A new system of bee-keeping; adapted to the habits and characteristics of the honey-bee: with descriptions of, and directions for managing bees in the section beehive. Embracing also improved methods of artificial swarming ...

Preface

IT is not the intention of the author of this little book to discuss, minutely, the subject of Bees and Bee-Culture. That has been well done by Langstroth, Quinby and others, who have written extensively on the subject ; but conceiving that he has made some advance in Bee-Keeping, particularly in the construction of Hives, and honey receptacles, and also in the methods of making artificial swarms, he has attempted in as short, plain and comprehensive a manner as possible, to lay before the public all, that he considers of any importance, that he has learned from a practical experience of twelve years.

When he first concluded to introduce the Section Bee-Hive, he set about writing out a few plain directions for using it, to be issued in a circular, but found that the new hive required a new system of bee management, which could not be given in a few pages, nor learned from the books heretofore issued. To bring it into successful use, it was necessary to state every fact, and every particular, that could be of service in working it to the best advantage. In this he could not be assisted by any precedent, the hive being original and novel, consequently he had to rely on his own experience almost entirely. If he has succeeded in making himself understood, it is all he desires, believing that the new system, when comprehended, will commend itself to public favor.

D. L. Adair.

Sawesville, Ky, 1867.

Index

Advantages of Section Bee-Hive...

After-Swarms

Age of Drones

Age of Queen

Age of Workers

Air-Space

Ants

Artificial S warming

Advantages of.

Assisting a New Swarm

Bee-Bread...

Bee-Moth

Bees Learn Nothing

Birds Catch Bees

Brood-Chambers

"Buckwheat" Swarms

But One Queen in a. Hive

Care and Treatment of Bees

Case of Hive

"Cast" Swarm

Catch the Queen, How to

Cause of Eobbing

Cells of Three Kinds

Charming Bees ;

Chloroforming Bees

Colonizing, First Method

Second Method

" Colt" Swarm

Comb, How Made

Comb, Save the Surplus

Directions for Using Section Bee- Hive ~

Disturbing Bees

Dividing

Driving Bees

Driving-Box

Drone-Comb

»AOE

Drones Described 63

Drones Mature in Twenty-four

Days 65

Drumming 31

Dzierzon's Theory 8

Educating Bees 69

Eggs 64

Enemies of Bees 71

Entrance-Holes 14

Equalizing Swarms...... 36

Experiments with Observing-Hive 65

Facts About Bees 7

Fecundation of Queen 8

Fertile Workers 7, 53

"Filly" Swarm 10

Forced Swarming 31

Guard-Bees 62

Guides 15

Habits of Bees Not Changed 70

Handling Bees 67

Hiving Natural Swarms 25

Honey-Boxes 16

Honey-Cells 62

How Bees Work in Honey-Boxes 19 How Bees Work in the Section

Bee-Hive 19

How Many Bees can be Kept in

one place 56, 57

How to Catch the Queen 51

How to Get the Bees Out of Boxes. 21

How to Handle Bees 67

How to Make Four Swarms from

One 43

How to Remove Laying Workers 53 How to Tame Bees 67

VI

INDEX.

