Manipulation and Uses of Bar and Frame Hives
Having, at page 84, given a description of the mechanical arrangements of bar and frame hives, the next thing is, to describe the mode of introducing the bees, and of thus bringing the humane and scientific hives into operation. The swarm should be first hived into a common straw hive from the bough or shrub upon which they may have alighted; place this hive, into which we will suppose the bees have been shaken, on the ground, propped up on one side with a brick or a flower-pot, or anything of the sort that may be handy, in order that straggler-bees may join the swarm. The spot selected for this should be as shady an one as can be found, near to the place where the swarm settled; or it may be shaded from the rays of the sun by fixing matting on two poles, so as to prevent the heat falling on the hive; spread a sheet or cloth on the ground where an even surface can be obtained; stake this sheet down at the four corners, to prevent ruts and inequalities, which are great hindrances to the bees going into the bar and frame hive; place the latter upon the sheet, without its floor-board, having its front raised on blocks or sticks rather more than an inch,—not more, otherwise the bees will cluster, and attach themselves to the lower part of the frames, instead of going up between. These preparations will, perhaps, occupy ten minutes, by which time the swarm will have become settled and tolerably quiet. Then, with a sharp rap, precipitate the bees out of the straw hive on to the sheet immediately in front of the frame hive; give the straw hive another knock, so as to dislodge all the bees, and then take it quite away, otherwise they may, if it be left near, perversely choose to go into that, instead of the one desired. In some cases, as when the swarm has to be brought from a distance and procured from a cottager about whose skill in carrying out these directions there may be misgivings, it is best to give instructions that the swarm be brought home after sunset, and then the foregoing directions for inducing the bees to tenant the frame hive may be better carried out. For ourselves, we much prefer the evening for the purpose. A little water sprinkled over them from a watering-pot is likely to induce the bees to quit the ground and go up into the hive more quickly.
Mr. Langstroth, in his admirable book, “The Hive and Honey Bee,” writes:—“If they are too dilatory in entering the new hive, they may be gently separated with a spoon or leafy twig where they gather in bunches on the sheet, or they may be carefully ‘spooned up’ and shaken out close to the front of the hive. As these go in with fanning wings, they will raise a peculiar note, which communicates to their companions that they have found a home, and in a short time the whole swarm will enter, without injury to a single bee.” In the Journal of Horticulture, Mr. Woodbury says:—“If combs be fixed in the frames, the crown-board may be removed and the cluster knocked out of the straw hive on to the top of the exposed frames. The bees will disappear between them with the utmost alacrity, delighted to have met with a ready-furnished dwelling, and the top, or crown-board, having been replaced, the hive should at once be removed to the position it is intended to permanently occupy.”
No one should attempt these operations without being protected by a bee dress and a pair of india-rubber gloves, which are sting-proof. Some persons also take the precaution of tying strings round the ancles of the trousers, lest some straggler should determine to attack the outposts of the enemy, which, to say the least, might perplex the operator in the midst of his task. Elastic india-rubber bands are good for this purpose, or a pair of “knickerbockers” would be useful. If Wellington boots are worn, the trousers may be tucked within the leather, in which case no bee can molest the operator, and no string or band will be needed. Practice makes perfect in bee-tending, as in other matters, and when a light hand is gained, there is little danger of the apiarian being stung.
If the weather be wet the next day or so after hiving, it will be well to give a little assistance to the new colony in the shape of food, for although, when a swarm leaves a hive, almost every bee composing it fills itself with honey, we have known not a few instances, in case of very wet weather, in which the whole swarm has been starved for the want of this little timely help. Of course, the first work of the bees is to build themselves combs, and these combs being produced by the secretion of wax from honey, a great drain upon their resources immediately begins, and any little outlay at this juncture is abundantly compensated by its enabling these industrious emigrants the more quickly to push forward the furnishing of their new home.
Clean combs from hives that may have lost their bees are readily accepted, and cause a great saving in time and; material to the bees; these combs may easily be fixed by cutting them the proper size to fit within the frames, and making them firm by tying with tape or fixing them with pliable wire. In any case where the combs are too small to fit within the frame, a temporary bar may be fixed, and held firm by being sprung within the two upright sides of a frame, and thus pushed up until it presses the comb; then a piece of tape wound round, or a clip made of tin or zinc shaped to the top bar, prevents its falling out. All these supports may be removed15 as soon as the bees have made the foundation secure; the comb will then be added to. In this way, every loose piece of comb may be economised.16
These preparations must be made prior to ‘the bees being hived, so that when a hive is so prepared, a swarm may begin to adapt whatever advantages they find ready for them; and it is truly marvellous what a swarm will do when thus furnished with combs in their new habitation. In these the queen can immediately begin to deposit her eggs, and the workers to store their honey, without having to wait for the construction of combs, which is a laborious occupation for the bees.
In some cases, fine white combs of honey may be taken from the stock-hive; the end frames are always the most free from brood. Care must be exercised not to rob this part of the hive too much; one comb may, perhaps, be removed in the course of the season without impoverishing the bees, but it is not wise to take more.
Notes
15 They should be first dismembered from the comb by running a penknife between.
16 Artificial comb may be advantageously used, especially if a little time (say a couple of days) be allowed to elapse before it is put into the hive; because, at first, so eager is a swarm to push forward the work of comb-building, that the sheets are liable to become mutilated. For guide-comb, cut the sheets in strips of rather more than an inch in depth, and fix them as mentioned at page 154.