THE APIARY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 43, Issue 3, 21 September 1931, Page 220

THE APIARY.

Attention to Feeding where necessary.

As advised last month, advantage should be taken of the milder weather conditions obtaining to complete the spring overhaul. This work should not be delayed, as broken weather may be experienced which will not only delay operations, but prevent the bees from gathering sufficient nectar

to meet the requirements of the colony with its increasing number of young bees and larvae to feed. The first examination is of the utmost importance, as it may reveal cases where the stores are insufficient for the immediate requirements of the colony, or cases of queenlessness.

The spring months are most critical for the bees, and the beekeeper will find that if adequate stores are not provided his losses from starvation will be as great if not greater than those which result from inattention to disease. Few but experienced beekeepers, and those who suffer financially, realize how readily the supply of stores nlay become exhausted after breeding is in full swing in spring. Usually willows and other spring forage afford a good supply of nectar, but too often these sources of supply are cut off owing to the unsettled weather which invariably obtains in the spring. Normally where colonies contain good queens breeding will go ahead rapidly ; containing as they do a larger number of bees and larvae to feed, the drain on the stores is enormous, and if left without food during a week’s bad weather the colony will perish.

Reference to feeding at this period would not be necessary if careful consideration had been given to the matter at the proper time when placing the hives in winter quarters. It is in the autumn that the foundation of the next season’s crop is laid down, and this point is too often overlooked. Feeding to obviate starvation may be necessary, but it should be considered only as an emergency measure, and not one of general apiary practice. Too often beekeepers when taking the surplus have little or. no regard for the future requirements of the colonies in the way of stores, and in the process ultimately lose many that would otherwise yield a surplus.

Should feeding be necessary a syrup comprised of one-third sugar and two-thirds water may be used. Use only the best white sugar. Once feeding is started it should be continued until such time as the bees can gather sufficient from natural sources.

Swarming.

In the warmer parts of the Dominion, and where colonies are up to normal strength, swarms may be expected any time in October. Many beekeepers attribute swarming to overcrowded brood-chambers, lack of ventilation, and poor queens ; but it often happens that swarms issue when none of these conditions is present. On the other hand,, bees will refuse to swarm when everything .is apparently conducive to their doing so. It must be left to the beekeeper to decide whether he yfill increase his stock by natural swarming or artificially.’ If the former plait is adopted it will be wise to allow only strong colonies to swarm. If a weak hive is showing symptoms of swarming— is, if the bees are building numbers of queen-cells, these should be removed and the colony prevented from swarming until such time as it can be requeened. A swarm from a weak hive is not worth encouraging, because it consists simply of a. poor queen, probably failing, and a small cluster of bees.

If, however, a strong colony has made up its mind to swarm, the best thing to do is to allow it to throw a prime swarm, and then to most rigorously guard against after-swarming. This can best be done by cutting out all the queen-cells save one, after the prime swarm has issued. Even then it is wise to carefully watch the parent hive for about ten days after the departure of the prime swarm, because there will be eggs in the old hive, and the bees may continue to raise queen-cells.

Prevention of Swarming.

Frequent examinations of the colonies—every week or ten days during the swarming season —for the purpose of cutting out queen-cells is a help ; but this requires considerable work, and, since it frequently fails in spite of every care, it is not usually relied on.

The' occurrence of swarming is largely due to overcrowded broodchambers ; hence the queen should be given plenty of room to lay. A suitable plan is to give a new brood-chamber comprising two drawn combs and the rest frames of foundation. Secure the queen and confine her in this new chamber below a queen-excluder, placing the old brood-nests directly above, thus giving additional work for the young bees and plenty of room for the queen .to lay in. If for some reason this plan is not desirable, the brood may be equalized by robbing the stronger colonies for the benefit of the weaker. .

A young queen in the hive is an outstanding factor of success, as bees are rarely inclined to swarm with a young queen if they have reared her themselves under natural conditions. This feature, however, is not always satisfactory to the beekeeper, as he frequently buys young queens in large numbers from a queen-breeder. He still has to contend against the swarming impulse, although in a lesser degree. A beekeeper rearing his own stock should select not only prolific queens to produce from, but those that have previously shown the least tendency to swarm. There are also other reasons why young queens should be employed, and the practice of introducing them in the spring before the swarming season commences, at intervals of not longer than two years, is a very excellent one. Autumn introduction is also commendable, as the full tide of a queen’s maturity is gained from the commencement of the following spring. In order to follow the lives of the mothers as closely as possible and to avoid mistakes some system of recording the various ages must be employed. In addition, notes should be taken of their general behaviour, such. as tendency to swarm, prolificness, and gentleness. Such notes will prove of great value in selecting a mother of future queens.

Ventilation also plays an important part in controlling the natural inclination to swarm, and care should be taken to provide sufficient air at all times of the season. A well-known and effective method is to place blocks i in. high under the two front corners of the brood-chamber. In the very flush of the ’ honey-flow additional ventilation may be given by drawing one of the supers forward over the rest. This forms two additional entrances and permits the workers to escape to the field without having to traverse the whole depth of the hive.

No single system will be found universally effective. Climatic conditions also frequently play an important part in the behaviour of bees. It will be found, however, that the methods here given, or variations of the same, employed either singly or in combination, will materially assist in the prevention of swarming.

Prevention of After-swarming.

In many cases a prime or first swarm is desirable, and in others the bees often issue in spite of all precautions. It is a simple matter to hive the swarm, but to combat the results in the parent colony arising from this condition entails. special action. Persistent after-swarming is one of the discouraging features of natural increase, and is often hard to stop. A good plan is to place the swarm on the old location, removing the parent colony to a new stand some distance away. The immediate result is for all the flying bees to join the swarm, and thus the parent colony is still further weakened. This encourages them to tear down all queen-cells but one, or to destroy all embryo queens after the first young queen has emerged from her cell.

Treatment of Swarms : Providing Supers.

There is little doubt in the minds of many beekeepers who have been accustomed to box hives as to the surplus to be obtained from a swarm. It is not uncommon to find swarms put into frame hives and not provided

with room for surplus. Unless supers are given to strong early swarms from ten to fifteen days after they are established, these colonies will often swarm again and no surplus will be obtained. It must be understood that the season plays an important part in the returns netted, but large amounts are yearly lost through neglect to give ample room for the swarm to store honey. When a swarm has been established a few days a hurried examination should be made to note progress, and from this the beekeeper will be able to form some idea as to the time at which the super will be required.

E. A. Earp,

Senior Apiary Instructor, Wellington.