Their Manner Of Attack
Categories: IRRITABILITY OF BEES.Bee Keeping: Mysteries Of Bee-keeping Explained
I must disagree with any one who says we always have warning before
being stung. I have been stung _a few times_ myself. Two-thirds of them
were received without the least notice--the first intimation was the
"blow." At other times, when fully determined on vengeance, I have had
them strike my hat and remain a moment endeavoring to effect their
object. In this case, I have warning to hold down my face to protect it
fro
horizontally, the face held in that position is not so liable to be
attacked. When they are not so thoroughly charged with anger, they
often approach in merely a threatening attitude, buzzing around very
provokingly for several minutes in close proximity to our ears and
face, apparently to ascertain our intentions. If nothing hostile or
displeasing is perceived, they will generally leave; but should a quick
motion or offensive breath offend them, the dreaded result is almost
sure to follow. Too many people are apt to take these threatening
manifestations as positive intentions to sting. When these things can
be quietly endured, and at the same time leave their vicinity, it
generally ends peaceably. They never make an attack while away from
their home in quest of honey, or on their return, until they have
entered the hive. It is only in the hive and its vicinity that we
expect to meet this irascible temperament, which should not be allowed,
or at least may be subdued in a great measure, if not entirely, by
doing things in a quiet manner, and, by the use of tobacco smoke. Any
person having the care of bees should go armed with this powerful
weapon. As bees are not much affected with smoke, while flying in the
air, but will have their own way, we must take them in the hive as the
place to teach _them_ a proper deportment!
Those who are accustomed to smoking will find a pipe or segar very
convenient here. But such as are not would do better, perhaps, not to
learn a bad habit. I will therefore give a simple substitute.
More
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Sting Described
Their sting, as it appears to the naked eye, is but a tiny instrument of war; so small, indeed, that its wound would pass unheeded by all the larger animals, if it was not for the poison introduced at the same instant. It has been described as being... Stocks More Liable To Be Destroyed Last Of Summer
But in July and August it is different in this respect; a single moth may enter the hive when exposed, and deposit her whole burden of several hundred eggs, as in the other case, but the heat from the bees is now unnecessary to hatch them. The weath... Stocks Pruned Now Are Better For Winter
Besides the advantage of saving a large brood by pruning at this season, such stocks will usually refill before fall, and are much better for wintering, which is not the case when it is done later. We must of necessity then waste the brood, and have... Stocks To Be Protected On Some Occasions
The worst time for them to leave the hive is immediately after a new snow has fallen, because if they light on it then, it does not sustain their weight; and they soon work themselves down out of the rays of the sun, and perish. Should it clear off ... Straining Honey And Wax
When about to remove the contents of a hive, I have never found it necessary to use all the precautions often recommended to prevent the access of bees. I have seen it stated that a room in which there was a chimney open, would be unsuitable, as t... Strong Stocks Disposed To Plunder
Strong stocks, that during a yield have occupied every cell with brood and honey, when it fails, will soon have empty cells left by the young bees, hatching. These empty cells, without honey to fill them, appear to be a source of much uneasiness. Al... Subject Not Understood
I am not anxious to establish a new theory, but to get at facts. If we pretend to understand natural history, it is important that we have it correct; and if we do not understand it, say so, and leave it open for further investigation. It is my opin... Substitute For Pollen
During these warm days, while waiting for the flowers, the bees are anxious to do something. It is then interesting to watch them, and see what will be used as substitutes for pollen and honey. At such times, I have seen hundreds engaged on a heap o... Success In This Matter
The following suggestion then came to my relief. If this hive was bottom up, what would prevent all this vapor as it arises from the bees from passing off? (It always rises when warm, if permitted.) The hive was inverted; in a few hours the glass wa... Surplus Honey Will Contain Bee-bread
Also pollen, or bee-bread, is always stored in the vicinity of the young brood; some of this will remain mixed with the honey, to please the palate with its _exquisite flavor_. The majority will probably prefer all surplus honey stored in pure comb,... Swarm-catcher
