Knife for Cutting out Combs.—This knife, which is so simple in its construction, and so easily used, deserves to be made generally known. Gelieu, to whom apiarians are much indebted, tells us that in Switzerland it is commonly used, and that the combs, from hives of any shape or materials, are extracted without any difficulty. It is formed of a strip of steel 2 feet long by one-eighth of an inch thick; the handle is 20 inches long by half an inch broad. The turn-down blade, of 2 inches in length, is spear-pointed, sharp on the edges, and bent so as to form an angle of 90° with the handle; the other blade is 2 inches long by 11/2 inch broad, and sharpened all round. The broad blade cuts and separates the combs from the sides of the hives; and the spear point, which is also sharp on each side, admits, from its direction and narrowness, of being introduced between the combs to loosen them from the top of the hive.
Entrances to Hives to re Narrowed.—Towards the end of this month it will be necessary to contract the entrances of the hives, that the Bees may be better enabled to defend themselves from the attacks of wasps. In Taylor's Hive, these things are supplied; but, in the Cottage Hive, I have found wedges of cork of different sizes to answer remarkably well.
Wasps' Nests to be Destroyed.—It will be well to have diligent search made in the neighbourhood of the apiary for wasps' nests, and to have them destroyed, for which purpose the spirit of turpentine appears to answer remarkably well. The usual method of procedure, I believe, is to put a small quantity into a common wine bottle, to put the mouth of the bottle into the hole leading to the nest, and surrounding it with earth. Very little turpentine is required—merely as much as will wet the sides of the bottle. If applied in the evening every wasp will be dead the following morning. In no instance have I known it to fail of the desired effect, except in cases where the nest is deep in the ground, or at a greater distance from the mouth of the hole than was anticipated. A failure may sometimes occur when there happen to be two entrances to the nest instead of one; but a second application on the following evening is sure to prove effectual.
Additional Room.—It will be quite useless to give additional room to any colony of Bees, be they ever so prosperous, after the month of July is ended; for the honey season is fast drawing to a close, and the population of the hives very much upon the decrease, not only from the killing of the drones, but by the death of numbers of the workers.
Transporting Hives.—In a fine season, and in the prospect of a fine autumn, every person whose locality admits of it should embrace the opportunity of sending his hives to the moors. The advantages must be incalculable, not only in quantity, but in the delicious quality of the honey there obtained.
Shading.—Should the present month prove hot it will be well to screen the swarms of the present year from the intense heat of the sun, or the combs, being new and tender, may be melted by it; where this unfortunately happens the stock is usually destroyed.
Robbers.—Late swarms and stocks that are weak must be closely watched, and if the least appearance of robbing discovers itself, the entrance to the hive must be closed so as to admit but one Bee at a time.
Dressing Hives.—It would be well if this practice was discontinued altogether; for when done in the most judicious manner the Bees are greatly annoyed by it. A clean dry hive is more pleasing to them than one besmeared with ale, honey, fennel, and all the other good things used by good dames of old. I heard of one having been washed, or smeared, with cream and sugar, and in so profuse a manner that the Bees, which had to travel an hour by rail, were found at the end of their journey to be completely saturated with it, a large portion of them dead, and the remainder in such a state as to render it necessary to kill them the next day, to the vexation and disappointment of the gentleman to whom they were sent, who had been impatiently waiting their arrival for some weeks. Cream I should imagine to be the most disagreeable thing that could be thought of for this purpose, except it should be oil, which is well known to kill a Bee, or almost any insect, the instant it touches it, and this cream I believe was some of the far-famed Devonshire, which in its rich and buttery nature approaches very closely indeed to oil.
