The Library of Work and Play: Outdoor WorkMiller, Mary Rogers
Philosophy
The Library of Work and Play: Outdoor Work
Miller, Mary Rogers
Agriculture -- Juvenile literature
Hiving is done in the usual way. After the hive is prepared with combs
or foundation, shake the bees from the swarm-catcher either into or in
front of the hive. With large swarms it is advisable to prop the hive
body up slightly from the bottom board to enlarge the entrance. The
"marching in" is a wonderful sight.
An established colony of bees cannot be moved five feet without
causing them confusion. Before the newly hived bees have had time to
locate themselves and set to work at honey gathering, the hive should
be moved to its permanent location. It is not safe to delay longer than
twilight of the day they are hived. When once they get a location fixed
they return to it and are lost.
If they refuse to be reconciled in a new hive, put in a frame of young
brood from some other hive and try them again. They seldom desert an
obvious duty like the caring for young.
OPENING THE HIVE
The modern art of bee-keeping was made possible by the invention of the
hive with movable frames. Some of the many reasons for opening the hive
are:
1. To take off honey.
2. To see if enough honey has been stored for winter.
3. To find the queen.
4. To introduce a new queen.
5. To examine the brood.
Before opening the hive know just what you are going to look for. Get
the smoker well going; shavings, punk, excelsior, or chips crowded in
make a good smudge; you want much smoke and little fire. Put on your
bee veil. For a greeting, blow a little smoke in at the entrance of
the hive you are going to open. Loosen the cover which you will find
to be glued tight with propolis by the bees. A dull putty knife or
screw-driver is a good tool for this job. As fast as you unseal the
cracks, blow smoke into them. At this juncture it is well to close the
hive for a few minutes to give the bees time to "think it over." The
better the grade of bees the less smoke is required. Take your time.
Keep your nerve steady and the smoker handy. Loosen the frames and take
them out one by one. In order to see what is going on in the frames
you must clear off the bees. Do this in such a way that you will not
endanger the queen if she should be on the frame. Poke the bees off
so that they fall bewildered back into the hive. Set the frame down
against the outside of the hive and take out another.
There are cells of three sizes in the brood combs. Queen cells are
large, standing out from the surface of the comb quite prominently.
The drone and worker closely resemble one another, but the drone cells
are the larger. Honey is stored in both drone and worker cells. If you
wish to destroy the queen cells to prevent swarming you will find it
a ticklish job, even with a sharp, slender knife, not to ruin a lot of
comb.
[Illustration: Drone and queen trap at hive entrance]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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