PAGB

How to Take Off Honey-Boxes 21

Inducing Bees to Work in Honey- Boxes 20

Italianizing 52

Larvse 64

Laying Workers 7, 53

Laying Workers, How to Eemove 53

"Maiden" Swarm 10

Making a Queen 60

Mice in Hives 72

Moths 71

Moth-Miller 65

Moth-Proof Hives 71

Non-Swarmer Hives 10

Nucleus Swarming 45

Number of Bees in a Swarm 10

Nursing Bees 65

Observing Bee-Hive 59

Office of the Drones 9, 65

Office of the Queen 64

Office of the Workers 9, 60, 62

Overstocking 59

Passage-Holes 15

Piping 10

Pollen 60

Preface 5

"Prime" Swarm 9

Profits of Bee-Keeping 55

Propolis 61

Pupje 65

Queen, Age of. 7

Queen-Cell, Described 62

Queen, Described 64

Queen, Her Office 64

Queen, How to Catch 51

Queen, Lays two Kinds of Eggs... 7

PAGE

Queen, Matures in Sixteen Days... 65

Queenless Hive 65

Kobber-Bees 72

Bobbing, How Caused 72

Bobbing, How to Kemedy 73

Salt on Bottom-Board 19

Save Surplus Comb 21

Section Bee-Hive Described 14

Sections Described 14

"Settling" Swarms 9

Snakes and Toads 72

Spiders Catch Bees 72

Swarming 9

Swarming, Artificial 29

Swarming-Box 25

Taming Bees 67

Taming Bees with Chloroform 68

Taming Bees with Puff-Balls 68

Tame Bees with Smoke 67, 69

Three Kinds of Bees 60

Toads and Snakes 72

To Empty the Bees from Hive

without Taking the Queen 54

To Prevent Swarming 23

Transferring and Dividing 37

Transferring from old Hives 34

Ventilating Bees 63

Wax, How to Make 61

When to Divide 40, 42

When to Drive Bees.... 31, 33, 40, 42 When to Make Artificial Swarms. 30

Wintering Bees 23

Workers Hatch the Young 62

Workers, Mature in Twenty-One

Days 65

Workers, Offiice of. 9, 60, 62

New System of Bee-Keeping.

Chapter I. Facts About Bees

1. A Colony of Bees consists of three diiferent kinds of individuals : The queen, workers, and (during part of the year) drones. The drones are the male bees. The queen is the only perfectly developed female in the hive. The "workers are imperfectly developed females, and only in rare instances (if ever) lay eggs, which only hatch out drones.

2. The queen lives four or five years ; but after she is three years old her vigor decreases, and she often, at four years old, becomes so infirm as to be incapable of laying eggs enough to populate the hive and keep it strong. Some of the most experienced bee-keepers recommend destroying her at three years old. Ifit were not for the difficulty of knowing how old each queen is, I have no doubt that it would be a good plan to do so. It is impracticable, as a general rule.

3. A worker lives from two to nine months.

4. A drone lives as long as the workers will let him,

5. The queen lays all the eggs found in the hive, where there is a queen present. Sometimes there is no perfect queen in a hive, and it is the general opinion of bee-keepers that a common worker is then set up as queen, which lays eggs, from which drones, and drones only, are hatched. Whether it be a common worker, with her organs of generation more highly developed than ordinary, or a queen whose organs are defective, can not be ascertained, or has not been. I am inclined to believe that it is the latter.

6. The queen lays but two kinds of eggs ; male and female. From the former are hatched the drones; from the latter proceed the queens and the workers. If the eggs are laid in the smallest cells, which are about one-fifth of an inch in diameter, they are female eggs, and hatch out workei's; if laid in larger cells, which are about one-fourth of an inch wide, they are always male eggs, and develop drones : if laid in peculiarly formed, acorn-shaped, hanging vertically, " so-called," royal-cells, they are always female eggs, and from them the bees, by a peculiar nursing and feeding, rear queens. The queen has been known, so say good authorities, to lay three thousand eggs in a day. She has a sting, but only uses it in conflict with another queen.

7. The queen can lay male or drone eggs, without being fecundated by the drone, but in order to be able to lay female eggs, she must be fecundated. "When once accomplished, it is efficacious during her life, or so long as she retains her health and vigor.

8. The fecundation of the queen is accomjilished by a single drone, outside of the hive, and on the wing. This is the received theory, although we have good authority for saying that sometimes fertilization does take place without her going forth for the purpose, as, for instance, Avhen confined with drones in a glass vessel.

9. If the queen be not fecundated, Dziei'zon says, she ordinarily does not lay eggs. Still, he says, exceptional cases sometimes occur, and the eggs then laid produc'e drones only.

10. The bees tolerate but one queen in a hive at a time, except in rare instances, and for a short time. Sometimes a young queen is found in a hive just before the death of an old queen, and sometimes just before the issuing of a swarm with the old queen.

