as a rule, will do equally well without it. The porch, indeed, often proves a source of trouble to young bees, who fail to find the entrance and rush frantically along the top of the porch in their efforts to do so. The brood chamber usually has two single and two double walls: on the inner, which are lower than the outer, rest the ends of the bar frames that contain the combs or brood foundation. It is here that the brood is reared and the natural life and work, of the hive proceeds.

Bar Frames.—The bar frame is used as a case or support to hold the honeycombs. Without them it would be impossible to lift the combs from the hive and replace them in their proper position. It is these frames that enable the modern bee-keeper to do so much more than was possible with the old skep, and it has been by their aid that so much has been learned of the home-life of the bee.

Standard Frames.—Frames vary in size in different countries, but the standard frame now in general use in Great Britain is 8½ inches high, 14 inches wide, with a top bar 17 inches in length. The 1¼ inches at each end rest on the top of the inner walls of the hive. The frames are spaced the proper distance apart by metal ends of uniform size. There are many varieties of these "self-spacers," but those most generally in use in England were the invention of a past-master in apiary, the late Mr. W. B. Carr. These "ends" slip on the terminals of the top bar. When handling the frames, care should be taken not to hold them by the metal ends, as they are apt to slip off and cause disaster. Another matter that needs attention in connection with them is their liability to rust, and when working for honey production the bee-keeper should be scrupulously careful to see that only good clean metal ends are used on the frames.

To Hang Standard Bar Frames.—The sides of the frame should hang at least ³/₁₆ of an inch and at the most ¼ of an inch clear of the walls of the hive. If the space be less than ³/₁₆ the bees will fasten the combs to the sides of the hive, and if it be over ¼ of an inch they will build combs between the frame and the hive. The narrower space is sufficient to allow the bees a free passage round the frames.

Some frames on the market are a little wider than the ordinary standard. Known as "wide-shouldered frames," no "spacers" are necessary to keep them the proper distance apart.

Standard frames, however, can be used successfully either in the ordinary hive, the queen-rearing hive, or as a "super" (see page 31) if it is worked in accordance with the instructions given on page 73, for as they are exactly the same in measurement they can be interchanged with any hive. It is advisable to pin or nail together any loose parts of frames when making them up, for by so doing regrettable accidents may often be avoided.

Shallow Frames.—The shallow frame is only 5½ inches high, with other dimensions similar to the standard. They are used by most bee-keepers in this country who work for surplus honey. They are of a convenient size for gathering and storing separately the various "crops" of honey. This, of course, is a great advantage, for it enables the bee-keeper to select the choicest honey for exhibition, or for sale at increased price. They are especially useful in this direction when heather honey is the objective, both as a body box and as a super. As a super, indeed, they are generally recommended to the novice in bee-keeping, as, owing to there being less space for the bees to heat, they are warmer than the standard frames for this purpose. There is no question that a warm super induces the bees to explore it, and if food is plentiful to use it as a store or warehouse, while, on the contrary, should the heat of the super be lowered by a change in the outside temperature after the bees have commenced to store therein, they will often remove the honey thence to the brood-chamber.

Shallow frames are also used by some bee-keepers when working for sections in strong hives immediately over the brood-chamber, as this procedure usually prevents the lower case of sections from becoming discoloured by the heat from the brood.

Sections.—Sections are small wooden frames, which in England are generally about 4½ inches square, in which honey may be stored by the bees ready for sale purposes. They are made from the wood of the American lime tree—commonly known as "basswood"—which is beautifully white and easy to "work." The sections are made all in one piece, which is cut into shape by machinery. The sections are placed in a rack or "crate" which usually hold twenty-one in seven rows of three, with a divider of tin or wood between each row, and a "bee space" under each section.

The method of working with sections is explained on page 94.

The Super.—The super, or lift, is the bee-keeper's addition to the hive, in which he induces the bees to store honey for him. It is placed above the brood nest and supplied with frames or sections in which the bees may work apart from the brood. To secure that, of course, is the duty of the bee-keeper, and in the chapter following, the method will be dealt with.

Bee Escapes.—The "escape" is to provide the bees with an additional exit from the hive or super. It is fixed in a hole bored through each end or side of the top portion of the hive, two or three inches below the centre of the roof. The old-fashioned cone-shaped variety is now usually worked double, one being fixed inside the hive and one on the outside, but they are not altogether satisfactory, as the bees will sometimes find their way back through them to the super. It will also often be found when clearing supers by this means that the bees are very slow in escaping. A new escape, called "The Porter Escape," with a spring has been recently invented which allows the bees to return from the super direct into the hive. It is fixed on a board which is placed under the super.

The Dummy.—The dummy is a piece of board with lugs or ends which project from the sides, and rest on the inner walls of the hive. It is, in fact, a movable wall which is used to reduce the capacity of a hive. The requisite number of frames are removed and the dummy placed in position to cover the exposed side.

The Quilt.—Over all, is placed the quilt which retains the heat in the hive. Most bee-keepers have their own opinion as to the best material to use for this purpose. American cloth, glass, wood, carpet, horse-hair, matting, felt, sacking, cotton, and paper all find their advocates, and probably experience has proved them all. It is useless, then, to be dogmatic in favour of any. I would suggest, however, that one of the cheapest forms of quilt is one made of unbleached calico, for this is about the only material that the bees do not try to sample, or fasten to the frames.

Generally speaking it is advisable that a hole should be made in the quilt for feeding purposes. For this it is not necessary to cut a piece quite out but merely to make an incision along three sides of a square, thus forming a flap that can be folded back when feeding is necessary. This quilt should, of course, be supplemented with others to secure thorough retention of heat in the hive.

All old quilts that have any "propolis" (see page 51) on them should be saved to pack round crates of sections, or the propolis may be cut off and used as a decoy in spring amongst artificial pollen.

Queen-Rearing Hives.—There are many varieties of "nucleus" or queen-rearing hives, but the one I have found to give most satisfaction holds from three to five standard frames. These are used solely for the purpose of rearing young queens to take the place of those worn out by hard work or old age. The method to be followed in this direction is given on page 75.

Observation Hive.—This consists of a glass case made to hold one standard frame, a shallow frame, and a row of sections. The bees can thus be seen at work on the combs. It is mounted on a pivot, through which the bees must pass to the entrance. Of course, the "observation hive" is not intended to keep bees in for more than a few days at a time, and when it is in use care should be taken not to expose the combs or the bees to the heat of the sun.