Removing Supers.—It is now quite time to remove glasses and supers of every kind from hives intended for stocks, and to see that each one contains at least 20 lbs. of honey; if not, they had better at once be made up to that weight by feeding. At this time of year I would recommend syrup in preference to barley-sugar, because it can be given in larger quantities, and stored more quickly. Honey is, unquestionably, the best food that can be given; and, next to it, a compound of honey, loaf sugar, and water. Barley-sugar is more suited to spring feeding, when but little is required. The proportions are, one pound of sugar, one-quarter of a pint of water, and one-quarter of a pound of honey, mixed and simmered over a slow fire till the sugar is melted.
Early Breeding.—In our fitful climate this is a most important thing to effect, and every possible means for promoting it should be used; therefore in addition to what I have already said in the calendar for last month—viz., leaving the stocks rich in store, as well as in Bees, I would now say, Keep the stocks as cool as possible till the end of February; and if, as has already been said, that cold retards the hatching of the brood, warmth may be supposed to promote it. I would therefore recommend, where it is at all practicable, at the end of February to increase the temperature of the hives, by defending them externally from the cold of March and April, by any means that may the most readily be had recourse to for the purpose. Perhaps binding the hives neatly over with haybands would be as little trouble and inexpensive as anything.
Shading.—It is very desirable to shade the hives from the winter's sun, for the Bees are not unfrequently tempted thereby to leave their hives, never to return.
Stocks for Next Season.—The time will soon arrive for setting apart stocks to stand through the winter. Each one intended for this purpose should be made to weigh from 20 to 25 lbs., and the Bees of all weak or very old stocks, the hives of which are decaying so as not to stand with safety through another season, should be driven to those that are the least populous in the apiary; for it must be remembered, that net only a good store of provision, but that a large quantity of Bees, also, is necessary to secure success for another year.
Driving.—For performing this operation, as well as for almost all others, I very much prefer the middle of a bright day to any other time. The process is very simple, and may be effected in a few minutes. I very much wish that I could persuade all my cottage friends to adopt it, instead of the cruel and wasteful method of "burning;" for in weak stocks the Bees themselves are frequently of as much value as their little store of honey and wax; and, by joining them to other stocks, very considerable advantages arise. My method of driving is this:—On a bright day, between eleven and one o'clock, turn the hive from which the Bees are to be driven bottom upwards, in a shaded corner of the garden, and place upon it a hive of the same size; see that they fit closely, and to make the junction more complete, tie a cloth round the hives where they meet. Then, with two sticks, keep up a gentle but continuous tapping upon the sides of the inverted hive for about ten minutes, the Bees will by that time have left it and gone into the upper one. Having ascertained that fact, take it immediately to the place where the driven hive was taken from, and place it upon the same floor-board; carry the driven hive 50 or 60 yards away, and place it upon a fresh floor-board; the few Bees that remain in it, as well as those that are out at work, will return to the driven Bees. All is now finished until an hour after sunset, except emptying the driven hive of its store, when two sticks may be laid upon the ground about 8 inches apart, opposite the stock to which the driven Bees are to be joined; then, with a smart stroke dash out the Bees between the sticks, and instantly, but very gently, place the stock they are intended to enter upon the sticks; leave them for the night, having first defended them from rain, should any fall; and in the morning, an hour before sunrise, replace the stock in its original position, and all will be peace and harmony. Here, then, will be an increased population—a stock thereby enabled to stand through the winter much better, and to send out a much earlier swarm, if swarms are desired, than if the union had not being effected.
Wasps.—It will be well to destroy wasps' nests in those localities where they are to be found.
Stands.—The end of the month will be a good time to examine the pedestals upon which the stocks are placed; for it is not unusual to hear of a stock being destroyed by the pedestal decaying just below the surface of the earth, so that by a strong wind, or anything accidentally going against it, it is broken, and the combs by the fall so misplaced as to reader the stock of little or no value.
Preserving Hives of Comb.—Where the Bees have deserted their hives, and it is swarms of the present year that have generally done so, the combs should be carefully preserved, by placing the hives in some dry spot out of the reach of mice or insects, for the purpose of hiving swarms into them in the spring. Tho advantages afforded to a swarm by putting it into a hive of fresh, clean comb, are scarcely to be credited by those who have not experienced it.
