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THIS BOOK MUST NOT BE TAKEN 
 FROM THE LIBRARY BUILDING. 
 
AN 
 
 ESSAY 
 
 ON THE 
 
 MANAGEMENT of BEES. 
 
 WHEREIN IS, SHEWN 
 
 The Method of rearing thofe ufeful Infeds ; 
 
 AND 
 
 That the Praftice of faving their Lives when their 
 Honey and Wax are taken from them was known 
 to the Antients, and is, in itlelf, fimple and ea- 
 *fily executed. 
 
 By JOHN MILLS, F, R. S. 
 
 Member of the Royal Societies of Agriculture of Paris and 
 of Roiien, and of the Oeconomical Society ofJBerne. 
 
 Sic vos et vobii mellificat'ts Apes. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed FOR JOHN DONALDSON, the Corner 
 
 OF Arundel Street, No, 195, in the Strand, 
 
 MDCCLXXVI. 
 
T O 
 
 The SOCIETY for the Encouragement of 
 
 Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, 
 
 This ESSAY on the 
 
 Management of B e e s, 
 
 PubHfhed in confequence of the Defire of that 
 refpedtable Body to promote the Means of 
 faving the Lives of thofe ufeful Infeds, is 
 humbly infcribed, by 
 
 The SOCIETY'S 
 
 moft obedient, and 
 mofl humble Servant, 
 
 John Mills. 
 
 May, i766« 
 
 >? .^ f^:^^ ^ try. 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
 
 in 2009 witii funding from 
 
 NCSU Libraries 
 
 littp://www.arcliive.org/details/essayonmanagemenOOmill 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 TH E following fheets were origi- 
 nally intended to make a part of 
 the continuation of my general Syftem 
 of Hulbandry, which I purpofe finifh- 
 ing fo foon as my health will permit*. 
 They would, confequently, not have ap- 
 peared at this time, nor in this detached 
 manner, if the notice which our excel- 
 lent Society for the Encouragement of 
 Arts, &c. has thought proper to take 
 of the importance of faving the lives of 
 Bees, when their honey and wax, the 
 only retribution that man has any right 
 to exped from their labours, are taken 
 from them, had not called on me to 
 offer every affiftance in my power, as 
 well to thofe who, through a laudable 
 
 * The five volumes already publlfhed of Mills's Syjlem 
 of Practical Husbandry, in S^o, price 1 1. 5 s, in fheets, are 
 fold by the publifhers of this EfTay. 
 
 tendernefs 
 
iv ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 tendernefs of heart, are grieved to fee 
 the common barbarous practice of de- 
 ftroying thefe profitable creatures, as 
 to thofe who may be induced to become 
 candidates for the well judged premium 
 generoufly offered by that truly refped- 
 able Body. 
 
 In this view, to a concife account of 
 the generation, government, and oeco- 
 nomy of Bees, 1 have, with the help 
 o^ the moft approved writers, both an- 
 tient and modern, added fuch direc- 
 tions for managing them, as will, I 
 hope, fuffice to inftrudl the huiband- 
 nian in every thing necefiary for the 
 due care of thefe ufeful and induftrious 
 infeds ; and alfo, for his ftill better 
 guidance, I have defcribed particularly 
 the feveral methods ufed by different 
 nations, to reap the fweets of their labour 
 without deftroying the little labourers 
 themfelves. It is highly probable that 
 this was known in very early times : 
 for the Roman writers fpeak of it as a 
 common practice in their days ; and it 
 
 flill 
 
ADVERTISEMENT, vii 
 
 ftill Gontinues to be the cuftom iii 
 Greece, where modern improvements 
 can hardly be fuppofed to have reached. 
 
 Some readers may, perhaps, think 
 me too minutely particular in my ac- 
 counts of the feveral methods pradifed 
 in different countries. My reafon isj 
 that chance often diredis people to 
 the pradice beft fuited to their cli- 
 mate, and to circumftances which 
 thofe at a diftance cannot fo vi^ell de- 
 termine. There not only arifes a plea- 
 fure from being acquainted vAth a va- 
 riety of methods ; but this farther fatis- 
 fadion may enfue, that one or more of 
 them will fometimes afford profitable 
 hints to the ingenious, in fimilar cafes. 
 
 Gentlemen, whofe leifure and love 
 of phyfical inquiries may lead them to 
 more minute refearches into the hiftory 
 and oeconomy of Bees, will not reft fa- 
 tisfied with what could properly come 
 within the compafs of a work like this, 
 purpofely fuited to the purchafe and 
 perufal of all keepers of Bees. Such 
 
 readers 
 
viii ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 readers are therefore referred to thofe 
 naturalifts who have thought this cu- 
 rious and ufeful infed: worthy of their 
 particular attention. Swammerdam, 
 Miraldi, and Reaumur, have diftin- 
 guifhed themfelves on this fubjed, and 
 will afford great fatisfadion to thofe 
 who fhall confult them. 
 
 PREMIUM 
 
PREMIUM FOR PRESERVING 
 THE LIVES OF BEES; OFFER- 
 ED Br THE SOCIETT OF ARTS, 
 &c. fTear 1765, p. 16. J 
 
 HERE AS the*ufual method of 
 faving the honey from ftocks or 
 
 hives is by deflroying the bees, and whereas 
 " it is found by experience, that the honey 
 " and wax may be obtained, and the bees 
 ** preferved at the fame time, by which much 
 *' larger quantities of both v*^ax and honey 
 ** are collecfted. 
 
 ** 100. The Society will give a fum not 
 *' exceeding two hundred pounds, for collect- 
 *' ing wax and prefer ving the lives of the 
 " bees, in the following proportion : to every 
 " perfon who fhall colled: from ftocks of bees, 
 ** his own property, within the year 17*57, 
 " ten pounds of clear merchantable wax, with- 
 '* out deftroying the bees, leaving a fufficient 
 " quantity of honey for their winter fufte- 
 '* nance; five pounds. 
 
 ** But in cafe there fhall be above forty 
 ** claimants, then the fum of two hundred 
 *' pounds fhall be diftributed among the can- 
 ** didates in proportion to the number of 
 *' claimants. 
 
 ^'- C£R- 
 
[ X ] 
 
 ** Certificates of the quantity of wax 
 ** and of the bees in each ftock being alive 
 ** on the lirfl of February 17^8, to be deli- 
 ** vered on or before the firft of March fol- 
 ** lowing." 
 
 ** N. B. A complete Apparatus for the 
 *' purpofes above-mentioned may be feen at 
 ^* the Society's office in the Strand." 
 
 And, I mufl add, at Mr. Thorley's, op- 
 pofite the manfion-houfe, in the city, 
 with bees in the hives. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 INTRODUCTION Page i 
 
 Of the queen bee 2 
 
 Of the drones 6 
 
 Of the working bees 8 
 
 Of the wax 1 1 
 
 Of the combs ^3 
 
 Of the honey 16 
 
 Of the manner in which the bees breed ly 
 Of their fw arming ^tj^ 
 
 Of uniting fwarms 45 
 
 Of the apiary 4S 
 
 Of iliifting the abode of bees, for the conve- 
 nience of procuring them food j2 
 Of enemies to bees j9 
 Of the common method of taking the honey 
 and wax 69 
 Of the method pra6tifed by the Greeks and 
 Romans for taking the wax and honey 
 without destroying the bees yo 
 Of the improved methods^of taking the honey 
 and wax without deilroying the bees 8/ 
 Of the management of bees in colonies 9 1 
 Of the management of bees in hives 10^ 
 
 Of 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Of the management of bees in boxes Page 1 05 
 Explanation of the figures reprefenting Ma- 
 dam Vicat's boxes 135 
 Of the difeafes of bees i ^j 
 Qf feparating the honey and the wax 147 
 Directions for purchafing bees 150 
 Dire6lions for difcovering bees in woods and 
 forefts . 153 
 Directions for making mead i 56 
 
 A N 
 
m m m M\,4hf ' . i 'Jiiiyn.. ^ uj.jLUL,mJt i A- i , w mw 
 
 AN 
 
 ESSAY 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 Management of Bees. 
 INTRODUCriON. 
 
 WE may conlider a hive of bees as a 
 well peopled city, in which we 
 commonly find from fifteen to 
 eighteen thoufand inhabitants. This city is 
 in itfelf a monarchy, compofed of a queen, of 
 males, which are the drones y 3.nd of working 
 bees, which are not of either fex. The combs, 
 which are of pure wax, ferve as their maga- 
 zine of flores, and for the nurfing places of 
 their young offspring. There is between the 
 combs a fpace fufficient for two bees to march 
 a-breaft, without embarraffing each other; 
 and in fome parts it is more fpacious. There 
 are alfo holes, or narrow paffes, which crofs 
 the combs tranfverfely, and are intended to 
 fhorten the way when the bees pafs from one 
 comb to another. 
 
 B OF 
 
 D. H. HILL LIBRARY 
 Norfh Carolina Stafe College 
 
2 Of the Management of Bees, 
 
 OF THE ^UEEN BEE, 
 
 THE Queen fPl i. Fig. ij is eafily 
 diftinguiflied from the other bees, by 
 the form of her body : flie is longer and 
 larger than they are, has fcraiter legs, and 
 her wings are much fhorter than theirs in 
 proportion to her body; for the wings of the 
 other bees cover their whole body, whereas 
 thofe of the queen hardly reach beyond her 
 middle, or end at about the third ring of 
 her belly. Her hinder parts are more taper 
 than thofe of the other bees, terminating^ 
 fharper. Her belly and legs are of a deep yel- 
 low, much refembling the pureft gold. The 
 queen, like the working bees, has a flings 
 contrary to the opinion of many writers, who^ 
 may have taken this for granted, becaufe ihe 
 is extremely pacific. One may handle her, 
 turn her, and even teaze her for fome time, 
 before flie determines herfelf to vengeance. 
 Her fling differs not from that of the work- 
 ing bee,, excepting that it is bigger, and a 
 little curved. The venom of bees is burning 
 and cauftic. 
 
 A HIVE of bees cannot fubiiit without a 
 queen, as fhe alone produces their numerous 
 pofterity ; and on this account their fidelity 
 and attachment to their fovereign is admi- 
 rable. Inftances of this attachment are fo 
 aumerous, that it would be needlefs to men- 
 tion 
 
Of the ^leen Bee, j 
 
 tion any other than the following, from fa- 
 ther Labat, for its fingularity. He relates, 
 that ** he received a viiit from a man who 
 ** called himfelf the mailer of the bees: v/he- 
 ** ther he was their mailer or no, it is cer- 
 ** tain they followed him as a flock of iheep 
 *' does their lliepheid, and even clofer too : 
 •* for he was entirely covered with them. 
 ** His cap, particularly, was fo covered, 
 ^* that it perfedly refembled thofe fwarms, 
 ** which, endeavouring to fettle, fix on fome 
 ** branch of a tree. He was bid to take it off, 
 " and did fo; whereupon the bees placed 
 ** themfelves on his fhoulder, his head, and 
 ** his hands, without flinging him, or even 
 *' thofe who were near him. He was prefT- 
 ** ed to tell his fecrct, but all that could be 
 ** got out of him vv^as, that he was the ma- 
 ** fter of the bees. They all followed him 
 ** when he retired : for, befides thofe he 
 " carried about with him, he had legions, 
 *' which attended him." It may be pre- 
 fumed that this juggler had a queen bee 
 concealed, and that it was this which made the 
 whole fwarm follow him. However, I fhould 
 hardly have related this ftory upon the credit 
 of a writer who is not always to be believed, if 
 Ihad not myfelf received thefollowing account 
 of a fomewhat limilar perfon now living at 
 Plymouth. 
 
 B 2 A GENTLE- 
 
4 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 A GENTLEMAN in that neighbourhocd, 
 v/illing to be an eyc-witnefs of what this man 
 could do, lent for him to his houfe, and car- 
 ried him into his garden, where the man took 
 up feveral hives, and looked into them, thereby 
 to judge which could beft fpare part of their 
 honey. This he did without feeming at all 
 to apprehend the bees, and without being in 
 the leaft hurt by them. He then defired that 
 a cloth might befJDread on a table in the dwell- 
 ing houfe, and upon that he laid the hive he 
 had pitched upon, bottom upmoft; after this 
 he defired all the company to quit the room, 
 faying, that he would inform them when they 
 might return with fafety. He foon called in 
 the owner of the bees, who told him, that 
 his wife and children wilhed to be admitted, 
 ifit could be done without danger to them. 
 The man declared that they might enter with 
 perfed: fafety, for that the bees would not 
 mokil any one. They accordingly went in, 
 
 -though amidit a cloud of bees; the man ha- 
 ving expelled them from the hive. He then 
 put his liand into a cJuiler of bees which ad- 
 hered together on tlie table, and took out of 
 it the queen bee, which he kept for fome 
 time concealed., A manifed confufion was 
 thereupon inilantly obferved among the bees; 
 
 ; but upon his placing her on the end of the 
 table farthefl from the hive, numbers of them 
 immediately reforted to her, and Ihe pro- 
 ceeded on their backs to the hive. He took 
 
 her 
 
Of the Shjceji Bee, ^ 
 
 her up a fecond time., and held her in his 
 hand, upon which the bees then fettled in 
 fuch numbers as to hang in a cluRer from it. 
 He then placed her again at the fartheft ^Vi^ 
 of the table, and from thence fhe proceeded 
 towards the hive, in the fame manner as be- 
 fore. Havino; at length taken out of the hive 
 thequantity of honey-combs which he thought 
 proper, he permitted the queen to enter into 
 the hive, and all her fubje(fls followed her. 
 The hive was then returned to its place in the 
 garden, and all this was done without one 
 perfon's being flung. 
 
