,transcriber ,note ,text emphasis denoted as ,italics4 ,,the ,,bee ,,preserver4 ,,the ,,bee ,,preserver2 ,,or ,,practical ,,directions ,,for ,,the ,,management ,,and ,,preservation ,,of ,,hives4 ,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,french ,,of ,,jonas ,,de ,,gelieu1 ,,late ,,minister ,,of ,,lignieres1 ,,at ,,present ,,minister ,,of ,,the ,,churches ,,of ,,colombier ,,and ,,auvernier1 ,,in ,,the ,,principality ,,of ,,neuchatel2 ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,societ ,,economique ,,de ,,berne1 c41 c41 c4 ,,published ,,at ,,mulhausen4 ,,john ,,anderson ,,jun4 ,,edinburgh1 #ee1 ,,north ,,bridge ,,street2 ,,and ,,simpkin ,,and ,,marshall1 ,,london4 ,,mdcccxxix4 ,p4 ,,neill1 ,,printer4 ,,to ,,the ,,highland ,,society ,,of ,,scotland4 ,in respectfully dedicating this little ,work to the ,highland ,society of ,scotland1 the ,translator hopes1 that1 under their efficient and enlightened patronage1 it may be made generally known in ,scotland1 where the system which it explains is calculated to be as extensively applicable1 and as highly profitable1 as it has proved in the native mountains of its amiable and venerable ,author4 ,it seems1 indeed1 both from the plain practical directions which it contains1 and the valuable discoveries which it communicates relative to the history and economy of bees1 to be singularly adapted to forward the views of the ,society1 who have this year turned their attention to the encouragement of ,apiaries among the peasantry of our own country2 and it is no small advantage1 that the rules laid down are applicable to hives of every form4 ,the ,translator has no fear of its being objected1 that plans which are very suitable in ,switzerland1 may be less successful as applied to ,scotland4 ,switzerland and ,scotland present so many points of resemblance--in their mountains--in their valleys--and in their climate--that which is beneficial in the one1 can scarcely fail to be so in the other4 ,and as the ,swiss honey is known to be not only very abundant1 but of a very superior flavour1 especially in those districts where ,de ,gelieu's or some similar plan is adopted1 the ,translator is desirous to see the simple and successful methods of that country transferred to our own1 that the ,scottish peasantry may derive from their practice the same advantages4 ,to the ,swiss peasantry1 bees are a great source of wealth2 a stranger is attracted by the appearance of substantial comfort1 conveyed by well appointed apiaries1 where the hives are ranged in double and triple rows along the sunny side1 and under the shelter of the projecting roofs of the cottages2 and in ,scotland there is little doubt that1 if similar care were bestowed on the cultivation of bees1 they would be equally profitable4 ,edinburgh1 #aith ,april1 #ahbi4 ,,contents4 ,page ,,chapter ,i4--,situation of an apiary1 #aa ,,ii4--,proper time to transport a swarm to the situation designed for it1 #af ,,iii4--,situation of the hives ought never to be changed1 #ah ,,iv4--,most convenient shape of hives1 #ba ,v4--,hives of straw and wood1 #bc ,,vi4--,thickness or solidity of hives1 #bd ,,vii4--,size of the aperture or entrance of hives1 #be ,,viii4--,to ascertain the weight of hives1 #bg ,,ix4--,quantity of honey necessary to maintain a hive1 #bj ,x4--,the use of capes or hoods1 #cd ,,xi4--,how to expel the bees from the capes1 #da ,,xii4--,size of hives1 #db ,,xiii4--,manner of uniting new swarms1 #dd ,,xiv4--,methods of uniting two or three swarms in autumn1 #dh ,,xv4--,manner of uniting old hives in autumn1 #ec ,,xvi4--,neighbouring hives should be united1 #ee ,,xvii4--,how to feed united swarms1 #ei ,,xviii4--,quantity of food requisite for united hives1 #fb ,,xix4--,benefits resulting from the union of weak hives1 #fg ,,xx4--,time and manner of renewing old hives1 #ga ,,xxi4--,the signs by which to ascertain whether a hive requires to be renewed1 #gf ,,xxii4--,artificial swarms1 and different methods of forming them1 #hd ,,xxiii4--,advantages of isolated hives1 #id ,,xxiv4--,enemies of bees1 and means of overcoming them1 #if ,,xxv4--,diseases of the bees1 #ajf ,,xxvi4--,of the different varieties of bees1 and their language1 #ajg ,,xxvii4--,signs of recognition among the bees1 #aaj ,,xxviii4--,preservation of hives in winter1 and means of protecting them from the cold1 #aab ,,xxix4--,manner of preserving hives1 by taking them into the house in winter1 #aag ,conclusion1 #aba ,,the ,,bee ,,preserver ,,authors ,,preface4 ,having attained old age1 ,i think it a duty1 before quitting the world1 to communicate to the public the observations ,i have made during sixty-four years that ,i have been occupied with bees4 ,from my earliest years ,i have been very fond of these admirable insects4 ,i began to observe them under the direction of my father1 ,jacques de ,gelieu1 pastor of the church of ,bayards1 and afterwards of that of ,verrieres1 in the principality of ,neuchatel4 ,he instructed me in the principles of this interesting study1 and taught me to like and to admire it1 by making me read the memoirs of the immortal ,reaumur1 with whom he had the honour to correspond4 ,being a nice observer1 he had prepared1 so early as #agdf1 a work in two volumes1 entitled ,a ,new and ,economical ,method for the ,preservation and ,increase of ,bees1 and how to procure a more abundant supply of ,honey and ,wax4 ,but when his work was ready for the press1 he lost in one day1 by an unfortunate accident1 the whole of his hives except one1 which he presented to me1 and which ,i subsequently managed under his direction4 ,thrown from that time into a succession of pressing occupations1 he lost sight of the printing of his work1 which is now in my possession1 in his own handwriting4 ,it contains the description of the storied hive1 of which he was the inventor1 and which has since been so variously modified4 ,these hives have been made known only through his correspondence with ,m4 de ,reaumur1 and other literary men1 as will appear from the note at the end of this ,preface4 ,in the collection of observations which ,i now present to the public1 ,i limit myself to what is strictly practical1 leaving to superior minds1 the ,swammerdams1 the ,reaumurs1 the ,shirachs1 the ,hubers1 to dive into the theory with which they are so successfully engaged4 ,theory1 however1 leads to practice2 and ,i have built on the foundation which they have so skilfully laid down4 ,i shall make known what my long experience has taught me to consider the best form of hives4 ,to ascertain which merited the preference1 ,i mixed all sizes and shapes of them in my apiary1 noting down their condition and product1 thus securing a result to which no doubt could attach2 convinced that it is easier to multiply hives in good seasons than to preserve them in bad ones1 since1 in the first case1 one has only to leave them in some measure to themselves1 while in the second there must be assiduous care and attention bestowed on them4 ,vexed at hearing of the great losses that have so generally taken place of late years1 and of the sensible and rapid diminution of these precious insects1 ,i shall point out how ,i succeeded in preserving mine in the worst seasons1 especially in those of #ahab and #ahac2 and ,i shall lay down the principles from which no one should swerve1 if he wishes to be constantly successful4 ,many people are fond of bees--indeed have a passion for them2 but it is not enough to be fond of them1--they must be skilfully taken care of1 according to certain rules1 applicable in every case1 but more particularly in bad years4 ,mistaken care annoys them--niggardliness ruins them4 ,in laying down rules1 ,i shall always take care to assign my reasons for them4 ,among the discoveries which ,i had the happiness to make1 there is one of the greatest importance to the practical apiarian1 of which ,i had not even the slightest suspicion1 and which astonished me so much that ,i could not believe my eyes4 ,it was only after trials a hundred times repeated and diversified1 that ,i could fully convince myself4 ,the fact is certain1 the reason is to me unknown1 and ,i leave to persons more learned than myself to give the explanation4 ,i have read most of the treatises that have been published on bees1 and have found errors in most of them4 ,to avoid them myself1 ,i shall advance nothing that ,i have not verified by numerous experiments1 which every one may repeat4 ,i shall make my narrative as short as possible4 ,i have said that the storied hives invented by my late father1 were known only through his correspondence with ,m4 de ,reaumur1 and other literary men2 the following is the proof3 ,extract from the ,corps d',observation of the ,society of ,commerce and ,agriculture of ,great ,britain1 #ageg-eh4 ,printed at ,rennes in #agfa1 page #afb4 ,monsieur de la ,bourdonaye1 ,procureur ,general-,syndic1 to whom the custom of our peasants 7of drowning the bees1 or suffocating them with sulphur1 in order to deprive them of all the store they have laid up to maintain them during the winter7 has been long known1 wrote to ,m4 de ,reaumur1 during the last assembly of the states1 #agef1 to ask for some instructions on this subject4 ,this academician pointed out1 in his answer1 the methods which he had expounded in the fifth volume des ,memoires pour servir l',histoire ,naturelle des ,insectes2 but he recommends1 more particularly1 to use the curiously shaped hives1 invented by ,gelieu1 a gentleman of the principality of ,neuchatel4 ,reaumur's letter1 which1 at first sight1 seems to contain a sufficient description of ,gelieu's hive1 does not clear up certain difficulties that presented themselves in the detail1 when we come to attempt their construction from his directions2 and therefore ,nevel1 member of the ,committee of ,rennes1 resolved to request a pattern hive from ,reaumur himself1 which he accordingly obtained1 and sent to the society4 ,it appears that hives of this kind would supply all that can be desired in the management of bees2 but they would cost more than one louis each--a price infinitely beyond the reach of a labouring man1 and which would even be too great for the rich4 ,it was necessary1 therefore1 to think of profiting by the invention of ,gelieu1 in contriving hives so cheap that every peasant might use them4 ,monsieur de la ,bourdonaye1 who paid great attention to this subject1 kindly communicated to the ,society both the letter of ,reaumur1 and the plan which he himself had formed1 of making hives at a small expence4 ,he began by using1 on his own estate1 those which he recommended as an experiment to the ,society4 ,it was called an experiment1 because1 in reality1 notwithstanding the probability of success attending the use of hives like those of which he sent the model1 his modesty made him afraid that experience might1 in some shape1 belie his hopes4 ,the ,society was not long in ordering hives to be made after the model4 ,they have made trial of them in the different faubourgs of ,rennes4 ,the rainy summer has prevented these trials being completed1 but the commencement has succeeded very well4 ,it is perhaps not altogether useless to give here an abridged exposition of the accidents that might be prevented1 in changing the shape of ordinary hives1 and of the means that might be employed for that purpose4 ,it has been already said1 that it is but too common to suffocate or drown the bees1 at the end of the season1 for the sake of profiting by the honey and wax4 ,those who manage them with more profit and intelligence1 watch the time when the hives are nearly full1 to force the bees up into an empty hive4 ,this operation must be done in fine weather1 in order that the bees may have time to make a sufficient provision for the winter4 ,this practice1 though the best of those in use at present1 causes considerable loss2 the brood-comb is taken away with the wax2 so that the proprietor loses a swarm just coming out1 as well as the swarms that this one might have afterwards produced4 ,it is this loss particularly that ,gelieu would prevent4 ,the hives at present on trial are1 in shape1 like a little round tower1 or hollow cylinder1 composed of four equal pieces1 placed one above another4 ,it is a certain fact1 that the cells destined for the reception of eggs are always situated in the lower part of the hive1 which is never disturbed4 ,according to ,gelieu's plan1 it is only the storey above the hive that is taken1 until after the brood-comb has furnished a swarm1 and the swarm has taken flight4 ,it seems1 then1 the interest of ,rennes to patronize ,gelieu's hives2 they guard against the inconveniences of the methods now in use2 and this has induced ,bourdonaye to adopt the means of making them of straw1 in place of wood1 like those of ,gelieu4 ,monsieur de la ,bourdonaye's hives are a little higher priced than those in common use2 but they give nearly a quarter more room1 and are1 of course1 more profitable in regard to price2 they are in the proportion of five to eight4 ,we shall soon be able to determine1 with certainty1 the advantages to be derived from this invention4 ,montluc has placed some joinings1 such as ,bourdonaye has contrived1 underneath his own hives1 upon his estate of ,laille4 ,similar ones1 at different places in the faubourgs of ,rennes1 will furnish decided proofs of comparison4 ,the preservation1 and also the increase of bees1 is an object of such interest to ,brittany1 that the peasants cannot be too much encouraged to turn their attention to it4 ,the ,society is well aware that it will be necessary to publish general instructions on that head1 and that the greatest merit of such a work will be to give only necessary instructions1 and nothing more4 ,it must be made so simple and so cheap as to be within every one's reach1 and1 above all1 applicable only to practical use4 ,any thing more is only fit for treatises wherein the authors are more occupied with the interests of their own self love1 than with those of the public4 ,but though much has been written on this subject1 the ,society is of opinion that there are yet observations and experiments to be made before publishing a document by which all the world might profit4 ,on this long quotation1 ,i shall merely take the liberty of remarking1 that the only inconvenience ascribed to the storied hives1 invented and made by my ,father--the only objection made to them--is1 that they are too dear1 that they will cost more than a louis each2 a price infinitely beyond the reach of a labouring man4 ,the price is high in ,brittany1 where wood is very dear4 ,on the other hand1 the model which my ,father sent to ,reaumur1 was made with a great deal of nicety1 as a common one would not have been worth offering to that illustrious academician who sent him in return a very handsome thermometer1 graduated by himself4 ,my ,father's hives1 more simply wrought1 were less expensive4 ,,the ,,bee ,,preserver1 c4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,situation ,,of ,,an ,,apiary4 ,the choice of a good situation is of the utmost consequence4 ,an apiary will not thrive in a bad situation1 however well it may be cared for in other respects4 #a4 ,the hives must1 above all things1 be sheltered from the wind4 ,it is the first precept of ,virgil#a4 ,for that purpose1 the force of the wind must be broken1 either by houses or by lofty trees in the vicinity4 ,a wall1 however high1 or a simple hedge1 is not sufficient1 because the bees that fly to the fields prefer stopping in places where the air is tranquil1 near bushes1 or along hedges or dells1 where they find a much greater abundance of honey than in places exposed to gales of wind4 ,they fatigue themselves flying from flower to flower1 and still more returning to their dwelling1 after having completed their little ladenings3 with a rapid flight they get over a great extent of space1 frequently against the wind2 but1 on approaching their hive1 they slacken their speed1 and advance1 wheeling round and round1 to recognize it4 ,a mistake1 at this time1 might be fatal1 and cost them their lives2 and if1 at this moment1 they encounter a strong current of air1 or a whirlwind1 to repel them1 they are again forced to wheel round to reconnoitre their habitation4 ,after a hard struggle1 the most vigorous arrive2 the others fall1 without power to rise again1 especially when the air is cold1 or the sky clouded4 ,the ground will then be strewed with dying or dead bees1 which never happens when the hives are placed in sheltered situations4 ,footnote #a3 ,principio sedes apibus statioque petenda1 ,quo neque sit ventis aditus 7nam pabula venti ,ferre domum prohibent74 ,virg4 ,georg4 lib4 iv4 #b;d1 ,the second condition of a good situation is its proximity to a fountain2 or1 still better1 to a little brook1 where the bees may drink#b4 ,water is absolutely necessary1 and enters as much as honey into the composition of the pap with which they nourish the brood2 and the pollen or dust of flowers1 which they bring home on their thighs1 is also a very essential ingredient in this pap4 ,the vicinity of deep waters is very hurtful to bees2 and ,i have sometimes seen hundreds of them drowned attempting to drink out of a cistern4 ,footnote #b3 ,at liquidi fontes et stagna virentia musco ,adsint1 et tenuis fugiens per gramina rivus4 ,georg4 l4 iv4 ,if there is no small stream or fountain near them1 they should be supplied by troughs1 filled with moss1 and then water poured on it1 until they are as full as they can hold4 ,the working bees come in swarms to them in the spring1 and quench their thirst without risk4 #c;d1 ,it is commonly believed that an apiary is not well situated unless it stands in the sun4 ,this is an error2 bees like the shade when working1 and like the sun only when in the fields1 which then animates and sustains them4 ,for this reason1 when people wish a swarm to settle1 after it has left the hive1 they hasten to cover it2 because the shade induces them