Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained Part 12

DIFFICULTY IN DECIDING.

There is nothing about the apiary more difficult to determine, nothing more likely than to be deceived. It is generally supposed, when a number are outside fighting, that it is conclusive that they are also robbing, which is seldom the case. On the contrary, a show of resistance indicates a strong colony, and that they are disposed to defend their treasures. I no longer have any fears for a stock that has courage to repel an attack.

WEAK FAMILIES IN MOST DANGER.

It is weak families, that show no resistance, where we find the most danger. In seasons of scarcity, all _good_ stocks maintain or keep sentinels about the entrance, whose duty it appears to be to examine every bee that attempts to enter. If it is a member of the community, it is allowed to pa.s.s; if not, it is examined on the spot. It would seem that a pa.s.sword was requisite for admittance, for no sooner does a stranger-bee endeavor to get in, than it is known. If without necessary credentials, there is evidence enough against it. Each bee is a qualified jurist, judge, and executioner. There is no delay; no waiting for witnesses for defence. The more a bee attempts to escape, the more likely it will be to receive a sting, unless it succeeds. How strange bees are known, would be nothing but theory, if I should attempt to explain. Let it suffice that they are known.

THEIR BATTLES.

I will here describe some of their battles. I have in the spring frequently seen the whole front side of the hive covered with the combatants, (but for such hives I have no fears; they are able to defend themselves.) Several will surround one stranger; one or two will bite its legs, another the wings; another will make a feint of stinging, while another is ready to take what honey it has, when worried sufficient to make it willing. It is sometimes allowed to go after yielding all its honey, but at others, is dispatched with a sting, which is almost instantly fatal. A bee is killed sooner by a sting, than by any other means, except crus.h.i.+ng. Sometimes a leg will tremble, for a minute; the legs are drawn close to the body; the abdomen contracts to half its usual size, unless filled with honey. I have known a pint accidentally to enter a neighboring stock, and be killed in five minutes. The only places the sting will penetrate a bee are the joints of the abdomen, legs, the neck, &c. I have occasionally seen one bee drag about the dead body of its victim, being unable to withdraw its sting from a joint in the leg. During the fight, if it be to keep off those in search of plunder, a few bees may be seen buzzing around in search of a place unguarded to enter the hive. If such is found, it alights and enters in a moment. At other times, when about to enter, it meets a soldier on duty, and is on the wing again in an instant. But another time it may be more unfortunate, and be nabbed by a policeman, when it must either break away, or suffer the penalty of insect justice, which is generally of the utmost severity.

BAD POLICY TO RAISE THE HIVES.

A great many apiarians raise their hives an inch from the board early in spring. They seem to disregard the chance it gives robbers to enter on every side. It is like setting the door of your own house open, to tempt the thief, and then complain of depravity.

Let it be understood, then, that all good stocks, under ordinary circ.u.mstances, will take care of themselves. Nature has provided means of defence, with instinct to direct its use. Non-resistance may do for highly cultivated intellect in man, but not here.

INDICATIONS OF ROBBERS.

We will now notice the appearance about a weak hive that makes no resistance, and show the result to be a total loss of the stock, without timely interference. Each robber, when leaving the hive, instead of flying in a direct line to its home, will turn its head towards the hive to mark the spot, that it may know where to return for another load, in the same manner that they do when leaving their hive in the spring. The first time the young bees leave home, they mark their location, by the same process. A few of these begin to hatch from the cells very early; in all good stocks, often before the weather is warm enough for _any to leave the hive_. Consequently, it cannot be too early for them at any time in spring. These young bees, about the middle of each fair day, or a little later, take a turn of flying out very thickly for a short time. The inexperienced observer would be very likely to suppose such stock very prosperous, from the number of inhabitants in motion. This unusual bustle is the first indication of foul play, and should be regarded with suspicion; yet it is not conclusive.

A DUTY.

