BEES AND HONEY.

Shannon News, 8 May 1923, Page 2

BEES AND HONEY.

A POOR SEASON. Beekeeping, on a commercial basis, on this coast has not assumed the proportions to which it has attained in many other parts of New Zealand, it forms a means of adding to income, especially suitable for small areas. In the course ol his enI quiries into primary industries, a “Chronicle” representative came into j touch with Mr Phillips, of WinchesI ter street, who has established an ! apiary of about 50 hives, and who sup- | plied the enquirer with some facts which may be of interest to our readers. In ttie first place it may he well to state that, bee-keeping is a science and that like every other branch of farming—if it can he called such- the more exact the methods adopted, the better the results obtained. Asked as to the financial returns from the industry, Mr Phillips, ex-

plained that the seasons in the Manawatu were too variable to make it a great success, and he would not advise anyone to go in for bee-keeping as a sole means of making a living. Tn conjunction with a small dairy, poultry, or fruit, farm it, would he a success. For instance, whilst in a good year a hive would yield 80 to 1)01 bs of honev, besides allowing for 40 to 50lbs left as winter food for the bees, owing to the wet .season this year the return Wa.s only about 251bs, and to get that it was necessary to lowter the store of honey to an extent which will make it necessary to feed artificially during the winter. These figures naturally refer to hives which have an addition of several “supers” or other hives .superimposed on top.

Starting with, the building of file hive from the swarming time which begins in October, one of the most important things is to start new hives with the fifst swarm from a hive, which is always the strongest. The caus'e of so many new (hives dying out is that this precaution, lias been omitted. It. is claimed by authorities that bees about, to swarm alway-s send out scouts the day before it is intended! to to start, to locate a settling place. On; emerging from the hive, the swarm always settles within a short distance and remains there lor half an hour or so, this being the best tim’e to take it. The energies of the beekeeper, however, are directed to a great extent to keeping down swarming, which weakens a hive numerically, and which lias the further objection that before swarming the bees gorge themselves with honey which is no doubt Nature’s provision against the days which must elapse' before a new hive is established.

Incidentally, bees would appear lo find their way hack to a hive by an instinct which is devoid of any spark of intelligence. If a hive is shifted even a yard, bees which are out at. fhe tiime will fail to find their way hack and will he found dead on the spot from which the hive was shifted. Even those leaving from the new locality will return to the spot on which the hive originally stood and die there. It, is safe to shift the hive a foot at a, time but not more. This applies only to established hives and not to swarms which have no fixed location.

A strong- hive established early in the see son, may be expected to yield a certain amount of honey in the autumn of that year. This will be assisted greatly if drawn comb, that is old comb from which the honey has been extracted, is provided. In established hives the first honey of the season is taken, in, a good year, in November, the main crop being taken at the end of January. In the autumn the hives are “closed down.” That is all the bees are driven from the “supers,” down into the lower storey of the hive, so that by bulking them together they will keep warm through the winter, where a scattered hive would die from cold. With the coming of cold weather the bees seal every opening, except the entrance, and provided sufficient hon f , lias been left, require no further attention until spring. With the coming of the warm weather, what is know nas the “Spring Count" is made, that is an examination of the hives to determine how many have come through the winter successfully. The usual loss is about 10 per cent, of hives, which will he greatly increased if there is a shortage of food. The Queen-bee which lives from live to seven years, stalls 10 lay inunediateiv, and the endeavours of the beekeeper are directed to confining her activities to the lower tier so as to prevent patches of brood amongst, the honey, special frames being invented lur this purpose. In coinfection with tills, one of tile greatest troubles in hives is what is known as “ioul- • brood,” which is a diseased state of the honey, making its appearance particularly In the cells with. the young brood. It is caused, generally, through, leaving old comb about, and inattention to hives. When there is doubt about brood-cells being affected, it can be determined by putting a splinter of wood into the cell, when, if diseased tli'eeontents, will be found to be of an india-rubber like consistency, and to have an unmistakeable j ropy smell. When a- hive is badly iniect- \ ed the only effective treatment is to i burn the hive and asHthe disease is

highly contageous, .it is necessary to act promptly. The trouble being in the honey, the method of cure is by separating the bees from the hive until such time (about a fortnight) as the infected ihonev will work out of their systems. This is effected by shifting the bees into a fresh hive, only partly stocked with comb for that period, the old hive being in the meantime thoroughly cleaned out and fumigated. It. is important to do this when the honey flow is on or the bees will starve. The other great trouble is the bee-motli which lays its eggs in the comb, and when in the grub' stage, eats its way through and through the comb. Mice are also a trouble in this respect, and if not watched can do great damage.

Although the Qu'een lives several years, the life of a worker during the honey season is only about a fortnight, owing to her wings wearing

out. The whole system of bee \ lie making Queens, introducing them into hives, policing hives and hives, is well worth study, but infinitely too extensive to be dealt with m a short article.