There is another method of keeping swarms separate, contrived and used by a Mr. Loucks, of Herkimer Co., N.Y. He calls it a swarm-catcher; he has a half dozen of them, and says he would not do without for one season, for fifty dollars, as he has a l... Swarms Necessary To Be Seen
It is essential that you see them, that you may know where they cluster, otherwise it might be difficult to find them. They are apt to go farther from the parent stock than others; sometimes fifty rods, and then settle in two places, perhaps that di... Swarms Partly Filled Pay Better Than To Cut Out The Honey
Any person wishing to increase his stocks to the utmost, will find this plan of saving all part-filled hives, of much more advantage than to break it out for sale. Suppose you have an old stock that needs pruning, and have neglected it, or it has re... Swarms Sometimes Return
Occasionally a swarm will issue, and in a few minutes return to the old stock. Mr. Miner gives a cause for this, very ingenious, and romantic, but unfortunately there are but few facts to sustain this hypothesis, (at least I have not discovered them... Symptoms To Be Observed
As no part of the breeding season is exempt, the stocks should be carefully observed during spring, and fore part of summer, relative to increase of bees. When one or more is much behind others in this respect, make an examination immediately. (I wo... Temperature Of Room
The temperature of such a room will vary according to the number and strength of the stocks put in; 100 or more would be very sure to keep it above the freezing point at all times. Putting a very few into such a room, and depending on the bees to ma... Terms Applied To Young Bees
The young bee, when it first leaves the egg, is termed grub, maggot, worm, or larva; from this state it changes to the shape of the perfect bee, which is said to be three days after finishing the cocoon; from the time of this change, till it is read... The Author Has No Patent To Recommend
To remove from the mind of the reader all apprehension that I am about condemning one patent to recommend another, I would say in the beginning, that I have _no patent to praise, no interest in deceiving_, and I hope no prejudices to influence me, i... The Author's Remedy
For a time, I supposed that this moisture on the combs gradually mixed with the honey, making it thin, and that the bees eating so much water with their food, would affect them as described. Some experiments that followed, induced me to assign cold ... The Cause
When extreme hot weather occurs immediately after the bees have been gathering from a plentiful harvest for two or three weeks, or even during the yield, the wax composing new combs is very liable to be softened, till they break loose from their fas... The Cause Uncertain
But when I attempted the next link in the chain (to wit) What caused the death of this brood just at this stage of development? I was obliged to stop. Not the least satisfaction could be obtained. All inquiries among the bee-keepers of my acquaintan... The Effect Of Ice Or Frost On Bees And Comb
When the bees are not smothered, this water in the hive is the source of other mischief. The combs are quite certain to mould. The water mould or dampness on the honey renders it thin, and unhealthy for the bees, causing dysentery, or the accumulati... The Fumigator
I am indebted to a communication from J. M. Weeks, published on page 151 of the Cultivator for 1841, for this method. The description of the fumigator that I constructed will vary a trifle from his, but will retain the principle. I obtained a tin t... The Idea Of Bees Not Freezing Has Led To Errors In Practice
By close observation we shall probably discover that the assertion so often repeated, that bees have never frozen except when without honey, has led to an erroneous practice. ... The Manner
After the first queen was matured, and had left her cell, I caught her within six hours, taking advantage of her younger sisters, which were yet sealed up, and of course could offer no resistance. She first made an opening that would allow her to re... The Next Best Place For Wintering Bees
A _dry_, warm cellar is the next best place for wintering them; the apiarian having one perfectly dark, with room to spare, will find it a very good place, in the absence of a room above ground. If a large number was put in, some means of ventilatio... The Number Of Eggs Deposited By The Queen Guessed At
The number of eggs that a queen will deposit is often another point of guess-work. When the estimate does not exceed 200 per diem, I have no reason to dispute it; the number will probably fall short in some cases, and exceed it in others. Some write... The Queen Liable To Be Lost In Her Excursions