 SwAMMERDAM, wliofe veracity no one 
 will doubt, relates, that having tied a fmall 
 bit of thread round one of the legs of the 
 queen bee, and faflened the other end of the 
 thread to the extrernity of a long pole, the 
 whole fwarm immediately affembled round 
 the end of this pole, to cover the queen, and 
 all the bees were carried v/herever the bearer 
 of the pole pleafed to condu(3: them. 
 
 When a queen dies by any accident, the 
 bees of her hive immediately ceafe working, 
 confume their own honey, fly about their own 
 and other hives at unufual hours, when other 
 bees are at refl, and die rather than be without 
 her, on whom alone depends the fupply of 
 future labourers. Her lofs is proclaimed by 
 a clear and interrupted humming. This 
 iign fliould be a warning to the owner of the 
 bees, to take what honey remains in the 
 B 3 hive. 
 
6. Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 hive, or to procure them another queen; the 
 manner of doine which will be directed here- 
 
 after. 
 
 The difiedion of the queen bee fliews evi- 
 dently that fhe lays may thoufand eggs ; 
 and obfervations as well as anatomy evince, 
 that thefe eggs are impregnated by the drones 
 or males, in the fame manner as other infedls 
 couple. It is computed that the Ovaria of a 
 queen bee contain more than five thoufand 
 eggs at one time; and therefore it is not dif- 
 ficult to conceive that a queen bee may pro- 
 duce ten or twelve thoufand bees, or even 
 more, in the fpace of two months. 
 
 OF THE DRONES. 
 
 ,RONES ^P/. I. Fig. 2.) are fmaller 
 than the queen, and larger than the 
 working bees; and in flying they m^ake a 
 greater noife. If a hive is opened in the be- 
 ginning of fpring, not a fingle drone will be 
 found in it; from the middle of May to the 
 end of fune, hundreds of them will be found, 
 commxonly from two or three hundred to a 
 thoufand; and from thence to the following 
 fpring, it would be in vain to feek for them. 
 They go not out till eleven in the morning, 
 and return before fix in the evening. To live, 
 feems to be their only bufinefs : yet their dif- 
 fedion informs us that they have the male parts 
 
 of 
 
Of the Drofie^, J 
 
 of generation, and obfervations have alTured 
 us that they couple with the queen. While 
 their prefence is thus necell'ary for the queen, 
 ■or whilft, in the opinion of many, their warmth 
 is neceilary to cheridi the young, they are 
 fuffered to enjoy tlie fweets of love and life; 
 "but as foon as they become ufelefs in the hive, 
 the working bees declare the moil cruel war 
 againft them, and make terrible flaughter of 
 therru The flings of the working bees give 
 them an advantage, which more than coun- 
 ter-balances the ^\zz of the drones, who have 
 not any fling: befides, we frequently fee fe- 
 veral working: bees fet on one drone. This 
 war affefts not only the bees already m life, 
 but even the eo-as and maggots ; for the law 
 
 /t>0 CO ' _ 
 
 which has pronounced the dedrudlion of the 
 males has no exception, it extends equally to 
 thofe which do not yet breathe and to thofe 
 which do; the hive is cleared of every ^^^^ 
 maggot, or nymph ; the whole is torn away 
 and carried off. After the feafon proper for 
 increaiing the number of bees is pall, and 
 when they fhould attend only to the fupply- 
 ing of their magazines fufficiently with winter 
 flores, every veflige of the drones is deftroyed 
 to make room for honey. Whenever drones 
 are obferved to remain in a hive late in the 
 autumn, it is held to be a bad fign of the ftate 
 ^i the hive. 
 
 B4 OF 
 
S Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 OF THE WORKING BEES, 
 
 THE WORKING Bees fPI, i. Fig. ^J 
 compofe the greatefi: body of the ftate. 
 Columella informs us ^ that the ancients dif- 
 tinguifhed feveral kinds of them. He joins 
 in opinion with Virgil"^, who approves of 
 thofe which are fmall, oblong, fmooth, 
 bright, and fhining, of gentle and mild dif- 
 pofition : "for," continues he, *' by how 
 " much the larger and rounder the bee is, 
 ** by fo much the worfe it is ; but if it be 
 ** fierce and cruel it is the worft of all. The 
 ** angry difpofition of bees of a better cha- 
 ** radier is eafily foftened by the frequent in- 
 *' tercourfe of thofe who take care of them, 
 " for they grow more tame when they are 
 *' often handled." The experience of ages 
 has now eftabliflied the fort of bees which 
 have been found to anfwer beft the purpofes 
 of keeping them. 
 
 The working bees have the care of the 
 hive, collect the wax and honey, fabricate 
 and work up the wax, build the cells, feed 
 the young, keep the hive clean, drive from 
 thence ftrangers, and employ themfelves in 
 all other concerns relating to the hive. 
 
 * De Reruftica, lib. ix. c. 3. *' Gcorg. lib. iv. 1, 98. 
 
 In-. 
 
Of the working Bees. ■ ~ 9 • 
 
 Insects which mayfeem to the incurious 
 to be little deferving their notice, afrord to 
 an attentive mind many inftances of the vvif- 
 dom of God in the Creation ; yet, as thefc 
 are matters of curiofity, rather than of ufe, I 
 Ihall pafs them over, referring the curious to 
 Swammerdam and Reaumur -, and only obferve 
 that the working bee has two flomachs, one 
 which contains the honey, and a fecond in 
 which is contained the crude wax. The work^ 
 ing bees have no parts analogous to the Ovaria 
 of the queen, or that refemble the male or- 
 gans of the drones. 
 
 The fting is very neceifary for a working 
 bee, both as an oiteniive and as adefenfive wea- 
 pon j for their honey and wax excite the tnYy 
 of many greedyand lazy infects; and theyhave 
 alfo to defend themfelves againft enemies, 
 who are fonder of eating them than their ho- 
 ney. There is likewife a time when the drones 
 muft be facrificed and exterminated for the 
 good of the fociety; and as they are larger 
 and ftronger than the working bees, thefe laft 
 would have a very unequal match, were it 
 not for this poifonous fling. There happen 
 alfo among bees, either of the fame or of dif- 
 ferent hives, moft deadly feuds, in which 
 their flings are their chiet weapons. In thefe 
 contcfts, great fkill may be difcerned in their 
 manner of pointing the fling between the 
 fcaly rings which cover their bodies, or to 
 
 fome 
 
1 Of the MciJiagement of Bc^s. 
 
 fome other eafily vulnerable part. The hee 
 which firft gains the advantage remains the 
 conqueror -, though the victory cofts the vid:or 
 his life, if he has left his fting in the body of 
 the enemy; for, with the fting, fo much of 
 his body is torn out, that death inevitably 
 follows. Bees have very fevere conflicts when 
 who'le hives engage in a pitched battle ; and 
 many are ilain on both fides : but of this here- 
 after. They have fometimes a iight of rob- 
 bery, v/hen three or four fet on one who has 
 a ftore of honey in his ftomach, merely to 
 make him difgorge it. 
 
 Oil of olives, or any mild oil, is thought 
 by many to be a cure for the pain and inflam- 
 mation ariiing from the fting of a bee; but 
 repeated experiments have fhewn that it fails 
 oftener than it fucceeds. It feems probable, 
 that the fuccefs fometimes met with was ra- 
 ther an accident than a cure ; for there are 
 many people to whom the fting -of a bee does 
 not occafion any pain or inflammation : fome 
 men difdain to ufe the leaft precaution even 
 when they are fure of many flings.. There 
 are, perhaps, many other remedies which 
 ov/e their reputation to limilar caufes. Vine- 
 gar is equally unfuccefsful: bruifed parfley is 
 by m.any thought to give eafe; and, as was 
 obferved in my Syjiem of Hifbandry^i Mr. 
 
 < Vol. III. p. 291. 
 
 Rocque, 
 
Of the Wax. iv 
 
 Rocque, of Walh am- green, fays, that being 
 flung even by a wafp, the leaves of burnet, 
 rubbed pretty hard upon the part fo injured, 
 immediately took off the inflammation. One 
 very necelf^ry caution is, to pull out the fling 
 from the wound as foon as poffible, for the 
 longer it remains in it the deeper it pierces ; 
 owing to the peculiar make of the fting itfelf. 
 
 OF THE WAX. 
 
 THE balls which wc fee attached to 
 the legs of bees returning to the hive 
 are not wax, but a powder collefied from the 
 jiamina of flowers, and not yet brought to the 
 flateofwax. .The fubilance of thefc balls 
 heated in any veffel, does not melt as wax 
 would do, but becomes dry and hardens: it 
 may even be reduced to a coal. If thrown into 
 water, it will fmkj whereas wax fwims. To 
 reduce this crude fubftance into wax, it mufl 
 firfl be digeflcd in the body of the bee. 
 
 After the bees have brought home this 
 crude fubflance, they eat it by degrees; or, at 
 other times, three or four bees come and eafe 
 the loaded bee by eating each of them a fliare, 
 the loaded bee giving them a hint fo to do. 
 Hunger is not the motive of their thus eating 
 the balls of waxy matter, efpecially when a 
 fwarm is firfl hived ; but it is their deflre to 
 provide a fpeedy fupply of real wax for mak- 
 ing 
 
12 Of the Management of B^ces. 
 
 ing the combs. At other times, when there Is 
 no immediate want of wax, the bees lay this 
 matter up in repofitories, to keep it in ftore. 
 
 When this waxy matter isfwallowed, it is, 
 by the digeflive powers of the bee, converted 
 into real wax, which the bees again difgorge as 
 they work it up into combs ; for it is only 
 while thusfoft and pliantfrom the flomach that 
 they can fabricate it properly. That the wax 
 thus employed is taken from their ftomachs, 
 appears from their making a confiderable 
 quantity of comb foon after they are hived, 
 and even on any tree or fhrub where they have 
 refled but a fliort while before their, being 
 hived, though no bails were vifible on their 
 lep-s, excepting thofe of a few which may be 
 iult returned from the field. " This is far^ 
 ** ther confirmed by what happened in a fwam 
 <' nev/ly hived; for two days together from 
 < « the time of their quitting their former home, 
 *' it rained conftantly; infomuch that not one 
 ^* bee was able to ftir out during that time : 
 " yet at the end of the two days, they had 
 *< made a comb fifteen or fixteen inches long, 
 " and thick in proportion d." 
 
 The crade wax, when brought home by 
 the bees, is often of as difi-'erent colours as 
 are the flowers from which it is collected : 
 but the new combs are always of a white co- 
 
 ^ Natural Hift. of Bees, p. 226. 
 
 lour, 
 
Of the Combs. 1 3 
 
 lour, which is afterwards changed only by 
 the impurities ariling from the fteam, ^c. of 
 the bees. 
 
 Bees colled: crude wax alfo for food ; for 
 if this was not the cafe, there would be no 
 want of wax after the combs are made : but 
 they are obferved, even in old hives, to re- 
 turn in great numbers loaded with fuch mat- 
 ter, which is depoiited in particular cells, and 
 is known by the name of bee-bread. We may 
 guefs that they confume a great deal of this 
 fubftance in food, by the quantity colleded, 
 which, by computation, may in fome hives 
 amount to an hundred weight in a feafon, 
 v/hiiil: the real wax in fuch an hive does not 
 perhaps exceed two pounds ^. 
 
 OF THE COMBS. 
 
 IN conftru£ling habitations within a limited 
 compafs, an architedl would have three 
 objects in view; firfl, to ufe the fmallefl 
 quantity that can be of materials ; next, to 
 give to the edifice the greatefl capacity on a 
 determined fpace ; and thirdly, to employ the 
 fpot in fuch a manner that none of it may be 
 loft. On examination, it will be found that 
 the bees have obtained all thefe advantages in 
 the hexagonal form of their cells : for, firft, 
 
 ■= Natural Hifl, of the Bees, p. 2,33. 
 
 there 
 
14 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 there is an oeconomy of wax, as the circum- 
 ference of one cell makes part of the circum- 
 ferences of thofe contiguous to it ; fecondly, 
 the oeconomy of the fpot, as thefe cells which 
 join to one another leave no void between 
 them; and thirdly, the greateft capacity or 
 fpacej as of all the iigures which can be con- 
 tiguous, that with fix fides gives the largefl 
 area. This thriftinefs prompts them to make 
 the partitions of their cells thin: yet they arc 
 conftructed fo as that the folidity may com- 
 penfate for the fcantinefs of materials. The 
 parts moil: liable to injury arc the entrance of 
 the cells. Thefe the bees take care toftrengthen, 
 by adding quite round the circumference of 
 the apertures a fillet of wax, by which means 
 this mouth is three or four times thicker than 
 the fides ; and they are flrengthened at the 
 bottom, by the angle formed by the bottom 
 of three cells falling in the middle of an op- 
 pofite cell. 
 
