IV. CONCERNS IN THE HANDLING OF BEES
1. Smoothness of Handling
Opening the bee hive as smoothly as possible can be a major
consideration in controlling the temperament of the bees
and rendering them as gentle as possible. Though there is
some question among the experts as to whether or not bees
can hear, there is no question regarding their ability to
sense vibrations and respond to them as a possible threat.
Any jarring of the hive, any abrupt movement, can be
interpreted as an attack against their home: their sole
means of surviving. Prying supers apart as carefully as
possible and removing frames gently allows the bees to be
surprisingly indifferent to the beekeeper's activities.
2. Proper use of the Smoker
Moderation is the keyword in the use of the smoker. Smoke
should be used to drive back the guards but not to
overwhelm the hive. Too little smoke won't suppress the
guards enough but too much smoke will aggravate the hive.
Just because a few bees are flying around is not grounds to
apply more and more smoke. As with most phases of bee
keeping, experience will show how much smoke is needed and
it will be noted that it varies from hive to hive. Keeping
the smoker going can be a unique problem in working with
bees. Unless the bellows is squeezed every so often it will
go out. If the bellows are squeezed too often or too hard
the flame will get too hot and emit a flame rather than
smoke.
Materials that supply fairly good smoke include dried
grass, leaves, pine cones, and ceiling tiles. Peat moss
works quite well, is readily available and not expensive.
Usually paper is used to get the fire started.
3.Introduction of a Queen
A hive of bees has its own unique scent and intruders are
detected as not having the same scent and are either
removed or killed. Introducing a queen from another hive
can result in her being killed, since she has an odor
different from the rest of the bees. Precautions should be
taken to protect her from the rest of the bees until she
acquires the scent of the hive. There are several ways that
can be done.
If the new queen is kept in a separate cage, within the
hive, she will acquire the scent of the hive and be more
willingly accepted. The normally used queen cage is a block
of wood about ¾ inch by 1 ½ inches by 2 ½ inches that has
been partially drilled out and then has had window
screening tacked over the opening to contain the queen in
an opening about 1 inch in diameter and a half an inch
deep. Entering along the axis of long dimension, from both
ends is a 3/8 inch hole that has been filled with candied
sugar at one end and corked at the other end.
Placing the cage on top of the frames with the screen side
down and straddling two frames allows the bees to become
familiar with the queen without harming her. Removing the
cork from the 3/8 inch hole that is blocked with candied
sugar allows the bees to eat through the sugar in a couple
of days and free the queen.
For introducing a queen with a large number of bees, such
as combining a swarm with an existing hive, the outer and
inner covers of the hive can be removed and a sheet or two
of newspaper can be used to cover the whole top of the
hive. A super, with frames, can then be placed on top of
the newspaper and the queen and bees poured into the super
and the inner and outer covers replaced. Use an inner cover
with openings so they will have ventilation and they will
be able to leave and enter through the top of the hive.
Within a day or two the bees will have chewed through the
paper and the two groups combined. Their odors will have
mixed and they won't attack each other. The two queens,
however, will seek each other out and fight. Usually the
younger, stronger queen will survive.
More than twenty different variations of queen
introductions exist. Prime concern in most cases is
allowing time for the odor of the new queen and attendants
to mix with the hive to which the introduction is made. It
must also be remembered that a hive without a queen is far
more willing to accept a new queen than a hive that has a
good producing queen.
4. Package Bees
A package of bees is a box about 10 by 14 by 5 inches, with
window screening on the 10 by 14 inch sides, containing
anywhere from two to five pounds of bees with or without a
queen. The most usual order is a 3-pound package (about
11-12,000 bees) with a queen. Whether or not a queen is
included, depends upon whether the package is to be used to
add to a weak hive that has a queen or whether a new hive
is to be started. For this climate it would be best to have
the bees arrive between April 15 and May 15.
It is most important in ordering package bees to have a bee
hive fully assembled and painted before the package arrives
since the queens should only be kept in the package a few
days at the most. It is important that the bees start
building combs and the queen laying eggs as soon as
possible since it will be three weeks before the new bees
start hatching out. To insure the survival of the hive they
should be fed sugar water since not enough nectar may be
available in the early spring.
If at all possible the hive should have some drawn
foundation so that the bees will have to expend less energy
in getting started. Four to twelve pounds of honey must be
consumed to produce one pound of wax. The less energy the
bees must use at such a critical time, the better their
chance of survival.
The bees should be installed in the hive late in the
evening, if possible, to prevent drifting. Usually only
half the frames are placed in the hive so that the bees may
be dumped in the opening left and then the frames are
replaced.
I.
INTRODUCTION
II. GETTING
STARTED WITH BEES
III.
CONSIDERATION FOR THE BEES
IV.
CONCERNS IN THE HANDLING OF BEES
V.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOVICE BEE KEEPER TRAINING
COURSE
VI. Long Island Beekeepers
Club Good Neighbor Policy
VII. Additional
Suggested Readings for a Comprehensive Understanding of
Bees
