APIARY NOTES

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 59, Issue 6, 15 December 1939, Page 529

APIARY NOTES

Contributed by Officers of the Horticulture Division

Advanced Methods of Queen-raising

A SIMPLE method of raising a few A SIMPLE method of raising a few queens was given in last month’s issue. The method dealt with was principally for beginners, as it was considered the easiest way for those who had very little experience in beekeeping. A more advanced method is now described for those who have had more experience and wish to raise a number of queens for their own use. The disadvantage of the natural method, as previously given, is that it is difficult to tell just when they are due to hatch, and it sometimes happens that one queen, if started from a larvae slightly older than the others, will hatch out a few hours earlier than expected. In such cases she will immediately proceed to kill all the other unhatched queens, so that only one queen • is left. By the ‘'artificial” or transferring plan, the .bee-keeper can, with care, tell to within a few hours when the queens are due to emerge, and precautions can be taken to guard against losing the. queens before and when hatching. Artificial Queen Cells Artificial wax cells, to which the young larvae are transferred, can be purchased,, but it will be found much more interesting, and equally successful, if the bee-keeper makes, his own cell cups. To make good queen cells, a bee-keeper will require to have a good forming-stick, some pure beeswax, a small spirit lamp, and a cup of cold water. if, The forming-stick is best made from some hard wood. It should be four or five inches long and somewhat thicker than an ordinary ' lead pencil.. The end should be slightly tapered off and

rounded, made smooth with fine sandpaper, and then polished so that it has a very smooth surface. . Place some pure beeswax in a shallow tin over the spirit lamp to melt, and have a cup or tin of cold water alongside. When the wax is melted, take it off the lamp so that it will not get too hot. Dip the stick into the cold water and then into the hot wax to about a half-inch in depth; then dip it again into cold water to cool quickly, and again into the wax. This should be repeated three or four times, but each time the stick should be dipped in the wax a little shallower. By this means a cell cup will be obtained that has a good thick base, while the entrance will have a knifelike edge. Fixing Cells on Bars After the last dipping, and before it has become quite cold, the cell can be loosened from the stick. The base is again dipped into the hot wax, and is immediately stuck on to the wooden bar made to hold the cells. These two bars are made to fit exactly into an ordinary brood frame, the first being placed about 2in from the top. bar of the frame, and the other 2in below the first. They should fit in fairly tightly, and the end may rest on a small piece of wood tacked inside the end pieces of the frame, or it may be secured by driving in a small nail. It is better, however, to graft the larvae into the cells before securing, for the bars are more easily handled when away from the frame. A grafting needle is now required. This can be purchased from the vendors of bee-keeping supplies.

Use of Royal Jelly Advised Although royal jelly is not absolutely necessary, if the bees are in the mood for queen-cell building, more success will be achieved by its use. If a hive has been made queenless for a few days for queen-raising there will be found a number ,of queen cells started among brood which is well supplied with this white jelly. Secure a number which are not completely capped over. The royal jelly may be removed with the broad end of the grafting needle and placed in a warm eggcup or similar vessel. When securing the jelly from the hive, make sure that every cell started in that hive is removed or destroyed. It is important that the jelly be kept warm, and the grafting of the larvae should be done in a warm room. Have the table close to the window, so that there is a good light. A small quantity of the jelly, about the size of a pea, should be placed in the bottom of each cell cup on the bars. When placing the royal jelly in the cells see that it is placed at the bottom, and avoid dropping any on the sides. Take out the frame containing the pure larvae of about two days old. Keep this warm while moving it from the hive to the room, and if the distance is far enough to allow it to get chilled, wrap a piece of flannel around it. Next, cut out a piece of the comb containing the young larvae and, with a sharp. knife, shave it down so that the removal of the larvae is easier. Removal of Larvae Place the fine end of the needle in a little warm. water to take the chill-

off it, or place it in the mouth for a few minutes. Then insert it under one of the tiny grubs, making sure that it is not in any way injured. If there is any doubt in this respect, it had better be discarded and another taken. If it can be so lifted that it partly projects over the edge of the needle it will be easier to deposit it into the jelly, which acts as a soft cushion for the delicate larvae.

When each of the cell cups have received one of these small grubs, destined to be a queen, the bars can be inserted in the frame, which is then placed in the queenless hive prepared for its reception. Great care must be taken to see that they are kept warm during the move from the room to the hive. Place this frame in the centre of the hive, and if all has gone well the bees will start on the cells immediately, drawing out the wax cup into cells and feeding the young grubs. Unless nectar is coming in freely the hive had better be fed with a light syrup made from equal parts of good sugar and water. In any case, it will be better to feed the hive used for queen-raising a day or two beforehand, as they will then feed the young queens more lavishly. If the bee-keeper is anxious to know whether the cells have been accepted it will do no harm to have a look at them after 24 hours. Give the hive a little smoke, gently remove the outside frame, and space the frames on either side of the frame with the cells so that it can be easily removed without damaging it. Handle Cells Gently On no account attempt to dislodge the bees hanging to the cells by shaking, as in all probability the young grubs would be dislodged and injured. Give them a little smoke, or remove them gently with the finger until the cell can be seen. If the jelly is in the cell all is well, for, if it were not accepted, the bees would clean out the cell and it would be found empty. After taking a brief glance, place them back in the hive.

—G. V. WESTBROOKE,

A record of the date of grafting should be kept in order to know when it is necessary to remove the ripe cells. If the larvae inserted is about the size of a carroway seed it would foe about two days old, so that ten days later the cells should be removed, as &ey would hatch out the next day.

Placing Cells in Nuclei It will be necessary to have a number of nuclei boxes prepared to receive the cells. If a good, strong swarm can be secured at this time it can be divided up into the nucleus boxes, which will avoid removing frames and bees from the other hives. It will be necessary, however, to find the queen in the swarm and destroy her. If the swarm can be obtained from a distance of a mile or more, so much the better, as, when the bees are divided and have no queen, they will stay “put.” ■ A good swarm should make five or six nuclei. To find the queen, dump the swarm into an empty super, place a queen-excluder on top, and then place another super on top of that with a frame of brood. The bees will soon go up to the brood, but the queen and

drones, being unable to get through, will remain below. The top box can then be removed and the queen killed before dividing the swarm into nuclei boxes. Honey Flow As the main flow of nectar may be expected any time after the first week in December up to the end of January the colonies kept for gathering the surplus crop should not be unduly molested during these months. The adding of necessary supers, however, may be done without interfering with the honey gatherers of the hive. It is better to super somewhat ahead of requirements than to restrict the bees from storing through lack of space to store the honey.

Apiary

Instructor, Hastings.