 The combs lie parallel to each other, and 
 there is left between every one of them a fpace 
 which ferves as a fireet, broad enough for 
 two bees to pafs by each other. There are 
 holes which go quite through the combs, and 
 ferve as lanes for the bees to pais from one 
 comb to another, without being obliged to 
 go a great way about. When they begin their 
 combs, they form at the top of the hive a root 
 or flay to the whole edifice, which is to hang 
 
 from 
 
Of the Combs, i j 
 
 from it. Though they generally lay the foun- 
 dations of the combs fo that there ihali be no 
 more fpace between them than what is fuf- 
 ficient for two bees to pafs, yet they fome- 
 times place thofe beginnings of tv/o combs 
 too far afunder> and in this cafe, in order to 
 fill up part of the void fpace ariling from that 
 bad difpodtion, they carry their combs on 
 obliquely, to make them gradually approach 
 each other. This void fpace is fometimes fo 
 coniiderable, that the bees build in it an in- 
 termediate comb, which they terminate as 
 foon as the original combs have only theii" due 
 diflances. As the combs would be apt, when 
 full, to overcome by their weight all the fe- 
 curity which the bees can give them againft 
 falling ; they who prepare hives fet in them, 
 crofs-ways, fticks, which ferve as props to the 
 combs, and fave the bees a great deal of la- 
 bour. 
 
 It is commonly fjppofed that the cells are 
 the habitations which the bees build for them- 
 felves. This opinion arifes from its being ob- 
 ferved, that, at certain times, each cell has a 
 bee in it: but a clofer examination will dif- 
 eover, that many cells have in them young 
 maggots, or nymphce\ that many ferve as ftore- 
 houfes for the crude Vv^ax ; and many more for 
 the honey on which the bees are to fublift 
 
 during the winter or bad weather. 
 
 OF 
 
Of the Management cf Bees. 
 
 OF THE H N E r. 
 
 T was generally believed, that honey is a 
 dew which falls from heaven, and that 
 the bees had no other fhare in it than collect- 
 ing it. It is originally a juice digefted in plants, 
 which fweats through their pores, and chiefly 
 in their flowers, or is contained in refervoirs 
 in which nature itores it. The bees fome- 
 times penetrate into thefe ftores, and at other 
 times find the liquor exfuded. This they 
 coiled; in their ftomachs ; fo that when, loaded 
 with it, they feem to an inattentive eye to 
 come home without any booty at all. The 
 bees which gather crude wax fhew their in- 
 duftry; but it is not fo with thofe which col- 
 lect honey. The flomach in which the honey 
 is contained is well known to moft boys. 
 
 The Abbe Boijjier de Salvages having dif- 
 covered a fubftance not before attended to, 
 which the bees colledl and turn to honey; 
 I fliall here give the purport of what he fays 
 inamemoir read before the Society of Sciences 
 2itMontpelHer, on the i6th oi December 1762, 
 on the origin of honey ^ 
 
 He begins with declaring it to be his opi- 
 nion, that the bees have no other lliare in 
 the making of honey, than fimplycoUeding it. 
 
 i Obfervat'uns fur I'Oiigine du Mlcl, par M. L'Abbe 
 Boifiler de Sauvages, a Nimes, 1763. 
 
 Other 
 
Of the Honey, 1 7 
 
 Other writers believe, that when the liquor 
 which the bees colled; has been for fome time 
 in their ftomachs, it comes from thence 
 changed into true honey; the liquor having 
 been there properly digefted and rendered 
 thicker than when it entered. The Abbe 
 BoiJ/iers opinion is fupported by the honey *>s 
 being ftill a body fubjedt to a vinous fermenta- 
 tion when properly diluted, which does not 
 obtain in any animal lubilance that I know 
 of. 
 
 Besides the liquor already mentioned, 
 which is obtained from the flowers of plants, 
 the Abbe acquaints us, that he has feen two 
 kinds of honey-dews, which the bees are 
 equally fond of: both derive their origin from 
 vegetables, though in very different ways. 
 
 The firll kind, the only one known to 
 huibandmen, and which pafTes for a dew that 
 falls on trees, is no other than a mild fweet 
 juice, which, having circulated through the 
 veffels of vegetables, is feparated in proper 
 refervoirs in the flowers, or on the leaves, 
 where it is properly called the honey-dew : 
 fometimes it is depoiited in the pith, as in the 
 fugar-cane, and at other times in the juice of 
 pulpy fummer fruits, when ripe. Such is the 
 origin of the manna which is collected on the 
 alh and maple of Calabria and Brian(^on, where 
 it flows in great plenty from the leaves and 
 C trunks 
 
1 8 Of the Management of Bees, 
 
 trunks of thefe trees, and thickens into the 
 form in which it is ufually feen. 
 
 "Chance," fays the Abbe Boijficr, '' af- 
 *' forded me an opportunity of feeing this 
 '* juice in its primitive form on the leaves of 
 *' the holm-oak : thefe leaves v^ere covered 
 *' with thoufmds of fmall round globules or 
 ** drops, which, without touching one an- 
 ** other, feemcd to point out the pore from 
 ** whence each of them had proceeded. My 
 " tafle informed me that they were as fweet 
 '* as honey : the honey-dew on a neighbour- 
 *' ing bramble did not refemble the former, 
 *' the drops having run together; owing either 
 ** to the moifture of the air, which had di- 
 *' luted them, or to the heat, which had ex- 
 ** panded them. The dew was become more 
 ** vifcous, and lay in larger drops, or, plafter- 
 " wife, covering the leaves. This is the form 
 *' it is ufually ieen in. 
 
 '' The oak had at this time two kinds of 
 *' leaves ; the old, which were ifrong and 
 " firm, and the new, which were tender and 
 *' lately come forth. The honey- dew wasfound 
 ** only on the old leaves, tho'.igh thefe were 
 *' covered by the new ones, and by that means 
 *' fheltered from any moifture that could fall 
 *' from above. I oblervcd the fame on the old 
 *' leaves of the bramble, while the new leaves 
 " were quite free of it. Another proof that 
 *' thi^ dew proceeds from tht leaves is, that 
 
 '* other 
 
Of the Honey, ig 
 
 " other neighbouring trees which do not af- 
 *' ford a juice of this kind, had no moifture 
 *' on them; and particularly the mulberry, 
 *' which is a very happy circumftance, for 
 ** this juice is a deadly poifon to iilk-worms. 
 ** If this juice fell in the form of a dew, mift, 
 ** or fog, it would wet all the leaves without 
 ** diftinclion, and every part of the leaves, 
 ** under as well as upper. Heat may have 
 '* fome fhare in its production: for though 
 " the common heat promotes only the tran- 
 " fpiration of the more volatile and fluid 
 *' juices ', 2l fultry heat, efpecially if reflected 
 ** by clouds, may fo far dilate the veiTels, as 
 *' to bring forth a thicker and more vifcous 
 '* juice, iuch as the honey-dew. 
 
 ** The fecond kind of honey-dew, which 
 ** is the chief refource of bees after the fpring 
 *' flowers and dew bv tranfpiration on leave? 
 ** are paft, owes its origin to a fmall mean 
 " infed:, the excrement thrown out by which, 
 " makes a part of the mofl delicate honey we 
 " ever tafte^. 
 
 " These lice reft during feveral months 
 ^' on the bark of particular trees, 'and extrad; 
 *' their food by piercing that bark, without 
 " hurting the tree, or bringing upon it any 
 
 ^ The French call this infecl a Pucercn, and our country 
 people, whofe appellation of it will be adopted here, ge- 
 nerally call it, I think, a Loufc-, though a fpecics peculiar 
 to vegetables. 
 
 C 2 *' deformity; 
 
za Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 ** deformity; as do thofe infects which make 
 '* the leaves of fome trees curl up, or caufe 
 ** galls to grow upon others. They fettle on 
 ** branches which are a year old. The juice, 
 ** at firft perhaps hard and crabbed, becomes, 
 " in the bowels of this infedt, equal in fweet- 
 *' nefs to the honey obtained from the flowers 
 ** and leaves of vegetables, excepting that the 
 *' flowers may communicate fome of their 
 ** effential oil to the honey, and that this may 
 *' give it a peculiar flavour \ as happened to 
 <* myfelf, by planting a hedge of rofemary 
 '* near my bees at Sauvages, the honey has 
 " tafl:ed of it ever fmce ; that flirub continu- 
 '* ing long in flower. 
 
 ** I HAVE obferved two fpecies of lice which 
 *' live uniheltered on the bark of young 
 ** branches: they have a Tmooth ikin, and 
 " thofe without wings feem to be the females, 
 *' which maxke the great bulk of the fwarm ; 
 ** for each fwarm has in its train two or three 
 " males with wings : thefe live on the labours 
 ** of the females, at leall: I always faw them 
 **• hopping carelefsly on the backs of the fc- 
 ■*« 'males, without going to the bark to feek 
 ** for food. 
 
 *' Both fpecies live in groups on different 
 '' parts of the fame tree. They there fl:ick 
 ** clofe to one another around the branch, 
 '^ entirely covering the bark; and it is re- 
 " markable that they there take a pofition 
 
 ** which 
 
Of the Honey. t\ 
 
 which may feem to us to be a very uneafy 
 one ; for they adhere to the branch with 
 their head downward, and their belly up- 
 permofl. 
 
 *' The leiTer fpecies is of the colour of the 
 bark on which it feeds, and that is generally 
 green. It is chiefly diftinguifhed by two 
 horns, or ftrait immoveable flefhy fub* 
 ftances, which rife perpendicular from the 
 lower fides of the belly, one on each fide. 
 This is the fpecies which lives on the young 
 (hoots of brambles and of elder. 
 ** The former of thefe fpecies is double 
 the fize of this laft, and is that which I 
 now have rnofl particularly in view, becaufe 
 it is that from which the honey comes. 
 Thefe infedts are blackilli, and inflead of 
 the kind of horns which diftinguilh the 
 others, they have, in the fame part of the 
 ikin, a fmall button, black and ihining like 
 jet. 
 
 ** The buzzing of bees in a tuft of French 
 or holm oak, made me fufpeCt that fome 
 very interefled view brought fo many of 
 them thither. I knew that it was not the 
 feafon for expecting honey-dew, nor fuch 
 the place where it ufually is, and was fur^ 
 prized to find in the centre of the tuft leaves 
 and branches covered with drops which the 
 bees colled:ed with a humming noife. The 
 form of the drops drew my attention, and 
 C 3 «^ led 
 
22 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 ** led to the following difcovery. Inftead of 
 " being round, like drops which had fallen, 
 " each of thefe formed a little longifh oval. 
 ** I foon perceived from whence they pro- 
 " ceeded. The honeyed leaves were fituated 
 ** beneath a fwarm of the larger black lice ; 
 *' and on obferving thefe infedt"^, I faw them 
 '^ from time to time raife their bellies, at the 
 ** extremity of which there then appeared a 
 " tranfparent amber coloured drop, which 
 '' they inftantly darted from them to the dif- 
 ** tance of fome inches. I found, on tafting 
 " fome which I had catched on my hand, 
 ^* that it had the fame flavour with what had 
 '* before fallen on the leaves. I afterwards 
 " faw the fmaller kind dart their drop in the 
 *• fame manner. 
 
 ** This darting, to which the drop owes 
 *' its oval form, is not a matter of indifFer- 
 ** ence to thefe infc<5ls themfelves, but feems 
 " to have been wifely inftitatcd in order to 
 '* preferve cleanlinefs in each individual, as 
 ** well as among the whole fwarm: for, pref- 
 <* fing as they do one upon another, they 
 ** would otheiwife foon be glued together, 
 " and rendered incapable of ftirring. 
 
 <t We may now, with fome probability, 
 " account for the feemingly odd lituation in 
 *' which they reft. Their belly is about twenty 
 '* times larger than their head and breaft. If 
 " the infe(5l was placed in a contrary dire(5lion, 
 
 ** it 
 
OJ the Honey. 23 
 
 <* it could not, without extreme difficulty, 
 ** raife its heavy belly, fo as to projeft it out- 
 " ward, fufficiently to difcharge the drop 
 *' over its companions; whereas, when its 
 " head is lowermoft, much lei's effort is re- 
 " quifite to incline it forward; and even in 
 ** this lituation the infed; feems by its flut- 
 *' tering to colled: all its iirength. When 
 *^ the winter's cold and rains come on, thefe 
 ** lice place themfelves wherever they are 
 *' leaft expofed ; and as they then take but 
 *' little nouriihment, and but feldom emit 
 ** their drop, they feem not to mind whethei 
 " the head or tail be uppermoil:. 
 