11. The foregoing ten sections contain, substantially, all the points of what is known as the " Dzierzon theory," at least, all that is important. This theory received its name from the Eev. Mr. Dzierzon, of Karlsmarkt, Silesia, to Avhom is now generally accorded the honor and credit of solving the mysteries, in which the history of the propagation of bees, together with their classification and characteristics, had been involved for centuries. Although, when first put forth, his theory was violently assailed by all the principal bee-keepers of Europe, an intelligent investigation of it, caused it to be generally recognized everj^where ; and upon it is now based all the diff'erent successful systems of bee-keeping; and that system is found to be the most perfect, which accommodates itself most nearly to his theory. The bee-keeper, who expects success in the business, should thoroughly study and understand it. Without it he can hardly expect the skill and judgment necessary to great success.

PACTS ABOUT BEES. 9

12. The drones have no sting. Their only use seems to be the fertilization of the queen. Their number depends on the number of drone-cells in the hive. They are driven out or killed by the workers as soon as the honey-harvest and swarming is over.

13. The workers do all the work of the hive except laying eggs. They collect all the honey, bee-bread and propolis, make wax, build the combs, hatch and feed the young, raise queens, guard the hive, keep it clean, and in rare instances (perhaps ?) lay eggs ; fi'om which drones only can be hatched.

14. The queen requires sixteen days, the workers twenty-one days, and the drones twenty-four days to mature, from the time the eggs are laid — a day or two, more or less, according to the strength of the colony, and weather.

15. Each populous colony in an ordinary sized hive, when honey is abundant, rears one or more young queens. When the first one is about to emerge from her cell, the old queen, with a portion of the workers and drones, leave the hive, which constitutes swarming. The firtt queen that emerges takes her place, and if the colony still be populous, and honey very abundant, she leads off a second swarm, when the second young queen is about to emerge ; and sometimes even a third, fourth, and fifth swarm are thrown out from the same hive in this way.

16. There are very few swarms that fly off to the woods without first alighting on a bush, shrub, or tree, and all ringing of bells, blowing horns, beating j)ans, and other noises are useless in " settling " them, as it is called. All swarms that will cluster at all, will do so without any of the hurrah that is generally made. If it has any effect at all, it is rather calculated to drive them off.

17. The first swarm that leaves the hive in the spring, is called the ^^ prime " swarm, and is usually the largest; but as it is the old queen that leads them, may not be the best or most valuable ; all swarms issuing thereafter, the same year, are called "after-swarms."

18. The second swarm, or first after-swarm is called a "cast," and may be exjDected within fourteen days after the "prime" — usually about the tenth or twelfth day. It is nearly always weaker than the "prime," but as it has a young, vigorous queen, makes the most valuable of stocks, if they pass the winter safely.

19. The third swarm, from the same stock, is called a " colt," and is also valuable if it can be wintered. A fourth swarm is called a

"filly." These follow the second, or " cast," at intervals of one to three days. In favorable localities, and by proper management, I have known valuable stocks made from them.

20. A swarm from a swarm is called a " maiden " swarm, and is led by the same queen that accompanied the "f)rime." This is usually a strong swarm, and with a little assistance is as valuable as a " prime " swarm.

21. A swarm coming after the general swarming season, in August, or later, is called a " buck-ivheat" swarm, and is generally very weak in numbers. I have made strong stocks from them, but except in very favorable seasons and localities, they had better be returned to the parent hive, after destroying the queen, or be added to some weak colony, to strengthen it.

22. There are no eggs laid in the old stock, after the first swarm leaves, until the young queen emerges and becomes fertilized — generally two weeks — sometimes three.

23. For twenty-four hours, or more, previous to a swarm leaving, "piping," as it is called, may be distinctly heard in the hive. It is a noise made by the oldest queen, and sounds something like "peep,'^ ^^peep" and seems to be answered by the queen in the cell by a sound something like " off," " off." To hear the piping, apply the ear close to the hive in the morning and evening ; sometimes it is quite distinct, and may be heard several yards off. As early as eight days after the prime swarm issues, the piping sometimes commences again, indicating preparations for the second or " cast " swarm. Continue to listen for it until the fifteenth day, and if no piping is heard it is evidence that there will be no further swarming, and that the queens have all been destroyed but one, and that she will begin to lay eggs in a few days. If any accident should happen to the queen, or she be taken away before she begins. to lay, no more can be reared, as there is no material — eggs less than six days old — out of which a queen can be made. If two, three, or more swarms have issued, the piping should be listened for after each, for as long as there are swarms to issue, it will be heard.