The time has now arrived for deciding upon which stocks are to be set apart for standing through the winter, and which are to be driven and joined to other stocks in the manner given in the calendar for last month. Those set apart either for swarming or working in glasses next year, should be rich both in Bees, and honey, weighing, at least, from 20 to 25 lbs. each. Those that are not so heavy must have a few pounds of food given to them immediately, as well as having the Bees from weak stocks joined to them.
In giving the estimated weight which should be allowed for the comb and Bees in hives of the first year, and when two, three, four, or five years old, I would say, for a hive of seven years standing, during the autumn and winter months, allow for combs, Bees, and stored pollen, 7 lbs.; for one of six years, 61/2 lbs.; for five years, 51/2 lbs.; for four years, 41/2 lbs.; for three years, 31/2 lbs.; for two years, 3 lbs.; and for one year, 2 lbs.
Presuming the directions given in the calendar for September, as to unions and feeding, have been attended to, but little attention will be required this month beyond guarding against depredations of wasps, which are frequently numerous at this season.
Winter Preparations.—Glasses, small hives, and boxes, should now all be removed from stock hives, where it can be done without reducing the store below 20 lbs. The stands, likewise, where wood is used, should be examined, and if found to be at all unsound replaced with new ones.
The Moors.—Where Bees are kept in the vicinity of the moors, or where they have been removed to them, an abundant supply of honey will be obtained from the heather during fine weather, an advantage quite unknown to the Bee-keepers of the eastern counties.
Wasps.—For destroying wasps' nests, gas tar is even better than turpentine, and their destruction is effected with much less trouble, it being only necessary to put a small quantity into the mouth of the nest, and cover it with earth; digging out the nest, or anything further done, is quite unnecessary.
Robbers will at this time be carrying on their depredations; and should a serious attack be observed, the entrance must be narrowed one-half at the least. Wedges of cork answer very well for this purpose.
Stocks.—It is now full time for the stocks to be put in order for the approaching winter. Defending them effectually from wet is of the first importance. Narrowing the entrances to prevent the ingress of mice is also necessary, as well as their destruction in the neighbourhood of the apiary. Having done this, and taken effectual means for keeping the hive free from damp, very little fear need be entertained of their being carried safely through the winter without any further attention beyond that of occasionally cleaning the floor-boards, and shutting up the hive whilst snow lies upon the ground.
Coverings.—The coverings, also, to the hives should be made secure against winds and rains. A milk-pan, notwithstanding Its unsightly appearance, is the best protection for a hive, and for the winter months more especially so.
Stands.—Let the pedestals which support the hive be well looked to at this time. Although to the eye they may appear sound, let them be examined 2 or 3 inches below the surface of the ground, and should they be found in an unsound state replace them by new ones: and if they are little charred before fixing, it may be the means of preserving them a little longer.
Bees with a North Aspect.—Much has been said of late as to the advantages arising from placing Bees with the hive's entrance to the north, which the following letter from a gentleman in Devonshire tends very much to strengthen. He says:—
"In compliance with your wish, I visited B—— yesterday, and, although not fortunate enough to find Mr. D. at home, I had a long conversation with his gardener, who alone appears to take any interest in the apiarian matters. One wooden hive, brought by Mr. D. from Oxford, is placed behind a wall, through which the Bees issue towards the south; another wooden hive is completely embedded in shrubs, but the entrance faces the north. There is a stock in a portion of a hollow tree, which was found when the tree was cut down, and removed to its present position, also facing the north, and a row of fifteen common straw hives have the same aspect: thus you will perceive that seventeen out of a total of eighteen stock are kept permanently facing the north. The gardener states that he has preferred a north aspect during the last ten years, and that he gets earlier swarms and more honey than his neighbours. For two or three years previously he kept half his Bees to the south, and half facing the north, and by weighing them in the autumn and spring (September and April), invariably found that those facing the south consumed ten times the quantity of food as compared with the others—for instance, if one consumed 10 lbs., the other consumed but 1 lb.; and if one lost 15 lbs. during the winter, the other would only diminish 11/2 lb.