 " The drops thus fpurted out fall upon 
 " the ground, if leaves or branches do not 
 " intervene; and the fpots which they make 
 ** on ftones remain long, unlefs they are 
 ** wailied off by rain. This is the only 
 ** honey-dew that falls; and this never falls 
 ** from a greater height than a branch on 
 " which thefe infeds can clufler. 
 
 ** It now is eafy to account for a pheno- 
 " menon which formerly puzzled me much. 
 " Walking under a lime tree in the king's gar- 
 " den at Paf'is, I felt my hands wetted with 
 ** little drops, which I at firll took for fmall 
 ** rain. The tree fliould have Iheltered me 
 ** from rain, but I efcapqd it by going from 
 ^* under the tree. A feat placed by the tree 
 " (hone with thefe drops. Being then unac- 
 C 4 ** quainted 
 
24 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 quainted with any thyig of this kind, ex- 
 cept the honey-dew which is found upon 
 leaves, I was at a lofs to conceive how fo 
 glutinous a fubftance could fall from the 
 leaves in fuch fmall drops; for I knew that 
 rain could not overcome its natural adhe- 
 rence to the leaves, till it became pretty 
 large drops: but I have fince found, that 
 the lime tree is very fubjed to thefe in- 
 fers. 
 
 ** Bees are not the only infects which feaft 
 on this honey. Ants are equally fond of it. 
 Led into this opinion by what naturalifts 
 have faid, I at firfb believed that the horns 
 in the leiTer fpecies of thefe lice, had at 
 their extremity a liquor which the ants 
 went in fearch of: but I foon difcovered, 
 that what drew the ants after ihem came 
 from elfewhere, both in the larger and the 
 lefler fpecies, and that no liquor is dif- 
 charged by the horns. 
 ** Tfiere are two fpecies of ants- which 
 fearch for thefe infects. The large black 
 ants follow thofe which live on the oak 
 and chefnut : the leiTer ants attend thofe of 
 the elder. As the ants are not provided 
 with the means of fucking up fluids, they 
 place themfelves near the lice, in order to 
 feize the drop the moment they fee it ap- 
 pear on the anus : and as the drop remains 
 fome time on the fmall lice, before they 
 
 " can 
 
Of the Honey, t^ 
 
 « can dart it off, the ants have leifure to 
 
 * catch it, and thereby prevent the bees from 
 
 * having any ihare of it : but the lice of the 
 ' oak and chefnut being Wronger, and per- 
 
 * haps more plentifully fupplied with juice, 
 
 * dart the drop inftantly, fo that the larger 
 
 * ants get very little of it. 
 ** The lice finding the greatell: plenty of 
 
 ' juice in trees in the middle of the fummer, 
 ' afford alfo at that tiip.e the greateR quantity 
 
 * of honey ; and this leffens as the feafon 
 
 * advances, fo that, in the autumn, the bees 
 ' prefer to it the flowers then in feafon. 
 
 " Though thefe infecfts pierce the trees to 
 ^ the fap, in a thoufand places, yet the trees 
 ' do not feem to fuffer at all from them, nor 
 ' do the leaves lofe the leafl of their verdure. 
 ' The hulbandman acts therefore injudici- 
 ^ ouliy when he deftroy.s thems."' 
 From whatever fource the bees have col- 
 leded their honey, the inilant they return 
 home, they feek cells in which they may dif- 
 gorge and depofit their loads. They have two 
 forts of llores ; one which coniifts of honey 
 laid up for the winter, and tl>e other of honey 
 intended for accidental ufe, in cafe of bad 
 weather, and for fuch bees as do not go 
 
 S For the farther hiflory of thefe iafecls, the curious 
 reader may confult M. de Reaumur, and M. Bonnet of 
 Geneva. A part of the Writings of this laft very ingenious 
 gentleman will, I hear, fbortly make its apfpearauce in En- 
 gli/h, under the title of Cent emplat ions on Nature. 
 
 abroad 
 
26 Of the Management of Bees, 
 
 abroad in fearch of it. Their method of fe- 
 curing each of thefe is different. They have 
 in each cell a thicker fubltance, which is 
 placed over the honey, to prevent its running 
 out of the cell, and that fubltance is raifed 
 gradually as the cell is filled, till the bees, 
 finding that the cell cannot contain any more, 
 clofe it with a covering of wax, not to be 
 opened till times of want, or during the 
 winter. 
 
 OF THE P P. O P O L I S. 
 
 THE matter with which bees clofe every 
 crevice in their hives, and which is call- 
 ed propolis y is a kind of refin eafy to be rolled 
 out, much more tenacious than wax, and 
 more eafily fixed. It does not feeni to require 
 any preparation, being a real refin, which 
 they colle6l from trees, and employ as they 
 find it. It grows very hard in the hive, but 
 may be foftened by heat. It is diflbluble in 
 fpirit of wine. It commonly diffufes a very 
 agreeable fmell when heated. Its outward 
 colour is of a reddiih brown ; its infide re- 
 fembles wax, and is a little yellowilh. When 
 the bees make ufe of it, it is foft and pliable ; 
 but it hardens daily, and becomes in time 
 harder than wax. This propolis ferves alfo 
 for another purpofe, which is, that when a 
 fnail, fiug, or any other creature too large to 
 
 b« 
 
Of the Manner in which the Bees breed. 27 
 
 be carried out by the bees, has been ilain In 
 the hive, they cafe it over with this fubftance, 
 and thereby prevent the bad efFefts of the 
 putrid fmell arifing from dead bodies. 
 
 OF rHE MANNER IN WHICH 
 THE BEES BREED. 
 
 T has already been obferved, that the cells 
 are intended for other purpofes beiides be- 
 ing places of ilore for honey. One of their 
 chief ufes is, their being, if I may fo term it, 
 nurferies for the young. The cells for the 
 young which are to be working bees, are 
 commonly half an inch deep, thofe for drones 
 three quarters of an inch, and thofe which 
 are intended for keeping of honey only, ftill 
 deeper. This accounts for the inequalities 
 obfervedin the furface of combs. 
 
 The queen depoiits an egg in each cell, 
 after having previouily examined every way 
 whether it be fitteft for a working bee, or for 
 a drone. During this time, as indeed on all 
 other occaiions, (he is attended by a number 
 of bees, ready to do her every kind office. 
 We may judge of the number of eggs which 
 a queen lays, by the number of bees fent out 
 from one flock in one feafon. Suppofe the 
 eggs to be laid in March, fooner or later, 
 according as the feafon is, a,nd the fwarrn 
 to take its flight about the middle or end 
 
 of 
 
28 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 of May ', yet, notwithftanding their depar- 
 ture, the hive remains more peopled than it 
 was in the beginning of the fpring. The 
 fwarm, without being a very flrong one, may 
 confift of twenty thoufind bees, produced 
 in about two months. A fecond, and even a 
 third fwarm, may alfo proceed from the fame 
 hive or flock. A fmgular circumftance at- 
 tending this prodigious fecundity of the queen, 
 is, that fhe keeps in her body, for feveral 
 months, that impregnating matter which was 
 given by the males, who were put to death 
 without mercy in the latter end of the preced- 
 ing fummer : and yet, when the new males 
 are come to life in May, they impregnate 
 eggs, which are laid within a few days after. 
 
 The reverend Mr. Thorley remarks ^, that, 
 ** to his certain knowlege, the bees fome- 
 <* times breed all the fummer feafon without 
 " drones. Several poor and weak ftocks, 
 *' which have but few bees, and but little 
 *« honey, have not any drones among them 
 " all the feafon ; and yet thefe fliall increafe, 
 ** profper, and breed drones the following 
 ** fummer. I will give my readers, fays he, 
 ** only one inftance inftead of a multitude. 
 
 " Once I had a ftock of bees, which not 
 '* only bred great numbers all the fpring-time, 
 
 i> Enquiry into the Nature, Order, and Governmenr of 
 Sees, p. 74. 2d. edit. 
 
 " but 
 
Of the Manner ih which the Bees breed. 29 
 
 ** but alfo fwarmed without any drones, as I 
 ** was fully afTured from the mofl flrid: and 
 " conftant obfervation. Had there been one 
 ** iingle drone in it, my eye or ear would 
 *• certainly have dilcovered him, 
 
 ** The old flock continued to profper ; 
 ** and in about a month or lix weeks, fome 
 ** drones, though feW comparatively, appear- 
 " ed in it. 
 
 *' The new fvvarm increafed in numbers 
 •* all that fummer, but had no drones among 
 ** them till the following fpring. — And I add 
 *' farther, that I have oft-times known weak 
 *' ftocks, which have not bred drones for the 
 •* fpace of about two years." 
 
 The queen lays one t^g in the bottom of 
 each cell. The eggs are hatched in a few 
 days after they have been laid ; a maggot then 
 appears at the bottom of the cell, and if the 
 feafon be at all favourable, this maggot ac- 
 quires its full growth in a few days more ; 
 generally in five or fix. There it is regularly 
 nourifhed by the working bees, who are very 
 careful in the difcharge of that office. It is 
 not eafy to determine what its food is, nor 
 would it be of great ufe to relate the opinions 
 of different authors concerning it. After the 
 maggot has lived five or fix days, or fome- 
 times a little longer, according as the feafon 
 is more or lefs favourable, it prepares for its 
 change into a nymph, or chry falls. In order 
 
 to 
 
3© Of the Management of Bees, 
 
 to this, the bees fhut it up in its lodging, by 
 blocking up the entry with wax -, and that 
 done, it is left to itfelf. It then hangs the 
 cell with a foft dry confiflent matter refem- 
 bling filk, which, like the lilk-worm, it 
 fpins out of its own body. This lining may 
 be eafily difcovered by melting gently the 
 wax of a cell thus flopped up, or by breaking 
 it with care : the wax fcparates, and the filky 
 tapeftry remains. When the nymph is be- 
 come a bee, and it has pierced the wax with 
 which it was imprifoned, the working bees 
 come that inftant to clean the cell of all filth ; 
 but they do not deilroy the tapeftry. The 
 cell thus purified ferves to bring up another 
 maggot, the tg<y of which the queen depofits 
 in it. The fecond maggot fpins like the firft ; 
 fo that the fame cell may be hung thus with 
 a new lining feveral times in a year. The 
 nymph undergoes feveral changes before it 
 becomes a bee : but all its metamorphofes are 
 completed in about fifteen days. The fpace 
 of time which intervenes between the laying 
 of the Q^g and the birth of the bee, may 
 therefore be reckoned twenty-three or twenty- 
 four days in favourable feafons. In cold wea- 
 ther, the procefs is longer ; and if the wea- 
 ther proves very unfavourable, many die in 
 that llate, efpecially in the fpring, as may be 
 judged from the numbers dragged forth dead 
 by the working bees. Inllindl teaches them 
 induftry as foon as they are iible to fiy. 
 
 Young 
 
Of the Manner in 'which the Bees breed. 31 
 
 Young bees are eafily diftinguifhed from 
 the old, by their brown colour and white 
 hair; both the colour and the hair of the old 
 ones being red. The wings too of the young 
 ones become more diftinct, as they grow older. 
 The bee jult produced has a great belly, and 
 if it bs opened, it is found to be full of the 
 fubrtance it had eaten whilft a maggot. Add 
 to thefe differences, the flate of their wines, 
 which are found and entire in youth, and in 
 a more advanced age, are broken and notched 
 by hard labour. If we examine by thefe 
 marks the bees either ofafwarm or of an 
 old hive, we (hail find fome young, fome old, 
 and fome of a middle age. 
 
 The eess from which drones are to oro- 
 ceed, are, as already ob'erved, laid in larger 
 cells than thofe of the v^^orking bees. The 
 coverings of thefe cells, when the drones are 
 in their nymph-rtate, are convex or fwelling 
 outward, whilft the cells of the working bees 
 are flat. This, with the privilege of leading 
 idle effeminate lives, and not working for 
 the publick flock, is what diflinguiflies the 
 drones. 
 