24. A pound of bees contains about five thousand. A good swarm should contain three pounds at least, or fifteen thousand bees ; sometimes there are five times as many, or seventy-five thousand — fifteen pounds. It is estimated that a colony can not exceed eighty-four thousand at any one time, as the queen can not lay over that number of eggs, before all of the bees, alive when

TACTS ABOUT BEES. 11

she commenced, will die off. Therefore, a hive large enough to furnish room and work for that number of bees will never swarm. Such a hive is called a " non-swarmer," and some contend that it is the most profitable way of managing bees, as such a colony will produce from three to five times as much honey as a " swarmer " hive. They are well suited to persons only desiring a few colonies. As the section bee-hive can be made of any dimensions, it is easily converted into a non-swarmer. If made to contain three thousand five hundred cubic inches in the brood-chamber, and four thousand cubic inches in the honey-boxes, it will never swarm. The brood-chamber should be formed of twelve sections, each 12x18 inches, with three tiers of honey-boxes, each formed of twelve sections 5x8 inches. The brood-chamber will contain three thousand seven hundred and thirty-two cubic inches, and the honey -boxes, in the aggregate, four thousand and fifty, and the latter will hold about one hundred and fifty pounds of honey.

Chapter II. Bee-hives

Until within the List fifty or sixty years, little improvement was made in the management of bees. Their hives remained then as they were a thousand years before — a simple, square box, a section of a hollow tree, or the still more primitive straw-hive, of sugar-loaf shape ; from which honey could only be taken by the murderous method of destroying the bees. Huber constructed the first frame-hive, which was simply a number of frames, in each of which was placed a comb, as a guide, and all hung on hinges to open like the leaves of a book. This was called a " Leaf-Hive."

Dzierzon used bars, placed in rabbets across the hive, so they could be slipped out and in, to which the bees built their comb. Under that arrangement the bees attached their comb to the sides of the hive, which had to be removed by a knife. To obviate this, Henry Taylor, an Englishman, about 1838, added the side-bars, and finally added the bottom-bar, thus completing the frame, which was suspended in the hive, as he says, " so as not to touch the sides or bottom." W. A. Munn also claims to have invented the " Bar and Frame Hive" of which he published a description in London in 1844. He used first the oblong, square frame. In 1851 he constructed the triangular frame.

Eev. L. L. Langstroth was the first to introduce the movable 'comb, or bar-frames, in the United States, for which he obtained a patent in 1852 ; since which a number'of hives have been patented, in which the frame was the most prominent feature.

The introduction of the frame or movable comb-hives was the beginning of a new era in bee-culture. It became a certainty. New colonies could be made without letting the bees swarm out in the natural way ; swarming could be restricted, and even prevented altogether ; weak colonies could be rendered strong, by adding bees and stored honey to them from stronger hives, or by uniting two or more weak ones ; new queens could be introduced when the old ones were lost or destroyed ; excessive breeding of drones could be prevented by destroying the drone-comb ; .iind perhaps the most im-

BEE-HIVES. 13

portant advantage of any, or all of these, was the prevention of the destruction of the bees by the moth, by being able to keep the colonies in such strength that they could defend themselves, their combs and their stores ; or in case the moth should get in, being able to cut them out and destroy them.

While a long stride has thus been made toward perfection, it has not yet been reached. Many modifications of frames have been made to correct faults which they all have, and which all loose or movable frames always will have, under any of the different manners of constructing them, and using them in the solid box hive. However well they may work at first, while they are new and not gummed and glued up by the bees, and while they are straight and square, they soon become warped and obstructed, so that they are a great annoyance to the bee-keeper ; and in the course of a year or two they are almost, if not entirely worthless, for the purposes for which they were intended.

