BEES, management of. It is agreed by the most judicious observers, that the apiary, or place were bees are kept, should face the south, and be situated in a place neither too hot nor too much ex posed to the cold ; that it be near the mansion-house, on account of the conve nience of watching them; but so situated as not to be exposed to noisome smells, or to the din of men or cattle ; that it be surrounded with a wall, which, however, should not rise above three feet high ; that, if possible, a running stream be near them ; or if that cannot be, that water be brought near them in troughs, as they cannot produce either combs, honey, or food for their maggots, without water ; and that the garden in which the apiary stands be well furnished with such plants as afford the bees plenty of good pasture. Furze, broom, mustard, clover, heath, &c. have been found excellent for this purpose. Ilives have been made of dif ferent materials, and in different forms, according to the fancy of people of dif ferent ages and countries. Not only straw, which experience now proves to be rather preferable to every thing else, but wood, horn, glass, &c. have been used for the construction of them. Single box hives, however, when properly made, an swer very well, and when painted last long. They have several advantages above straw hives; they are quite cleanly, and always stand upright ; they are proof against mice, and are cheaper in the end than straw hives, for one box will last as long as three of them. They are, how ever, rather colder in winter ; but a pro per covering will prevent all danger from that quarter. Straw hives are easiest ob tained at first, and have been used and recommended by the best of bee-masters. If the swarm be early and large, it will require a large hive; but if otherwise, the hive should be proportionably less. If the bees appear to want more room, it can easily be enlarged by putting a roll or two below it ; but if itbe heavy enough for a stock hive, it will do, although it should not be quite full of combs. Any person (says Mr. Bonner) who intends to erect an apiary, must take particular care to have it filled with proper inhabitants. lie must be peculiarly attentive to this, as all his future profit and pleasure, or loss and vexation, will, in general, depend upon it. He must, therefore, pay the ut most attention to the choice of his stock hives ; for the man who takes care to keep good stock-hives will gain considerably by them ; but he who keeps bad ones will, besides a great deal of trouble and little or no success, soon become a broken bee-master. In September every stock hive ought to contain as much honey as will supply the bees with food till June following, and as many bees as will pre serve heat in the hive, and therefore re sist the severity of a cold winter, and act as so many valiant soldiers, to defend the community from the invasions of foreign enemies in spring. They should be full of combs, and well stored with bees and honey, and should weigh at least 301b. each ; if heavier, so much the better ; for light hives run a great risk of perishing by famine, unless the bees are supplied with food ; whereas a well-chosen hive of 301b. weight, allowing 121b. for the empty hive, bees, comb, &c. will con tain 181b. of honey, which will supply the
bees with food till June ; a time when it may be presumed they will find abun dance of provisions for themselves among the flowers. When a choice can be ob tained, the youngest hive should always be preferred, because old hives are liable to vermin and other accidents. But al though a hive should be four or five years old, it should not be rejected, if it pos sess these two essential qualities, plenty of bees and abundance of honey.
Bees first swarm in May or in the end of April ; but earlier or later according to the warmth of the season. They sel dom swarm before ten in the morning, and seldom later than three in the after noon. We may know when they are. about to swarm, by clusters of them hang Mg on the outside of the hive. But the most certain sign is when the bees re frain from going into the fields, though the season be inviting. Just before they take flight there is an uncommon silence in the hive : after this, as soon as one takes flight, they all follow. Before the subsequent swarmings there is a great noise in the hive, which is supposed to be occasioned by a contest whether the young or old queen should go out. When the bees of a swarm fly too high, they will descend lower upon throwing hand fuls of sand or dust among them, which they probably mistake for rain. For the same purpose it is usual to beat on a ket tle or frying-pan ; this practice may have taken its rise from observing that thun der, or any great noise, prompts bees in the fields to return home. As soon as the swarm is settled, the bees which compose it should be got into a hive with all convenient speed, to prevent their taking wing again. If they settle on a small branch of a tree, easy to come at, it may be cut off and laid upon a cloth, the hive being ready immediately to put over them. If the branch cannot be conveniently cut, the bees may be swept from off it into the hive. Lodge but the queen into the hive, and the rest • will soon follow. If the bees must be considerably disturbed in order to get them into a hive, the most advisable way is, to let them remain in the place where they have pitched till the evening, when there is less danger of their taking wing. If it be observed that they still hover about the tree that they first alighted up on, the branches may be rubbed with rue, elder leaves, or any other thing distaste. ful to them, to prevent their returning to it. The hive employed on this occasion should be cleaned with the utmost care, and its inside rubbed with fragrant herbs • or flowers, the smell of which is agree able tothe bees, or with honey. The hive should not be immediately set on the stool where it is to remain, but kept near the place at which the bees settled till the evening, lest some stragglers should be lost. It should be shaded either with boughs or with cloth, that the too great heat of the sun may not annoy the bees. We sometimes see a swarm of bees, after having left their hive, and even alighted upon a tree, return to their first abode : this never happens but when the young queen did not come forth with them, for want of strength, or perhaps courage to trust to her wings for the first time, or possibly from a consciousness of her not being impregnated.