 The bees depart from their ufual fl:ile of 
 building when they are to raife cells for bring- 
 ing up fuch maggots as v/ill become queens. 
 Thefe are of a longifli oblong form, having 
 one end bigger than the other, with their 
 exterior furface full of little cavities. Wax, 
 
 which 
 
32 Of the Management of Bees, 
 
 which is employed with fo geometrical a 
 thriftinefs in the railing of hexagonal cells, is 
 expended with profufion in the cell which 
 is to be the cradle of a royal maggot. They 
 fometimes fix it in the middle, and at other 
 times on one fide, of a comb. Several com- 
 mon cells are facrificed to ferve as a bafis and 
 fupport to it. It is placed almofi: perpendi- 
 cular to the common cells, the largefh end 
 being uppermoft. The lower end is open 
 till the feafon for clofing it comes, or till the 
 maggot is ready for transformation. It would 
 be difficult to conceive how a tender maggot 
 can remain in a cell turned bottom upmoft, 
 if we did not find it buried in a fubftance 
 fcarcely fluid, and if it was not in itfelf, at 
 firrt, fmall and light enough to be fufpended 
 in this clammy paile. As it grows, it fills all 
 the upper and larger part of the cell. As fooa 
 as the young queen comes out of her cell, 
 that cell is dellroyed, and it's place is fup- 
 plied by common cells : but as the founda- 
 tion of the royal cell is left, this part of the 
 comb is found thicker than any other. There 
 are feveral fuch cells prepared ; for the queen 
 lays from feven or eight to twenty royal mag- 
 gots; and if there was only one reared in 
 each hive, the fwarms might often want a 
 condudlrefs. Many accidents may alfo de- 
 ftroy the little maggot, before it becomes a 
 bee. It is therefore necefTary that the queen 
 
 fhould 
 
Of the Manner in which the Bees breed, 3^ 
 
 iliould lay more than one of thefe royal eggs : 
 and there nrc feveral young queens in the be- 
 ginning of the fummer, more than one of 
 which often takes flight when a fwarm de- 
 parts. 
 
 A young queen is in a condition to lead a 
 fwarm from a hive in which (he was born, in 
 four or five days after (he has appeared in it 
 with wings ; and when fhe has refolved on 
 her journey, her eggs have been already im- 
 pregnated 3 as appears evidently from there 
 being fwarms among which there is not a An- 
 gle male, and from eggs having been found 
 in cells within twenty. four hours after the fet- 
 tling of the fwarm. The bees of a fwarm 
 are in a great hurry when they know that 
 their queen is ready to lay. In this cafe, they 
 give to their new cells but part of the depth 
 they are to have, and defer the finiihing of 
 them till they have traced the number of cells 
 requifite for the prefent time. The cells firfl 
 made are intended only for working bees; 
 thefe being the moft neceflary. 
 
 It fometimes happens, even when the bees 
 are very afliduous and bufy, that they on a 
 fudden ceafe from their work, not a fingle 
 one ftirs out, and thofe that are abroad hurry 
 home in fuch prodigious crowds, that the doors 
 of their habitations are too fmall to admit 
 them. On this occafion, look up to the {ky, 
 and you will foon difcover fome of thofe black 
 clouds which denote impending rain. 
 
 D OF 
 
34 Of the Management of Bfes, 
 
 OF THEIR SMARMING. 
 
 WHEN the hive is hecome too much 
 crowded, by the addition of the 
 young brood, a part of the bees think of find- 
 ing themfelves a more commodious habita- 
 ti(3ri, and with that view fingle out the moft 
 forward of the young queens. A new fwarm 
 is therefore conftantly compofed of one queen 
 at leaft, and of feveral thoufand working bees, 
 as well as of fome hundreds of drones. The 
 working bees are fome old, fome young. 
 
 Scarce has the colony arrived at its new 
 habitation, when the working bees labour 
 with the utmoft diligence, to procure mate- 
 rials for food and building. Their principal 
 aim is not only to have cells in which they 
 may depofit their honey. A flronger motive 
 feems to animate them. They feem to know 
 that their queen is in hafte to lay her eggs. 
 Their induftry is fuch, that in twenty-four 
 hours they will have made combs twenty 
 inches long, and wide in proportion. They 
 make more wax during the firft fortnight, if 
 the feafon is favourable, than they do during 
 all the reft of the year. Other bees are at 
 the fame time bufy in flopping all the holes 
 and crevices they find in their new hive, ill 
 order to guard againft the entrance of infects 
 which covet their honey, their wax, or them- 
 felves; and alfo to exclude the cold air; for 
 
 it 
 
Of their Swarming. 35 
 
 it is indifpenfably neceffary that they be 
 lodged warm. 
 
 When the bees firft fettle in fwarming, 
 indeed when they at any time reft themfelves, 
 there is fomething very particular in their 
 method of taking their repofe. It is done, 
 by colle(5ting themfelves in a heap, and hang- 
 ing to each other by their feet. They fome- 
 times extend thefe heaps to a confiderable 
 length. It would feem probable to us, that the 
 bees from which the others hang, mull have a 
 confiderable weight fufpcnded to them. All 
 that can be faid is, that the bees muft find 
 this to be actuation agreeable to themfelves. 
 They may perhaps have a method of diftend- 
 ing themfelves with air, thereby to leifen their 
 fpecific gravity i in the fame manner as iifhes 
 do, in order to alter their gravity compared 
 with water. 
 
 When a fwarm divides into two or more 
 bands, which fettle feparatelyj this divifiori 
 is a fure fign that there are two or more quee'ns 
 , among them. One of thefe clufters is gene- 
 rally larger than the other. The bees of the 
 fmaller clufter, or clufters, detach themfelves 
 by little and little, till at laft the whole, to- 
 gether v/ith the queen, or queens, unite with 
 the larger clufter. As foon as the bees are 
 hived and fettled, the fupernumerary queen, 
 or queens, muft be facrified to the peace and 
 tranquillity of the hive. This execution ge- 
 nerally raifes a confiderable commotion in the 
 D 2 hive. 
 
3 6 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 hive, and feveral other bees, as well as the 
 queen or queens, lofe their lives. Their bo- 
 dies may be obferved on the ground, near the 
 hive. The queen that is chofen is of a more 
 reddifli colour than thofe which are deftroyed : 
 fo that fruitfulnefs feems to be a great motive 
 of preference in bees^ for the nearer they 
 are to the time of laying their eggs, the big- 
 ger, larger, and more fliining are their bodies. 
 In this cafe, it furely would be advifeable to 
 deftroy the fupernumerary queen, or queens, 
 by intoxicating the bees in the evening, in 
 the manner which will be taught hereafter. 
 
 The revevend Mr. Thorley mentions i ** his 
 *' having known the young queen fall upon 
 ** the ground, not being able to fly, through 
 ** fome defedt in her wings. Then the 
 *' fwarm returns home again; and the next 
 *^ time they rife, they have another fovereign. 
 ** I have known, continues he, the fwarm 
 •' flay in the hive near a fortnight before 
 ** they rofe again. Sometimes they rofe no 
 ** more. The poor difabled queen I have 
 ** picked up in the grafs, but never without 
 *' fome attendants, whom nothing but vio- 
 ** lence could feparate from her." 
 
 For three or four nights before a fwarm 
 failles forth, there is in the hive a peculiar 
 humming noifc, of which authors give very 
 different defcriptions, probably owing to the 
 
 -■ p. 112. 
 
 flreneth 
 
Of their Swarming. 37 
 
 llrength of imagination in each. Every found 
 among bees arifes from their ftriking their 
 wings againfc the air: their v.'ings being their 
 fole organ of voice, if I may be allowed the 
 expreffion. By moving their wings more or 
 lefs forcibly and fwiftly, they beat the air, 
 and form the varied and confufed founds 
 which we call humming. The noife which 
 foretells their fwarming is eafily diftinguiflied 
 by thofe who are accuftomed to it, and is 
 more efpecially obferved before the eafls, or 
 fecond and following fwarms. The hive ap- 
 pears fo full of bees, that part of them hang 
 in cl after s on the outfide ; and the drones are 
 perceived flying about in greater numbers 
 than ufual. But the mofh certain fign, and 
 which indicates this event to be on that day, 
 is, that the bees refrain from flying into the 
 fields, though the feafon feems inviting. Juft 
 before they take their flight, there is an un- 
 common filence in the hive, and this conti- 
 nues for fome time : but as foon as one breaks 
 forth, they all follow, and are inftantiy on 
 the wing. They feldom fwarm before the 
 fun has warmed the air; that is, not before 
 ten in the morning, and feldom later than 
 three in the afternoon : and the time of the 
 year in which they . moft generally fwarm, is 
 from the middle of 7kf<:?y to the end oijune-, 
 but fometimes fooner or later, according as 
 the feafon is more or lefs favourable. The 
 earlieft fwarms do not always prove the beii, 
 D 3 efpecially 
 
38 Of the Managemojt of Bees, 
 
 efpecially if they are fo early as the end of 
 April o^ htgmmng oi May : for the weather 
 often is afterwards fo wet and cold, that they 
 are frequently in danger of being deftroyed, 
 or greatly reduced, by famine. Though 
 fwarms which ilTue forth fo late as "July are 
 not in danger of a prefent famine -, yet they 
 fcarcely have time and opportunity to lay in a 
 fuiiicient (lore for the winter. Towards the 
 feafon of fwarming, the door of the hive 
 fliould be enlarged, to give the bees the. greater 
 freedom to iiTue out ; and it ihould likewife 
 remain fo for young fwarms, during the tirll 
 fortnight or three weeks, to allow the freer 
 entrance to the bees at that time extremely 
 bufy in collefting their necelTary ftores. The 
 entrance fhould afterwards be gradually lefl- 
 ened, to prevent the otherwife eafy accefs of 
 enemies, of which there is great danger, efpe- 
 .cially as the autumn advances. 
 
 Hives continue fometimes to fend forth 
 fwarms till the old hive becomes too much 
 weakened, and part of it is empty. It is pro- 
 bable, that the prolific young queens prompt 
 the bees to fwarm thus frequently : for it is 
 certain, that if there is not a young mother 
 qualified to bring forth a numerous progeny, 
 though there be ever fo great a number of 
 bees, they will all remain, and die rather 
 than quit the hive. This is confirmed by the 
 author of the Natural Hiilory of Bees. " I 
 
 *' have 
 
Of their Swar7mng. 39 
 
 ** have drowned," fays he 1<, " feveral hives, 
 *' the fwarnis in which could not be forced 
 " put by any means; and after examining 
 *' all the bees attentively, I ever found that 
 ** there was but one fingle mother, and this 
 " the old one j the eggs or maggots of the 
 '* young queen bees having, I fuppofe, been 
 ** deftroyed by fom.e accident." 
 
 Whenever the bees of a fwarm fly too high, 
 they are made to defcend lower, and difpofed 
 to fettle, by throwing among them handiuls 
 of fand or duil : probably the bees miftake 
 this for rain. It is ufual at the fame time to 
 beat on a kettle or frying-pan ; perhaps from 
 its being obferved that the noife of thunder 
 prompts fuch bees as are in the fields to re- 
 turn home. Pi-ecautions of this kind are the 
 more neceflary, if, as Dr. Warder obferves ', 
 " the bees always provide a place for their ha- 
 " bitation before they fwarm ; either in fome 
 " hollow tree, or in the hollow part of fome 
 ** old building, or in fome deferted hive, 
 *•' which the i^varm have already prepared, 
 *' by cleaning out whatever may be offenfive 
 ** to their cleanly nature." Of this he gives 
 an inftance ; and concludes, that " though 
 ** they provide themfelves of a houfe before 
 " they fwarm, and take much pains about 
 ** it 3 yet if you are early enough in your 
 
 ^^ P. 323. ^ The true Amazons, or the Monarchy 
 
 of Bees; 8'a edit. p. 77. 
 
 D 4 •* taking 
 
40 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 taking the fwarm, and they find them^ 
 felves at unawares in a convenient houfe, 
 they have no mind generally to leave it : but 
 if they rile again the fame or next day, 
 be fure hive them not in the fame hive 
 as;ain, for it is plain they have fome dif- 
 like to it," 
 
 As foon as the fwarm is fettled, the bees 
 , which compofe it Ihould be got into a hive 
 with all convenient fpeed, to prevent their 
 taking wing again. If they fettle on a fmall 
 branch of a tree, eafy to be come at, it may 
 be cut olf and laid upon a cloth i the hive 
 being ready immediately to put over them. 
 If the branch cannot be conveniently cut, the 
 bees may be fwept from oft it into a hive. 
 Lodge but the queen in the hive, and the reft 
 will foon follow. If the bees muft be confi- 
 derably difturbed in order to get them, into a 
 hive ; the moft advifeable way is to let them 
 remain in the place where they have pitched, 
 till the evening, when there is lefs danger of 
 their taking wing. If it be obferved that 
 theyftill hover about the place they lirft alight- 
 ed upon, the branches there may rubbed with 
 rue, or elder leaves, or any other thing dif- 
 taileful to them, to prevent their returning to 
 it. 
 
 The hive employed on this occafion fliould 
 be cleaned with the utmoft care, and its in- 
 fide be rubbed very hard with a coarfe cloth, 
 to ^et off the Icoie ftravvs, or other impuri- 
 ties. 
 