"I should state that B—— appears to me a first-rate locality, being close to an extensive heath, now in full flower. The gardener told me that not only had he no difficulty in maintaining second swarms, or casts, during the winter, but that he considered them quite equal to the first or prime swarms. The row of straw hives is sheltered by trees and shrubs towards the south, but lies exposed to the north wind, which the gardener considers most important, as he attributes the diminished consumption in the winter to the cold winds keeping the Bees torpid. The above is all the information I was able to glean during a long conversation, as no kind of memorandum of any of the experiments has been kept, and in the hope that it may prove interesting, I am, &c."
Now, it must be remembered that this has been done in Devonshire, and it is not unlikely that climate may have to be considered as to aspect, and what may do in Devonshire might not answer so well in colder parts. It has frequently been recommended to give Bees an aspect more or less southerly in summer, and a northerly one in winter; but there seems now to be the strongest reason to expect that for all seasons the north will be found most suitable.
The requirements of the apiary are but few during the present month, provided that feeding has been well attended to in the last. Should it, however, have been neglected, no time must be lost in setting about it before cold weather sets in, which may now reasonably be expected.
Feeding.—By this time hornets and wasps will have finished their work of destruction and pillage; each hive, therefore, must now be carefully examined and weighed, and should any be found having less than 18 or 20 lbs. of honey, supply them immediately with a sufficient quantity to bring them up to that weight.
Floor-board.—Clean the floor-board of each hive by scraping It with a knife, and brushing it afterwards with a dry brush, and see that each hive stands firmly on its pedestal, and is well defended against wet; and for effecting this (especially during winter), I have never yet found anything equal to the milk-pan, heavy and unsightly as it unquestionably is. I have seen covers of zinc used, but they are too light and frequently blown off by the wind; and one night's heavy rain at this time of year will very nearly, if not quite, destroy one of the best stocks. A gentleman of my acquaintance has had covers of cork made at a cost of 30s. each, and very elegant things they are; but, after about fourteen months' trial, they are abandoned because they will not effectually keep out wet.
Entrances.—The entrance to the hives must now be narrowed so that only two or three Bees can come out at the same time for at this season mice are very likely to lodge themselves in the hives, and they are very hurtful and destructive to the Bees; for, having once fairly lodged themselves in a hive, its entire destruction will be effected by them in a few days. Mr. Huish relates an anecdote of having found a dead mouse in one of his hives. He says, "In the month of December, on inspecting my apiary, I perceived a hive to be in an unusual bustle and the Bees in great agitation. I was convinced that some accident had occurred in the interior of the hive, and I resolved to examine it. To my great surprise I found a dead mouse on the stand, and it was almost covered with propolis (Bee-bread). I first resolved to remove this nauseous object; but, on more mature reflection, I was not willing to forego the opportunity of Experiencing, by actual observation, one of the most profound acts of foresight and wisdom which can possibly be found in the works of the animal creation. What power is that which taught the Bee the necessity of covering the dead mouse with a plaster? It might have been thought sufficient to kill it, that their property might be saved, and then leave it to waste away in the common process of putrefaction. But were this process to be allowed to take place, the health and safety of the whole hive would be endangered. To prevent, therefore, this occurrence, the body of the mouse is, as it were, embalmed in a case of propolis, and the object rots away without emitting any offensive odour." I have myself occasionally found a snail fastened to the floor-board in a similar manner. But a greater enemy to Bees during the winter months than even the mouse will be found in that little marauder the blue titmouse (Parus major of Linnæus), which may be said to stand foremost as their enemy. Mr. Purchase says, "She will eat ten or twelve Bees at a time, and by-and-by, be ready for more. When she comes to the hive and finds none, she knocks with her bill at the door, and as soon as the Bees come out to inquire the cause, she catcheth, first one and then another until her belly be full." This I have observed in an apiary of about twenty hives, in a village nigh to me, for the last two winters; the entrances of the hives by the end of the winter having the appearance of being gnawn by rats, which has all been done by these birds. Shoot and trap them in the winter, and destroy their nests in breeding time.