to rest1 while a hot sun annoys them1 and inclines them to take flight again4 ,when we wish to disperse a cluster of bees off the front of a hive1 we have only to expose it to the rays of the sun in the heat of the day4 ,the bees then retreat under the hive1 on the side1 or behind it4 ,they thrive well in thick forests1 and delight in them2 because there they find a uniform temperature and a propitious shade4 ,how often1 during the dog-days1 have we not seen the honey running down1 and the combs melting1 in those hives exposed to the heat of the sun4 ,in one hour1 sometimes1 a whole apiary will be destroyed4 ,it is also a mistake to suppose hives exposed to the sun produce the earliest and strongest swarms4 ,i have oftener than once experienced the reverse4 ,my earliest swarms have generally come from the best shaded hives1 and which only receive the sun late4 ,i have even lost some in such situations1 because they took flight sooner than we thought of watching them4 ,we need never fear to shade a hive since ,virgil recommends it#c4 ,if the roof does not project sufficiently to protect the hive from the sun in the heat of the day1 ,i would advise them to be shaded with deals or pieces of matting4 ,footnote #c3 ,palmaque vestibulum aut ingens oleaster obumbret4 ,georg4 iv4 #dth1 ,the most favourable exposure is towards where the sun is from ten o'clock till mid-day4 ,they should never be turned to the east or west1 but1 more especially to the north1 where the cold and tempestuous winds would greatly injure them4 #eth1 ,hives should not be placed high1 on a first or second floor1 as ,i have sometimes seen them1 unless they be completely sheltered2 because the wind is less powerful near the ground than in elevated situations4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,proper ,,time ,,to ,,transport ,a ,,swarm ,,to ,,the ,,situation ,,designed ,,for ,,it4 ,most people who have bees allow their swarms to remain till the evening in the place where they have alighted1 and do not move them to the apiary till after sunset4 ,this method has many inconveniences1 which have been already pointed out by a most judicious and experienced author4 ,as soon as a swarm has congregated in the new hive1 and seems to be at ease in it1 the most industrious among the bees fly off to the fields1 but with a great many precautions4 ,they descend the front of the hive1 and turn to every side1 to examine it thoroughly2 then take flight1 and make some circles in the air1 in order to reconnoitre their new abode3 they do the same in returning4 ,if the swarm has taken flight in the morning1 the same bees make several excursions during the day1 and each time with less precaution1 as1 becoming familiarized with their dwelling1 they are less afraid of mistaking it2 and thus1 next morning1 supposing themselves in the same place1 they take wing without having observed where they have spent the night1 and surprised1 at their return1 not to find the hive in the same place1 they fly about all day in search of it1 until they perish with fatigue and despair4 ,thus1 many hundreds of the most industrious labourers are lost1 and this may be entirely avoided1 if the swarm be removed as soon as the bees are perceived coming out1 with the precautions ,i have mentioned4 ,this sign alone is sufficient4 ,sometimes ,i do not even wait until all the bees clustered in front1 or on the sides of the hive1 are re-united to their companions in the interior1 as they are never long in being so2 and this plan has always fully succeeded with me4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,situation ,,of ,,the ,,hives ,,ought ,,never ,,to ,,be ,,changed4 ,i have seen people shift about their hives very inconsiderately1 but change of place invariably weakens them1 as the bees will return to their old residence1 the environs of which are so familiar to them4 ,a hive should remain as fixed to the spot as the ancient oaks1 in the hollows of which they delight to establish themselves1--where they have their young1 their companions1 their beloved queen1 and all their treasures4 ,when the young bees take wing for the first time1 they do it with great precaution1 turning round and round1 and fluttering about the entrance1 to examine the hive well before taking flight4 ,they do the same in returning1 so that they may be easily distinguished1 conducting themselves nearly after the same maimer as the workers of a newly hived swarm4 ,when they have made a few hundred excursions1 they set off without examining the locality1 and1 returning in full flight1 will know their own hive in the midst of a hundred others4 ,but if you change its place you perplex them1 much the same as you would be if1 during a short absence1 some one lifted your house and placed it a mile off4 ,the poor bees return loaded1 and1 seeking in vain for their habitation1 either fall down and perish with fatigue1 or throw themselves into the neighbouring hives1 where they are speedily put to death4 ,the following fact proves how much these precious insects are attached to place1 and how far they retain the recollection of it4 ,during my residence at ,lignieres1 where ,i passed twenty-seven years1 ,i removed all my hives into the house towards the middle of ,november1 to guard them from the drifted snow1 in which my apiary would sometimes be buried1 and ,i replaced them again some fine day in ,march4 ,having hives of wood and straw1 of different sizes and shapes1 ,i arranged them with more order and symmetry1 and1 with this view1 ,i placed the first on the opposite side of the apiary to where it formerly stood4 ,although it had been shut up nearly four months1 the bees returned to the same place they had occupied the year before1 which obliged me to return my hive with all speed1 and led me to conclude that they should not be moved about1 and that the bees will not be pliable to our fancies and caprices4 ,when hives are transported to a considerable distance1 there is no fear that the bees will return4 ,but this inconvenience would be sure to take place1 and many of the working bees would perish1 if they were removed only a few hundred paces from the spot they have been accustomed to4 ,the hive may not perish1 but it will be greatly weakened4 ,in my opinion1 if the situation is to be changed at all1 they should be removed at least a mile and a half4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,most ,,convenient ,,shape ,,of ,,hives4 ,one of the chief objects of my researches has been1 to ascertain what shape of hive is the most profitable2 and1 with this view1 ,i have tried all the different kinds in my apiary1 and ,i have invariably remarked1 that bees thrive better in low hives than in high ones2 that1 in general1 those which are broad and flat1 or extended horizontally1 amass more honey1 thrive better1 and give out stronger and earlier swarms1 than those which are high1 and of several stories1 and for the following reasons4 ,a hive thrives only in proportion to the success or perfection of its brood-comb4 ,if the spring eggs come out well1 the hive will stock1 give out swarms at the proper time1 and collect a great deal of honey1 because the strength of its population will enable it to take advantage of fine days2 while a weak hive will only give out late swarms2 and1 having few labourers1 will gather very little honey4 ,it is1 therefore1 of great importance to assist the hive as much as possible1 in the spring especially1 when it is of itself too weak to keep up the necessary degree of heat for the hatching of the brood2 and also1 that in our climate there are frequently storms of frost and snow at that season1 which are very prejudicial to it4 ,if at that time the bees are lodged in high and roomy hives1 they will crowd together in vain to procure the necessary degree of heat to vivify the brood-comb1 which is always deposited in the middle of the hive1 and the heat ascending is dissipated and lost in the empty space above4 ,i have seen whole combs full of eggs do no good1 in consequence of the want of heat4 ,this never happens in the low1 flat hives1 where the heat is more easily concentrated2 here1 as the young bees come to life1 the heat augments1 and they assist in taking care of the others that are advancing1 and begin to spread out on all sides1 and entirely to fill the hive3 the republic prospers1 and increasing numbers are distinguished4 ,it is1 perhaps1 for this reason that bees thrive well in conical or sugar-loaf shaped hives1 which are common in some countries3 but they have this disadvantage1 that capes cannot be so easily fitted to them1 which facilitate the collecting of the finest honey1 and of which ,i shall treat presently4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,hives ,,of ,,straw ,,and ,,wood4 ,it is commonly supposed that bees thrive best in straw hives1 because the straw absorbs the moisture1 and the combs are less liable to mould4 ,for my part1 ,i can perceive no difference4 ,the bees are careful enough to varnish over the interior of the straw hives with a coating of wax1 or rather propolis1 to prevent the settlement of the moths2 and1 in the old hives1 this varnish is so thick that no moisture can penetrate between the cords of the straw4 ,wooden hives will also absorb moisture1 to a certain extent2 and experience has shewn me1 that it is a matter of indifference which are employed1 except as to the price1 according as either material may be more or less abundant in different parts of the country4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,thickness ,,or ,,solidity ,,of ,,hives4 ,whatever may be the form or material of which hives are made1 ,i strongly recommend not to be sparing of it1 but to make them substantial4 ,i would recommend that the boards of the wooden ones be an inch and a half thick2 and that the straw-ropes of which the others are composed1 be well twisted1 and more than an inch in diameter4 ,such hives will be heavier and more unwieldy than thin hives1 but they afford a better protection from the sun in summer1 and the frost in winter4 ,the heat of the sun is apt to melt the combs in summer3 in winter the cold sometimes candies1 and renders them useless2 and1 in the spring1 the thin hives neither retain the heat necessary for hatching the eggs1 nor for preserving the honey in a liquid state4 ,one may easily be convinced of this1 by laying some folds of linen on the top of the hive1 and then passing the hand between them1 and there will be a degree of warmth felt1 which never happens where the hives are thick enough4 ,they may be a little more costly1 but the expence is more than compensated by the prosperity of the bees4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,size ,,of ,,the ,,aperture ,,or ,,entrance ,,of ,,hives4 ,it is of great importance to widen or contract the entrance1 according to the season1 or to the strength of the swarms2 and for this purpose it is only necessary to have a few little wedges1 or bits of wood1 that may be taken out or put in at pleasure4 ,hives are weak in spring1 because the bees are engaged in the interior1 keeping warm1 and taking care of the young1 and the guard at the door is not strong enough to prevent invaders4 ,contract the door1 therefore1 and four bees will defend it better than thirty would do1 if it were more spacious1 and enlarge it again by degrees1 according to the increase of the population4 ,the working bees must have room enough to go out and in without hindrance2 when they begin to crowd together in groups at the entrance1 it is a sign of the interior being filled1 and they should then have free access1 as they will be strong enough to resist pillage4 ,when the cluster becomes very large1 which it will do as the drones increase1 enlarge the entrance as much as possible4 ,it is even advisable sometimes to open the hive a little at the top1 in order to moderate1 by a current of air1 the excessive heat that forces the bees to the outside2 and this is the only case in which there is any advantage in lofty hives4 ,after the destruction of the drones1 the population diminishes1 and the bees no longer cluster outside1 and then is the time to begin1 by degrees1 to contract the entrance1 in order to prevent plunder4 ,for this purpose1 ,i use little wooden wedges first1 because they cost nothing1 as any body may make them with a knife and a bit of stick2 and1 secondly1 because they help to protect them from the moths1 which make sad havoc when once they gain access to a hive4 ,they deposit their eggs in the interstices between the wedges and the hives1 and they are hatched by the heated vapour that is expelled by the constant vibration of the wings of the bees4 ,in the fine weather of ,april or ,may1 ,i inspect my hives twice or three times a-week1 before the bees go out in the morning1 take out the wedges1 and scrape and clean them with my knife2 and1 in this way1 ,i protect them from the moths4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,to ,,ascertain ,,the ,,weight ,,of ,,hives4 ,many apiaries do not prosper1 in consequence of the ignorance of those who have the care of them4 ,how many people follow blindly the way they have been used to1 without knowing wherefore2 others go on by chance1 without rule or guide4 ,at one time they ruin their hives1 by depriving them of too much of their honey2 at another1 they suffer whole colonies to die of hunger1 when they might save them by giving them food2 and1 in autumn1 they suffocate those that appear to be destitute of provisions1 because they know not how or in what manner to preserve them4 ,few amateurs understand thoroughly the state and wants of their hives1 and generally estimate them by lifting them up to feel their weight2 and1 as this may be the cause of numerous mistakes1 some being three or four times heavier than others1 it is of the utmost importance to know the exact weight of each hive1 when empty1 without either combs or bees4 ,for this purpose1 ,i expressly recommend1 that each hive be weighed before putting a swarm into it1 and the weight noted down in a memorandum book1 as well as on a ticket nailed on the hive1 the use of which we shall soon see4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,quantity ,,of ,,honey ,,necessary ,,to ,,maintain ,a ,,hive4 ,the quantity varies according to the climate4 ,in southern countries1 where there is scarcely any winter1 the bees gather food till towards the end of autumn1 and the flowers offer them pasture again very early in the spring4 ,in these countries1 therefore1 they require a smaller winter store than in colder climates4 ,the directions ,i am about to give1 are only applicable to ,switzerland1 or to those countries which nearly resemble it in point of temperature4 ,every hive ought to have at least three pots of honey to nourish it during the winter2 and1 as the pot of honey1 ,neuchatel measure1 weighs rather more than five pounds1 of seventeen ounces to the pound1 there should be fully fifteen pounds of honey allowed to each hive4 ,whether the swarm be strong or weak1 large or small1 is of no consequence1 as the smallest swarm will consume as much as a large one4 ,if they have less than that allowance1 they may linger through the winter1 but will be sure to die if the spring happens to be a late one1 and the weather cold and rainy4 ,if a hive is expected to swarm1 it should be allowed a quarter more in the autumn1 that is1 twenty pounds of honey3 or it may be supplied after another manner1 which ,i shall point out4 ,but let there be no higgling with bees2 better that they have too much than too little3 more prudent than man1 they never waste or abuse their superfluity4 ,in estimating the quantity of provisions that a hive contains1 its age should be considered2 and it is to be taken into account1 that the black combs of old hives weigh ten times more than the white combs of a young one4 ,it becomes1 therefore1 a matter of importance to know the weight of the empty hive1 without which the quantity of provision cannot be estimated1 and to weigh it again at the end of the honey season4 ,when a swarm of the present year1 at the end of autumn1 weighs fifteen or sixteen pounds more than its original weight1 ,i take nothing from it1 and ,i give it nothing1 being certain that it can maintain itself1 if not plundered4 ,if it has twenty-five1 or even thirty pounds1 neither do ,i touch it1 as it will prosper so much the better next year4 ,as to old hives1 they ought1 at the beginning of winter1 to weigh twenty-five pounds above their original weight4 ,i willingly leave them thirty or thirty-six pounds4 ,the remainder ,i consider my own1 and of course take it away4 ,some people will wonder at the quantity of provisions which ,i leave to my hives2 but it is the true means1 ,i may say the true secret1 by which to insure swarms1 for a starved one never produces4 ,to this ,i have seen only one exception4 ,i lavished honey upon a hive in spring1 when it was crowded with bees1 which were in want2 this enabled it to give out a late swarm1 but it never prospered4 ,what surplus ,i bestow upon them1 ,i consider as not lost1 and that1 sooner or later1 it will return to me4 ,besides1 the consumption is prodigious during the great hatching in the months of ,march1 ,april1 and ,may4 ,it requires an incredible quantity to nourish the young in the state of larv or worms4 ,the larv are involved in a kind of pap1 which its nurses lavish upon it1 and which is chiefly composed of honey4 ,if1 at this time1 there should happen to be whole weeks of cold rainy weather1 and high winds1 which is sometimes the case at that season1 the poor bees1 unable to get to the fields1 will suffer severely if they have not honey in store2 the hatching is interrupted till the return of fine weather2 and the population makes no progress3 while1 in well provisioned hives1 it goes on without intermission4 ,bees are very saving2 but it is to our profit4 ,let us not deal grudgingly with them4 ,nevertheless1 