THE APIARY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXV, Issue 1, 20 July 1922, Page 56

THE APIARY.

H. W. GILLING,

Apiary Instructor.

MOVING COLONIES. Now is the best time for shifting bees, so any transfer of colonies to a new location that may be contemplated should be attended to without delay. At this season of the year there is practically no brood-rearing going on, and there is therefore very little brood that could be damaged. Moreover, as the bees are kept in their hives by the cold weather almost every day, there will be very few field-bees lost, if any. When a colony of bees takes up its home in any given spot the field-bees on their first flight from the hive circle round for some time to memorize the locality ; in any subsequent flights from the hives they will not do this, but fly straight out into the field. It will be obvious that if bees are moved from place to place without due recognition of this, many of the field-bees will be lost— is, if the new site is anywhere within, say, two miles of the old site. To guard against this loss one of several courses may be adopted. The bees may be shut in for three days. A bee's memory is evidently very short-lived, for if they are shut in for three days they appear to have forgotten their locality. If the work cannot be done during the winter it is necessary to close them in by nailing a strip of wire cloth across the entrance. Another plan that may be adopted if there are a number of colonies to be shifted is to shift the strongest colonies first, leaving one or more of the weaker colonies on the old site for a few days to catch the returning field-bees. This will incidently help to build up the weaker colonies. It will be necessary to shut in the last few colonies when they are shifted. If the bees have only to be shifted a short distance, another method is to move them two or-three yards at a time. If the bees are shifted at the present period and will not be shut in for more than a few hours it will not be necessary to provide any ventilation ; just secure the hive to the bottom-board with crate-staples or strips of wood or iron, and also make the roof secure. If they are to be carried by rail, place the hives with the frames running parallel with the rails. When carried by motor or other conveyance along the road, the hives should be loaded with the frames running parallel with the axle. ■ This method of loading is to save as much as possible any breakage of the combs or crushing of the bees by shunting on the railway or the jar caused by ruts along the road. If the bees have to be taken some distance the hive-roof should be taken off and a wire-cloth screen put in its place. If the frames are not self-spacing, they will need to be made secure before putting on the wire-cloth screen, but if they are Hoffman or staple-spaced frames this will not be necessary. In conveying bees by rail the hives should be placed in a ventilated truck, and on no account should they be covered with a tarpaulin.

In conclusion, it cannot be too strongly urged that any work of shifting bees should be done now, if possible. If left until the return of warm weather the risk of loss through the brood being overheated or the bees being suffocated is much greater; - .