Good Equipment and Methods Needed in Domestic Beekeeping

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 91, Issue 6, 15 December 1955, Page 587

Good Equipment and Methods Needed in Domestic Beekeeping

THE keeping of bees has, throughout the centuries, been an art of absorbing interest to many people. Others who would have found much pleasure and profit in the pursuit have been deterred by the fear of stinging. Today modern equipment and the proper application of modern methods have reduced the risk of painful stinging to a minimum. In this article D. Roberts, Apiary Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Auckland, discusses the use of equipment and management techniques which make the pleasures and interests of beekeeping possible to all except those hypersensitive to bee stings.

K/JANY beginners in beekeeping do not pursue the craft for more than a short time because, through lack of knowledge or insufficient protective equipment, they have suffered intensive stinging. Others have been advised by people who should know better that the use of protective clothing and equipment is infra dig. among knowledgeable beekeepers, and have paid for their credence with painful experience which has quickly terminated their interest in the keeping of bees. If the knowledge of the person giving such advice is judged by the condition of his own bees, it will frequently be found that his understanding of beekeeping techniques is very slight indeed. Successful management of bee colonies is not easily achieved when the operator lacks confidence or is continually, apprehensive of stinging. Despite assertions to the contrary, the penetration of the bee sting is always felt, no matter how much previous stinging has been experienced. In most cases the local irritation and rise in body temperature become less as the beekeeper gains experience, and in time some degree of immunity to the more serious effects of stinging is usually achieved. Proper Protection Experienced beekeepers, though they may treat a few ■ stings on the hands or arms with casual disregard, do not invite stinging on the more sensitive parts of the body and take steps to see that they are adequately protected. Unless proper protection is provided, the beekeeper must expect to be stung, and beginners, particularly, should take all care to avoid stinging until they are sure that their reactions are not serious. If stinging has serious effects accompanied by symptoms such as blotching of the skin and difficulty in breathing, a doctor should be summoned immediately. Persons displaying any tendency toward serious reaction after stinging should not persist in keeping bees.

The ' equipment necessary to ensure proper protection from stings is a good bee smoker, a well-fitting bee veil, a complete suit of clothing of other than woollen material, ankle-length boots, gloves, and a good hive tool. Properly equipped in this manner the beekeeper can work in comfort and with freedom from stinging. Confidence will soon be acquired and the handling of the bees become pleasurable and interesting. Bee Smoker The bee smoker is a necessity in controlling bees. Though the smoker is of comparatively simple construction, the little care and attention needed to keep it functioning properly is amply repaid. Smoke, if a reasonable amount is used, does not, as some people think, stupefy the bees, but acts on their inherited fear of forest fire and causes them to rush to cells of honey and gorge themselves in preparation for abandoning the hive. When thus gorged with honey or nectar they are much less likely to sting. A good volume of cool smoke is desirable at all times and to ensure this the smoker should be kept free from carbon and ash and only a slow-burning fuel should be used. Suitable fuels are old sacking, washed and thoroughly dried, wood shavings from a planing machine, or well - dried decayed wood. Whatever fuel is used it is advisable to make certain that it is well ignited and delivering a good volume of smoke before opening of the hive is attempted. Properly cared for a smoker will last for years.. Smokers should never

be left outside in the weather, as the leather of the bellows will quickly deteriorate and crack if allowed to become wet. The grate at the bottom of the fire box should be kept clean and carbon and soot should not be allowed to accumulate in the lid and round the nozzle.