To remedy this and other imperfections, I have invented and constructed a hive on an entirely new principle. I call it

The Section Bee-Hive.

It is made by forming the different chambers, apartments and honey-boxes of a series of vertical sections or rims, so fitted to each other as to form close boxes of the size and length required. By an entirely new and simple device I compel the bees to form the sheets of comb just where it is desired ; so that when the sections are taken apart none of the comb will be broken. Or the main, or brood-chamber, may be made to inclose frames, if desired, in which case the sections are made deep enough to hold two or more frames, one of which is attached to the section, the others set in loose. The whole is inclosed by an outer case or box for protection from the weather.

NKW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPINa.

D. L. ADAIR S BEE-HIVE.

Description of D. L. Adair's Section Bee-Hive.

The hive is composed of, first, the brood-chamber, which is generally thirteen inches wide, thirteen and one-half inch long, and ten inches deep, inside measurement, and contains 1755 cubic inches. It can be made of any size or dimensions, either way. For those who prefer it deeper, (which I think unnecessary.) it can be made narrower, so as to contain about the same space. The brood-chamber is formed of nine vertical sections, or rims each one and one-half inch wide. The top and bottom-pieces are fourteen inches long, one and one-half inch wide; the side-pieces are ten inches long, and the same width — all of them one-half inch thick. They are nailed together, one nail in each corner, the toj) and bottom-pieces to the ends of the side-pieces, and pro-

BEE-HIVES. 15

jecting in front three-sixteenths of an inch, and setting back from the edge of the side-pieces the same distance in the rear.

When two of these sections are placed together, the projection of one fits over the shoulders of the other, thus holding them true, horizontally. When nine of them are thus fitted together, a strip thirteen and three-fourth inches long, one-half inch thick, and one inch wide, is screwed to each corner, lengthwise, on the side, thus holding it true every way. It is only necessary to put two screws, in each strip, into the two end sections — the projections and shoulders, with this assistance, hold every one to its place.

The back section has two holes, three inches long and one-half inch wide, one and one-half inch from each end of the bottom and top-pieces, and five inches apart, for entrance-holes, and passages to the honey-boxes. The back end is closed by a board one-half inch thick, thirteen inches wide and eleven inches long, slightly nailed to the bottom and top-pieces, to close the back end of the chamber. The front end is closed with a pane of glass ten by fourteen inches, held in by pieces of tin or small tacks. The underside of each top-piece is covered with cotton-flannel or other soft fabric, pasted or glued on, to prevent the bees from starting any of their combs anywhere except on the guides. Guides are placed in the center of each top-piece over the flannel. Two kinds of guides are used :

First. Pieces of wood one-fourth inch thick, one-half inch wide, and twelve inches long, with one edge made very thin, and coated by being dipped in melted bees-wax, are sprigged on ; second, pieces of cord, about one-eighth inch in diameter, or larger, and twelve inches long, are dipped in bees-wax melted and mixed with one-fourth its weight of rosin. The cord should be open and soft — something like candle-wick is best. These are warmed and pressed against the flannel, to which they will adhere, but for fear the flannel may not be securely pasted to the top, they should be fastened by three or four small tacks or sprigs. One-half the guides should be of wood, and the other half of waxed cord, alternating with each other. Where pieces of honey-comb can be had, the flannel may be omitted. Pieces of comb, four to six inches long, and one inch wide, may be fastened to the sections by first coating the underside of the section -top with the hot rosin, with a brush, and, while warm, pressing the comb against it, which will fasten it tight. If you have not sufiicient comb to put in all the sections, if every other one, or every third one, contain comb, the other may be filled with either of the other guides, without using the flannel. In that case the cord guides will adhere without the tacks.

SECTION HONEY-BOX.

Second, The honey-boxes are formed of similar sections, only varying in size. The top and bottom-pieces are six inches long ; the side-pieces, five inches long, — are put together in the same way, with the same number of sections — and are of the same length — as the brood-chamber. The pieces are one-fourth of an inch thick. The back end is closed by a piece five and one-half inches square, sprigged to the top and bottom-pieces. The front end is closed by a piece of glass five by six inches. One passage-hole is cut in the front side of the top, and one in the bottom-piece of the back section, three inches long and one and one-half inches from each end. Guides are used as in the bi'ood-chamber.