Of their Siv arming. 41 
 
 ties, which might coft them a great deal of 
 time and labour to gnaw away. It may then 
 be rubbed with fragrant herbs or flowers, 
 the fmell of which is agreeable to the bees, 
 or with honey. 
 
 The hive iliouid not be immediately fet on 
 the ftool where it is to remain, but lliould 
 be kept near the place at which the bees 
 fettled, till the evening, left fome ftragglers 
 fhould be loft. It ftiould be fliaded, either 
 with boughs, or with a cloth, that the too 
 great heat of the fun may not annoy the bees. 
 
 We fometimes fee a fwarm of bees, after 
 having left their hive, and even alighted upon 
 ji tree, return to their firft abode. This ne- 
 ver happens but when the young queen did 
 not come forth with them, for want of 
 ftrength, or perhaps courage to truft to her 
 wings for the firft time -, or poffibly from a 
 confcioufnefs of her not being impregnated. 
 
 Bees are not apt to fting when they fwarm; 
 therefore it is not necelfary then to take much 
 extraordinary precaution againft them. The 
 reverend Mr. Thorley gives a remarkable in- 
 ftance of this ; and I mention it the rather, 
 becaufe the fteady refolution ftiewn by the 
 maid on this occalion, is the fureft fafeguard 
 on any other. He relates it thus m. 
 
 "In the year 1717, one of my fwarms 
 '* fettling among the clofe-twifted branches 
 
 « P. 117. 
 
 '* of 
 
4.2 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 " of a codling-tree, and not to be got into a 
 ** hive withoiit help, my maid-fervant being 
 " in the garden, offered her affiilance, to 
 '' hold the hive Vv'hile I diilodged the bees. 
 
 ^'^ Having never been acquainted with 
 " bees, Ihe put a linen cloth over her head 
 ** and fhoulders, to guard and fecure her 
 *' from their fwords. A few of the bees fell 
 " into the hive , fome upon the ground j but 
 ** the main body upon the cloth which co- 
 ** vered her upper garments. 
 
 ** I TOOK the hive out of her hands, when 
 " £he cried out, the bees were got under the 
 ** covering, crouding up towards her breafl 
 " and waift J which put her into a trembling 
 " pollure. When I perceived the veil was 
 *' of no farthef fervice, flie gave me leave to 
 *' remove it. This done, a moft affecting. 
 " fpedlacle prefented itfelf totheviewof allthe 
 '' company, filling me with the deepeft diflrefs 
 /' and concern, as I thought myfelf the un- 
 " happy inflrument of drawing her into fo 
 " imminent hazard of her life. 
 
 ** Had file enraged them, all refinance had 
 ** been in vain, and nothing lefs than her life 
 ** would have atoned for the offence. 
 
 " I SPARED not to urge all the arguments 
 " I could think of, and ufe the moft affec- 
 *' tionate intreaties, begging her v/ith all ear- 
 ** neftnefs in my power, to Hand her ground, 
 '* and keep her prefent pofture; in order to 
 ** which, I gave her encouragement to hope 
 c " for 
 
Of their Swarming. 43 
 
 for a full difcharge from her difagreeable 
 companions. 
 
 *' I BEGAN to fearch among them for the 
 queen, now got in a great body upon her 
 breaft, about her neck, and up to her 
 chin. I immediately feized her, takinp- 
 her from among the croud with fome of 
 the coQunons in company with her, and 
 put them together into the hive. Here X 
 watched her for fome time, and as I did 
 not obierve that (lie came out, I conceived 
 an expectation of feeing the v/hole body 
 quickly abandon their fettlement ; but in- 
 Itead of that, I foon obferved them gather- 
 ing clofer together, without the leait fignal 
 for de;:arting. Upon this I immediately 
 reflected, that either there mufl: be another 
 fovereign, or that the fime was returned. 
 I dire<5tly commenced a fecond learch, and 
 in a fhort time, with a moft agreeable fur- 
 prize, found a fecond, or the fmie : Ihe 
 ftrove, by entering farther into the croud, 
 to efcape me, but I re conducted her, with 
 a great number of the populace, into the 
 hive. And now the melancholy fcene be- 
 gan to change, to one inf. nit^iy more agree- 
 able and pleafint. 
 ** The bees prefently miff ng their queen, 
 '^ began to difiodge, and repair to the hive, 
 *' crouding into ic in multitudes, and in the 
 " the greateit hurry imaginable. And in the 
 '^ fpace of two or three minutes the maid 
 
 '' had 
 
44 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 ** had not a fingle bee about her, neither had 
 *' llie lb much as one fling, a fmall number 
 " of which would have quickly flopped her 
 *' breath." — It is however advifeable for thofe 
 who are not accuftomed to them, to cover 
 face and hands. 
 
 A SECOND fwarm fcarcely is, and much lefs 
 are the llibfequent ones, worth keeping fingle; 
 becaufe, being few in number, they cannot 
 allow fo large a proportion of working bees 
 to go abroad in fearch of ftore, as more nu- 
 merous fwarms can, after having appointed a 
 proper number for the various works to be 
 done within. For this reafon it is advifeable 
 to unite two or more of thefe laft or latter 
 fwarms into one hive, fo as to procure a fuf- 
 iicient number of bees in one hive. Bees 
 fometimes fwarm fo often, that the mothers- 
 hive is too much weakened. In this cafe, the 
 fwarms ihould be reilored back ; and this 
 ihould alfo be done when a fwarm produces 
 a fwarm the firft fummer, as it fometimes 
 does. The beft way, indeed, is to prevent 
 fucli fwarming, by giving the bees more 
 room : though this, again, will not anfwer 
 where there is a young pregnant queen ; flie 
 well knowing that her life is the forfeit of her 
 remaining at home. 
 
 01 
 
Of uniting Swarms. 45 
 
 OF UiriTING SWARMS. 
 
 THE ufual method of uniting fwarms is 
 very ealy. Spread a cloth at night 
 upon the ground clofe to the hive in which 
 the two calls or fwarms are to be united -, lay 
 a llick a-crofs this cloth j then fetch the hive 
 with the new fwarm, fet it over the ftick, 
 give a fmart ftroke on the top of the hive, and 
 all the bees will drop dov/n upon the cloth, 
 in a clufter. This done, throw afide the 
 empty hive, take the other from oft the ftool, 
 and let this lall: over the bees, who will foon 
 afcend into it, mix with thofe already there, 
 and become one and the fame family. Others, 
 inftead of flriking the bees down upon the 
 cloth, place with its bottom upmofl the hive 
 in which the united fwarms are to live, and 
 ftrJke the bees of the other hive down into it. 
 The former of thefe hives is then reftored to 
 its natural fituation, and the"" bees of both 
 hives foon unite. If fome bees flill adhere to 
 the other hive, they may be brufhed off on the 
 cloth, and they will foon join their brethren. 
 Or one may take the folio v/ing method, which 
 gives lefs difturbance to the bees. Set with 
 its mouth upmoft the hive into which the 
 young fwarm has been put, and fet upon it 
 the other hive. The bees in the lower hive, 
 finding themfelves in an inverted iituation, 
 will foon afcend into the upper. 
 
 Though 
 
46 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 Though all writers acknowledge, that one 
 of the queens is conil-.mtly flain on thefe oc- 
 cafions, and generally a confiderable number 
 of the working bees ; yet none of them, Co- 
 lumella excepted ", has propofed the eafy re- 
 medy of killing the queen of the latter cafl or 
 fwarnfi before the union is made ; a means by 
 which the lives of the working bees may be 
 preferved. This may be done, either by in- 
 toxicating them, and then picking her out, 
 or by fearching her out when the bees are 
 beaten down upon the cloth ; for this being 
 done in the night, to prevent the battle which 
 might otherwife enfue, there will be no great 
 difficulty in finding her. 
 
 A LARGE fwarm may weigh eight pounds, 
 and fo gradually lefs, to one pound : con- 
 fequently a very good one may weigh five 
 or fix pounds. All fuch as weigh lefs than 
 four pounds Ihould be firengthened, by unit- 
 ing to each of them a lefs numerous fwarm. 
 The fize of the hive fhould be proportioned 
 to the number of the bees j and, as a gene- 
 ral rule, it (hould be rather under than over- 
 fized, becaufe bees require to be kept warmer 
 than a large hive will admit of. 
 
 Two authors of reputation differ greatly in 
 their accounts of the number of bees in a 
 hive; the one, the author of the Natural 
 Hiftory of Bees °, making the number of bees 
 
 " Lib. 9. c. 9. .° P. 341. 
 
 weighing 
 
Of uniting Swarms. 47 
 
 weighing a pound to be five thoufand three 
 hundred and feventy-fix; and the other, the 
 reverend Mr. Thorley p, making the number 
 of bees in a pound to be but fifteen hundred. 
 The different circumftancesof the bees mayoc- 
 cafion a confiderable difference in their weight; 
 yet not futticient to make three to one. Mr. 
 Thorley's bees had newly fwarmed, and were 
 confequently loaded with honey and wax ; and 
 the other bees were fuch as had been killed in. 
 battle. Having no opportunity to make the 
 experiment myfelf, I muff let the fact remain 
 undetermined on the authority of tlie two 
 above-mentioned experimenters. 
 
 *' I PUT," fays the author of the Natural 
 Hiftory of bees, *' into a fcale, a half-ounce 
 *' weight y and, in the other fcale, as many 
 " bees as made the equUibriiun. You will 
 *' fuppofe that I was obliged to employ dead 
 " bees for this purpofe. I muff obferve, by 
 ** the v/ay, that thefe were bees which had 
 ** been killed in a dreadful battle -, occafion- 
 ** ed by a band of aliens, who endeavoured 
 " to feize upon a peopled hive. One hun- 
 " dred and fixty-eight of thefe dead bees 
 " weighed but half an ounce. There con- 
 " fequently are twice an hundred and fixty- 
 ** eight bees in an ounce, that is, three hun- 
 " dred and thirty-fix. Now, if three hundred 
 " and thirty-fix bees weigh an ounce, there 
 
 p P. no. 
 
 muff 
 
48 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 " mull be five thoufand three hundred 
 '' and fixty-fix in fixteen ounces or a pound; 
 ** and consequently forty-three thoufand eight 
 ** hundred bees to weigh eight pounds. To 
 ** avoid all fufpicion of error in our calcula- 
 '* tion, we will reduce the number of bees 
 '* to forty thoufand. This ftill will be a good 
 " handfome quantity, and more coniiderable 
 ** than that of the inhabitants of many cities. 
 Mr. Thorley, ** putting the bees of a 
 " fmall and late fwarm, into an empty hive, 
 '^ and afterwards (having intoxicated them) 
 ** upon a table, took a particular account 
 *' of their meafure, weight, and number j 
 '* and found them to be, in meafure a quart, 
 " in weight one pound and a quarter, and in 
 *' number two thoufand." 
 
 OF THE A P I A R r, 
 
 COLUMELLA q direds, that the 
 Apiary face the fouth, in a place neither 
 too hot, nor too much expofed to the cold ; 
 that it be in a valley, in order that the loaded 
 bees may with the greater eafe defcend to 
 their homes; that it be near the manfion- 
 houfe, on account of the conveniency of 
 watching them, but fo fituated as not to be 
 expofed to noifome fmells, or to the din of 
 men or cattle ; that it be furrounded with a 
 
 S Lib. ix. c. 5, 
 
 wall. 
 
Of the Apiary. 49 
 
 wall, which however fhould not rife above 
 three feet high; that, ifpoffible, a running 
 ftream be near them, or, if that cannot be, 
 that water be brought near them in troughs, 
 with pebbles or fmall flones in the water, 
 for the bees to reft on whilft they drink j or 
 that the water be confined within gently de- 
 clining banks, in order that the bees may 
 have fafe accefs to it ; they not being able to 
 produce either combs, honey, or food for their 
 maggots, without water. That the neigh- 
 bourhood of rivers or bafons of water with 
 high banks be avoided, becaufe winds may 
 whirl the bees into them, and they cannot 
 eaiily get on fliore from thence to dry them- 
 felves ; and that the garden in which the 
 apiary ftands be well furniilied with fuch 
 plants as afford the bees plenty of good paf- 
 ture. The trees in this garden {hould be of 
 the dwarf kind, and their heads bu(hy, in 
 order that the fwarms which fettle on them 
 may be the more eafily hived. 
 
 The proprietor (liould be particularly at- 
 tentive that the bees have alfo in their neigh- 
 bourhood fuch plants as yield them plenty of 
 food. Columella i" enumerates many of thefe 
 fitted to a warm climate : among them he 
 mentions thyme, the oak, the pin^, the fweet 
 fmelling cedar, and all fruit trees. Experi- 
 ence has taught us, that furze, broom, muf- 
 
 5 Lib. ix. c. 4. 
 
 E tard. 
 
