W. S. Morley

“ Flowers and Bees In the economy of the world of flowers the bee plays an important part, while in return the flowers provide the wherewithal of existence for the bee. For the mere transference of pollen from one flower to another the plant offers the bee a supply of nectar and a percentage of the pollen which she is to carry for the plant's benefit. It is the case that most plants depend upon cross-fertilization, and while some rely upon the wind to carry the pollen, others, and by far the greater number, depend upon bees and other insects to perform the work for them. ”

“ The worker bees are, indeed, wondrous creatures: they are known to - 11 - have their feelings of friendship and dislike almost human in their intensity; their expressions of sorrow on the loss of their queen or when their stores are failing are as unmistakable as their hum of contentment when the hive is thriving, or the buzz of anger when rudely-disturbed.
The Drone.—The drone is the male bee. He is the progeny of an unfertilised egg laid by the queen, or by a fertile worker. His life is usually a short and merry one. ”

“ Some may think—rashly—that there is nothing new to be said or learned about the bee, but the fact is that even scientists are still ignorant as to the definite uses of certain of the insect's organs, and of the origin and remedies of some of the diseases from which it suffers. Putting aside, therefore, the merely commercial aspect of bee-keeping, there is still a wide field of interest and research open for exploration by the intelligent bee-keeper. ”

“ Watchfulness and Intelligence.—These two - 5 - qualities are essential assets to any would-be successful bee-keeper. There is no "golden rule," for his guidance through the year, nothing that must be done invariably at stated times and seasons. It is here that the novice is puzzled and perplexed, for apparently what is right at one time becomes wrong at another, but it is only by experience that the guiding knowledge is acquired. ”

“ Not only does each hive diffuse a different scent from that of its neighbour—even though the nectar may be gathered by the bees from the same source—but the scent of each hive may vary according to the work that is going on within it. Each individual bee, too, can diffuse a varying scent to suit its circumstances. An expert bee-keeper can generally tell from the scent immediately he opens his hive what reception he is likely to meet with, for even our native bees are seldom found to be docile in the midst or towards the end of a honey-flow. ”

“ Each hive is, as it were, a republic of female workers, who serve with slavish devotion one of their number set apart from birth for the position of supreme head of the community. Like their sex generally throughout Nature, they give of their best where it is most needed. They know by their instinct that if the queen is fed with rich food her egg-laying capacity is stimulated, and, on the contrary, when the honey-flow is finished, that the supply of such food must be checked, with a consequent reduction in the number of eggs laid. ”

“ The explosion of firearms, a clap of thunder, or the roar of a blast, will secure their doing so, and probably the most effectual "settler" for a swarm is a shower of rain—but none of these is at the immediate command of the bee-keeper. ”

“ When this state of affairs is discovered in the hive the bee-keeper must ascertain by observation whether it is the queen's doings, and, if so, depose her and, if that of a fertile worker, destroy her. As a rule a fertile worker deposits her eggs in a scattered sort of way, but as the cells containing them are always capped as drone-cells—that is the cappings are raised in a dome-like way—they are easily distinguishable to the experienced eye. ”

“ It is well to bear in mind that the best of all heat-producers in a hive are the bees themselves, but to enable them satisfactorily to become so suitable accommodation and food are absolutely necessary. ”

“ As mating can only take place when the queen and drone are on the wing, she soars into the air followed by the rival and eager drones. When the mating is accomplished the queen returns to the hive and is then capable of laying eggs, both fertile and unfertile, at will. The drone also returns home, but only to die: he has laid down his life for the perpetuation of his race. A queen that has been recently mated can be identified by a white speck on the back near the end of the abdomen—the organ torn away from the drone. ”

“ The bees from strong hives soon find out those that are weak, and apparently act on the principle that "to him that hath shall be given," for they proceed to help themselves to the depleted stores of the weak hive. They even go to the length of forcing its occupants to help in the removal of their stores and grant them the privilege of joining their community for so doing. Those that remain faithful to the queen of the weak hive are thus reduced to starvation. When a bee-keeper finds that a weak hive is being raided in this manner he should close it up entirely for a day or two. ”