Four honey-boxes are used in each hive. Two set on the brood-chamber, with the passage-holes corresponding with the passage-holes in the top of the brood-chamber ; the other two are put on the top of the first two, with the passage-holes corresponding. The top passage-holes are closed by tacking over them thin wooden strips. The bees pass through the lower tier of boxes to get to the others. Four boxes, of the size used, will hold about fifty-two pounds, or about one pound to the inch in length. Six or more boxes can be used on one hive, by having the case (which is next described) sufficiently high to receive them.

Third. The case is made of inch-boards, is sixteen inches square, and two feet high inside — the front side closed by a door sixteen by twenty-five inches. The bottom board is sixteen inches long and eighteen inches wide. The two side-pieces are twenty-

BEE-HIVES. 17

five inches long, and are nailed to the ends of the bottom board, and also to the side of the back-piece, which is sixteen inches wide, and twenty-four inches long, all even to the top. The bottom board projects two inches at the back, for an alighting board, and is bevelled off to shed the rain. It sets back one inch (the thickness of the door), from the front. The entrance-holes are cut into the bottom board one-half its thicknesa, three inches -wide, and extending back five inches. They are five inches apart, and two and one-half inches from the ends, extending under the back of the case, and two inches further. A wooden strip — twelve inches long, three and one-half inches wide, and one-half inch thick, with two holes three inches long, one-half inch wide, one inch from the front, and two from the back, one-half inch from the ends and five inches apart — is nailed over the holes in the bottom board, inside, against the back. The bees pass in under the back board and under two inches of this strip, to pass up through the holes, which, when the brood-chamber is in place, will correspond with the entrance-holes in its bottom. Two strips, one-half inch square, and sixteen inches long, are nailed on the bottom board, from front to rear, twelve inches apart, so that their back ends come against the end of the entrance -strip, just described, upon which the brood-chamber sets, and slides in and out, and which raises it up to the level of the entrance-strip. Two other strips, one-half inch square and two feet long, are nailed against the back board, inside, to keep the brood-chamber and honey-boxes from going back to the back boards, for the purpose of leaving an air-space between them and the back, and the case being larger than the brood-chamber on every side, the said air-space extends all around, as well as under it.

The section bee-hive has the following advantages over any other now in use :

It has all the advantages of the movable comb-hives, with none of their inconveniences.

It has no loose or disconnected frames to be getting out of place or order. "When frames are used they are so constructed, and arranged in the hive, that each one is fixed to its place, and yet they can be operated with greater ease than those of any other hive.

The hives can be used with or without frames with equal success.

The bees can not gum or glue the frames, or sections, so that each piece of comb can not be handled separate from the others.

It is upon an entirely new plan. 2

It is warmer in winter, and cooler in summer, than any. other hive.

The size of the working, or brood-chamber, can be contracted and enlarged at will, to suit the size or requirements of a colony.

Artificial swarms can be more easily made than on any other plan.

It can be more easily Italianized, as every bee can be seen and handled, and not one left in the hive. In fact, when it is completely opened out, there is no hive left, except an empty outer case. Thus there is no chance for the queen to dodge into some corner where she can not be found.

The surplus honey -boxes are in close communication with the working-chamber, and also with each other, and the bees work in them with certainty.

The honey-boxes can be used to the full capacity of the bees to fill them, and they can be forced to work in all of them at once, thereby doubling the quantity of honey made on any other plan, in any other hive.

The surplus honey -boxes can be made of any convenient size, either before or after they are filled with honey.

Each piece of comb can be readily removed, at any time, without having to wait until the whole box is filled. Thus the bee-keeper can have honey in market earlier than from any other hive, thereby securing a better price.

The honey is in better shape for market. It can be divided into pieces of from one to two pounds, without breaking a cell or losing a drop of honey ; thus suiting it to the small retailer, and for this reason it will bring a better price.