it is not advantageous to leave them greatly too much honey1--excessive super-abundance annoys them4 ,in plentiful seasons1 ,i have seen middling sized straw-hives in which the combs were filled with honey down to the very boards4 ,this happens especially when the bees have enriched themselves with plunder in the autumn2 and there are two inconveniences attending it2 first1 the bees have not room to deposit their brood1 which1 by the time the swarms are ready to go off1 fills the hive almost entirely2 secondly1 the old honey candies1 and1 in that state1 it is of no use to the bees4 ,when hives are to be renewed by the cutting out of old combs1 it is this kind that should1 above all1 be taken away4 ,it is always to be found in old hives2 and if it has been left several winters in the hive1 it sours and contracts a disagreeable taste4 ,the best use that can then be made of it is to dissolve it with more or less wine1 and feed the bees with it on the approach of the swarming season2 above all1 when the weather is cold and rainy4 ,their activity is then increased by it4 ,these succours will not be found superfluous even when the trees are in flower4 ,in fine weather they find honey in abundance on them2 but1 should a few rainy days interrupt their labours1 and throw them upon their own resources1 the progress of the hatching is stopped1 and injury is done to all4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,capes ,,or ,,hoods4 ,well made straw-hives ought to have a hole in the top1 of about an inch or an inch and a half in diameter1 which may be closed with a cork or stopper of wood4 ,this stopper may be drawn out when it is found advisable to put a cape or hood on it1 so as to give the bees more room to deposit their honey4 ,these capes are little straw-hives capable of containing five or six pounds of honey-comb1 or more1 according to the size of the hive on which they are placed4 ,they are made very thin and light3 the cords of straw of which they are formed are very small1 being not intended to keep in the heat1 but merely to serve as a temporary magazine for the honey4 ,the use of these additions will be easily understood by those who know that it takes as long a time to hatch a bee as to hatch a chicken1 viz4 three weeks4 ,i have already said and repeated1 that1 in the swarming season1 the strong and well provisioned hives are almost entirely filled with the brood-comb1 and that scarcely any of the cells will be found empty4 ,at that time also1 honey becomes abundant2 and1 when fine days succeed each other1 the working bees amass an astonishing quantity2 but where is it to be stored8 ,moments are precious4 ,must they wait until the young bees have left the brood-cells1 a week or perhaps a fortnight longer1 by which time the early flowers will be cut down or withered1 never more to display their honied cups to these little reapers8 ,what is to be done in this dilemma8 ,must the young be sacrificed1 and torn from the cells1 in order to make room for the riches that nature offers on every hand8 ,but this destruction of its posterity would ruin the colony4 ,mark1 then1 the resource of the industrious bees4 ,they search in their neighbourhood for a place where they may deposit their honey until the young shall have left the comb in which they were hatched1 and nourished1 and undergone their metamorphoses2 and1 if they fail in their object1 they crowd together op the front or sides of their habitation1 forming prodigious clusters4 ,it is not uncommon to see them build combs on the outside2 many did so in the year #agia1 the finest honey year ,i have seen since #agec4 ,in the year #agia1 ,i drew from one of my straw-hives that did not swarm1 seventy-two pounds of beautiful honey-comb1 merely by emptying the capes as they were filled4 ,all years1 however1 are not like that1 nor any thing approaching to it4 ,there are middling seasons1 when the bees find little more than merely what is requisite for their own supply4 ,there are also bad seasons1 when almost all the swarms perish1 as well as numberless old hives1 when they do not receive assistance3 such1 among others1 were the years #ahab and #ahac4 ,in the worst years there are days and even weeks of fine weather1 when the honey is abundant2 but it is of short continuance4 ,the bees1 however1 at that time1 will deposit their honey into the capes2 and1 towards the end of summer1 or beginning of autumn1 when little or no more is to be found1 they remove it into the hive1 filling the cells which the brood occupied at the time it was collected4 ,if1 during the summer1 we deprive them of this treasure1 which is only deposited in the capes for the time1 we impoverish them1 unless it is returned to them in twice the quantity4 ,this was one cause of the ruin and depopulation of so many apiaries during these two fatal years1 and my principal motive for taking up my pen is1 to prevent1 if possible1 the recurrence of such disasters1 by making known to the public my observations and discoveries4 ,if the bees have room enough in the interior to dispose of their honey1 it is needless to give them capes1 for they will not build in them4 ,these capes are commonly placed on the top of the hive1 but it is matter of indifference whether they be on the right1 on the left1 or even underneath1 provided there be an accessible way of communication between them4 ,if we wish to attach them to the bottom of the hive1 we establish a communication between the hive and the cape1 by making a hole in the board on which the hive rests1 so as to afford a free passage to the workers4 ,i have capes of all kinds1 above1 below1 and on the sides1 which all succeed equally well4 ,those placed above have an advantage not to be despised1 which is1 that they prevent the combs from moulding during the winter1 an evil to which hives are liable in those countries where they are taken into the house1 to protect them from the frost and snow4 ,all those that are well stocked1 produce a moisture which1 having no vent1 collects in drops on the sides1 and at the base of the hive1 in which the bees are kept close prisoners until the return of fine weather4 ,many perish during their long captivity1 and1 oftener than once1 ,i have found large icicles in strong hives4 ,this never happens to those that have capes on the top3 the moisture ascending evaporates through the opening1 as by a chimney2 and then one has the satisfaction of finding the combs healthy and free of mould in the spring4 ,care1 however1 must be had to cement it all round with clay or mortar1 or some composition suited to exclude the wind1 and to prevent the bees1 sometimes very impatient1 from getting out during the winter4 ,with this precaution1 very few will be found dead in the spring2 and1 in well-stocked hives1 the laying of eggs begins about the end of ,january or beginning of ,february4 ,capes may be adapted to wooden hives1 or to those of any other material1 as well as to those of straw4 ,many people place capes over all their swarms the very day1 or the day after1 their emigration1 and ,i approve of this plan for early and strong swarms4 ,capes neither prevent nor retard the issuing of swarms4 ,i have frequently had hives that filled them1 or were in the way of doing so1 when the emigration took place1 but on their numbers being diminished1 stopped the work1 and returned to it again as soon as they were reinforced1 provided they did not give out a second swarm4 ,hives that have capes rarely give out second swarms1 and this is no loss4 ,the honey obtained by the capes is very pure1 beautifully white1 and very superior to what is obtained by the cutting out of combs4 ,it sometimes happens1 that the queen will ascend into the cape to deposit her eggs1 when she has not room in the interior2 therefore1 should any brood-comb happen to be in it when it is intended to be removed1 let it be replaced until such time as the young are completely hatched4 ,the brood-comb is easily distinguished3 the cells that contain it have their covers darker1 more raised1 and much thicker1 than those that contain honey1 the covers of which are white1 flat1 and very thin4 ,there is no fixed rule for the time of removing the capes2 it must altogether depend on the abundance of the honey4 ,in six years1 there are usually two bad1 two good1 and two middling seasons4 ,in bad seasons there is nothing to take away2 on the contrary1 some must be given1 or1 properly speaking1 be lent to them1 for the industrious bees always repay three1 four1 and five fold interest on the advances that are made them4 ,in good years1 the capes may be emptied three or four times2 and unless this be done the bees will build their combs on the outside4 ,in middling seasons1 strong and well provisioned hives fill at least one cape1 which may be taken without remorse1 if they have not swarmed4 ,i seldom or never take any from those that have swarmed1 because they are thereby very much weakened4 ,good sense must here direct the proprietor4 ,the only fixed rule which can be laid down is1 never to take the capes that are not quite filled1 unless the hive happens to be very large1 as there is always abundance of honey when the labourers determine to go to work in the capes4 ,but beware of taking half-filled capes from small or middling sized hives3 restitution will repair but a small portion of the evil this will do them4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,how ,,to ,,expel ,,the ,,bees ,,from ,,the ,,capes4 ,it is in the heat of the day that the honey should be taken from the capes4 ,a number of bees will always be found 7commissioned no doubt7 to guard the treasure4 ,various methods are resorted to1 to expel them without smoking4 ,some carry the cape to a distance from the apiary1 turn it upside down1 rest it on the ground1 and cover it with a napkin1 leaving on one side a space of about a finger-length uncovered1 to allow an exit to the bees1 which1 escaping by this opening1 return to their habitation2 and1 to hasten their departure1 some one knocks1 from time to time1 on the outside4 ,others take a cape of the same size1 place it over the full one that is turned upside down1 bind them round with a napkin1 to intercept all passage to the bees1 and force them to ascend into the empty cape by tapping gently on the full one4 ,they soon go up into the empty cape1 calling on each other1 and flapping their wings2 and1 when they are all housed1 replace them again on the parent hive whence they were withdrawn2 and1 if the season is favourable and the honey abundant1 they soon set to work again4 ,i prefer this last method1 which is the speediest and easiest4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,size ,,of ,,hives4 ,most amateurs have all their hives of an equal size4 ,some will have only very large ones2 others very small ones2 and others there are who prefer those of middling dimensions1 into which they lodge indifferently1 early and late1 weak and strong1 and even double swarms1 that have re-united on leaving the parent hive2 this is not very judicious4 ,there should be a roomy lodging for first and for strong swarms1 and even more so for double ones2 and there ought to be small hives to receive feeble and tardy swarms1 as well as for second and third ones at least1 if proprietors do not reinforce them1 by uniting them1 according to my plan4 ,middling sized hives are convenient for ordinary swarms1 which are neither the first nor the last ones4 ,when two or even three swarms come off at the same time and mingle together1 as sometimes happens in large apiaries1 ,i take care not to separate them1 but give them a hive big enough to contain them all4 ,one strong population supports itself better1 and is incomparably more profitable1 than feeble colonies1 that must be often in need of assistance4 ,but there is a measure in every thing1 and there should be no excess2 should four or five swarms mingle1 it is proper to separate them and lodge them in two hives of suitable dimensions2 when ,i have not done so1 ,i have always1 except once1 had cause to regret it4 ,before swarming time1 it is as well to prepare hives of various sizes1 just as one would have casks ready in a cellar before the vintage1 to be ready for use4 ,here experience is in harmony with reason4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,manner ,,of ,,uniting ,,new ,,swarms4 ,feeble and tardy swarms can do no good excepting in very fine seasons4 ,in bad seasons they greatly weaken the hives that produce them1 without being able to shift for themselves4 ,in ordinary years1 they can only be preserved by much care1 and at the expence of a great deal of honey2 and most of them die1 after all1 without bringing any profit to their master4 ,i have saved some that have turned out well1 but only at the end of two or even three years2 and ,i advise no one to try the experiment unless they have a great deal of honey to spare4 ,it is better to unite them1 and proceed after the following method3-- ,when two small swarms come off the same day1 ,i gather them separately1 and leave them at the foot of the tree or hush on which they have alighted4 ,towards evening ,i spread a table-cloth on the ground1 on which1 by a smart and sudden movement1 ,i shake all the bees out of one of the hives1 and immediately take the other and place it gently over the bees that are heaped together on the cloth1 and they instantly ascend into it1 flapping their wings1 and join those which1 not having been disturbed1 are quiet in their new abode4 ,early next morning ,i remove this newly united hive to the place it is destined to occupy4 ,this doubled population works with double success1 and in the most perfect harmony2 and generally becomes a powerful colony1 from which a great profit is derived4 ,two feeble swarms may be united after the same manner1 although one of them may have come off some days later than the other1 and the first may have constructed combs2 taking care1 however1 not to make the first one enter the second1 but the second the first1 as the bees will ascend more readily to join those that have already begun to make honey and to hatch brood2 and next day they will proceed together1 with increased ardour1 with the work which the first had already begun1 and which will now advance more rapidly from the increase of the labourers4 ,it is to be understood1 that1 after this union1 the hive should be placed early next morning in the same place where the oldest of the swarms has already passed some days4 ,i have recommended the uniting of swarms to be effected in the evening1 when the bees are quietly housed for the night4 ,if it were to be during the day1 when the labourers are in full activity1 they might fight and kill one another1 to the total destruction of one of the swarms1 which ,i have seen happen more than once4 ,but in the evening they are grouped together2 those that have been displaced alight upon1 and take hold of1 the others1 and thus merely extend the cluster1 now composed of two distinct masses1 the one covering the other3 their peace is never disturbed1 and next day they work together in perfect harmony4 ,their fighting is always after the fashion of a duel1 and not of a battle4 ,in their wars1 they do not range themselves in close battle lines1 like men1 breaking through and overturning each other2 they fight bee to bee1 excepting in cases of plunder or the killing of the drones1 and then the combatant who first engages in the attack is speedily assisted by all those within reach uniting their forces to overthrow the enemy4 ,but when the whole of a new swarm1 suddenly displaced1 ascends precipitately into a hive1 peaceably occupied by another1 the bees of each colony cannot recognize each other1 and having no field to fight after their own fashion1 they pass the night together1 and1 doubtless1 acquiring the same smell1 live happily together4 ,but such is not the case when we wish to make a swarm enter an old hive1 or to unite it to one whose hive is already full of honey-combs4 ,then another way of proceeding1 and precautions of another kind1 are necessary1 concerning which ,i shall now give directions4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,methods ,,of ,,uniting ,,two ,,or ,,three ,,swarms ,,in ,,autumn4 ,when the swarms have not been able to lay up a sufficient provision during the fine weather1 ,i weigh them at the end of the season1 and1 knowing the weight of each empty hive1 ,i can tell exactly the quantity of honey they have in store4 ,if they are three1 four1 five or six pounds too light1 ,i preserve them1 and feed them in the manner ,i am about to detail4 ,when the swarms have only about one-third or one-half of the quantity of honey which would suffice to feed them1 ,i might keep them alive by giving them as much more as they require4 ,i have frequently done so2 but ,i have already remarked1 that this plan costs too much honey1 and gives too much trouble2 and therefore ,i generally join them into one4 ,for this purpose1 ,i leave the heaviest swarm untouched1 and1 in the morning of a fine day in ,september1 or beginning of ,october1 ,i commence by blowing a few whiffs of tobacco-smoke with my pipe in at the door of the hive of the lightest swarm1 to disperse the sentinels2 then1 turning up the hive1 and placing it on its top on the ground1 ,i give it a little more smoke1 to prevent the bees from becoming irritated1 and to force them to retire within the combs4 ,i proceed to cut out all the combs in succession1 beginning with the smallest1 sweeping the bees with a feather off each piece back into the hive2 and then ,i place the combs1 one after another1 into a large dish beside me1 keeping it1 at the same time1 carefully covered over with a napkin or small table-cloth1 to prevent the bees returning to their combs1 or the smell of the honey attracting others that may be flying about4 ,the last comb is the most difficult to come at1 being completely covered over with bees4 ,i detach