“ As a super, indeed, they are generally recommended to the novice in bee-keeping, as, owing to there being less space for the bees to heat, they are warmer than the standard frames for this purpose. There is no question that a warm super induces the bees to explore it, and if food is plentiful to use it as a store or warehouse, while, on the contrary, should the heat of the super be lowered by a change in the outside temperature after the bees have commenced to - 31 - store therein, they will often remove the honey thence to the brood-chamber. ”

“ General Information and Hints The question of profit depends almost entirely upon the knowledge, energy, and perseverance of the bee-keeper, for, given suitable hive-accommodation and proper attention, the bees can generally be depended upon to do their share of the work.
Regularity and Foresight.—All who are engaged in productive work in conjunction with Nature know that "there is a time for everything," in connection with that work, and every advantage must be taken of that particular tide if full benefits are to be secured at the harvest season. Work must be done in regular rotation. ”

“ Should a bee-keeper see any of the "fanners" at work on the alighting board at the entrance of the hive he may know at once that the hive is - 18 - too warm, and if he be wise will open the entrance a little wider. Should the bees continue their ventilating work after that, then he may surely know that something is wrong and open the hive to investigate. The bees do not so work without urgent need. It may be that the stores of food are fermenting, or that wet has penetrated to the combs: mice may have entered the hive, or, worst of all, foul brood may be rampant. ”

“ To work a bar-framed hive for profit it is first necessary that the bee-keeper should exercise forethought and be prepared for any emergency that may arise. He should always have by him plenty of spare frames, foundations, supers, and other necessities, for nothing is more annoying than a shortage of such during an unexpected honey-flow. ”

“ Of course this is easily done: the mere getting entangled in the hair of the onlooker is sufficient to rouse their anger. Any symptoms of nervousness, too, seem to become apparent at once to the bees, and perspiration, again, is objectionable to them. But an expert bee-handler may lift a swarm with his hands and suffer no ill, for so long as they are not crushed the bees will not resent the handling. ”

“ Honey.—For the production of honey there must be for the bees easily available - 54 - access to nectar producing flowers, and it might be noted that flowers always produce most nectar when growing under natural conditions. It is a common error to suppose that all sweet-scented flowers are visited by bees; for in the gardens, roses and sweet peas are neglected by them, and in the hedgerows the honeysuckle is passed by—it caters for moths only, while, on the other hand, plants whose scent is entirely repugnant to the human sense of smell provide attractive and happy hunting grounds for the bee. ”

“ A farmer must plough his land before he can sow his seed; the seed must be sown at a certain time—sown in hope many months before the harvest can be expected. The same regularity and hopeful anticipation are necessary in - 4 - bee-keeping if full advantage is to be secured of the honey-harvest. In the same manner, just as farmers must make use of modern methods and appliances to obtain the best return for the outlay of capital and labour, so the bee-keeper must bring into his work the practice of up-to-date principles and labour-saving appliances connected with bee-keeping. ”

“ The more economical, as well as humane, method of driving is now generally practised by the commercial bee-keeper. Driving is often accomplished immediately after the clover has finished flowering, and the bees sold to the bee-keepers in the heather districts, who are often glad to increase their stocks in readiness for the heather honey harvest. In other cases the driven bees are used to strengthen weak hives. In any case driving must be done before the autumn unless the bee-keeper is prepared to give the bees drawn-out combs and food to fill them with in preparation for the winter. ”

“ It should be the aim of every bee-keeper to make himself acquainted with the order and approximate times of blossoming of the flowers and trees, and particularly the largest source of nectar in his neighbourhood. ”

“ I consider that outside feeding is by far the better method in the spring. For one reason it is always risky to disturb the bees by inside feeding early in the year, and there is always the certainty of admitting a draught of cold air to the hive. Another reason in favour of outside feeding is that it induces the bees to take exercise, which is decidedly good for them after the winter seclusion, and also keeps the young bees from wandering in search of food, and thereby running the risk of getting lost. ”