50 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 tard, clover, heath, &c. are excellent for this 
 purpofe. Pliny « recommends broom, in par- 
 ticular, as a plantexceedingly grateful and very 
 profitable to bees , and Mr. Bradley fpeaks fo 
 highly of the advantages which arife from the 
 planting of it for the food of thefe ufeful in- 
 fedts, that I hope my readers will pardon the 
 length of the following quotation from the 
 Complete Body of Hufiandry, of this laftf. 
 
 *' Of the broom we have two forts which 
 " will grow freely in England ; viz. the com- 
 " mon fort of the fields, and the Spaniili 
 ** broom, which till very late has been pro- 
 *' pagated and cultivated only in the gardens ; 
 *' but at prefect feme gentlemen have raifed it 
 *' in their fields, by my advice; and though 
 *' they could never before have any profit 
 *' by bees, they are now mafiers of weighty 
 ** ftocks 'y and alfo have begun to find the 
 ** good efiedl of thefe plants for binding and 
 f* working of bafkets, for they produce long 
 " and tough withs, not to be worn Or broken 
 " like withs of willows or ofiers. The 
 f« bloom or flower of this fort is alfo very 
 f< beautiful and fweet, perfuming the air like 
 '* orange-flowers in May, which invite the 
 '^ bees and enrich them very greatly, fo that 
 '* their hives are full betimes in the fummer. 
 '* And confidering the profit of honey and 
 '' wax, when bees profper, I think that 
 
 s Lib. xxi. c. 12. ' p. 179. 
 
 c whatever 
 
Of the At>tary. 51 
 
 *'' whatever ground happens to be planted 
 **■ with fuch tiowering plants, as give them a 
 *' large (hare of nouriihiiient, and afford thenl 
 *' plenty of wax and honey, may be faid to 
 *' be valuable : for from the obfervations I 
 ** have made of bees, and the manner of 
 ** gathering their honey, one may reafon- 
 *^ ably conjedture, that an acre of ground 
 " which is cultivated with fo rich a flower- 
 *' ing-fhriib, will bring fuch a return as will 
 " pay the rent ; provided the neighbouring 
 ** parts do not keep many bees, to rob cur 
 *^ own ftocks ; for by a calculation, which 
 '^ one may juftly enough make on the bees 
 ** account, one may conclude, that an acre 
 ** of Spaniih broom will afford wax and ho- 
 " ney enough for ten good ftocks of bees : 
 ** for this broom brings a vaft quantity of 
 ** flowers fertile both in honey and wax, and 
 ** continues blowing a long time. And when 
 '* a flock of bees have flowers to their liking, 
 ** of which this is one of the chief, and have 
 ** a large quantity of them, they will fill their 
 ** hive both with wax and honey, in five or 
 " fix weeks, if the weather will permit them 
 ** to go abroad : but this hazard is no more 
 *' than other crops are fubject to, the wea- 
 ** ther having the management of all crops, 
 *^ either for tlieir v/ell or ill fare. The com- 
 ** mon broom is no way comparable to the 
 " Spanifh broom, cither for its flowers, or 
 " its withs," 
 
 E 2 Plan- 
 
52 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 Plantations of muftard, of the flowers 
 of which bees are extremely fond, may be 
 kept in bloom for feveral weeks running. 
 
 OF SHIFTING THE ABODE 
 OF BEES, 
 
 For the Convenience of procuring them Food. 
 
 GREAT improvements may certainly 
 be made in the effential article of pro- 
 viding plenty of pafture for bees, whenever 
 this fubjed: fhall be more carefully attended 
 to, than it, unfortunately, has hitherto been. 
 A rich corn country is well known to be a 
 barren defart to them during the mofl confi- 
 derable part of the year ; and therefore the 
 practice of other nations, in fliifting the places 
 of abode of their bees, well deferves our 
 imitation. 
 
 Columella " informs us, that, as few 
 places are fo happily fituated as to afford the 
 bees proper paflure both in the beginning of 
 the feafon and alfo in the autumn, it was the 
 advice of Celfus, that after the vernal paftures 
 are confumed, the bees fliould be tranfported 
 to places abounding with autumnal flowers ; 
 as was pradifed by conveying the bees from 
 Achaia to Attica, from Eubcea and the Cy- 
 clad iflands to Scyrus, and alfo in Sicily, 
 where they were brought to Hybla from other 
 
 " Lib. ix. c. 14. 
 
 parts 
 
of fiifting the Abode of Bees. 53 
 
 parts of the ifland. He likewife direds, that 
 the hives be carefully examined before they 
 are removed from one place to another, and 
 to take out fuch combs as appear old, loofe, or 
 have moths in them, referving only thofethat 
 are found, in order that the hive may be ftored 
 with combs colle6ted from the beft flowers. 
 
 We find by Pliny, that this was likewife 
 the pracSlice of Italy in his time. *' As foon, 
 " fays he v, as the fpring food for bees has 
 ** failed in the vallies near our towns, the 
 *' hives of bees are put into boats, and car- 
 '* ried up againft the fliream of the river, in. 
 " the night, in fearch of better pafture. The 
 *' bees go out in the morning, in quefl: of 
 *' provifions, and return regularly to their 
 ** hives in the boats, with theilores they have 
 *' colleded. This method is continued, till 
 " the finking of the boats to a certain depth 
 " in the water ihews that the hives are fuf- 
 *' ficiently full 5 and they are then carried 
 " back to their former homes, where their 
 " honey is taken out of them." 
 
 A MUCH later writer, Alexander de Mont- 
 fort, fhews this to be fi:ill the pradice of the 
 Italians who live near the banks of the Poj 
 (the River which Pliny inftanced particularly 
 in the above quoted pafi"age) when he fays ^v 
 that, treating their bees in nearly the fame 
 manner as the Egyptians did and do theirs, 
 
 ^ Lib. xxi. c, 12. "w Natural Hifl. of Bees, p. 427. 
 
 E 3 they 
 
54 Of the Manageme?it of Bees. 
 
 they load boats with hives, and convey them 
 to the neighbourhood of the mountains of 
 Piedmont j that, in proportion as the bees 
 gather in their harveft, the boats, by grow- 
 ing heavier, fink deeper into the vv^ater; and 
 that the watermen determine from thence, 
 when their hives are loaded fufEciently; and 
 that it is time to carry them back to the places 
 from whence they came. The fame author 
 relates X, that the people of the country of Ju- 
 liets ufed the fame practice ; for that, at a 
 certain feafon of the year, they carried their 
 bees to the foot of mountains covered with 
 wild thyme. 
 
 M. Maillet relates, in his curious de- 
 fcription of Egypt}', that '' fpite of the ig- 
 *' norance and rufticity v/hich have got pof- 
 '* feffion of that country, there yet remain in 
 *' it feveral footfteps of the induftry and fkill 
 " of the antient Egyptians. One of their 
 *' moil admirable contrivances is, their fend- 
 ** ing their bees annually into diflant coun- 
 " tries, in order to procure them fuftenance 
 '' there, at a time when they could not find 
 ** any at home; and their afterwards bring- 
 *^ ing them back; like fiiepherds who fliould 
 *' travel with their flocks, and make them 
 " feed as they go. It v.'as obferved by the 
 " antient inhabitants of lov/er Egypt, that 
 ♦ all plants blollomed, and the fruits of the 
 
 -^ Natural Hill, of Bees, p. 4:;8. y Tom. II. p. 24. 
 
 *^ earth 
 
Of Jhifting the Abode of Bees. §^ 
 
 " earth ripened, above fix weeks earlier in 
 " upper Egypt, than with them. They ap- 
 <* plied this remark to their bees ; and the 
 <' means then made ufe of by them, to en- 
 *' able thefe ufefuUy induftrious infers to 
 " reap advantage from the more forward ftate 
 " of nature there, were exactly the fame as 
 '* are now practifed, for the like purpofe, in 
 " tliat country. About the end of Ocftober, 
 *' all fuch inhabitants of the lower Egypt as 
 ** have hives of bees, embark them on the 
 ** Nile, and convey them upon that river 
 ** quite into upper Egypt ; obferving to time 
 *' it fo that they arrive there jull when the 
 '' inundation is withdrawn, the lands have 
 *' been fown, and the flowers begin to bud. 
 ** The hives thus fent are marked and num- 
 " bered by their refpediive owners, and placed 
 *' pyramidically in boats prepared for the pur- 
 " pofe. After they have remained fome days 
 ** at their fartheft ftation, and are fuppofed 
 *' to have gathered all the wax and honey 
 " they could iind in the fields within two or 
 " three leagues around ; their condudors 
 *' convey them, in the fame boats, tvv^o or 
 " three leagues lower down, and there leave 
 '* the laborious infe6ls fo long time as is ne- 
 *' ceffary for them to colled all the riches of 
 '^ this fpot. Thus, the nearer they come to 
 '^ the place of their more permanent abode, 
 " they find the productions of the earth, and 
 ** the plants which afford them food, for- 
 E 4 *' ward 
 
^6 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 «* ward in proportion. In fine, about 'the 
 «* beginning of February, after having tra- 
 " veiled through the whole length of Egypt, 
 ** gathering all the rich produce of the de- 
 '* lightful banks of the Nile, they arrive at 
 *' the mouth of that river, tou^ards the ocean; 
 ** from whence they fet out, and from whence 
 *' they are now returned to their feveral homes: 
 *' for care is taken to keep an exa6l regifter of 
 ** every diftridt from whence the hives were 
 " fentinthe beginning of the feafon, of their 
 " numbers, of the names of the pcrfons who 
 " fent them, and likewife of the mark or 
 ** number of the boat in which they were 
 " placed." 
 
 The author of the Natural Hiftory of Bees 
 gives the following account of what is prac- 
 tifed in this way in France ; an example well 
 worth our imitation in many parts of this 
 kingdom. ** M. Proutaut, fays he^, keeps 
 ** a great number of hives. His fituation is 
 *^ one of thofe in which flowers become rare' 
 *' or fcarce very foon, and where few or none 
 *' are {<i^T\ after the corn is ripened. He then 
 *' fends his bees into Beauce, or the Gatinois, 
 *^ in cafe it has rained in thofe parts. This 
 ** is a journey of about twenty miles, which 
 " he makes them take. But if he concludes 
 " that the bees could not meet, in either 
 *' of thofe counties, wherewith to employ 
 
 ^ p. 428. 
 
 themfelves 
 
Of jhifting the Abode of Bees. 57 
 
 «' themfelves advantageoufly, he then has them 
 ** carried into Sologne, about the begin- 
 ** ning of Auguftj as knov/ing that they will 
 " there meet with a great many fields of buck 
 *' wheat in flower, which will continue fo till 
 *' about the end of September. His method 
 *' of tranfporting them is thus. His firft care 
 ** is, to examine thofe hives, fome of whofe 
 **^ honey-combs might be broken or fepa- 
 ** rated by the jolting of the vehicle : they 
 *' are made fait one to the other, and againfl 
 *' the fides of the hive, by means of fmall 
 " flicks, which may be difpofed differently 
 '* as occafion v/iil point out. This being 
 '' done, every hive is fet upon a packing- 
 " cloth, or fomething like it, the threads of 
 *' which are very wide : the fides of this cloth 
 *' are then turned up, and laid on the outfide 
 *' of each hive, in which fiiate they are tied 
 " together with a piece of fmall pack-thread 
 ** wound feveral times round the hive. As 
 " many hives as a cart built for that purpofe 
 ** will hold, are afterwards placed in this ve- 
 " hide. The hives are fet two and two, the 
 *' whole length of the cart. Over thefe are 
 " placed others ; which make, as it were, a 
 " fecond flory or bed of hives. Thofe which 
 " are ftored with combs fhould always be 
 *' turned topfy-turvy. 'Tis for the fake of 
 ** their combs, and to fix them the better, 
 *' that they are difpofed in this manner -, for 
 *' fuch as have but a fmall quantity of combs 
 
 ** in 
 
5^ Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 ** in them, are placed in their natural iitu- 
 *' ation. Care is taken in this flowage, not 
 *' to let one hive flop up another; it being 
 ** eflentially neceflary for the bees to have 
 ** air; and 'tis for this reafon they are wrap- 
 " ped up in a coarfe cloth, the threads of 
 *« which were wove very wide, in order that 
 '* the air may have a free pafTage, and leiTen 
 *' the heat v/hich thefe infedts raife in their 
 ** hives; efpecially when they move about 
 " very tumultuoufly, as often happens in thefe 
 ** carts. Thofe ufed for this purpofe in 
 " Yevre, hold from thirty to forty-eight 
 *' hives. As foon as all are thus flowed, 
 " the caravans fet out. If the feafon is ful- 
 •* try, they travel only in the night ; but a 
 *' proper advantage is made of cool days. 
 *'^ You'll imagine that they don't ride poll. 
 *= The horfes muil not be permitted even to 
 ^\ trot; they are led flowly, and through the 
 *• fmootheil roads. When there are not 
 **= combs in the hives fufficient to fupport the 
 «' bees during their journey, the owner takes 
 '* the earliell; opportunity of relling thenj 
 *' wherever they can colled: wax. The hives 
 '* are taken out of the cart, then fet upon 
 *' the ground, and after removing the cloth 
 *^* from over them, the bees go forth in fearch 
 ** of food. The firft field they come to ferves 
 ** them as an inn. In the evening, as foon 
 »* as they are all returned, the hives are 
 ** fhut up ; and being placed again in the 
 
 ** cartj 
 
Of Enemies to Bees 59 
 
 ** cart, they proceed in their journey. When 
 " the caravan is arrived at the journey's end, 
 <* the hives are diRributed in the gardens ; 
 ** or in fields adjacent to the houfes of dif- 
 ** ferent peafants, who, for a very fmall re- 
 ** ward undertake to look after them. Thus 
 "^ it is that, in fuch fpots as do not abound 
 *' in flowers at all ieafons, means are found 
 ** to fupply the bees with food during the 
 *' whole year." 
 