This excursion of the queen, whenever I have witnessed it, always took place a little after the middle of the day, when the drones were out in the greatest numbers. At such times I have seen them leave amid rather more commotion than usual among the... The Time When It Occurs
Thus we see that queens are lost on these occasions from some cause, and part of them by entering the wrong hive, perhaps most of them; if so, it is another good reason for not packing stocks too close. The hives are very often nearly alike in color... Their Battles
I will here describe some of their battles. I have in the spring frequently seen the whole front side of the hive covered with the combatants, (but for such hives I have no fears; they are able to defend themselves.) Several will surround one strang... Their Industry
Industry belongs to their nature. When the flowers yield honey, and the weather is fine, they need no impulse from man to perform their part. When their tenement is supplied with all things necessary to reach another spring, or their store-house ful... Their Manner Of Attack
I must disagree with any one who says we always have warning before being stung. I have been stung _a few times_ myself. Two-thirds of them were received without the least notice--the first intimation was the "blow." At other times, when fully deter... Their Means Of Defence
Nature has armed them with means to defend their stores, and provided them with combativeness sufficient to use them when necessary. This could not be bettered. If they were powerless to repel an enemy, there are a thousand lazy depredators, man not... Their Progress Described
In a few days, I could see at first a little white dust, like flour, on the side of the combs, and on the bottom of the jar. As the worms grew larger, this dust was coarser. By looking closely at the combs, a small white thread-like line was first p... They Are Poor Dependence
Therefore I would recommend getting a royal cell whenever it is practical. There is yet another advantage; you will have a queen ready to lay eggs two or three weeks earlier, than when they are compelled to commence with the egg. I have put such pie... Three Kinds Of Bees
Every prosperous swarm, or family of bees, must contain one queen, several thousand workers, and, part of the year, a few hundred drones. ... Three Principal Sources Of Honey
There are three principal sources of honey, viz.:--clover, basswood, and buckwheat. But clover is the only universal dependance; as that is almost everywhere, to some extent, in the country. Buckwheat in some places is the main source; in others, ba... Time After The First
Whenever the first swarm in a prosperous season _was not kept back by foul weather_, the first of the young queens in the old stock is ready to emerge in about eight days. We will suppose the first swarm issued on Sunday; a week from the next Tuesda... Time Between Second And Third Issues
Piping for third swarms (when they issue) may usually be heard the evening after the second has left, though one day commonly intervenes between their issues. Here my experience is at variance with many writers, who give several days between the ... Time For Setting Out Bees
The time for carrying out bees is generally in March, but some seasons later. A warm pleasant day is the best, and one quite cold, better than one only _moderately_ warm. After their long confinement, the light attracts them out at once, (unless ... Time From The Egg To The Perfect Bee
In about six days it is sealed over with a convex waxen lid. It is now hidden from our sight for about twelve days, when it bites off the cover, and comes forth a perfect bee. The period from the egg to the perfect bee varies from twenty to twenty-f... Time Of Continuance Varies
The time of commencing will be later than this rule in some stocks, if the weather is cool, or not many bees left; it may be ten or twelve days. I once found it fourteen before I heard it. Also the swarm may not issue in two or three days after you ... Time Of Day Weather Etc
These after swarms are not very particular about the weather; heavy winds, a few clouds, and sometimes a slight sprinkling of rain, will not _always_ deter them. Neither are they very precise about the time of day. I have known them in a warm mornin... Time Of Greatest Irritability
The season of their greatest caution, in this section, is August, during the flowers of buckwheat. It is then their stores are greatest. As soon as a stock is pretty well supplied with this world's goods, like some bipeds, they become very haughty, ... Time Of Growth
When first hatched from the egg, it requires very close inspection to see them with the naked eye. The rapidity of growth depends on the temperature in which they are, as much or more than their good living. A few days in hot weather might develop t... Time Of Putting On Rule