it1 however1 in the same way as the others1 but with greater precaution1 sweeping the bees off very gently with the feather until there is not one left on it4 ,this operation ,i perform without gloves or any other protection1 armed only with my pipe2 and1 for ten times that ,i treat them after this fashion1 ,i seldom receive one sting1 even when ,i act unassisted4 ,the combs being all removed1 the swarm remains as completely destitute of food as it was on the day of its emigration1 and ,i replace it on its board in the same spot it occupied when full1 and leave it till the evening1 by which time the bees will be clustered together like a new swarm4 ,during the whole of the day1 which ,i shall suppose to be fine1 they occupy themselves with great earnestness cleaning their house1 and making such a noise in removing the little fragments of wax that have fallen on the board1 that any one who did not know it had been emptied1 would take it for the best and strongest of the hives4 ,before night1 when they are all quiet1 ,i throw a few whiffs of smoke in at the door of the hive which ,i mean my deprived swarm to enter1 and which should be its next neighbour1 on the right hand or the left2 then1 turning it up and resting it on the ground1 ,i sprinkle it all over with honey1 especially between the combs where ,i perceive the greatest number of bees3 five or six table-spoonfuls generally suffice2 at other times three or four times as many are required4 ,if too little were given1 the new comers might not be well received2 there might be some fighting2 and1 by giving too much1 we run the risk of drowning them4 ,one should cease the sprinkling when the bees begin to climb up above the combs1 and shelter themselves on the sides of the hive3 this done1 ,i replace the hive on its board1 which should jut out about seven or eight inches1 raising the hive up in front with two little bits of stick1 so as to leave a division of an inch in front between it and the board1 to give free access to the bees4 ,i also spread a table-cloth on the ground before it1 raising and fixing one end of it on the board1 by means of the two bits of sticks that are placed as a temporary support to the hive4 ,i then take the hive that was deprived of its combs in the morning1 and1 with one shake1 throw the bees out of it upon the table-cloth1 which they instantly begin to ascend2 while1 by the help of a long wooden spoon1 ,i guide them to the door of the one that is placed for their reception4 ,a few spoonfuls of the bees raised and laid down at the door of the hive1 will set the example1--they enter at once1 and the others follow quickly1 flapping their wings and sipping with delight the drops of honey that come in their way1 or officiously licking and cleaning those first inhabitants that have received the sprinkling1 and with whom they mingle and live henceforth on good terms4 ,one division of the new comers always clusters on the front of the hive1 which they enter during the night without disturbance1 much pleased to rejoin their companions4 ,next morning early it is necessary to take away the table-cloth and the bits of stick that were placed to raise up the hive and facilitate the entrance of the bees1 and for some days the door should be left as wide as possible4 ,the hive should also be moved a little to the right or left1 that it may stand precisely in the centre of the place they both occupied before the union4 ,i have frequently united three swarms in the same manner1 and with the same success1 taking care only to empty in the morning those on each side1 and to make the bees enter the middle one in the evening1 after it has been sprinkled with honey4 ,in this case ,i do not remove the one that unites the three swarms4 ,the reason of this we shall soon see4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,manner ,,of ,,uniting ,,old ,,hives ,,in ,,autumn4 ,when old hives are weakened by giving out too many swarms1 and have not amassed a sufficient provision for the winter1 many proprietors place them one above another1 simply making an opening in the board1 to serve as a communication between them1 and closing the entrance to the upper one1 with a little clay1 for the purpose of making the bees go out and in through the lower one by the only opening that is left them4 ,several authors advise it2 ,i have done it also1 but shall do so no more1 having found it attended by two serious inconveniences4 ,the first is1 that the two colonies do not always agree2 indeed they fight sometimes to extremity1 and thus the one is destroyed and the other is weakened4 ,the reason is1 that the bees of the upper hive1 descending one by one1 or only few at a time1 are examined at leisure by those in the lower one1 and1 not having the same signal1 are mistaken for robbers1 and killed without mercy4 ,this occurred to me the first time ,i attempted to unite them in this way2 but it never happens in the tumultuous union of two swarms1 when the one has been sprinkled and almost glued with honey1 in consequence of which it is not in a fit state to commence an attack on those that are hastily displaced4 ,a second inconvenience is1 that1 even supposing there should be no warfare1 the habitation is much too large for those that are henceforth intended to be but one family4 ,whether they unite in the upper or the under hive1 one of them must be left empty1 into which thieves can find easier access2 and although they should not be plundered1 they would suffer from the cold of a severe winter4 ,the population1 indeed1 is doubled1 but so is the size of the lodging1 and in that case there will be no swarms4 ,very large hives seldom swarm1 it requires so much more time to fill them4 ,my method has not these disadvantages1 for two families living together in the same hive are warmer1 and better able to resist any hostile attack4 ,it is to avoid these two inconveniences that1 in autumn1 ,i empty an old hive which has not sufficient provision1 and1 in the evening of the same day1 ,i introduce the bees into one of its neighbours on the right hand or on the left1 proceeding in the same manner as with the swarms2 with this single difference1 that the sprinkling of honey should be more liberal to the old hive than to the swarm4 ,if the hive of which ,i have doubled the population is well enough furnished with provision for the winter1 ,i give it nothing4 ,and if there is not enough1 ,i give it before winter as much as it requires1 in the manner hereafter to be detailed4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,neighbouring ,,hives ,,should ,,be ,,united4 ,i ,,have already said1 in ,chapter ,,iii4 that bees which have not swarmed voluntarily return to the place they have been accustomed to1 even after having been shut up for months3 the same thing would happen if you united swarms distant from each other4 ,next day1 or the day after1 you would have the mortification to see the bees return by hundreds to their old residence1 flutter about for a length of time1 and lose their lives1 either by falling down from fatigue1 or throwing themselves into the neighbouring hives1 where they are put to death4 ,not having left their new dwelling with the same precaution that a swarm uses to reconnoitre the one it has chosen1 or that has been given to it1 and1 supposing themselves at home1 in spite of the disorder of the night before1 they rush out on a rapid flight1 and1 returning from their excursion1 go back to the place of their ancient domicil2 and thus the purpose of fortifying your hives1 and of preserving them1 by uniting them1 is defeated4 ,i have frequently tried to unite distant hives1 and always met with this result4 ,there is only one remedy for this that ,i know of1 but it is an imperfect one1 and gives a great deal of trouble4 ,it is1 to put in some combs of wax into the hive that has been emptied1 and replace it in its old situation4 ,the bees return to it in great numbers the following day1 and some days after2 at length1 after a great deal of bustle1 they settle towards evening on the combs1 and1 before night1 when they are quite tranquil1 ,i take the combs one after another1 and1 with a feather1 sweep off the bees1 so as to make them fall upon the board of the one that contains their companions1 and which they now enter with evident marks of joy4 ,this operation may require to be repeated for seven or eight days1 with this difference1 that every succeeding day fewer will return4 ,thus the evil may be repaired1 though incompletely and with infinite trouble4 ,it is to avoid the perplexity which displacing them occasions to these precious insects1 and also the loss that results to myself1 that ,i move the united hive a little to one side1 so that it may occupy the space that was before between them4 ,as displacing them only a few inches does not confuse them1 for the same reason1 when ,i join three hives1 as ,i often do1 ,i never displace the middle one1 but remove those ,i have emptied on the right hand and on the left1 which is sufficient to prevent mistakes1 and the bees1 finding no hive on either side1 enter the middle one without hesitation4 ,it is a very essential point1 however1 to join only neighbouring hives1 as being less troublesome and more successful4 ,it would be a good plan to mingle in the apiary strong and weak hives alternately1 and to place small and late swarms near each other1 in order to unite two and two1 or three and three1 in autumn1 if they have not enough of provision laid up for their winter subsistence4 ,when a deprived swarm happens not to be near another in the same state1 there is nothing to hinder it being united to any old well provisioned hive that may be near it1 as it will thrive all the better for such an addition to its population4 ,i have done so oftener than once1 and always with success4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,how ,,to ,,feed ,,united ,,swarms4 ,there is always honey in hives that are emptied to be united4 ,if there are six pounds more or less1 ,i lay aside the combs that are full1 after having separated those that are but half filled1 and of which the cells are not hermetically sealed by the little thin chip of transparent white wax which invariably covers those cells that are full of honey4 ,twelve or fourteen days after the union1 when the cold forces the bees to congregate themselves in their hives1 ,i give the hive that contains the double population a few puffs of tobacco-smoke2 then1 turning it upside down1 ,i cut away the empty combs1 that are always below and on the sides of the hive4 ,while performing this operation1 it is necessary to give them an occasional whiff of smoke to keep them quiet4 ,i only take out the one-half of those that are half filled with honey1 and cease as soon as ,i find the comb quite full4 ,when there is room enough to contain the fragments of honey-comb that ,i mean to put in1 ,i place them as nicely as ,i can1 without breaking or bruising them1 filling the empty space1 without leaving any division but the little intervals between the combs1 to allow a free passage to the bees4 ,this done1 ,i lay a board over it1 and1 with the aid of another person1 we return it gently to its former position1 and1 shaking it as little as possible1 replace it in its proper situation4 ,this operation may be done in the morning or in the evening1 but never in the heat of the day4 ,i prefer the evening1 in order not to attract thieves4 ,the diligent bees soon discover the change that has taken place2 and finding bits of honey-comb heaped up in all directions1 they set about giving them solidity1 soldering them together before the following night1 in such a manner1 that all these fragments soon form one mass1 intersected only by little alleys of communication4 ,thus it remains during the whole of the winter2 and1 in the month of ,march or ,april1 according to the temperature of the weather1 ,i take out this irregular mass1 which ,i find entirely emptied2 the bees having lived upon it1 and spared the provisions which they had stored in the middle of the hive4 ,i have supposed that the hive whose population ,i have doubled has also received the addition of six pounds of honey-comb1 given in the way ,i have just described4 ,these constitute1 as it were1 the dowry of the new comers1 who are themselves at the whole expence1 as it was they who constructed and filled the combs of which ,i took possession4 ,the doubled hive having then sufficient food to subsist on till spring1 ,i trouble it no more1 certain1 from past experience1 that ,i shall then find it in good condition4 ,every one of these swarms would have perished from want1 had they lived separately2 and1 by joining1 ,i give them the means of subsistence1 without costing myself any thing4 ,if the supposed six pounds do not suffice to support them1 ,i lend them more2 ,i say lend1 for the bees always return with interest whatever advances are made to them4 ,i proceed exactly after the same manner when ,i unite two old hives that have not been able to lay up a sufficient provision1 remembering always1 as already mentioned1 that old dark-coloured combs1 being much heavier than white ones1 contain also less honey1 and that1 consequently1 it requires a greater number of pounds to make up a pot of this nectar4 ,the difference is so great1 that six pounds of white comb will produce more than a pot of honey1 whereas the same quantity can scarcely be extracted from eight1 or even ten1 pounds of black comb4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,quantity ,,of ,,food ,,requisite ,,for ,,united ,,hives4 ,i have said1 in ,chapter ,,ix4 that each hive must have three pots1 or fifteen pounds of honey1 to sustain it during the winter1 and until the bees can find food for themselves again in the spring4 ,for this reason1 ,i have advised the empty hives to be weighed1 before the swarm is admitted into it1 and again in the autumn1 when the honey season is over1 in order that we may be assured that there is food enough to maintain them during the winter4 ,in doubling the population1 ,i naturally expected that we must also double the quantity of food1 for ,i had always seen that two or three families1 living together1 used more meat than each would have done singly1 however rigid their economy4 ,the more mouths the more meat1 thought ,i2 and1 in consequence1 ,i augmented greatly the amount of provision the first time ,i doubled a hive2 but1 to my great astonishment1 when ,i weighed it again in the spring1 ,i found that the united swarm had not consumed more than each would have done singly4 ,i could not believe my eyes1 but thought there must be some mistake1 nor could ,i be convinced1 until ,i had repeated the experiment a hundred times over1 and had always the same result4 ,i have made a point1 in every instance1 to mention the reasons of my advice and proceedings2 here1 however1 ,i humbly confess my inability to do so1 nor can ,i conceive how an army of thirty thousand troops could be served with the same rations allowed for an army of only ten thousand1 supposing the soldiers of both to have an equal appetite1 and to have each wherewith to satisfy it4 ,but the fact exists in regard to the bees2 any one may have it in his power to convince himself of it2 the cause is to me unknown1 and must be left to wiser heads than mine to explain4 ,does the increase of heat supply1 to a certain extent1 the place of nourishment8 ,does the greater and more uniform heat1 in a well-stocked hive1 make the food more nourishing8 ,these are questions which ,i propose to naturalists1 but which ,i cannot answer4 ,after this discovery1 as important as it seems to be inexplicable1 ,i varied my experiments1 not only to convince myself of the fact1 but1 if possible1 to arrive at more extended results4 ,i joined three hives in the autumn1 by introducing into the middle one1 the bees of two neighbouring hives2 and ,i found1 on weighing it in the spring1 that its inhabitants had scarcely used one pound more than those of hives that had not been united4 ,i went farther3 ,having a large well-stocked and amply provided hive1 ,i added to it1 in the autumn1 without displacing it1 the swarms of four neighbouring hives1 two on the right hand and two on the left1 that were so scarce of provisions that the quantity of honey that would have been necessary to have kept them alive1 would have far exceeded their value1 and that all the four would1 to a certainty8 have perished4 ,this enormous population produced a heat so great1 that1 during the whole of a very severe winter1 the bees kept up a buzzing noise equal to that of a strong and active hive in the evening of a fine day in spring4 ,the steam expelled by the vibration of their wings1 collected in drops at the door1 and formed icicles round the entrance of the hive during severe frost4 ,the hive was left out all the winter1 and would infallibly have perished had ,i shut it up2 and what was my astonishment1 on weighing it in the spring1 to find that1 notwithstanding that it contained five pounds1 the total diminution did not exceed three pounds more than took place in my ordinary hives4 ,it gave out excellent swarms1 long before any of the others1 and recompensed me well for my pains4 ,i have not repeated the experiment to the same extent1 but have limited myself to the union of two1 or at most three deprived hives1 and have been very well paid4 ,what1 in these circumstances1 becomes of the supernumerary queens1 since their hatred to one another is so great that there can be but one in each colony8 ,i give myself no trouble to answer the question1 more curious than useful2 the aim of my experiments being only to give practical rules4 ,i have often been astonished that so important a discovery should not have been made sooner by some of the superior minds that have taken an interest in this branch of rural economy2 and that1 in the course of their researches1 not one of them should have thought of uniting two or three weak