When the smoker is being used the fuel should never be allowed to burn so fiercely that blue smoke, flame, or sparks appear at the nozzle. The secret of obtaining a good volume of cool, white smoke is slow burning. A very hot smoke, particularly if accompanied by sparks, will aggravate rather than control the bees. Though plenty of cool smoke should be available at all times, some judgment must be exercised in application, because too great a volume is as bad as too little, and only sufficient should be given at a time to ensure control. Excessive smoking of a colony can nullify the desired effect. Veil A good, well-fitting veil is necessary if the face and head are to be properly protected. Veils are made of either cloth mesh material such as mosquito netting or fine wire gauze of the type used for fly screens. Cloth mesh veils are light and take up little room, but, unless they are provided with some form of framework, they will blow against the face in windy weather and allow the operator to be stung. Wire gauze veils are much more rigid and durable, and, if properly made, provide excellent vision and protection. Whatever type of veil is used the part of the screen in front of the face should be dark if good vision is to be obtained. The front panel of a wire veil can be given a coat of non-glossy

black or green paint, and cloth veils should be dyed black or dark green. Clothing The type of clothing worn for working among bees is important in avoiding undue stinging. Woollen or other clothing having a rough surface should not be worn.. Cotton materials of white, khaki, or other light colours are most suitable. Clothing should always be clean and free from odour. White or khaki cotton overalls of the full or boiler suit type offer excellent protection and can be washed easily. An accompanying illustration shows how the cuffs of the sleeves and trouser legs of full overalls can be fitted with buttons or snap clips to prevent entry of bees at these points. Clothing should be loose fitting, giving full freedom of movement, and in hot weather no more than is necessary for protection should be worn so that the operator will not perspire unduly. Unless properly covered, the ankles are particularly liable to be stung when a beekeeper is working round the hives. Tucking the trousers into the socks or the use of bicycle clips or cuff fasteners will prevent the entry of bees at this point, but the ankles can still be stung unless boots are worn. Though thick woollen socks will offer some protection, they are not entirely satisfactory, as the wool attracts the bees and some stings will penetrate. Ankle-length boots worn with good-quality cotton socks offer the best protection.

Gloves are a great help to beginners and should be worn until confidence and the ability to withstand a few stings are thoroughly established. Leather gloves fitted with elbow length gauntlets of canvas or heavy cotton material are obtainable from most suppliers of apiary equipment. If these are not obtainable, a pair of good rubber gloves, such as those sold for household purposes, and a pair of cloth armlets made with elastic at each end will provide good protection. A disadvantage with rubber is lack of ventilation, but rubber gloves give a better sense of touch than heavy leather ones and do not impede the handling of frames to the same extent. Though various types of hive tool are in use, the standard type (see illustration above) is the best for general use. A proper tool will be found to simplify hive manipulations and is much more satisfactory in use than substitutes such as screwdrivers or chisels. Management in the Apiary Proper protection is essential to comfortable working, but the weather during which the work is done and the manner of working are of equal importance. Bees respond to handling much more equably when the weather is favourable. Beginners should con-

fine their manipulations to warm, sunny days. Unless it is unavoidable, bees should not be worked when cold squalls are frequent, immediately after rain, when thunder storms are in the vicinity, or when there has been a sudden cessation of a honey flow. In such conditions even the gentlest of bees will become irritated and difficult to manage. In early spring or late autumn, even though the weather is favourable, manipulations are best carried out between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. When a hive of bees is being opened movements should be gentle and slow and care should be taken to avoid any jarring or vibration. The hive should always be worked from the side. Working in front of the entrance interferes with the flight of bees to and from the colony and may cause the bees to become irritated and sting. The hive should be approached quietly and a few puffs of smoke placed in the entrance. To give the smoke time to become effective the lid should not be lifted for at least a minute and then as gently as possible so that there is no jarring. If the lid is heavily stuck down with propolis, the colony should be given another puff or two of smoke and the lid levered off gently with the hive tool. When the lid has been removed a little more smoke should be puffed over the top of the hive and any inner cover removed quietly. At the same time smoke should be applied gently across the frames as they become exposed. If the colony is of two or more supers, the top ones may have to be lifted off. Again, any separation should .be done quietly so that there is no jerking or jarring of the colony. The supers lifted apart should be covered immediately with a spare lid or a clean sack. If the smoker has to be put down when a hive is being worked, it should always be stood upright. If it is laid sideways or wed. to fall in long grass, the fire may be extinguished and the smoker be useless when it is urgently required. If the frames are tightly held down with propolis, they should be loosened in the hive by placing the point of the hive tool between each pair and gently levering sideways. The first comb to be removed should be the one nearest to the outer side of the hive. This will provide room to remove the remainder without crushing any bees. The combs should be removed with smooth movements and particular care taken to avoid crushing of any bees. Nothing is more likely ,to infuriate a colony than jerking frames loose and crushing or killing bees. Movements at all k times should be smooth and steady. When the hive is being examined a few puffs of smoke directed across the