“ When, however, a bee-keeper sees the array of dead drones he will probably think it would have been better for him had they been workers—producers rather than consumers of honey. It is, of course, greatly to the advantage of a bee-keeper that the number of the drones should be kept down as low as possible. This can be done by giving the bees full sheets of bees-wax impressed completely with the basal forms of the natural worker cells, thus inducing them to confine their building to those cells only. ”

“ There are so many forms and varieties of hive on the market to-day that the novice, who perhaps started out with the idea that a hive was merely "a hive—any one would do—and the bees would accomplish the rest," is puzzled as to how to make a selection. As a general recommendation in this direction I would say, select the one that is least complicated and easiest to clean. Simplicity in working, combined with efficiency in its purpose, is a sure and safe standard to apply when selecting a hive. ”

“ As a rule, from six to eight weeks is required to get the hives into a profitable condition after brood-rearing has commenced in earnest. In some favoured places the queen may begin to deposit eggs as early as January, though of course, in the north and colder districts, this is exceptional. Unless, therefore, a bee-keeper is in an exceptionally good district, and works for early fruit blossoms as a source of nectar, it is to his interest to leave the bees to themselves until the middle or end of March, provided, of course, they are not short of food. ”

“ As we have already seen, the egg from which the worker develops is precisely similar to that from which a queen springs; the rôle of worker or queen is determined by the cell in which the egg is deposited. A grub in a worker cell gets but little "chyle" food—it is stopped altogether on the third day—and a mixed diet of honey and pollen. The drone is brought up entirely on the latter food.
As soon as a worker grub leaves the cell it enters upon its life of labour. It is immature at this point, and as the air-organs, or tracheæ, are not fully developed, it cannot fly. ”

“ Any question of ownership can always be settled by an examination of the combs in this hive, for if there are no eggs or brood more than a few hours' old the bees undoubtedly belong to the claimant of the swarm, and he is entitled to their possession or their value. Should there be eggs or brood obviously deposited in the combs earlier than the day on which the swarm entered, then no claim can stand, for it is certain that it is impossible for the members of the swarm to be picked out from those already in the hive when they entered. ”

“ For instance, it is useless to feed a hive with the view to increase the brood, if the hive be queenless, or possesses a drone-breeding queen, or a fertile worker. And again, it is useless to put a super on a queenless stock or a weak hive, for instead of helping to conserve the heat of the hive one but adds to the area for the bees to heat with their own little bodies, with the additional risk of chilling the brood and starving the bees. ”

“ Enemies of the Bee and Bee-keeper Bees, and with them the bee-keeper, are subject to annoyance and depredations from many enemies in the natural world. Some make direct attacks on the hive and their contents, and others, by destroying or interfering with the food supply of the bees, sadly deplenish the stores for which the bees work and on which the bee-keeper's hopes rest. Among the former are insect-eating birds, spiders, moths, and other insects. ”

“ He is scrupulous concerning the cleanliness of the hives, and allows no accumulations of wax, dirt, dead bees, or the presence of decaying matter of any kind. Most particular is he, too, to see that the roofs are thoroughly watertight, for he knows that any leakage is bound to engender mildew in the quilts and consequent fermentation in the combs. He believes in prevention rather than cure, for he knows that the conditions of bee life tend to spread disease with lightning rapidity should it once get a hold in the hive. ”

“ When the winter is severe, and insects rare, the blue-tit will venture to tackle bees. Its methods afford a curious instance of the adaptability of wild creatures to circumstances. The general proceeding is for the blue-tit to alight on the front of a hive and tap gently with its beak at the entrance. The tapping attracts the attention of the inmates, and one is usually curious enough to investigate its cause. The bird seizes it immediately, flies off with it to a convenient branch, and, holding it down with one claw, with a quick motion abstracts the sting organs. ”

“ In the same manner the sting of the bee when discharged emits a peculiar scent which has the effect of rousing other bees to anger, as though to avenge the death of their fellow-worker. The expert bee-keeper well knows the scent of the sting even though he may be immune from its effect. It is well to note, by the way, that cross-bred bees as a rule are very quarrelsome and extremely sensitive, and are often dangerous on this account, for they are very free with their sting. ”