It is probable a great many readers will need the necessary observation to tell precisely when the hive is full of honey; it may be full of bees, and not of honey. And yet the only rule that I can give to be generally applied, is, when the bees begi... Time Of Transformation
The worm, after spinning its cocoon, soon changes to a chrysalis, and remains inactive for several days, when it makes an opening in one end and crawls out. The time taken for this transformation is also governed by the temperature, although I think... Time Taken To Fill A Box
Two weeks is the shortest time I ever had any filled and finished. This, of course, depends on the yield of honey, and size of the swarm; three or four weeks are usually taken for the purpose. I have before said that the first yield of honey nearly ... Time To Expect Them
The season for regular swarms in this section, I have known to commence the 15th of May, and in some seasons the 1st of July. The end is about the 15th of the latter month, with some exceptions. I have had one as late as the 21st; also a few buckwhe... To Be Taken Off When Filled
This advantage attends glass boxes: while being filled, the progress can be watched till finished, when they should be taken off to preserve the purity of the combs. Every day the bees are allowed to run over them, renders them darker. Consequently,... To Prevent Swarms Uniting With Those Already Hived
When any of the subsequent swarms were disposed to unite with those already hived, a sheet was thrown over to keep them out. I had four so covered at once. An assistant, in such cases, is very important; one can watch symptoms and keep them back, wh... Toad Got Clear
A toad is discovered near the hives, and forthwith he is executed as a bee-eater. "He ought to be killed for his looks, if nothing else!" He is thus often sacrificed _really_ on account of his appearance, while pretending he is a villain. It is true... Tobacco Smoke Preferred To Slides
When boxes are to be taken off, if a slide of tin, zinc, &c., is used to close the holes, some of the bees are apt to be crushed, others will find themselves minus a head, leg, or abdomen, and all of them be irritable for several days. A little toba... Too Much Honey May Sometimes Be Stored
After the flowers fail, and all the brood has matured and left the combs, it sometimes happens that a stock has an opportunity of plundering, and rapidly filling all those cells that had been occupied with brood during the yield of honey, and which ... Trap To Catch Worms
You may now raise it, but you may still catch the worms by laying under the bees a narrow shingle, a stick of elder split in two lengthwise, and the pith scraped out, or anything else that will afford them protection from the bees, and where they ma... Two Families Together Will Not Consume As Much As If Separate
Even when a stock already contains bees enough to make it safe for winter, another of the same number of bees may be added, and _the consumption of honey will not be five lbs. more than one swarm would consume alone_. If they should be wintered in t... Two May Be United
Whenever these swarms issue near enough together, it is best to unite them. I have said second swarms were generally half as large as the first. By this rule, two second swarms would contain as many bees as a first one, and four of the third, or one... Two Or More Swarms Liable To Unite
If we expect to keep many stocks, the chances are that two or more may issue at one time; and when they do, they nearly always cluster together (I once knew an instance where only three stocks were kept; they all swarmed and clustered together). It ... Two Sides Of The Question
If we suppose that the eggs are all alike, and the subsequent treatment makes either workers, drones, or queens, and look to analogy for support, we shall find much against, as well as for it. For instance, we find in almost every department of anim... Two Things To Be Prevented
When the boxes are free from the bees, two things are to be prevented, if we wish to save our honey till cold weather. One is to keep out the worms, the other to prevent souring. The last may be new to many, but some few of us have had it caused by ... Uncertainty In Weight Of Bees
A large swarm will probably carry with them some five or six pounds of honey from the parent stock. I only guess at this, because I am uncertain what the bees weigh exactly. "I can tell you," some one exclaims, "I saw some weighed,--so many weigh ju... Uniting Comb And Honey As Well As Bees
The process of uniting them is simple. Smoke both the stocks or swarms thoroughly, and turn them over. Choose the one with the straightest combs, or the one nearest full, to receive the contents of the other; trim off the points of the combs to make...