THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 9

THE APIARY.

By J. A.

Wo have just learned that beo supplies are amongst the goods vvliich the Railwaj Department is at present regarding as unessential, and refusing to carry owing to the short-ago of coal. This may prove at the beginning of a new season a very serious matter for a great many beekeepers, who are just now waking up. to the fact that spring is here, and that they must get in their supplies at once. Representations are being made to the proper authorities to try to make them realise that beekeepers' supplies are essential, and that the failure of the Railway Department to handle them is imposing a hardship on a struggling industry, and it is to be hoped that something can be done. Honey, though a food, is also similarly classed, and difficulty is being experienced in distributing supplies. We hope that an early importation of coal may make a return to normal conditions on the railway possible soon, as otherwise it is going to impose many unexpected hardships. We have weather reports to hand for Southland' for July to the effect that conditions have been mild, and we are pleased to_ hear of it, as we feared that another winter such as the previous one was would bo very hard on the bees. Here in Nelson the bees are starting work in a small way. We noticed them on lopantha (August 8), which is now in bloom, and as tree lucerne will soon be well out, they will also _ work on that. Humble bees are also getting to work, and their loud hum can be hoard in the midday warmth. These indications make the beekeeper wake up once more. After the 15th of this month it has been our custom for many years to take the first opportunity of a suitable rise in the temperature just to glance over the colonies. Where surface appearances awaken doubt as to the condition of their stores, a deeper look in is required; but unless left very light there should be no fear on that account. Often in the early spring there are a few queenless colonies. These, as they have been unable to breed, are generally well provided with stores, and as the colonies are absolutely useless these stores come in very handy, and can be mads the means of assisting some of the needy colonies. We keep watch for these colonies, and can geaerally very easily detect them., as on beinjr disturbed they, by their, peculiar behaviour, at once betray their queenless condition. Now is the time to glance round the entrances and see that there are no obstructions, and more especially to clear away any strong _ growing weeds which might cause obstruction while the beekeeper was busy elsewhere. We are already in a position to say that honey prospects for next season are very favourable. The H.P.A. pack for the local market is meeting a good sale, and orders covering a considerable period are coming in very freely. The fact that shipping arrangements cover all surplus leaves the H.P.A. in a very satisfactory position, and Mr Ryland/s scheme, which he placed before the shareholders at the annual meeting to develop the local market, is thus meeting with what cannot but be regarded as very gratifying success. In all probability this coal trouble will not help matters, but we hope that that is only transient, and will soon end. Wo examined the other day the one colony which constitutes our Nelson apiary to find that it had disappeared. There were only a few dead bees left, no stores, no nothing that would make a bee's life pleasant or worth living, so they just died. As president of the National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand we felt somewhat ashamed as we viewed the wreckage of what had been. Had it been in Southland it" would have been treated differently, but in Nelson ' we have never managed sufficient interest, mainly, we suppose, because of absence during the active bee months.

ANOTHER SWARM PREVENTION.

BROOD-CHAMBER IS PLACED OVER SHALLOW FRAMES HAVING FOUNDATION STARTERS. Having used S. Simmins's method for a number "of years, I can absolutely affirm that, unless some ridiculous manipulation has been made, the bees positively cannot, swarm, and I have always found that from hives arranged in this way the honey produced is always far in excess of that obtained by the more usual methods of superIn this swarm, prevention plan to which I refer the brood-chamber is raised, and under it is placed a super of shallow frames, fitted only with iin starters of foundation. Frames from, which the combs have been cut will also answer, or even top-bars only, provided a trace of the old comb is left adhering to the under side. Above the brood-chamber may be used a queen-ex-cluder, and then the extracted honey supers of drawn comb piled up in greater or less numbers as the flow of honey requires. The whole principle of the arrangement depends upon the fact (I think generally acknowledged) that bees will not swarm from a brood-nest of uncompleted combs. At the same time proper and ample ventilation, without draught, is provided under the cluster Now, if the beekeeper for any reason neglects to give sufficient super room, the bees, instead of swarming, merely bulge down into the lower compartment and work out the combs (and in my experience store honey therein—no brood). If, on the other hand, the supers are properly attended to, no self-respecting colony ever draws cut the under combs at all, but merely uses the space provided as a sort of entrance hall, wherein to sit and meditate on wet days or at other times when nothing is doing. By this method it will be noted that the brood-nest is not disorganised, nor is it necessary to give the aueen a fresh start by separating her and her nursery by one or more tiers of super combs. _ Manipulation, in fact, is reduced to a minimum, and, moreover, the bees work straight ahead in the supers, in the same direction in which they began, without being required to fill in unnatural " vacuous" spaces left in nnper stories by the hatching- out of misplaced brood. Strictly speaking, this method does not "prevent swarming' ; it rather prevents the desire to swarm, which are two -entirely different things; the former necessarily being a more or less harsh and unnatural proceeding, the latter more nearly conforming to Nature. Bees seldom or never swarm from the huge "let-alone" hives. I believe. The same thing may bo said of wild bees living in tree trunks and between house-walls —pro vided always that the space at their com-

mand is unrestricted. Why? Because their combs are never quite complete, or, at least, are always capable of further extension to meet the needs of the swollen population. Similarly, in the hive arrangement just desoribed, the bees are led to belie/e that, their combs are still capable of extension, so that the desire for swarming never enters into their calculations. The one obvious drawback to this method is that it more or less precludes the possibility of mid-season increase. But, as most agreOj the proper time for increase is before or immediately after the honeyflow, this difficulty cannot bo allowed to have much weight. Now, as to actual results. I live in a locality where beekeepers consider they have done well if their colonies average 401 b to 501 b in a season; but since adopting the above arrangements I consider it a poor season when my hives yield me less than an average of 1501 b of extracted honey in a season. The above-described method is only a variation and enlargement of Dr Miller's 2in floor-boards with a false bottom of slatted boards. It is indeed difficult to find anything new under the sun —even immediately after it. —C. L. N. Pleahson, Shalbourne, England. _ [Although we would not expect three times as much- honey, wo believe the plan worth investigating, and intend trying it out on a small scale ourselves this summer. —Editoh, Gleanings.")