Removing Supers.—All super as well as nadir hives should now be removed, reducing the room occupied by each stock as much as possible.
Ventilation.—In hives of wood I have always found it necessary during the winter months to withdraw one of the slides at the top of the hive, and place over the opening a feeder or small glass for the purpose of carrying off the condensed vapour, which would otherwise run down the sides of the hive, and cause dampness and mouldiness to the combs, and sometimes the entire destruction of the stock. Mr. Taylor gives a drawing of a condenser for this purpose in his "Bee-Keeper's Manual," page 142, fourth edition, which I have found to be very useful where a feeding-pan could not be placed.
Removing Bees.—Should any of our readers, from what has already been said, feel disposed to try a northern aspect for their Bees, I would recommend their not being removed at this time, except they are brought from a distance, and when it is immaterial at what time they are removed; but if it be only from one part of the same garden to another, it will, be it when it may, be attended with considerable loss; therefore it had better be done when the cells are filled with brood—perhaps towards the end of March.
Advantages of a Northern Aspect.—I still continue to receive very favourable reports from those persons who have tried a northern aspect for their hives. The results in every case already represented to me have been satisfactory; but I am persuaded that the greatest care must be taken to keep the whole exterior of the hives from wet, where they are not placed in a Bee-house; and however averse I may hitherto have expressed myself to the use of Bee-houses, I am now inclined to think that where a northern aspect is decided upon they may be necessary. In Devonshire it may not be required; but wherever hives are placed in this aspect without the protection of a house, I would particularly recommend that, be the coverings whatever they may, they be sufficiently large to prevent the drip from hilling upon the floor-boards of the hives; for this would engender dampness, and the loss of the stock would, in all probability, be the consequence.
Bee-Houses.—It must be remembered that, wherever they are adopted, they require the greatest care as to neatness and cleanliness, for at best they are hiding places for the Bees' worst enemies.
Those persons who have been so fortunate in this untoward season as to obtain a few glasses of honey from their Bees' must now look well to their stocks, and by judicious feeding, get them up to 20 lbs. at least, if it has not been already done. I would very strongly recommend the food being supplied at the top of the hive; and should the Bees be in a hive that has not a hole in the top, with a sharp knife make one forthwith, for the danger as well as the inconvenience of feeding at the bottom, and more especially at this season, is very great.
Food.—I believe the best food that can be given, next to honey, which in some years is far too expensive for feeding, is one pound of loaf sugar, one quarter of a pint of water, and one quarter of a pound of honey, simmered for a few minutes over a slow fire till the sugar is melted, and when quite cold,, given to the Bees, and at the top of the hive if possible.
Stocks will require but little attention during this month beyond cleaning the floor-boards, and seeing that there is neither damp nor mould in the hives; and if the floor-boards are observed to be quite dry, it will be a pretty sure indication that all is right within. Stopping-up, however, must not be forgotten when snow lies upon the ground, if the Bees are so placed that the sun shines upon their hives. Shading during the winter months is practised by many persons, and is a very good plan; but when we come to have all our Bees placed in the north, it will be rendered unnecessary. An intelligent cottager brought me a very ingeniously-contrived little apparatus for preventing the sun's rays in winter inducing the Bees to come out, and at the same time preventing the cold winds from blowing into the hives. It is a piece of three-quarter-inch deal, 3 inches wide, and 21/2 long, reduced at one end (not in thickness) so as to fit in the mouth of the hive, and then with a gouge the under side is hollowed-out for about 2 inches in length, and five-eighths of an inch in breadth, in a straight line with the entrance of the hive; another hollow of the same dimensions is then made, intersecting at right angles the one already made, so that if the hive faces the south, the Bees come out east and west. The under side has this appearance. Care, however, must be taken that this little contrivance is not pushed into the hive beyond the thickness of the straw; and it must also be remembered that it will require to be taken out occasionally, to brush away the dead Bees that may accumulate inside, or the passage may become blocked up, and the health of the stock endangered.