It is the duty of every bee-keeper, who expects to succeed, to know which his weak stocks are; an examination some cool morning, can be made by turning the hive bottom up, and letting the sun among the combs. The number of inhabitants in them is easily seen. When weak, close the entrance, till there is just room for one bee to pa.s.s at once. The first real pleasant days, at any time before honey is obtained plentifully, a little after noon, look out for them to commence robbing. Whenever a weak stock is taken with what appears to be a fit of unusual industry, it is quite certain they are either robbers or young bees; the difficulty is to decide which. Their motions are alike, but there is a little difference in color--the young bees are a shade lighter; the abdomen of the robbers, when filled with honey, is a little larger. It requires close, patient observation, to decide this point, and when you have watched close enough to detect this difference, you can decide without trouble.

A TEST.

But while you are learning this nice distinction, your bees may be ruined. We will, therefore, give some other means of protection.

Bees, when they have been stealing a sack of honey from a neighboring hive, will generally run several inches from the entrance before flying: kill some of these; if filled with honey, they are robbers; because it is very suspicious, to be filled with honey when leaving the hive; or sprinkle some flour on them as they come out, and have some one watch by the others to see if they enter. Another way is less trouble, but will take longer, before they are checked, if robbing.

Visit them again in the course of half an hour or more, after the young bees have had time to get back, (if it should happen to be them); but if the bustle continues or increases, it is time to interfere. When the entrance has been contracted as directed, close it entirely till near sunset. When it has been left without, it should now be done, (giving room for only one bee at a time). This will allow all that belong to the hive to get in, and others to get out, and materially r.e.t.a.r.d the progress of the robbers.

ROBBING USUALLY COMMENCES ON A WARM DAY.

Unless it should be cool, they will continue their operations till evening. Very often some are unable to get home in the dark, and are lost. This, by the way, is another good test of robbing. Visit the hives every warm evening. They _commence_ depredations on the warmest days; seldom otherwise. If any are at work when honest laborers should be at home, they need attention.

REMEDIES.

As for remedies, I have tried several. The least trouble is to remove the weak hive in the morning to the cellar, or some dark, cool place, for a few days, until at least two or three warm days have pa.s.sed, that they may abandon the search. The robbers will then probably attack the stock on the next stand. Contract the entrance of this in accordance with the number of bees that are to pa.s.s. If strong, no danger need be apprehended; they may fight, and even kill some; perhaps a little chastis.e.m.e.nt is necessary, to a sense of their duty.

COMMON OPINION.

There is an opinion prevalent that robbers often go to a neighboring stock, kill off the bees first, and then take possession of the treasures. To corroborate this matter, I have never yet discovered one fact, although I have watched very closely. Whenever bees have had all their stores taken, at a period when nothing was to be had in the flowers, it is evident they must starve, and last but a day or two before they are gone. This would naturally give rise to the supposition that they were either killed, or gone with the robbers.

A CASE IN POINT.

I have a case in point. Having been from home a couple of days, I found, on my return, a swarm of medium strength, that had been carelessly exposed, had been plundered of about fifteen pounds of honey, every particle they had.[13] About the usual number of bees were among the combs, to all appearance, very disconsolate. I at once removed them to the cellar, and fed them for a few days. The other bees gave over looking for more plunder, in the meantime. It was then returned to the stand, entrance nearly closed, as directed, &c. In a short time it made a valuable stock; but had I left it twenty-four hours longer, it probably would not have been worth a straw.

[13] It occurred the last of July.

FURTHER DIRECTIONS.

When a stock has been removed, if the next stand contains a weak, instead of a strong one, it is best to take that in also; to be returned to the stand as soon as the robbers will allow it. If a second attack is made, put them in again, or if practicable, remove them a mile or two out of their knowledge of country; they would then lose no time from labor. Where but few stocks are kept, and not more than one or two stocks are engaged, sprinkle a little flour on them as they leave, to ascertain which the robbers are; then reverse the hives, putting the weak one in the place of the strong, and the strong one in the place of the weak one. The weak stock will generally become the strongest, and put a stop to their operations; but this method is often impracticable in a large apiary; because several stocks are usually engaged, very soon after one commences, and a dozen may be robbing one.

