Bee Keeping. Benton Frank
freedom and without serious risk of being stung.
HOW TO AVOID STINGS.
Stings can be avoided, first, by having gentle bees. If no other point of superiority over the common brown or black bee than that of gentleness could be fairly claimed for some of the races introduced and some of the strains developed in recent years, it would still be worth while to get them on this account alone. When the fact of superiority in several other important points is considered also, there should be no further question as to the advisability of procuring them in preference to the common variety. The beginner is advised never to think of doing otherwise. No one likes stings, and even the veteran who affects insensibility to the wrath of his charges will find his interest and pleasure in them much increased by replacing blacks and their crosses with better varieties. Nor is this merely to gratify a fancy or for convenience alone. If, by reason of the stinging qualities of the bees kept, an examination for the purpose of ascertaining the condition of a colony of bees becomes a disagreeable task to the one who cares for the apiary, little things necessary to the welfare of the colonies will be postponed or omitted altogether and the apiary will soon present a neglected appearance, and the actual profits will be affected.
Of the races already in general cultivation, Carniolans are the gentlest, although Caucasians, more recently introduced from south-eastern Russia and only now being put on sale, are by far the least inclined to sting of any bees, and may be handled at all times without resorting to the protection of a bee veil, and generally without smoke, or at most a very slight application of smoke. Some strains of Italians equal in gentleness average Carniolans, but in general the race native to Italy is by no means as gentle as that found in Carniola, Austria, and the Caucasians are much to be preferred for the beginner. In case these gentler races are not easily procurable he need not hesitate, however, to undertake, after adopting due precautions, the manipulation of pure Italians.
In crossing well-established breeds the males of a gentle race should be used, otherwise the workers of the cross may vary greatly in temper, especially in the first few generations. Only careful selection continued for some time will so fix the desirable traits as to result in their reproduction with a fair degree of certainty in the offspring. Bees having the blood of blacks and Italians are nearly always quite vicious in the case of the first cross, and are even harder to subdue with smoke than are pure blacks. Other races need not be considered here, as they are adapted to special purposes; and the skill of the bee-master, the conditions of climate, flora, etc., and the particular line of production to be followed, should decide whether their introduction is advisable or not.[B]
[B] For a fuller discussion of this subject, see "The Honey Bee: A Manual of Instruction in Apiculture," by Frank Benton, M. S., Bulletin No. 1, new series, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, third edition, 1899, Chap. I, pp. 11–18.
The second essential to enable one to avoid stings is to have a good smoker at hand whenever the bees are to be handled. Any way of getting smoke of any kind into the hive and about it may answer the purpose, but for ease and effectiveness in keeping bees under control nothing will take the place of the modern bellows smoker (fig. 1). A good one lasts years, and its cost is so slight ($1 to $1.25 for the medium sizes) that the expenditure may be considered one of the wisest that can be made in fitting up an apiary.
A veil (fig. 2), made of black bobinet or Brussels net, to draw over the hat, and a pair of gloves, preferably of rubber, may be used at first. But whoever has fairly peaceable bees and learns even a little about their ways will soon discard the gloves, unless, indeed, he be exceedingly timid, or one of those to whom a bee sting would be a dreadful affliction. The veil can be safely dispensed with if the gentlest bees are kept.
Simple and convenient hives, employing the Langstroth principle, and with stories and frames interchangeable and so constructed as to reduce propolization to a minimum and to insure straight combs, will much facilitate the avoidance of stings.
The use of the bee escape (fig. 3) in removing surplus honey greatly reduces the risk of being stung during this operation, for it saves much manipulation of combs and shaking and brushing of bees. This useful device is fitted into a slot made in a board the same size as the top of the hive, and the whole, when slipped in between the brood apartment and an upper story or super, will permit all of the workers above to go down into the lower story but not to return to the top above to go down into the lower story, but not to return to the top one, so that in one night it is possible to free entirely a set of combs from bees without any manipulation of the combs, and without smoking, shaking, or brushing the bees.
Lastly, reasonable care in manipulation and a suitable system of management, which, of course, implies the doing of work in proper season, will, with the observance of the foregoing points, make the risk of stings exceedingly slight. Indeed, intelligent attention to the most important of the points mentioned above, with extra gentleness and moderation in manipulation, will enable anyone who so desires to avoid all stings.
WHAT RACE OF BEES TO CHOOSE.
Reference has already been made to the relative gentleness of the various races, and since the gentler types are themselves excellent honey gatherers, and the particular advantages to be derived from some of the more energetic races which do not happen to be so mild in temperament are not likely to be secured by the beginner who is unfamiliar with the most approved methods of manipulation of such bees, it is strongly recommended that only the gentle ones be at first adopted—either Caucasians, Carniolans, or Italians. Should full colonies of these not be obtainable near home, colonies of ordinary bees may be changed by replacing their queens with queens of the desired race, the latter having been procured in small boxes by mail. If possible the introduction had better be made by an expert, although in general, by following the instructions which accompany the new queen, success will also be attained by the beginner.
A brief summary of the leading traits of the various races now in this country will be of use in guiding the purchaser, as well as instructive to him for reference.
Caucasians are natives of that portion of Russia lying between the Black and Caspian seas, are exceedingly gentle, good workers, good defenders of their hives, prolific, build many queen cells, and swarm often if confined to small hives. The workers are dark leaden gray in their general color, and present quite a ringed appearance because of the alternation of this dark color with the lighter fuzz which edges the segments of the abdomen. They also show frequently one to two yellow or leather-colored bands, are somewhat smaller bodied than Italians or Carniolans, have good wing-expanse, and hence are nimble flyers. The drones are rather small and quite dark in color; queens not large, and vary in color from a coppery-yellow to a dark bronze.
Carniolans are much larger bodied and somewhat lighter gray in color than the Caucasians, but show likewise in many instances one or two rusty or dark-red bands. Their great hardiness and excellent wing-power enable them to fly freely in much cooler weather than some other races stand, and to regain their hive entrances under adverse conditions. They are prolific, active, and good honey gatherers, producing combs of snowy whiteness. As in the case of the Caucasians, their prolificness causes them to fill small hives to overflowing with bees, and this naturally results in numerous swarms. It is therefore advisable to use hives containing ten to twelve frames in the brood chamber. The nature of the Carniolans is essentially a quiet one, so that upon the approach of cold weather they settle down