THE APIARY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 54, Issue 6, 21 June 1937, Page 377

THE APIARY.

Moving of Bees.

At this season of the year bees may be moved to a new location with perfect safety. If the work is left until spring, when the activities of the hive commence, the resultant loss of field-bees is enormous. More especially should advantage be taken of the bees’ dormant condition if the hives are to be moved short distances only. The colonies are numerically weaker, and there is usually little brood to become injured in transport. When hives are located for any length of time in one position, the flying bees take full observation of every landmark, but as in the winter there are shorter periods of sunshine the flight of the bees is necessarily curtailed, and they usually return at a much shorter distance from the hive. In addition, there are often periods of several days together during which they take no flight at all, and in consequence they, must renew their acquaintance with their surroundings when an opportunity for flight occurs. Therefore, if the hives are moved during a spell of bad weather, the bees will take more readily to their new location when a fine day comes. Any bee-shifting operations should be completed before the end of July. To secure bees for transit. over a short distance sufficient ventilation can be provided by tacking a piece of wire gauze over the hive-entrance. It is then necessary to secure only the bottom and roof, and, after making sure that there are no holes through which the bees can escape, the hive may be carried with safety. , The successful moving of bees over long distances calls for considerable preparation. All heavy combs should be secured, and only sufficient honey left in the hives to prevent the bees from starving during their journey. The most important factor is ventilation, and neglect of this matter leads, as a rule, to heavy. losses when bees are being moved. The constant vibration of any vehicle tends to disturb the cluster, and the excitement caused thereby is sufficient to raise the temperature of the hive considerably, so that the bees are in danger of being suffocated and the brood scalded. These troubles can be avoided by the employment of wire screens. It is advisable first to see that the frames are made as secure as possible by inserting two wedges between the side of the hive and the top of the end frames. This prevents the frames from rocking during transit. The bottom-board should then be secured to the hive-body by means of crate-staples, driving one end of the staple into the hive-body and the other into the bottom-board. Usually six staples are sufficient. The screens can be made by using narrow laths nailed together to form a frame of the same dimensions as the hive-body, and covering this with, wire cloth such as is used for making queen-cages. The screens must be fastened securely to the top of the hive and the entrance covered with wire cloth. By this means ample ventilation is provided to ensure the safe carriage of the bees during the winter months. In these days of motor transport the work of moving bees over long distances is greatly minimized, and the beekeeper should adopt this method if he can. In any case, the beekeeper who has occasion to move bees should not relax any effort to make the hives secure when moving to a new location.

Condition of Hive-mats.

At . intervals during the winter ' months the . mats should be*' dJESpiihfe'd to note their condition. After heavy rain the mats are liable t 8 betomb damp : damp mats should be removed and dry ones substituted. To 'save delay a supply of dry mats should always be kept on hand. It is advisable, as far as possible, not to disturb the colonies when making an examination, and especially to avoid jarring the hives. The roof can be carefully lifted and the mat examined. If the latter has to be removed the smoker should be handy in case the bees are troublesome, but it should not be used unless the bees have to be driven down. It is advisable to remove the wet mat as speedily as possible, replace it with a dry one, and cover the hive. Leaky Covers. Damp mats usually point to defects in the covers, and it should be worth the beekeeper's while to remove these also. At all seasons the comfort of the bees should be one of the main considerations, and this matter cannot be ignored' if successful wintering is to be expected. The labour involved in keeping the hives watertight repays their owner many times over, and prevents to a large extent the loss of heat generated by the bees. One should aim at reducing the waste of energy of the bees by maintaining the heat of the cluster at an even temperature during the unproductive season, and this is impossible where leaky roofs are tolerated. Successful wintering is a high test of the beekeeper’s capabilities. Permanent Shelter. Now that the actual work of the apiary is off the beekeeper’s hands for a while, he may devote his attention to the matter of providing permanent shelter for the hives. If he has definitely decided on a permanent location for the apiary, he should now set about the cultivation of a quick-growing hedge. This matter is a most important one, and ranks next to that of locality. It is noticeable in sheltered situations that the bees are able to take cleansing flights during the mild days of winter, whereas bees in unsheltered ' positions are often confined to their hives even on sunny days. An occasional flight in the winter is as necessary for the welfare of the bees as any other provision the beekeeper can make for their comfort. Whatever shrubs or trees are provided for the purpose of producing a permanent hedge, they should be planted thickly, and trimmed to produce abundant foliage, especially at the base. It is highly important that the plants stand cutting-back, so that the hedge can be kept at a reasonable height. Hedges grown to a height of 8 ft. to io ft., and no higher, provide ample shelter for a large apiary. There is also less trouble in taking swarms if the trees are kept to the height indicated. Locality and situation must to a large extent influence the beekeeper in choosing the most suitable plants, but, whatever the hedge, the purpose should be to form thick shelter and not a plantation.

—E. A. Earp,

Senior Apiary Instructor, Wellington.