Another method is, when you are _sure_ a stock is being robbed, take a time when there are as many plunderers inside as you can get, and close the hive at once, (wire-cloth, or something to admit air, and at the same time confine the bees, is necessary;) carry in, as before directed, for two or three days, when they may be set out. The strange bees thus enclosed will join the weak family, and will be as eager to defend what is now _their_ treasure, as they were before to carry it off. This principle of forgetting home and uniting with others, after a lapse of a few days, (writers say, twenty-four hours is sufficient for them to forget home) can be recommended in this case. It succeeds about four times in five, when a proper number is enclosed. Weak stocks are strengthened in this way very easily; and the bees being taken from a number of hives, are hardly missed. The difficulty is, to know when there are enough to be about equal, to what belongs to the weak stock; if too few are enclosed, they are surely destroyed.

COMMON CAUSE OF COMMENCING.

After all, bees being robbed is like being destroyed by worms; a kind of secondary matter; that is, not one strong stock in a hundred will ever be attacked and plundered on the first onset. Bees must be first tempted, and rendered furious by a weak hive; a dish of refuse honey set near them is sometimes sufficient to set them at work, also where they have been fed and not had a full supply. After they have once commenced, it takes an astonis.h.i.+ng quant.i.ty to satiate their appet.i.te.

They seem to be perfectly intoxicated, and regardless of danger; they venture on to certain destruction! I have known a few instances where good stocks by this means were reduced, until they in turn fell a prey to others. I have for several years kept about one hundred stocks away from home, where I could not see them much, to prevent robbing. Yet I never lost a stock by this cause. I simply keep the entrance closed, except a pa.s.sage for the bees at work during spring. It is true I have lost a few stocks, when the other bees took the honey, but they would have been lost any way.

SPRING THE WORST TIME.

As I before remarked in the commencement of this chapter, bees will plunder and fight at any time through the summer, when honey cannot be collected; but _spring_ is the only time that such desperate and persevering efforts are made to obtain it. It is the only time the apiarian can be excused for having his hives plundered, or letting them stand in a situation for it. We then often have families reduced in winter and spring, from various causes, and when protected through this season, generally make good stocks. It is then we wish them to form steady, industrious habits, and not live by plunder. Prevention is better than cure; evil propensities should be checked in the beginning.

The bee, like man, when this disposition has been indulged for a time, it is hard breaking the habit; a severe chastis.e.m.e.nt is the only cure; they too go on the principle of much wanting more.

NO NECESSITY TO HAVE THE BEES PLUNDERED IN THE FALL.

The apiarian having his bees plundered in the fall, is not fit to have charge of them; their efforts are seldom as strong as in spring, (unless there is a general scarcity,) the weak hives are usually better supplied with bees, and consequently a less number is exposed; but yet, when there are some very weak families, these should be taken away as soon as the flowers fail, or strengthened with bees from another hive.

Particulars in fall management.

I have sometimes made my swarms equal, early in spring, by the following method, and I have also failed. Bees, when wintered together in a room, will seldom quarrel when first set out. When one stock has an over supply of bees, and another a very few, the next day or two after being out, I change the weak one to the stand of the strong one, (as mentioned a page or two back,) and all bees that have marked the location return to that place. The failure is, when too many leave the strong stock, making that the weak one, when nothing is gained. If it could be done when they had been out of the house just long enough for the proper number to have marked the location, success would be quite certain. But before an exchange of this kind is made, it would be well, if possible; to ascertain what is the cause of a stock being weak; if it is from the loss of a queen, (which is sometimes the case,) we only make the matter worse by the operation. To ascertain whether the queen be present, do not depend on the bees carrying in pollen; as most writers a.s.sert they will not, when the queen is gone; because I have _known_ them do it so many times without, that I can a.s.sure the reader again, it is no test whatever. The test given in chapter III. page 73, is always certain.

CHAPTER IX.

FEEDING.

SHOULD BE A LAST RESORT.

Feeding bees in spring is sometimes absolutely necessary; but in ordinary seasons and circ.u.mstances, it is somewhat doubtful if it is the surest road to success, for the apiarian to attempt wintering any stock so poorly supplied with honey, that he feels satisfied will need feeding in the spring or before. I will recommend in another place (in fall management) what I consider a better disposition of such light families. But as some stocks are either robbed, or from some other cause, consume more honey than we expect, a little trouble and care may save a loss. Also bees are often fed at this season to promote early swarming, and filling boxes with surplus honey.