Seasonal Work for Beekeepers

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 63, Issue 4, 15 October 1941, Page 342

Seasonal Work for Beekeepers

Raising Queen , Cells

BEFORE swarming, the bees usually build queen cells along the bottom edge.of the brood-combs or, where there is some irregularity of the comb surface. Eggs laid by the queen "in cell cups prepared by the bees hatch in approximately 72 to 76 hours, depending upon the temperature maintained in the hive. When , hatched,

the larvae are fed by nurse bees with a concentrated food called “royal jelly” for the next five and a half days. The queen larvae actually float in a bed of food, and in both natural and artificial queen production the best queens are produced when there is an extra strong force of nurse bees able to prepare this special food in. abundance. At the end of the feeding period the bees seal over the cells, and each young.. larva, after consuming a further quantity of food, spins a silken cocoon, lining the cell, and then takes a complete rest for about 24 hours, when the outside skin is shed. The body parts and some of the appendages, although not. fully developed, are now visible, and the pupa, which is white at this stage, gradually changes colour and develops into an adult virgin queen ready to hatch on the sixteenth day. During this brieflydescribed stage of development it is very important that the queen cells should not be handled or bumped in any way. They may, however, ,be handled with safety on the fifteenth day, provided the cells are kept warm in a natural hanging position and not jarred unduly.

Methods Used

As indicated in last month’s notes, queen cells taken from colonies preparing to swarm may be used to advantage, but this practice is not recommended, because the tendency to swarm excessively may be carried on to the next generation. It is therefore desirable for the beekeeper to raise cells for requeening purposes from selected stocks in the apiary. There are many successful methods used, and the following method, known as the Pritchard forced cell starting colony, and described by Jay Smith, is quite good. “AIL combs, including the bees, brood and queen of a medium colony (not a strong one) are removed from the hive. Two combs of pollen and honey are selected and placed back in

the hive. Two frames for holding cell bars (without the cell bars) are placed in the centre of .the hive and the pollen and honey combs moved over next to them. A division-board feeder containing thick syrup is then placed on either side, and the remaining 'space filled with empty combs or division boards. “The two cell bar frames are now removed, and all other combs of brood and honey are shaken free of bees into the space vacated,* taking care not to get the queen which should be caged. “The brood and the caged queen of the original hive are now put in the upper storey of a strong colony over a queen-excluder for safe keeping. In from half an hour to one hour’s time, or as soon as the bees in the made-up colony set up a roar of distress when they have discovered their loss of

queen and brood, the two cell-bar frames are supplied with prepared cells, and are placed in the open space in the centre of the hive. \ ' “The queenless and broodless bees are in excellent condition to carry on with feeding, and will immediately accept and supply the prepared cells with the right food. 1 The two feeders containing thick syrup and the two combs containing pollen and honey will give the bees all that is necessary for making more food to place in the queen cells. “The prepared cells will usually be accepted and lavishly supplied with food in about 24 hours. When nicely started, they should be removed and placed in cell-finishing colonies, and the brood and the queen should then be restored to the colony. ' “While this method of starting prepared queen cells saves extra equipment, and may be practised at any time when conditions are right without confining the bees, fundamentally the principle is the same as the swarm box method.” ■ The secret to successful acceptance of cells is proper feeding, and also that an ample supply of fresh pollen is available to the bees, not only when the graft is given, but for at least three days beforehand. Grafting . ' Colonies selected for grafting should also be fed for two or three days be-

forehand if there is no nectar coming in at the time. Larvae approximately 12 to 24 hours old should be used. The bees will not readily accept larvae Just hatched, and poor queens will be obtained where the larvae is much more than 24 hours , old. Where the beekeeper is in doubt as to the size of the larvae to be taken or the correct procedure and appliances to use, the Apiary Instructor for the district should be consulted in the appropriate season and asked for a suitable demonstration. Cell-finishing Colonies During the 24 hours the selected larvae are in the starting colony, the cell cups are remodelled into queen cells by the bees and feeding of the larvae is begun. , The only work to be done by the finishing colonies is to keep up the right temperature in the hive, continue feeding the larvae as required, and build the cells to a finish. These colonies should be strong, and each should occupy two brood chambers with a queen-excluder between. Early in the season when the bees have built up to good strength, all empty combs in the.brood nest should be removed and replaced with capped brood taken from other colonies in the