combs and any clusters of bees from time to time will keep the bees under control. If the bees become excited and fly out of the hive, showing every intention of stinging, the operator should , not strike at them, but should try a little more smoke. If further smoke does not bring them under control, the colony should be quietly closed down and left until another day. During examination of a frame of bees the frame should always be held over the hive. If the queen drops from the frame while it is being handled, she will then fall back into the hive and not on to the ground alongside, where she will most likely be lost and die. Combs taken from the hive for examination should always be returned in their original order. The importance of easy, smooth movements and the avoidance of jarring and vibration to proper handling of bees cannot be over-

stressed and any extra time and effort involved in developing a good approach is amply repaid. Though the intelligent use of good equipment and methods combined with favourable weather will ensure that little difficulty will generally be experienced, not all strains of bees will respond equally to control measures and some will be inclined to sting even in the most favourable circumstances. Should the stock have been obtained by the taking of a wild swarm or purchase from a source where the strain of the bees is not good, the colony may be persistently savage and difficult to handle at all times. The remedy lies in requeening the colony with a queen of a gentle strain. Queens of strains bred for good handling and honey production can be obtained from commercial queen breeders for a few shillings each. This outlay is generally repaid many times over in convenience of handling and improved honey production. Photographs by Sparrow.

Use of Fine-particle Phenothiazine

By

L. K. WHITTEN,

Parasitologist, Department of Agriculture's Wallaceville Animal Research Station

THE toxic properties of phenothiazine for worms were discovered nearly 20 years ago, and since that time increasing amounts of the drug have been used in the treatment of worm infestations of farm animals. Phenothiazine was soon recognised as being superior to older remedies both in the range of parasites against which it was effective and in its higher level of efficiency against many of the more harmful species. It was shown that its action was threefold in that it eliminated most of the infection with susceptible worms, the egg production of surviving worms was temporarily inhibited, and eggs that were passed failed to develop when small amounts of phenothiazine were present in the dung. It showed further advantages in that it was effective whether it was swallowed into the rumen (first stomach) or the abomasum ' (fourth stomach) and repeated small doses were sometimes as effective as a single large dose. It soon became clear that the value of the drug varied widely against different parasites. It was highly effective against the large stomach worm (Haemonchus) and against certain large bowel parasites {Chabertia and Oesophagostomum) , it was moderately effective but rather variable in its action against Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, and hookworms, and it was virtually ineffective against Cooperia,

Nematodirus, Trichuris, tapeworms, and flukes. The results of recent research carried out in Australia and New Zealand show that the efficiency of the drug is influenced by the degree of fineness to which the material has been ground. It is still uncertain what degree of fineness will give maximum efficiency, but material with particles less than 10 microns in diameter gave better results than coarser fractions of the same batch of drug. Against Trichostrongylus the finer material showed up to greater advantage than against Haemonchus, as though the finer material gave slightly better results against Haemonchus than did the coarser fractions, the efficiency of the coarser material was still reasonably. satisfactory. . There are certain disadvantages associated with the use of very finely ground phenothiazine. The extra processing required undoubtedly increases the production costs of the drug and the extra fineness introduces further difficulties in the formulation of liquid suspensions. Though no evidence has so far been obtained, it is possible that the small particle size may result in increased oxidation and absorption from the gastro-intestinal tract and consequently it may increase the risk of phenothiazine poisoning in susceptible animals such as horses and cattle.