The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1878]: being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of managementNeighbor, Alfred
Science
The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1878]: being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management
The floor-board is of mahogany, the border being French-polished. A
middle-sized bell glass, for deprivation, is placed over the hole; this
hole may be closed by a zinc slide. A cover of straw, eighteen inches
deep and fifteen inches wide, with a zinc ventilating top similar
to that affixed to the cottage hive, completes the arrangements.
The weight of the stock hive and board is about sixteen pounds. In
the figure the cover is shown lifted to display the interior. In a
thoroughly warm room it may be kept entirely off.
This hive is well adapted for those persons who are desirous of having
the opportunity of making a closer examination of the workmanship
of these industrious and interesting insects, as the whole of the
interior may be exposed to view; it is particularly suitable for a
window or an indoor apiary, and will also be found a valuable addition
to the greenhouse. Under these circumstances the entrance-way should
be covered with a flat piece of glass, and an aperture cut in the sash
corresponding with the entrance to the hive; through the glazed passage
the bees may then find egress and ingress without being able to gain
access to the apartment. An alighting-board, four inches wide, must be
fixed outside on a level with the entrance.
We had a hive of this kind in operation at the Great Exhibitions of
1851 and 1862, fixed after the manner above described. It answered
admirably, and excited much interest and curiosity, though placed there
under many disadvantages.
When a hive of this kind is to be stocked, proceed in the main as
with ordinary transfers (Chap. V. § ii.), but place the floor-board
and support of the hive in the middle of the sheet or swarming-board,
and precipitate the bees as much as possible _on to the support_;
cover them with the glass, propping it up with bricks or other rests
sufficiently high to prevent the bees being squeezed. They will collect
under the bars and on the pedestal, and in about one hour's time the
whole will have settled quietly, and all the stragglers on the board
will have collected together, the swarm hanging pear-shaped from the
bar support; the bricks can now be removed, and the glass put in its
right place on the floor-board. The straw cover can now be set down
over all, and the hive can be removed to the place it is destined
permanently to occupy.
The light should not be admitted for some days after hiving; if
undisturbed, the bees will speedily build comb, working from the wooden
bars, which are placed there for their assistance and support. In ten
days or a fortnight, if the weather continue fine and warm, they will
prepare to swarm again; the opening at the top must now be unstopped,
and the bell glass put on, guide-comb having been previously fixed.
The directions given as to these matters for the preceding hive apply
equally to this one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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