swarms1 before winter1 to compare them with single swarms1 in order to ascertain how much honey was necessary1 according to both plans1 till the end of the winter season4 ,doubtless they had believed1 as ,i formerly did1 that the more numerous the family the more provisions would they require1 and that little would thus be gained by uniting them4 ,i should have regretted quitting the world before publishing this discovery2 and it had nearly perished with me2 for1 continued and indispensable occupations1 as well as a dangerous illness1 prevented me setting about giving it to the public1 till now that ,i am far advanced in life4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,benefits ,,resulting ,,from ,,the ,,union ,,of ,,weak ,,hives4 ,the advantages of uniting weak hives are very considerable4 ,i need only mention three4 #a4 ,the bees are saved2 #b4 ,they are saved without trouble or expence2 #c4 ,all the hives are strong4 ,the first of these advantages is the preservation of the bees4 ,in every country1 swarms are destroyed that have not been able to gather a sufficient store of provision4 ,those found to be too light are unmercifully condemned to be suffocated2 and what little honey they have collected1 is considered as pure gain1 because the bees would have perished from want1 after having consumed the scanty fruits of their own industry2 and1 by putting them to death a little sooner1 something at least may be made of them4 ,thus people reason1 and thus the murderous practice is so generally adopted4 ,the same plan is followed in regard to old hives that are exhausted by giving out too many swarms2 and in short1 to all those that have not abundance of provision laid up2 and the very heavy ones1 on the other hand1 have their bees slain to get possession of the honey4 ,what a frightful proscription is this6 ,what blanks occur in the apiaries1 especially in bad years1 such as #ahab and #ahac6 ,and how injurious to our own interest is this indiscriminate destruction of weak and healthy1 of rich and poor6 ,there is no mercy shewn but to them that have just enough to keep them alive2 and not even one of them would be spared1 were they not indispensably necessary to repeople the apiaries by new swarms4 ,according to my method1 all these evils are prevented4 ,all the hives may be robbed of their treasures2 but the lives of the bees are spared4 ,a second and very considerable advantage is the saving of honey4 ,i have already said1 that there must be at least three pots or fifteen pounds of honey to maintain one hive1 whether it be strong or weak4 ,if three swarms1 then1 have only that quantity among them1 each has but a third of the provision that it requires2 and1 to keep them alive1 you must sacrifice six pots of honey1 that is1 two-thirds of the whole provision1 or two pots for each4 ,it is to avoid this great expence1 which would equal if not exceed the value of the swarms1 that most people have recourse to the prompt measure of suffocation4 ,but1 by uniting the swarms1 all the working bees may be saved1 without any expence1 and without any waste of honey but the small quantity employed to sprinkle the combs of the hive1 into which you make them enter4 ,the honey-combs found in those which you empty1 are sufficient to feed the three united swarms1 by giving it to them after the manner ,i have directed at page #cc4 ,the wax is all your own4 ,it costs only a little care and a little trouble1 which will be amply repaid by the benefit insured4 ,and will it be accounted a slight pleasure to witness the prosperity of the bees we have saved8 ,a third advantage1 which appears to me one of great value1 is1 that all the hives which we possess are strong hives 7meaning by the term strong1 such hives as are well stocked with bees74 ,weak hives decline and yield nothing2 have frequent need of assistance2 are exposed to pillage2 give out no swarms2 and produce scarcely heat sufficient to hatch a little brood in a corner of their dwelling1 which never comes to good4 ,how often have ,i seen the brood come to an untimely end4 ,in vain the bees will crowd together1 to procure the necessary degree of heat1 when there is much empty space in the hive4 ,a number of weak hives may do well enough to make a shew in the apiary1 but will be no profit to the proprietor4 ,it costs a good deal to feed them1 if one would keep them alive2 and there is very little to be gained by putting them to death4 ,not so with the united hives2 they were all vigorous2 in condition to defy the rigour of the seasons2 to repel their enemies2 and to gather a great quantity of honey4 ,the population augments rapidly1 and they give out early swarms2 or if some of them do not produce swarms1 they furnish so much the more wax and honey1 and will collect more in one day than weak hives will do in a whole week2 in short1 there is no comparison between them4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,time ,,and ,,manner ,,of ,,renewing ,,old ,,hives4 ,it is a common prejudice1 that hives cannot be profitably preserved beyond three1 four1 or six years at most1 and that1 beyond that term1 they become weak1 give out no more swarms1 and finish by being pillaged1 or becoming the prey of moths1 which1 if suffered to establish themselves1 soon make horrible devastation among them4 ,a great many experiments1 however1 have fully convinced me that such is not the case1 and that the duration of the hives may be greatly prolonged by renewing them4 ,i have several from twelve to twenty years old1 that are as prosperous1 and swarm as well1 as the young ones4 ,i have even one of ,june #aghi1 consequently now in its twenty-fifth year1 and it gave off an excellent swarm on the #dth of ,june #ahaa1 the same in #ahac1 then aged twenty-four years1 and again another this year #ahad4 ,besides these numerous swarms1 ,i have taken from it #adb pounds of honey-comb1 either by pruning1 or by means of capes4 ,i have never united it with other bees1 because its neighbours had always enough to subsist on1 and ,i have renewed it only once4 ,the decay of old hives proceeds from three causes4 ,the first is the candying of the old honey1 of which the bees have sometimes an ample store1 but which1 from inability to eat it1 becomes in that state very troublesome1 in place of being of use to them4 ,when forced by hunger to have recourse to it1 they draw it out of the cells1 and throw it down on the board that serves as a floor to their habitation1 in order to profit by any of the sweet drops that happen to be in a liquid state4 ,in nibbling and scraping to empty the cells1 it happens that many of them become so daubed1 that1 being unable to get away from it1 they fall down1 and soon perish1 if the weather is cold4 ,thus the old honey is lost as much to the proprietors as to the labourers that have gathered it4 ,supposing1 again1 that they do not touch it1 the place it occupies is lost either for the purpose of depositing new honey or brood1 and hence the weak state the hives fall into1 if not renewed4 ,a second cause of their decay is owing to the great quantity of the pollen or dust of flowers that the bees gather and carry home on their legs1 especially in the spring and autumn1 when large portions of the combs will be found filled with it on both sides4 ,it is an essential ingredient in the pap with which they nourish the young brood1 but good for nothing else4 ,different authors have named it bee-bread2 but the bees never eat it3 indeed it is a well attested fact1 that they will die of hunger on the combs that are filled with it4 ,as it is very heavy1 it sometimes cheats those people who estimate the provision of a hive by its weight4 ,this is one of the reasons why ,i have recommended1 in ,chap4 ,,ix4 to allow eight or ten pounds more to old hives than to new swarms4 ,the bee-bread being generally1 when present1 deposited in the centre of the combs1 where the brood thrives best1 of course the place which it takes up is so much lost4 ,it is liable to mould in winter1 and the working bees have a great deal of trouble in tearing it from the cells1 and putting it out of their way4 ,it spoils the honey1 takes away its whiteness1 and gives it an unpleasant taste2 it destroys the wax even more1 and forms that brown scum under the cakes1 when great care is not taken to separate it4 ,nevertheless1 bees lay up useless hoards of it1 which they go on augmenting every year3 and this is the only point on which they can be accused of a want of that prudence and foresight so admirable in every other respect4 ,by renovating the hives1 one frees them of this superfluous substance1 and the space it occupied is directly replaced by beautiful white combs1 and the whole hive becomes as good as new4 ,a third cause of the weakness of an old hive is the blackness of the combs in the centre and front of the hive4 ,these old combs are mostly pierced with holes large enough to hold two or three fingers1 or even a whole hand4 ,they are not openings which the bees have cut out for themselves1 to pass from one comb to another2 but are the result of some violent measure to which they have had recourse1 for the purpose of defending themselves from the moths1 one of which1 establishing itself in a comb1 will soon destroy the whole hive1 if they do not speedily rid themselves of it4 ,the young moth is not so easily got the better of1 being cased in a sort of strong silk1 by means of which it forms galleries1 and slides from side to side of the hive2 and the bees are unable either to get within reach of the enemy1 or to rend this silken covering that defends it2 but1 perceiving their danger1 they join together in forming a plan of attack for their deliverance1 by gnawing the comb in which the moth is established1 as far as the galleries extend2 throw down the piece1 and finish by reducing it to crumbs1 and never rest until they kill the foe4 ,they require to be in great force for this operation4 ,weak hives need not attempt it2 indeed they generally finish by becoming the prey of the moths4 ,it is singular that bees1 which know so well how to build combs1 should not be able to repair them4 ,i have found as many as six of these holes in one comb4 ,are they left standing thus1 like so many monuments of victories gained over a formidable enemy1--the most formidable and the most difficult to conquer8 ,all useless combs should be taken away1 as they tend to weaken the hive1 and they will soon be replaced by entire and healthy ones4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,signs ,,by ,,which ,,to ,,ascertain ,,whether ,a ,,hive ,,requires ,,to ,,be ,,renewed4 ,as long as a hive produces honey and swarms1 it is needless to touch it2 but1 when it ceases to be productive1--when1 during several months1 the bees form clusters1 without swarming1 ,i then think it necessary to renew1 or1 properly speaking1 to prune it2 the directions for which will be best understood by my simply relating how ,i managed my two first experiments4 ,the first time ,i performed this operation was on a pretty large-sized straw-hive1 which1 for ten years1 was very productive4 ,one year alone1 it yielded me seventy-two pounds of very fine honey-comb in the capes1 mentioned in ,chapter ,x4 ,the eleventh and twelfth years it made me no return1 though it was heavy and very populous4 ,about the beginning of the thirteenth year1 ,i gave it a little tobacco-smoke1 with my pipe1 and proceeded to prune the combs away with my knife1 until ,i came to brood4 ,there remained only four in front1 in which the bees always begin to lay their eggs in the spring4 ,they were very black1 and contained little honey1 but ,i saved them1 that the population might not be destroyed4 ,the honey that ,i took out was hard and candied1 but ,i melted it with a little wine2 and1 filling some bits of empty combs with it1 gave them a part of it two or three times a-week1 being careful to place them in the hive in the evening1 and take them out again in the morning1 for fear of attracting thieves4 ,i thus fed the bees with their own store2 the combs were always empty in the morning4 ,by the month of ,april1 they began to build in the space ,i had left4 ,by the middle of ,may1 they had completely filled it with beautiful white combs1 like those of a new swarm2 and the same year1 on the #ith of ,june1 it gave me1 contrary to my expectation1 an excellent swarm4 ,next year1 by the end of ,march1 ,i took away the four black combs that ,i had left1 and in which was no brood4 ,the brood was by this time deposited in the middle combs2 thus my hive was completely renewed4 ,encouraged by this success1 ,i performed the same operation next spring1 on a common sized hive1 which1 during eleven years1 had annually yielded me honey or swarms3 one year ,i took from it forty pounds of beautiful honey-comb2 but1 for two years1 it had been languid and unproductive4 ,on the #dth of ,march1 ,i pruned away all the combs1 excepting two in front1 containing brood2 and ,i nourished the bees1 by giving them a little of the liquid honey every evening1 upon a bit of comb1 until they could get out to gather food for themselves4 ,in the month of ,may1 all the combs that ,i had cut out were replaced with the most beautiful new ones4 ,this hive1 which was weaker than the other1 gave out no swarm the same year1 but it filled a cape with some pounds of honey-comb1 which ,i took possession of4 ,the following year1 on the #dth of ,march1 ,i cut away the two black combs that were left in front1 and thus this hive was also entirely renewed2 after which it produced me four swarms1 and nearly forty pounds of honey-combs in the capes3 this ,i consider a clear profit1 there not being the smallest doubt that the hive would have perished1 had it not been renewed4 ,these two examples may suffice to shew the advantage to be derived from the renewing of old hives4 ,what would mine have yielded had ,i resorted to the common method of suffocating the bees8 ,a little indifferent honey2 for that of candied combs is very inferior to that of new ones4 ,as to the wax1 ,i should have had no more1 since ,i took away all that the hives contained1 and the exchange gave me good strong colonies1 which are more valuable than the best swarms4 ,the advantage of my plan will be better understood1 if we shall suppose two neighbouring apiaries1 equally good1 and in all respects equally well taken care of4 ,suppose one of them shall be managed in the ordinary way1 and that1 every year1 the owners shall suffocate the heaviest swarms for the sake of the honey1 and that they also destroy the old hives that have too little provision for the winter4 ,let the other apiary be managed according to the principles ,i have detailed1 that not one bee shall be put to death1 and that1 in the autumn1 the swarms that are too light1 as well as the old hives that are scarce of food1 shall be united1 and that the latter shall be renewed when they cease to prosper4 ,at the end of fifteen years1 compare these two apiaries1 and see which has the strongest hives1 the greatest number1 and in the best condition4 ,it would be surprising indeed1 if they preserved their original equality4 ,will these operations be objected to1 on account of the difficulties attending the performance of them8 ,will it be said that every one has not the courage to run the risk of being stung1 or the dexterity to set about handling the bees8 ,in all countries there are people to be found who are accustomed to gather swarms1 and to put joinings on hives4 ,let them be employed1 and directed in every part of the work that the proprietors do not like to perform themselves4 ,this practice is common in ,lusatia1 a country celebrated in the history of bees1 by the very useful discoveries of ,m4 ,shirach1 and where they make annually1 according to his principles1 a great quantity of artificial swarms4 ,the country people1 of whom the greater number understand nothing of these complex operations1 which take more time1 and are much more difficult than the union of swarms1 or the renewing of hives1 employ people who are bred to the business1 and who1 in the proper season1 go from village to village1 making swarms1 and are paid for their trouble4 ,from the result of my experiments1 it is evident that the duration of hives is indefinite2 and here a multitude of questions present themselves4 ,how long does a queen live8 ,would she live twenty years and more8 ,is the term of her existence prolonged beyond that of the working bees8 ,i cannot answer2 but ,i have reason to think that bees live only one year1 and that those which have lived over the winter1 and have assisted at the work during the spring and summer1 and which do not perish by accident1 die of age in the month of ,august4 ,by that time1 they seem to become paralytic2 and1 unable to fly1 they fall down in the neighbourhood of the hives1 and creep about until they expire from fatigue and exhaustion4 ,one then sees many of them1 with their wings fringed1 which is a sign of decrepitude1 similar to the wrinkles of an old person2 while the young-bees may be discerned by their grey ashy colour1 which becomes darker1 approaching to black1 as they get older4 ,i do not believe that the queen 7on whose existence depends that of the colony71 lives ten1 fifteen1 or twenty times longer than the working bees4 ,but they have the means of filling her place when she comes to die4 ,m4 ,shirach has completely demonstrated1 by very varied and multiplied experiments1 that they require only for that purpose a common bee-worm that has been hatched within two or three days1 and that this worm becomes a queen1 and a fruitful queen1 in less than a fortnight1 by means of a thicker1 more roomy1 and differently formed cell1 which they construct expressly for her1 and by a different sort of pap with which she is nourished4 ,i have repeated the experiment oftener than once4 ,forty days after ,i had put a bit of brood-comb into a wired box1 after the manner of ,m4 ,shirach1 ,i saw young bees come out2 and the young queen ,i had made be hatched1 was the mother of my artificial swarm4 ,it is therefore probable that a hive1 from twenty to twenty-five years old1 has not always the same queen1 but that the queen has1 from time to time1 been replaced4 ,moreover1 every time that a swarm comes off1 it is the old queen that emigrates with it4 ,the sudden decline of a hive that has lost its queen1 and which never long survives the loss1 when it has not young brood to create another1 proves that bees live but one year1 as the depopulation would be less rapid if the lives of the individuals extended beyond that term4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,artificial ,,swarms ,,and ,,different ,,methods ,,of ,,forming ,,them4 ,one often sees well-stocked hives that do not swarm1 and which1 during the whole of the summer1 form large clusters1 until the cold of the autumnal evenings forces the idlers to re-enter their hives2 and it were vain to disturb them1 to smoke them1 or torment them1 in the hope of forcing them to swarm4 ,some people have thought they might attain their object by dividing them in two2 but they did not succeed4 ,there are1 however1 two ways of obtaining artificial swarms2 and the one which the celebrated ,shirach practised successfully in ,alsatia1 and which was followed with the same results in the north of ,germany1 requires a long course of difficult and complex operations4 ,i shall1 however1 proceed to give my readers some idea of it4 ,in spring1 a little box is prepared1 about six inches square1 with an opening in the top1 about three inches square1 and another the same size in front4 ,each of these openings is covered with a wire-grating1 close enough to prevent any bee getting through4 ,this box rests on a stand provided with twelve wooden pins1 four or five inches long1 placed perpendicularly1 in two rows1 at the distance of three inches from each other4 ,these pins should be so far separate as that five pieces of honey-comb1 each about as big as a person's hand1 may be placed between them4 ,between the farthest of the pins1 on the right and left hand1 are put three bits of empty combs1 the same height as the pins3 a piece of very fine honey-comb1 not candied1 occupies the fourth place2 and the fifth1 which is the centre1 remains empty4 ,it is to be understood that the pins supporting the combs on both sides1 keep them in a perpendicular situation1 and prevent them touching each other1 and that the spaces left between the combs is much about the same as those in the hive to allow free passage to the bees4 ,neither the honey-comb nor the empty combs ought to touch the board1 in case of the moths taking possession of them2 they are rather made to rest on two little bits of wood1 raised a little above the board1 and crossed by the pins4 ,above the combs and the pins1 a large piece of comb is placed horizontally1 and covering the whole1 to keep in the heat while the hatching goes on4 ,after all these preliminaries1 a fine day is chosen1 about the end of ,april or beginning of ,may1 according to the climate1 and according as the season is more or less advanced2 and1 in the heat of the day1 a little before noon1 a strong hive1 while in full activity1 is lifted up1 its top rested on the ground1 and the bees driven off the combs with a little tobacco smoke1 in order that the proper pieces may be seen and chosen4 ,a piece of comb1 about the size of a hand1 is then cut out1 containing all the three kinds of brood1 that is1 eggs1 nymphs1 but principally the little maggots1 just two or three days out of the shell4 ,the hive is then replaced on its stand1 and the little bit of comb that was taken out of it is put into the box1 to occupy the empty space that was left in the centre1 between the pins1 and about a thousand or fifteen hundred bees1 taken from a cluster in some other manner1 are then introduced1 and the box closed1 to prevent them getting out4 ,their extreme agitation1 approaching to despair1 produces a heat so great that they would be suffocated1 but for the wire-gratings above and in front4 ,towards night1 when they become tranquil1 nothing more is heard but a soft murmuring1 and they begin to construct one of the great cells1 that has its opening underneath1 and in which they nurse and rear queens4 ,before the cell is completed1 they carry into it a little maggot1 out of the egg within two days2 which being then suitably nourished1 becomes a perfect queen in less than a fortnight4 ,for three days the box should be kept shut1 and the light carefully excluded1 for it would only serve to increase the agitation of the prisoners2 and the upper wire-grating1 being of no farther use1 may be plastered over with a little clay4 ,the fourth day the box may be carried to the apiary1 and the bees set at liberty1 by opening a part of the wire-grating in front4 ,having now got a new establishment1 with the certainty of soon having a queen1 they think no more of returning to the hives whence they were taken1 but come and go1 cleaning their little dwelling1 and working like a weak swarm4 ,while they are thus occupied1 a little cage should be prepared1 in which to shut up the queen when her metamorphoses shall be completed4 ,this cage is of a semicircular form1 and in size resembling the half of a large orange2 it is made of wood1 scooped out1 and has a wire-grating on the front of it1 so fine that no bee can get out or in3 a hole is made in the lower part of it1 large enough to permit a bee to pass through1 and a wooden pin1 from six to eight inches long1 of the size of the hole1 is prepared to shut it up with4 ,these preparations being completed1 the box is opened fourteen or fifteen days after the bees have been put in1 but it must be one of these fine spring days when the bees are busy at work3 should the weather be cold or wet1 the opening of the box must be delayed4 ,the combs are then all taken out1 and the queen will be easily discovered4 ,she is much longer in the body1 and altogether larger1 than the other bees1 as may be observed from the following figures1 where ,fig4 #a4 represents the ,queen2 ,fig4 #b4 the ,drone2 and ,fig4 #c4 the ,working ,bee #d4 ,footnote #d3 ,to those not much acquainted with bees1 the following particulars may be useful4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a ,fig4 #b ,fig4 #c ,fig4 #a4 ,the ,queen ,bee3 the head is of a triangular shape2 her wings very short1 not extending beyond the one-half of her body1 which is longer1 and more pointed1 than that of the working bees4 ,her legs and corselet are copper coloured2 thorax grey1 and abdomen brown4 ,there is only one queen to a hive2 while there are from #aj1jjj to #ae1jjj workers1 and perhaps #ajjj or #abjj drones4 ,fig4 #b4 ,the ,drone1 or ,male ,bee2 the head is round1 its large body is almost entirely covered by its wings4 ,it has no sting4 ,the drones appear only at the season of swarming1 and are all put to death by the workers in the autumn4 ,fig4 #c4 ,the ,working ,bee4 ,head somewhat triangular2 the smallest and most numerous of the hive1 which every one knows as the honey-bee1 and which fabricates the combs1 makes the honey1 and feeds the young4 ,the queen must be seized by the wings and introduced1 head foremost1 through the hole into the cage1 along with a dozen bees to bear her company1 and then the hole through which they have passed is stopped up with the wooden pin4 ,this being completed1 an empty hive must be prepared1 similar1 in every respect1 to the one out of which artificially the swarm is to be taken4 ,a hole1 parallel to that in the cage1 is pierced in the bench on which it is to stand1 and the end of the wooden pin fixed into it1 so that the cage may be suspended1 perpendicularly1 about two-thirds the height of the hive4 ,between eleven and twelve of the same day1 while the bees are mostly on the wing1 a strong person takes one of the old hives1 that is not likely to swarm1 lifts it steadily1 and rests it for a few seconds on a table1 at hand for the purpose1 while its place is instantly filled by the one containing the young queen and her cage4 ,any bees that may be grouped about the board are lifted up with a wooden spoon1 and laid down at the door of the new hive2 these ascend immediately2 and all the working bees1 returning in crowds from the fields1 enter without hesitation2 when1 finding neither combs1 nor honey1 nor any provision whatever1 they go out and return several times1 and fly round and round it2 while the inhabitants of the old hive1 having no suspicion of their place being changed1 leave it without precaution1 return to the situation of their ancient dwelling1 and increase the swarm that is forming4 ,wearied at length of their researches1 and finding in this new establishment a great number of their companions1 with an imprisoned queen1 they unite themselves together at the top of the hive1 begin1 even the same evening1 to build combs2 and thus is obtained an excellent artificial swarm4 ,next day1 and some days after1 many bees continue to join them from the old hive1 which delays not to repeople itself from the brood-comb with which it is filled1 as it is not more weakened than if it had swarmed naturally4 ,the second day after this operation the new hive must be lifted up1 the cage taken out1 and the queen set at liberty1 which is easily done1 by drawing out two or three of the wires that form the grating4 ,it would not be possible to make her descend by the hole through which she entered1 and1 by delaying too long to take her out1 she would be completely surrounded by combs1 that must be broken before she could be released4 ,the precaution of keeping the queen in prison for two days is indispensable2 for without this precaution she would be put to death as a stranger1 or she might escape from the hive during the first tumult1 which would cause the total failure of the swarm4 ,but after being shut up in it for a little time1 she is looked upon as the hope of the new colony1 and sure of a favourable reception4 ,to succeed in this operation1 there must be1 at least1 six inches between each hive3 should they touch each other1 many of the working bees would infallibly lose their lives1 by throwing themselves into some of the neighbouring ones4 ,such is the result of these tedious and difficult operations to obtain artificial swarms by the method of ,m4 ,shirach1 at this time generally pursued in ,germany4 ,there is another1 easier and less tedious1 said to be in usage in the ,archipelago1 in ,ancient ,greece1 and several other countries1 which ,i have followed with great success4 ,choose a hive of wood or straw1 exactly the same in form and size of the one from which you mean to take the swarm4 ,on a fine day in ,may1 or1 in mountainous countries1 which are later1 about the beginning of ,june1 throw a few whiffs of tobacco-smoke into a well-stocked hive1 turn it up1 and1 with a little more smoke1 disperse the bees that are upon the combs2 then cut out a bit of comb1 about the size of the palm of a hand1 taking care that there be the three kinds of brood1 viz4 eggs1 maggots1 and nymphs1 already enclosed in the cells that serve them for cradles1 but especially those maggots that have been hatched within two days2 after returning this hive to its place1 then proceed to fix the bit of comb with some wooden pins1 in the top of the newly prepared one1 and support it underneath with a thin chip of wood4 ,between eleven and twelve in the forenoon1 lift a very populous hive 7not the one out of which the brood-comb was taken71 off its own board to another that must be ready to receive it1 and put the empty one in the place it occupied4 ,all the bees1 returning from the fields1 enter the one that has been substituted1 seem at first to be greatly agitated1 but1 by degrees1 gather round the brood-comb1 and begin before night to construct a royal cell1 to which they transport a maggot of two days old1 and where it undergoes its metamorphosis1 and comes out a queen4 ,by this method1 ,i have procured excellent swarms from hives that would not have swarmed naturally2 and1 the following spring1 renewed the old hives1 after the manner indicated in ,chapter ,,xxi1 thus preserving my hives in good condition4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,advantages ,,of ,,isolated ,,hives4 ,a swarm1 taking flight1 rushes out of the hive1 and seems bent on fixing itself in some distant quarter1 as if it feared the neighbourhood of other swarms--as if it felt that its most formidable enemies were those of its own kind4 ,swarms will unite1 however1 when they take flight at the same time1 because the bees of one hive cannot be distinguished from those of another when on the wing1 and crossing each other in every direction2 and as soon as one group begins to knot upon a branch1 the bees of the other crowd round1 supposing them to be their companions4 ,their instinct1 however1 rather leads them to isolate themselves1 as they do in great forests2 but their proprietors resist this instinct1 assemble a great many hives together in the same apiary1 to shelter them from the weather1 as well as to protect them from thieves1 and to watch over them at the time of their emigration4 ,such are1 doubtless1 great advantages1 but not sufficient to counterbalance those that would result from keeping them separate4 ,the mixing and uniting together of several swarms1 that often take place in large apiaries1 and which is not always an advantage1 would thereby be prevented4 ,there would be greater facility in forming artificial swarms1 and one hive would not be disturbed in operating on another4 ,the great expence of bee-houses would thus be spared2 these are much more costly than stands for isolated hives1 for which there is nothing more necessary than a board1 supported by a pile of wood1 sunk into the ground1 with a thatch of straw1 which any one can spread over the tops of the hives1 to protect them from the rain and the heat of the sun4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,enemies ,,of ,,bees1 ,,and ,,means ,,of ,,overcoming ,,them4 ,all amateurs that have written on the subject of bees1 have spoken of their enemies1 but few have given any directions in what way they may be overcome4 ,i should neither attain my aim1 nor realise the title of my work1 if ,i did not notice them4 ,nothing is more prejudicial to bees than ignorant attention4 ,their most formidable enemies are1 perhaps1 their possessors1 who busy themselves to torment them1 and weaken and kill them by too much care4 ,in winter they hurt them1 by shutting them up for fear of the snow1 without considering that many more perish in their unwholesome prison2 and that the great humidity1 having no outlet1 moulds the combs1 and sometimes even rots them4 ,who shuts up the wild bees in the forests of ,lithuania1 where they thrive so well8 ,their own instinct suffices2 there they have no master to thwart them4 ,in spring1 the giving them a little honey1 that would suffice to save them1 is not always attended to1 neither is the guarding them from moths1 which at that time make the greatest havoc1 nor is the narrowing of the entrances to prevent them being robbed4 ,in summer ,i have seen persons leave only very small entrances to very populous hives1 even when the bees were forming clusters1 and so increase the ardour and activity of the workers4 ,but this embarrassment only pained them1 and retarded the gathering and laying up of their store4 ,some let swarms escape from mere carelessness4 ,people suffocate them in autumn1 that they may possess themselves of their provisions2 and others take out the best of the honey and often too much of it1 and so expose them to die of hunger2 and they even sometimes annoy them by leaving too great a quantity of candied honey-comb1 which is of no use to them1 and the extraction of it from the cells costs many valuable lives1 as ,i have already observed4 ,i therefore place1 in the foremost rank of their enemies1 those of their possessors1 who1 by their own ignorance and inexperience1 hinder them from prospering and multiplying4 ,ants are their least dangerous enemies2 true1 the bees cannot sting them to death1 because they are small and well defended with armour1 but they seize hold of them with their teeth1 and carry them to a distance4 ,had they not this means of getting rid of them1 their colonies could not exist in the vast forests full of ants' nests1 and where they thrive so well1 in spite of the horrible massacres that annually take place4 ,i have never seen a hive destroyed by ants2 they attack only weak swarms1 that have been either pillaged before1 or happen to be established in a lodging too large for them to defend4 ,i recommend1 however1 to plaster up all chinks through which these little insects could gain an entrance4 ,moths are little known1 and never injurious1 in the high valleys1 nor on the mountains1 but they attack and destroy a vast number of hives in the plains or in the vineyards1 where they are a great scourge4 ,as soon as a moth has penetrated a weak hive1 it establishes itself in a comb1 envelopes itself in a silken web1 multiplies rapidly1 consuming the wax1 and spreading its destructive galleries from side to side1 until1 arriving at a certain point1 the evil has no remedy4 ,i shall not repeat what ,i have said in the twentieth chapter1 of the admirable ingenuity with which well-stocked hives defend themselves1 by gnawing and reducing to crumbs every part of the wax that harbours a moth4 ,nor the means ,i have pointed out in ,chapter ,,vii4 to diminish the number of their enemies in the spring1 by frequently examining the little bits of wood used for contracting the entrance1 or whenever the heated air of the hive is likely to attract butterflies1 for the purpose of depositing their eggs4 ,i shall only add1 that when any trace of a moth is observed about a hive1 it should immediately be cleaned away1 and every little fragment of