apiary, but care should be taken not to give them more brood than the bees can cover and care for. Six to eight frames of capped brood, according to the strength of the colony, may be placed above the excluder in each hive after shaking off the adhering bees, and later, when both chambers above and below The excluder are full . of bees, the colonies are ready to undertake the work of cell finishing. The prepared cells should be placed in the centre of the upper chamber between two frames containing unsealed brood, where they will receive the immediate attention of the nurse bees. On the tenth day after grafting the cells will be ready for use in colonies to be requeened or where increase is made. Cell-finishing colonies should be fed steadily according to requirements, and not more than 20 to 25 cells given to each to finish in the manner described. —T. S. WINTER, Senior Apiary Instructor, Wellington.

CHANGE OF HEADQUARTERS Beekeepers are advised that the headquarters of the Apiary Instructor for the Otago-Southland district has been changed from Dunedin to Invercargill. . All inquiries and correspondence should be addressed to:- —The Apiary Instructor, Department of Agriculture,'P.O. Box 825, Invercargill.

Care of Tomato Plants

PRUNING is a necessary and particular part of successful tomato , mi.- v . production. This should begin by removing the shoots which grow at the junction of the leaf and mam stem. The snoots should not be cut; they can more easily be removed by side pressure of the thumb. Removal is best done when the shoots are young, and on no account, should they be allowed to develop. They rob the plant of necessary moisture and valuable plant. food, and are z highly susceptible to disease,

When the plant has reached a height inches to 15 inches it will be seen to have divided into two main stems, and if it has been decided to ad t the sin le stem method of growing as previously advised ..^ ne o f these stems ust be ' emoved . , Close examination of the plant will show that on one —invariably the stronger and. just above the Y junction of the two stemsa short lateral growth is bearing a bunch of flowers, The stem on which this growth has appeared is the one which must not be

removed. With a sharp knife and an upward cut, remove the other—weaker stema. short distance above, the , junction referred .to. Tying As the plant develops and tying becomes necessary, it would be well to adhere to the system advised in the October issue of the “Journal” for the fastening and tying material. When passing the raffia round the plant >to bind it to the stake, great care should be taken to see that it passes under a leaf and as close as possible to the main stem. Fastened in this manner, the plant is held securely. The tying material cannot slip down the stake, and consequently the subsequent weight of fruit will not bend the main stem of the plant, thus preventing the bottom truss of tomatoes from resting on the soil, which often causes the fruit to start rotting. Spraying While crop rotation and strict attention; to proper cultural practices will go a long way to check the incidence of disease among garden crops, it should be recognised that spraying is essential to protect tomato plants from attacks of fungoid diseases and destructive pests. Bordeaux mixture, as described in this issue of the “Journal,’’ should be regularly sprayed on the plants at least once every ten days. To ensure adequate protection, the under-side of the leaves of the plants should receive the same attention as the exposed parts, and the stem should be treated similarly. The quantity of spray applied should not be stinted, as the resultant crop will amply : repay any additional cost involved. Purchased in bulk, the ingredients necessary to make 5 gallons of Bordeaux mixture will cost less than 3d. A warm, sunny, windless day is ideal for spraying, but the spray should not be applied when the plants are wet with dew or rain. A sharp look-out will need to be kept for the appearance of the light-green, velvety caterpillars, commonly known as the. tomato worm. If and when these are observed, add arsenate of lead (powder form) to the Bordeaux mixture at the rate of 1. oz. to 2| gallons. Mix the arsenate powder in a small quantity of' water to a cream consistency before adding to the spray. Spraying, it should be understood, is not a remedy for the blight; the mixture is applied as a preventive. Once the plants become affected, spraying is useless. Close attention should be paid to cultivation. and shallow hoeing-prefer-ably with a MacKinnon hoeis recommended in order to destroy weeds and conserve soil moisture. > <

—D. K. PRITCHARD,

, Instructor in

vegetable Culture, Wellington.