The population of the hives will now be found to be very much reduced; but alarm for their safety on that account need not to be entertained. It has been frequently said to me, "What becomes of the Bees managed on the depriving systems if they are never suffered to swarm nor are destroyed?" To which my reply has been, That it is well known to those who are conversant with the care of Bees, that their numbers decrease greatly in autumn, not only by the destruction of the drones, but also by the unavoidable deaths of many of the workers, owing to the thousand accidents they meet with in the fields, and owing to age. A much less space, therefore, is required for them in the winter than was necessary in the summer months. Mr. Purchase, who was a very careful observer, says, in his Treatise on Bees, published in 1657, "It is manifest that the Honey-Bees are but yearly creatures; they live but a year and a quarter at most; for those Bees that are seen in May, lusty, full, brown, smooth, and well-winged, will, by the end of July following, begin to wither, becomes less, look grey, and have their wings tattered and torn, and be all dead before the end of August."
Ventilation.—It will be advisable, where Bees are in boxes, to see that they are well ventilated. If in Mr. Taylor's Amateur's Bar Hive, I would recommend the feeding-pan being allowed to remain on during the winter—say till the end of March—and one of the zinc sides of the hive taken out; and if in any other kind of box, let a bell-glass be placed over the opening at the top, on the inside of which the vapour of the hive will condense, and so pass off. "Perhaps," says Mr. Taylor, "there is nothing more prejudicial than the moisture often engendered in hives at this time, particularly after frost, and in certain states of the atmosphere. It accumulates on the top and sides, moulding and rendering offensive the combs, and producing disease amongst the Bees. For this reason, hives with flat roofs have sometimes been objected to, and perhaps, justly, when no provision is made for ventilation." Gelieu obviated the evil by placing caps or small hives over the stocks, the moisture ascending evaporated through the opening. "I have," says Mr. Taylor, "tried different expedients, and have found nothing better than the practice of condensing the vapour of the hive as much as possible, and conveying it away." (See "Taylor's Bee-Keeper's Manual," page 149, fourth edition, where a figure of a condenser is given). I would strongly recommend that particular attention be given to this little matter by those whose Bees are in boxes; for want of it many excellent stocks are lost, or become so depopulated as scarcely ever to recover.
I have never yet found that hives made entirely of straw require any ventilation whatever; indeed, I consider it better for them to have none; while those of wood or glass are in great danger of being destroyed without them, for in very cold weather the vapour of the hive condenses on the top and sides, and runs down upon the floor-board in such quantities as to cause general dampness and mouldiness upon all the combs. When in this state, if timely assistance be not rendered, ruin very soon follows.
Where Bees are in boxes, ventilation is of the next importance to feeding. I have found the best method to secure a perfect ventilation is to leave one of the gratings, or holes at the top of the box, open, from this time till the end of February, and placing over it a small bell-glass, or feeder; the vapour will then condense upon the former, and run down outside the box, or upon the glass of the latter, and be caught in the pan.
Enemies.—Mice and birds must be carefully looked after, for they are both very busy at this time, and will destroy a stock, sometimes very quickly, if allowed to pursue their depredations unmolested.
Hives,—This is a good time to get a supply of straw hives in readiness for the coming season, and to have them well covered with three coats of paint—stone or straw colour is the best; white, when the sun shines upon it, is too dazzling, and any dark colour absorbs too much heat.
Snow.—Whilst snow lies upon the ground, but not an hour longer, the entrance of the hives should be stopped with perforated zinc, and not a single Bee allowed to leave them.