wax be swept off the board4 ,if1 in defiance of these precautions1 it should seem that the moths have invaded some of the combs1 the only means of saving the colony is1 to imitate the surgeon1 who cuts off a deceased limb to save the other1--every bit of infected comb must be cut out1 leaving only those occupied by the bees4 ,and the bees must then be liberally fed1 by giving them every evening as much honey as will maintain them until the fields shall yield them a sufficient quantity4 ,thus ,i have preserved hives whose circumstances seemed to be desperate4 ,spiders annoy the bees much4 ,the bees get entangled in their webs1 and are not able to extricate themselves4 ,here cleanliness is the best protection2 therefore care should be had to sweep the webs away from the hive and its avenues as fast as they appear4 ,birds eat a prodigious quantity of bees1 especially in spring1 when the trees are in blossom4 ,whatever people may say to the contrary1 ,i have reason to think that the swallows1 which are perpetually cruising about in the air1 like so many corsairs1 destroy a great number1 to regale themselves1 and to feed their young3 this was the opinion of ,virgil#e4 ,footnote #e3 ,absint 444 meropesque1 alique volucres1 ,et manibus ,progne pectus signata cruentis4 ,omnia nam late vastant1 ipsasque volantes ,ore ferunt1 dulcem nidis immitibus escam4 ,georg4 iv4 ,moths destroy whole colonies3 birds do not entirely destroy1 but they diminish the population2 the queens1 especially1 become an easy prey to them1 their flight being heavy1 from the great length of their bodies and shortness of their wings2 and the queen1 being the very soul of the hive1 when she dies the whole will infallibly perish1 if there is not some of the proper brood ready to fill her place2 and1 even in the latter case1 the population is retarded in the fine weather1 and the hive becomes languid4 ,as this happened to me several times1 ,i imputed it to the loss of my queens4 ,the poultry1 too1 that roam about near the water where the bees go to quench their thirst1 gobble up a great many of them1 making a constant war on them1 as deadly as that carried on by the birds4 ,i have even seen a tame magpie place herself between two hives1 peck right and left1 and snap up hundreds of bees to her breakfast4 ,she was caught in the act1 condemned to death1 and executed in the same instant4 ,mice1 especially the red mouse1 or ,sorex araneus1 sometimes penetrate a hive in the winter time1 either from the entrance being left too wide1 or by gnawing a hole for themselves in the straw4 ,they eat the honey1 and even the bees1 when clustered together on the side of the hive1 in which position they are unable to defend themselves1 and scarcely even see the enemy4 ,i have frequently seen a mouse's nest inside of a hive in spring1 seemingly unperceived by the inhabitants4 ,wasps are also reckoned among the numerous enemies of bees4 ,i have1 however1 seldom seen a hive destroyed by wasps3 although they are larger1 stronger1 and armed with a formidable sting1 and an impenetrable cuirass1 they seldom dare enter a well stocked hive4 ,once attacked1 they soon fall beneath the united efforts of these brave citizens1 who sacrifice themselves to defend the place of their nativity4 ,wasps only appear in great numbers when the fruit is ripening1 and then they range unceasingly round the hives1 and enter the weak ones1 or those of which the too spacious lodging hears no proportion to the number of its inhabitants4 ,there are three ways of providing against the attacks of wasps4 ,the first1 is to unite weak hives by doubling or tripling the population1 thereby enabling them to defend themselves4 ,the second1 is to contract the entrances as soon as the swarming time is over1 after the massacre of the drones3 and the third is1 to destroy their nests4 ,the bees are continually fighting between themselves1 and robbing each other2 avarice1 not necessity1 leads them to do so1 it being almost always the strongest and best provisioned hives that pillage the weak ones4 ,when once a bee has been able to introduce herself into a hive1 and carry away a load of honey without being arrested1 she will return a hundred times the same day2 and1 making it known to her companions1 they will then come in hordes1 nor cease their pillage until there is nothing left to take4 ,in one day the whole of the honey will be carried off1 and with a determination which one can scarcely have an idea of without seeing it4 ,this kind of pillage is most frequent in the spring and autumn1 and it is easier to prevent than to stop it2 and1 for this purpose1 the entrance of the hives ought to be straitened in proportion to the population4 ,four soldiers1 as ,i have already said1 will more easily guard a narrow pass than thirty or forty would defend a great one4 ,whenever the bees cluster themselves in front of the hive1 it is a proof that the whole of the interior is filled1 and there is then no fear of pillage1 excepting in a very rare case1 when they happen not to observe the thieves1 and of which ,i shall speak presently4 ,in proportion as the cluster increases1 the entrance should be widened1 even opened entirely1 and contracted again in the autumn after the destruction of the drones4 ,when these precautions are not sufficient1 and the pillage has commenced1 it is not easy to stop it4 ,it may succeed1 however1 in spring or autumn1 by entirely closing the entrance of the besieged hive for one or two days1 and putting a large cape upon it1 or an empty hive1 plastering it all round to prevent the bees getting out4 ,this affords them a volume of air sufficient to prevent them from being suffocated1 and they go up and down at pleasure through the hole in the top of the hive from which the stopper must have been previously withdrawn2 every evening the entrance must be opened to give them air1 and carefully shut up again in the morning4 ,i have always found the two days seclusion sufficient to put a stop to the pillage4 ,but this means is not practicable during the hot weather1 for then the bees would infallibly be suffocated1 if they were to be shut up but one hour4 ,in this case1 ,i have saved several by covering them with a wet table-cloth1 and extending it over the front of the hive4 ,the thieves1 who were arriving in hundreds1 threw themselves into the neighbouring hives1 where they were arrested and killed2 for all theft1 even suspicion of theft1 is invariably punished with death in these republics4 ,some of the thieves that happen to escape1 regain their own dwellings1 and warn their companions to beware of returning1 and next day there will be no more thieving4 ,i have never been obliged to spread the wet table-cloth a second time4 ,true1 many of the bees of the hive ,i was defending were sacrificed1 returning from the fields1 and being unable to gain admittance1 they perished in some way or other3 it was a small sacrifice1 to avert a greater evil1 but my hive was saved1 and that was my object4 ,it is a cure that does not always succeed1 however1 and is quite useless when the besieged hive is a weak one1 or if much of the honey has been carried away4 ,i shall not speak of toads1 lizards1 and all kinds of reptiles1 that are ranked among the enemies of the bees1 for ,i have never seen that they did them much harm4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,diseases ,,of ,,the ,,bees4 ,bees have no real disease4 ,dysentery1 about which so much noise has been made1 and for which so many remedies are prescribed1 never attacks the bees of a well-stocked hive1 that is left open at all seasons1 but only those that are too long and too closely confined4 ,they are always in good health as long as they are at liberty1 when they are warm enough1 and have plenty of food4 ,all their pretended diseases are the result of hunger1 cold1 or the infection produced by a too close and long confinement during the winter4 ,some intelligent people have erroneously thought that the honey gathered from the flowers of the lime-tree caused dysentery1 but experience convinced me to the contrary2 for my hives were never in better condition than when the lime-tree flowers supplied them with honey in abundance4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,of ,,the ,,different ,,varieties ,,of ,,bees1 ,,and ,,their ,,language4 ,almost all authors speak of four different kinds or varieties of the honey-bee4 ,i frankly acknowledge that ,i know but of one2 and that all the bees ,i have seen are equally profitable when properly taken care of4 ,it is true my travels have not been very extended4 ,as to their language3 a slight buzzing or confused noise and a sharp sound1 are signals by which they proclaim their danger1 or seek assistance from each other4 ,they appear to have the power of communicating their desires1 their fears1 their situation1 and their circumstances4 ,their language1 or whatever name is given to it1 suffices to procure a concert of wills and actions1 absolutely to attain a certain end2 and of which ,i shall give a few examples4 ,when a hive has lost its queen1 a general agitation takes place1 that cannot escape the notice of the most ordinary observer4 ,they seek about for her on all sides1 and1 if she cannot be found1 they set to work to supply her place4 ,for this purpose1 a great cell must be constructed1 to serve her for a cradle3 a single working bee cannot manufacture it4 ,there must absolutely be a concerted plan1--to choose the place to do the work--to transport the newly hatched maggot--to nurse it suitably--and properly to close the cell when it is to undergo the metamorphosis4 ,there must also be the same re-union of wills and efforts1 when it relates to the getting rid of a moth that has established itself in a comb2 they must ascertain its presence1 feel the evil it may do1 examine with care the extent of its galleries1 and agree in the plan of attack and mode of operations2 and how can they form and execute this plan1 without the perfect concurrence of a great number of labourers8 ,such agreement is impossible without some sort of language4 ,is the hive to be cleaned8 ,a general assessment is commanded1 and the people instantly obey4 ,a throng of labourers remove the dead1 carry out the little bits of wax that are on the board1 which would otherwise serve to feed the moths4 ,each of these crumbs costs them a journey2 and that toil is spared them when care is taken to scrape and sweep the board from time to time4 ,another scheme of agreement that indicates a language1 is where a bee finds honey1 whether in a room1 where it may have been deposited without shutting the windows1 or in a stranger hive1 where it has gained entrance4 ,it communicates it to its companions1 who rush out by hundreds or by thousands to obtain a share of the booty4 ,how could they give this advertisement1 without a species of language understood by every one of them4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,signs ,,of ,,recognition ,,among ,,the ,,bees4 ,the bees of a hive have the means of recognition1 and of distinguishing their companions from every stranger bee2 without which they could not defend their honey4 ,in vain would the ,creator have armed each of them with a formidable sting1 had they not been also given to know the enemies which that sting was to pierce4 ,strangers would have gone in and out without risk of detection or punishment1 mingled with the workers1 and deprived them of treasures industriously collected4 ,but the ,all-wise ,author of ,nature1 who has given them the means of defence1 has also endowed them with the instinct to distinguish enemies from friends1 even among their own species4 ,let a bee fall by accident1 or be driven by the wind1 into a hive not its own1 it is seized as one suspected of evil intention1 and put to death that moment4 ,what is their signal of recognition8 ,what is the organ and the instrument8 ,is it the antenn1--those little flexible horns in front of their heads8 or is it by the smell they recognize each other8 ,a great inconvenience attending crowded apiaries is1 that two or more hives may have the same signal2 but happily1 in this case1 which is a rare one1 they have the power of changing the signal2 in proof of which1 the following circumstance happened with mine1 in one of the most abundant honey seasons4 ,in the month of ,may ,i had lodged my first swarm1 which was a very strong one1 in a large straw hive4 ,the weather being very mild1 they set to work immediately1 and very soon filled more than half of the hive4 ,in a few days1 ,i observed it was invaded by a swarm belonging to one of my neighbours2 that they went in and came out1 without being detected2 and that they were carrying out as much honey as my bees were bringing in4 ,i shut up one-half of their door2 and1 for nearly a whole week1 whenever ,i was at leisure1 ,i stationed myself near my swarm1 and killed every day hundreds of the thieves1 which were easily distinguished by their shape1--slender enough when they went in1 but puffed up as they came out1 with as much nectar as they could contain4 ,this1 however1 did not stop them1 and they continued coming and going1 in greater numbers1 till night1 and beginning again early in the morning4 ,i had plenty of sport1 but my labour was in vain1 and ,i began to despair of saving my swarm1 when1 one afternoon1 ,i perceived it to be agitated and troubled1 as if it had lost its queen4 ,the bees buzzed about before the hive1 and on the board1 smelling and touching each other1 as if they would have spoken4 ,it was to change their signal1 and which in fact they did change1 during the night2 and all the strangers that came next day were arrested1 and put to death4 ,some escaped the vigilance of the guards that defended the entrance1 and doubtless warned the others of the danger they had escaped1 and that they could no more plunder with impunity3 they returned no more1 and my hive prospered wonderfully4 ,i have1 in the course of my life1 seen only other two similar instances that had the same result4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,preservation ,,of ,,hives ,,in ,,winter1 ,,and ,,means ,,of ,,protecting ,,them ,,from ,,the ,,cold4 ,the most important point that remains to be treated1 is the preservation of hives in winter4 ,this severe season1 which lasts at ,neufchatel four months1 from the commencement of ,november to the end of ,february1 and which is even longer in the mountains1 causes the death of more bees than all the enemies of all the other seasons put together2 and mostly1 too1 from our own want of attention4 ,it is by practice only that true principles can be laid down3 and these principles must be variously modified1 to adapt their application to the differences of temperature and locality4 ,one can learn with certainty only by the light of experience4 ,i shall proceed to tell what it has taught me2 and here ,i enter on the most difficult and the most essential part of my task4 ,we must suppose that the necessary care has been taken to ascertain that each hive has the quantity of provision necessary for its subsistence until the return of the fine season1 and it is better that they should have too much than too little2 for bees are great economists1 and never waste their superfluity4 ,i lay down as a general rule1 and without any exception1 that bees ought never to be fed during the winter4 ,food given them during that season causes disease1 breeds infection1 particularly if they are kept confined2 and if they are at liberty1 and forced out by the unwholesome smell of the hive1 they are likely to perish from the cold4 ,besides1 it always appeared to me that they consume more when food is given them by little and little1 than when they have it in store4 ,i have pointed out1 in ,chapter ,,viii4 the certain rule by which the quantity of provision may be estimated2 and1 in ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,i have detailed the method of supplying them in autumn4 ,thus they will be saved from hunger1 if my advice be followed4 ,let us now see how they may be defended from cold1 and the fatal effects of a long imprisonment4 ,some winters are so long and so rigid1 that our valuable insects suffer greatly from the intensity of the cold2 and the least evil it does them1 is to crystallise their honey1 which is then no longer of any use to them4 ,the warmth keeps it in a fluid state2 but this warmth1 concentrated in the middle1 or on one side of the hive1 does not prevent it being candied in the other parts of it4 ,more candied honey will generally be found on one side than the other4 ,this may be prevented by narrowing the entrance1 and closing up every crevice by which the external air can penetrate4 ,our industrious and provident little labourers set the example4 ,their instinct leads them1 during the summer1 carefully to close up every crack or joining of their habitation1 with a sort of gummy matter called propolis1 which cannot be penetrated either by the mice1 the moths1 or the ants4 ,i have seen an excellent swarm perish1 in consequence of a slight bend in the board1 which left an interstice on each side1 through which a cold north wind sifted1 and froze more than three-fourths of the bees2 and no after care was able to save those that were left4 ,two years after1 another hive1 belonging to the same person1 carefully plastered round1 but being made of too slight material1 too thin1 and having no covering1 lost at least two-thirds of its population from cold4 ,it was saved1 however1 by great care1 and in time recovered4 ,it is to avoid similar disasters that hives are commonly taken into the house2 but this exposes them to the evil arising from infection4 ,a thick strong-made hive is a more certain protection from the cold than one that is thin and light4 ,it keeps in the warmth1 like suitable winter clothing2 while the other resembles an unseasonable summer garment3 and1 for this reason1 ,i have recommended1 in ,chapter ,,vi4 not to spare the material4 ,notwithstanding the excessive cold of ,lithuania1 and the north of ,russia1 the swarms succeed in finding for themselves a comfortable abode in the hollows of the thick oak-trees1 through which the cold does not penetrate4 ,but1 in addition to the warmth arising from the thickness of the hive1 ,i always cover mine1 during severe weather1 with a piece of old blanket1 or some such thing1 to check the first impression of the cold2 and as few country people have a thermometer1 by which to estimate the degree of temperature1 they should hasten to thatch1 or cover them1 in some way1 whenever they perceive the hoar frost on the glass of their windows1 which will be the case when the common thermometer of ,fahrenheit descends three or four degrees below the freezing point4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,manner ,,of ,,preserving ,,hives ,,by ,,taking ,,them ,,into ,,the ,,house ,,in ,,winter4 ,it is generally supposed that1 in the high valleys1 and in the mountains1 bees can only be preserved by taking the hives into the house in winter1 where they must remain1 until the snow has disappeared1 before they can be set at liberty4 ,i had this fatal prejudice for many years2 but it was dispelled by the success attending the union of the five swarms of which ,i have given a detailed account in ,chapter ,,xviii41 at which time a ray of light broke in upon me that has since continued to guide me4 ,the following winter ,i left out the one-half of my hives1 and moved the other half into a cold room1 according to my usual custom1 where all the pains ,i bestowed upon them did not altogether keep them alive1 nor preserve them from damp and infection4 ,in vain ,i swept and cleaned the boards1 or placed them on dry hay to absorb the moisture2 in vain ,i gave them capes or joinings4 ,with all my care1 there was not one of them free of diseases and infection4 ,the winter was long and severe2 and they could not be returned to the air before the last week in ,march1 by which time they were feeble and languid1 and far less prosperous than those that had passed the winter out of doors4 ,from that time1 ,i have never taken one into the house4 ,but1 as hives that have been weakened by giving out too many swarms1 especially swarms of the same year1 that have not nearly filled the interior of their habitation with combs1 are less subject to become overheated1 and to mould1 than those that are quite filled1 and of which the population is very strong1 the inhabitants of the mountains might have the latter in the open air all winter1 and only move the others into the house4 ,they will find1 as ,i have done1 that strong well filled hives are far best out of doors1 provided they take the necessary precautions to prevent them from freezing4 ,i have somewhere or other read an account of a very ingenious method of preserving hives in winter1 but have not made trial of it1 in consequence of not having a place fitting for it4 ,according to this plan1 one must have an empty room1 very cold and dry1 in which1 from end to end1 two long poles are suspended parallel to each other1 and a foot of distance between them4 ,as soon as the severe cold begins1 and the thermometer is at the freezing point1 the hives are all moved into this room1 and set up upon the poles1 without any board beneath them1 and separate about half a foot from each other4 ,each hive must be numbered1 and the numbers noted down1 as well as the board and place that each occupied in the apiary1 in order that they may be replaced in exactly the same situation on the return of spring4 ,this done1 the room is darkened1 as the smallest ray of light will induce the bees to quit their hives2 and1 in this manner1 they may be preserved in a healthy state1 and without diminution of their numbers1 during the winter2 and1 from being left entirely open below1 any dead bees1 or bits of wax1 fall on the floor1 and they escape the danger of infection4 ,on the return of the fine season1 and early in the morning of a calm day1 the room is opened1 and each hive returned to its own place on the apiary4 ,i have reason to think that hives1 wintered in this way1 will consume a quarter1 a third1 or perhaps one-half less provision than others1 if left on the apiary1 or shut up entirely from the air2 but we must attend less to the rigid economy of the honey1 than to the preservation of the valuable insects that collect it for us4 ,i possess only the theory of a practice of which ,i should have gloried in being the inventor1 as it appears to me infallible1 and advantageous in all its relations1 but more especially to the inhabitants of the mountains4 ,there two or three people might hire a room among them for the purpose2 and1 should the air become impure from so many hives being closed up together1 it could be purified by opening the door during the night1 and closing it well up again in the morning4 ,,conclusion4 ,i have now given the result of sixty-four years experience4 ,this little memoir has extended beneath my pen far beyond my original intention2 but it was of consequence in describing the new methods ,i had adopted1 to give my reasons for every thing ,i recommended2 and1 for this purpose1 to enter very minutely into the details4 ,i have not written with elegance1 but have expressed myself plainly2 and1 in giving the account of my experiments1 it seemed to me that1 to be clearly understood1 ,i ought to relate naturally how ,i set about them1 as the different circumstances occurred1 and that every reader could more easily follow me1 in seeing me act1 as it were1 than if ,i merely laid down general rules4 ,those ,i have given1 have the rare advantage of being applicable to every kind of hive1 of wood or straw1 whether large or small1 and of whatever form or shape4 ,i have not recommended any one kind in particular1 not even those that bear my name1 as ,i consider them all equally profitable when skilfully taken care of4 ,every one may make use of such as he likes best1 or such as he can most easily procure4 ,i wish not to lead the apiarian into any expence1 but to point out to him clearly those principles and rules that he should not lose sight of1 if he wishes to preserve his bees and to profit by them4 ,if this little work is favourably received by the public1 and if my life is spared1 ,i may be induced to give it a sequel1 in which will be found new ideas concerning the drones1 and their destination1 with several experiments to discover if it is of any use to assist the bees in killing them2 calculations of the yearly and average profit of a single hive1 by which ,i would encourage the cultivators to work a rich mine whence great profit maybe drawn2 and also directions for purifying the honey1 as well as for melting the wax1 none of which could have a place in this little book1 the sole object1 as expressed in the title1 being the preservation of the bees4 ,diminution of the ,weight of my ,hives during the ,winter--from the #bjth ,september #ahac to the #cast ,march #ahad4 ,,straw4 ,no4 #a4 diminished #aj pounds4 #b4 #aj #c4 #ab #d4 #ab #h4 #aa #aj4 #i #aa4 #h #ac4 doubled in ,october1 #aa #ae4 #aj #af4 doubled1 #aj #ag4 doubled1 #ad #bj4 #aj #ba4 #ad #bb4 doubled1 #h #bc4 #aj #bd4 #i #be4 #ae #bf4 #ab #bg4 #aj #cj4 #ac #cb4 #i #ch4 #h ,a4 #i ,b4 #aj ,c4 #ab ,d4 #aj ,,wood4 ,no4 #a4 diminished #aa pounds4 #d4 doubled1 #i #f4 #aa #g4 #h #h4 #ai #i4 #aj #aa4 #ae #ac4 #ae #ba4 #aj #bc4 doubled1 #aa ,to know exactly if the consumption of united hives was greater than that of those hives whose population had not been augmented1 ,i weighed thirty-six hives on the #cast of ,march #ahad1 that had been previously weighed on the #bjth ,september #ahac2 but ,i omitted those from which ,i had taken honey1 as well as those ,i fed1 as ,i did not weigh them4 ,it may be observed1 by the foregoing table1 that the most economical expenditure amounts to eight pounds of honey1 and that the greatest consumption is nineteen4 ,i can attribute this enormous difference to nothing but pillage4 ,it is very likely that the straw-hive1 ,no4 #ch41 must have enriched itself with booty in ,october or in ,march1 while the wooden hive ,no4 #h4 had been plundered4 ,of these thirty-six hives1 six had been doubled in ,october1 by the introduction of a strong swarm into each of them1 and we see that their expenditure has not been greater than that of those colonies that were left single4 ,in the course of six months and eleven days1 one diminished only eight pounds and a half2 one1 nine and a half2 one1 ten and a half2 one eleven2 one1 eleven and a half2 and the least economical1 fourteen pounds4 ,this comparison demonstrates1 that hives1 doubled by the re-union of the bees of another hive1 consume no more in winter than less populous hives1 left in their natural state4 ,the fact is clearly proved1 though ,i am ignorant of the cause4 ,i ought to observe1 that all these doubled hives1 with the exception of one old one1 twenty-two years of age1 prospered perfectly the year following1 and gave me more honey and more swarms than all the others4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,translator4 ,some friends1 for whom ,i entertain a very high respect1 have remarked1 on reading the proof sheets of this translation1 that ,gelieu appears to be very successful in preserving the bees1 but that he does not prove so clearly that any great increase of honey is thereby to be obtained4 ,to the practical apiarian this objection will never present itself2 but1 for the satisfaction of those who are not acquainted with bees1 ,i regret not being in possession of ,gelieu's calculation of the average profits of single and doubled hives3 and ,i regret more especially1 that1 during the few years my attention has been directed to the management of bees1 ,i have been contented with remarking the thriving condition of the apiary1 without giving myself the trouble to calculate the exact amount of its produce4 ,those1 however1 who are accustomed to observe and to take care of bees1 will know that the whole value of the hives depends on the swarms being large and early1 and will therefore see at once the advantages to be gained by attending to ,gelieu's directions4 ,the results of my own experience are1 in other respects1 as follows4 ,i have tried hives of various kinds3 those of the common shape1 made of straw2 the still prettier sort1 made of sea-shore bent 7,arundo arenaria72 the square-storied hive of wood2 also the ,huish hives2 and1 consequently1 have had an opportunity of assuring myself that the success of the apiary depends neither on the form nor the material1 but entirely on the treatment the bees meet with1 and that hives may be made1 with equal success1 of whatever is most easily obtained in the district they are to be used in1 always provided they are kept clean and are well managed4 ,in some of the high valleys of the ,alps1 where straw is not to be had1 and where every blade of grass is carefully economized for the use of the cattle1 the hives are merely rough blocks of timber1 sawn across the stems of the pine tree1 and rudely scooped out to receive the swarms3 these answer the purpose just as well as other hives2 and the only or the chief difference1 is the greater or less facilities which each affords for the extraction of the combs2 an operation of easy performance in the ,huish hives1 when its inventor's directions are adhered to4 ,but1 in ,switzerland1 the same process is accomplished without difficulty in hives of any shape or material1 by means of a knife1 which is so simple in its construction1 and so easily used1 that it deserves to be made generally known4 ,i therefore subjoin a figure1 with a description and a note of the dimensions1 from which it may be made by any country black-smith4 ,illustration ,this figure represents the shape of the knife2 it is formed merely of a slip of iron1 about two feet long by an eighth of an inch thick4 ,the two horizontal lines a a shew the size and appearance of the handle1 which is twenty inches long by half an inch broad4 ,the turned-down blade 7b71 of two inches in length1 is spear-pointed1 sharp on the edges1 and bent perpendicularly from the handle4 ,the other blade 7c7 is two inches long by one and a half broad1 and sharpened all round1 as marked by the double black line4 ,the broad blade 7c7 cuts and separates the wax from the sides of the hive1 and the spear-point 7b71 which is also sharp on each side1 admits1 from its direction and narrowness1 of being introduced between the combs1 to loosen them from the top of the hive2 and1 for the same reason1 it also answers the purpose of pruning the combs4 ,the honey-comb which is thus extracted1 or which is obtained from the capes1 is greatly superior to that which is suffered to remain in the hives till the autumn4 ,the wax is thin and transparent1 and the honey1 being newly drawn from the nectaries1 is particularly rich and delicious1 as it has not had time to lose the fragrant and delicate flavour of the young flowers4 ,huish1 it may be observed1 gives very clear directions for extracting the combs from the hives that bear his name2 he also recommends the uniting of swarms2 but ,i could never obtain his instructions on this latter point4 ,doubting nothing of its practicability1 however1 ,i made the experiment1 but having no guiding principle to direct me1 it was like going to sea without a compass2 and1 in consequence1 my hopes were soon wrecked1 and ,i had the misery of seeing the whole of the swarm that ,i had saved from suffocation1 speedily put to death by the bees of the hive that ,i had so rashly forced it to enter4 ,the result1 however1 was widely different when ,i made the trial again last autumn1 guided by the directions contained in this little volume1 for ,i accomplished the union of my swarms without difficulty--even without previously having seen it done1 and without having received a single sting2 and ,i had thus the pleasure of witnessing my hopes crowned with complete success4 ,for this operation1 it is not necessary either to have the courage of a warrior1 or the intelligence and coolness of a philosopher like ,m4 de ,gelieu4 ,an ordinary degree of judgment to understand his directions1 and confidence enough implicitly to follow them1 will enable any one to perform it1 provided he sets about it cautiously1 and takes care not to hurt the bees1 or to handle them roughly4 ,i managed ,it1 with the assistance of two persons1 without gloves1 or any shield or shadow of defence1 except a little tobacco-smoke1 involving us1 as it were1 within the influence of a charmed atmosphere1 that seemed to stupify the bees1 and render their sting powerless1 while it inspired us with confidence to proceed4 ,i recommend it being done at first by three persons1 one to manage the hive and extract the combs1 another to sweep the bees back gently with a feather or goose-wing1 and a third to manage the fumigating bellows2 or1 if the fumigating-bellows are not at hand1 to blow occasional whiffs of smoke from a tobacco-pipe4 ,when my first cluster of bees was shaken out of the pillaged hive upon the table-cloth1 ,i had the happiness of seeing them instantly begin their ascent 7not on the wing7 but in a regular march4 ,it was a spectacle of intense interest4 ,they entered the full hive as orderly and as peaceably as any body of regular troops ever took possession of a citadel2 and next day the original possessors and the new settlers1 were seen1 in perfect harmony1 working together for the general good4 ,but whether they thought proper to kill a queen for themselves or not1 was a fact that ,i had no means to ascertain4 ,thus encouraged by my first experiment1 ,i proceeded to extend it4 ,my whole apiary consisted of eight ,huish hives1 isolated on single pillars of wood1 at the distance of three feet from each other4 ,we emptied three more of the hives1 and joined a swarm to each of the remaining three1 making four doubled stock hives4 ,the gardener who has the care of them1 had five hives of his own1 three of which were deprived of their honey in the same way1 and the swarms joined to the remaining two1 which he had kept as stock hives2 and ,i am now enabled to state exactly the quantity of honey that each has consumed from ,september #ahbh1 to the end of ,march #ahbi4 ,no4 #a4 diminished #ab lb4 #b4 #i #c4 #ab #d4 #aa ,the ,gardener's ,hives4 ,no4 #a4 ,a large common hive #ag lb4 #b4 ,a ,huish hive #ac ,it ought1 however1 to be mentioned1 that my four hives got a pound and a half of honey among them1 in ,february2 but those belonging to the gardener got no feeding4 ,the entrances of all of them were left open during the winter1 and there were not altogether above two dozen dead bees found on the boards1 when they were lifted to be weighed4 ,the gardener's hive4 ,no4 #b41 received two swarms in addition to its own2 and this allied army took possession just as peaceably as the others1 and actually consumed less honey during the winter than ,no4 #a41 which was only doubled4 ,in effecting the union1 the citizens had been plentifully regaled with a sprinkling of liquid honey1 previous to the introduction of the strangers2 and there were as many luscious drops of the banquet left1 as gave the new comers no disrelish to their quarters4 ,for some years past1 ,i have suffered no sticks to be put across the inside of any of my hives1 as they render the extraction of the combs impracticable4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it may be right to add1 in conclusion1 that ,i have1 in one or two places1 slightly altered the text where the meaning seemed obscure1 and where mistakes might otherwise have occurred4 ,i ought1 perhaps1 to have translated these passages quite literally1 and to have corrected them in separate notes2 but ignorance of book-making must be my excuse4 ,,finis4 ,p4 ,,neill1 ,,printer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber ,note ,minor typos were corrected4