 These infcances of the great advantages 
 which attend fliifting of bees in fearch of paf- 
 ture, afford an excellent Icllbn to many places 
 in this kingdom : they dired; particularly the 
 inhabitants of the rich vales, where the har- 
 veft for bees ends early, to remove their flocks 
 to places which abound in heath, this plant 
 continuino; in bloom during a confiderable 
 part of the autumn, and yielding great plenty 
 of food to bees. Thofe in the neighbourhood 
 of hills and mountains will fave the bees a 
 great deal of labour, by taking alfo the advan- 
 tage of iiufting their places of abode. 
 
 OF ENEMIES TO BEES, 
 
 "^HE proprietor having provided for his 
 bees as great plenty of pafture as he pof- 
 fibly can, fliould next be as careful to guard, 
 them from the many enemies which either an- 
 noy or feek to prey upon them, Thefe are of 
 three forts. The firft are weak harmlefs infeds, 
 
 which 
 
6o Of the Management of Bees, 
 
 which creep into a hive, without well know- 
 ing whither they are going, and only raife 
 difturbances and confufion in it : the fecond 
 endeavour to dcftroy the bees, and eat up 
 their honey -, and the mifchief of the laft is 
 levelled only at their wax. 
 
 In the lirfl- clafs, we may reckon flugs and 
 fnails. Spiders feem hardly to deferve being 
 ranked among the enemies to bees, becaufe 
 their webs are too weak to intangle a bee. 
 Ants fometimes make their nefts in the co- 
 verings of hives, without molefting or being 
 moleited. There is a little infed: which ad- 
 heres to bees, and probably lives by fucking 
 their bodies. It is of a red colour, and of 
 the fize of a very fmall pin's head. It is ufu- 
 ally found fcicking to the breaft of the bee. 
 The young bees are never troubled with thefe 
 lice, or vermin> which prey upon none but the 
 old ones ; nor have thefe generally more than 
 one loufe upon them. Thefe lice are oftener 
 found upon bees which inhabit old hives, 
 where they have had time to multiply, than 
 upon the tenants of a new one. 
 
 Several birds are numbered in the fecond 
 clafs. Sparrows make great havock amongft 
 bees, efpecially in the fpring, in order to feed 
 their young. Swallows are alfo mentioned in 
 this lights but the fadt does not feem to be well 
 afccrtained. Mr. Thorley fpeaks of a the tit- 
 nioufe, and the houfe-lark, a little dun bird 
 a p. 13;:. 
 
 with 
 
Of Enemies to Bees. 6i 
 
 with a black bill; both great deftroyers of bees. 
 The only remedy here is, deftroying the birds, 
 and hiring boys to rob their nefts. Hornets 
 and wafps, and eTpecially the Ipecies of wafps 
 Vv'hichare fcarceiy larger than bees, are very for- 
 midable enemies ; for they feize a bee Joaded 
 with honey, kill him inftantly, and fuck out 
 the honey. If this robbery is committed near 
 the mouth of the hive, they carry off the 
 bee to a place of greater fafety. Their nefls 
 fhould therefore be carefully deftroyed, by 
 pouring plenty of boiling vv-ater into them ; 
 for this is by much the fafefl method. Co- 
 lumella advifes t, that the hive have two or 
 three openings at fome diftance from each 
 other, to guard againft the craft of the lizard, 
 who, gaping for his prey, defiroys the bees 
 as they go forth. 
 
 The lield-moufe is an enemy to be care- 
 fully guarded againft as foon as the cold be- 
 gins to approach : for if it enters at that fea- 
 Ibn it makes dreadful havock. At firft it de- 
 ftroys the lowefh parts of the combs; but as the 
 weather grows colder, and the bees more tor- 
 pid, it afcends up the hive, and feizes on the 
 richeft treafure : nor does the evil end here : 
 for other bees, fmelling the honey fpilt by the 
 moufe, fail upon the hive, and rob it of what 
 remained; or as foon as the warm weather 
 returns, and the bees flir about, they are 
 
 ^ Lib. ix. c. 7. 
 
 fome- 
 
6± Of tbe Management of Bees. 
 
 fometimes fo difgufted at the havock made by 
 the moufe, that they defeit the hive. The 
 only way to guard againil: this, is to prevent 
 its entering into a hive. Whilft the bees con- 
 tinue in their vigorous ftate, it dares not at- 
 tack them : therefore, as foon as the cold ap- 
 proaches, the entrance to the hives fliould be 
 leffened. The beft way of effedting this, is, to 
 have doors, if I may fo call them, fitted to 
 each hive. They may be made of pieces of 
 wood flatted gradually to the ends, and riiing 
 in the middle, fo that a paiTage may be cut in 
 the under fide, high enough for a bee to pafs 
 freely, that is to fay, near half an inch high. 
 This paiTage may be of any length thought 
 proper; becaufe it can eafily be fliortened, by 
 thrufting in bits of wood at each end -, or at 
 fuch fmall diflance from each other, that even 
 the bees fball not be able to come out in the 
 winter (which a funny day ofien tempts them 
 to do, to their own ruin) and yet air fhall be 
 admitted to them. Some advife to ^lace per- 
 forated tin-plates before the door. If the hives 
 are thatched, they fliould be examined from 
 time to time, to fee that none of thefe mice 
 neftle in the thatch, through which they 
 would by degrees eat themfeives a pafiage in- 
 to the hive. 
 
 Bees may themfeives be reckoned enemies 
 to bees : for they fometimes wage cruel wars 
 agaiiifl: each other. Their fighting and plun- 
 dering one another ought chiefly to be imput- 
 ed. 
 
Of Enetnics to Bets, 6? 
 
 ed, as Mr. Thorley obferves ^,. either to their 
 perfecfl abhorrence of iloth and idlenefs, or to 
 their inlatiable thiril: for honey : for when, in 
 fpring or autumn, the weather is fair, but no 
 honey can be collected from plants, and is to 
 be found only in the hives of other bees, they 
 will venture their lives to get it there. 
 
 Dr. "Warder d affigns another caufe of their 
 fighting, which is, the neceility that the bees 
 are reduced to when their own hive has been 
 plundered, at a feafon when it is too late for 
 them to repair the lofs by any induflry in the 
 fields. 
 
 Sometimes one of the qiieelis is killed in 
 battle. In this caie, the bees of both hives 
 unite as foon as her death is generally known 
 among them. All then become one people ; 
 the vanquifhed go off with the robbefs, richly 
 laden with their own fpoils, and return every 
 day, with their new ailbciates, to pillage their 
 old habitation. Thiscaufes a throng unufual 
 for the feafon, at the door of the hive they are 
 plundering; and if the owner lifts it up at 
 night, v/hen all are gone home, he will find 
 it empty of inhabitanfs ; though there perhaps 
 will remain in it fome honey, which he takes 
 as his property. 
 
 When two fwarms take flight at the fame 
 time, they fometimes quarrel, and great num- 
 bers are deftroyed on both fides, till one of 
 
 '^ p. i%6. ^ p. 96. 
 
 the 
 
64 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 the queens is flain. This ends the conteft, 
 and the bees of both fides unite under the fur- 
 viving fovereign. 
 
 Robbers make their attacks chiefly in the 
 latter end of July and in the month of Auguft. 
 They appear to ad: with caution at firfl, and 
 to procure themfelves an entrance by fteakh ; 
 not pitching boldly like the native bees, and 
 then entering at once in at the door. If they 
 areencouragedbyfucccfs, they return in greater 
 parties, fometimes all the bees of a hive, and 
 endeavour to force that entrance which they 
 fought before w^ithfo much caution. They come 
 in fuch numbers, as frequently to make thofe 
 who are not acquainted with thefe fcenes, mif- 
 take them for new fwarms : but the number 
 of dead bees flrewed on the ground, foon con- 
 vinces them of this error. Columella e ad- 
 vifes to kill the queen, if poffible, (meaning 
 undoubtedly that of the aflailants) and to 
 fprinkle them with mead, or fome other fweet 
 liquor -, for, fays he, the fweetnefs being fa- 
 miliar to them, appeafes their wrath. It may 
 at leaft have this good effedt ; that it will wet 
 their wings, and, by its clamminefs, deprive 
 the bees of fo free an ufe of them as they 
 would other v/ife have. 
 
 The mod: efFed:ual way to prevent the lofs 
 of bees, as well as of honey, occafioned by 
 thefe robberies, is, early in the autumn to 
 
 « Lib. ix. c. 9. 
 
 fhorten 
 
Of 'Enemies to ^ees. 6^ 
 
 fliorten the entrance into the hive, as before 
 directed, (o as to leave room for only two or 
 three bees to pafs a-breaft. The bees will be 
 much better able to defend this reduced en- 
 trance, than if it were larger. If, notwith- 
 ftanding this narrownefs of the paffage, rob- 
 bers attack a hive, the entrance ihould in- 
 flantly be almofl intirely fhut up, and kept 
 fo till the thieves are gone ; though many of 
 the bees then out, and fighting in defence 
 of their habitations, muft be thereby facri- 
 iiced to the fafety of the reft. The entrance 
 fliould be again opened as foon as the coaft is 
 clear ; and it will be advifeable in the evening 
 to examine the ftate of the hive, efpecially as 
 
 , to weight, left thefe plunderers fhould have 
 been at it before, and thereby have brought 
 it lovi^. In this cafe, it will be better to take 
 
 / what remains, than to run the hazard of lof- 
 ing the whole : but if it feels heavy, the en- 
 trance fhould have only a paiTage for air, none 
 for bees ; and every crevice around the hive 
 Ihould be clofed up with equal care, not only 
 to guard againll the attacks of their enemies, 
 but to keep the bees themfelves from going 
 
 '.out. If but a few robbers appear, the bees 
 of the hive fhould be put on their guard, by 
 irritating them with fome plant offeniive to 
 them 3 for they will inftantly feize the robbers, 
 and execute due vengeance on them. The 
 perfon who is thus employed at a time when 
 
 F all 
 
66 Of the Mdfmge?nent of Bees. 
 
 all the bees are full of refentment, flioiild 
 himfelf be well defended from their jftings. 
 
 In the third clafs of enemies to bees is a 
 fmall caterpillar, termed the wax- worm, of 
 wax-moth, becaufe of the havock it makes 
 on wax. It is tender in its frame, unarmed 
 and defencelefs ; and yet can fubfift itfelf in 
 the midft, and at the coft, of the mofl: nu- 
 merous hive. A few of thefe little caterpil- 
 lars will deftroy and break to pieces the combs 
 of a hive, build up new edifices for lodging 
 thcmfelves in it, and finally force the bees to 
 quit the place. 
 
 This infedb is of the fpecies of the falfe- 
 moth, and is extremely nimble. It is enough 
 for it to eetinto a hive unawares. It runs fo 
 very fwiftly, that it paffes unperceived, and 
 Hides into fome narrow place between the 
 combs, perhaps inacceflible to bees, there to 
 lay its eggs in fecurity. This done, it makes 
 its efcape as well as it can. From each of 
 thefe eggs proceeds a caterpillar, which efcapes 
 certain death merely by its extreme fmall- 
 nefs, and the quicknels with which it fpins 
 and enwraps itfelf in a covering fufficient to 
 fecuie it from all harm. This covering, or 
 tube, is glued to the wax which the caterpillar 
 feeds on, and thivS infecl lengthens the tube as 
 it eats the wax, till at laft it fhuts itfelf up in 
 order to be transformed into achryfalis. Se- 
 veral caterpillars, and confequently feveral 
 moths, muft proceed from the eggs which the 
 
 males 
 
Of Enemies to Bees. 6j 
 
 males and females engender. Probably the 
 bees deftroy great numbers of the moths : 
 however, if a fingle female has an opportunity 
 to lay her eggs, fhe is fo exceedingly prolific, 
 that this fecond brood may quite overfpread 
 the hive. If one of the impregnated females 
 efcapes out of the hive by means of her great 
 nimblenefs, flie feeks out another hive, in 
 which (he fpreads the fame fource of mif- 
 chief. 
 
 When we confider how great damage this 
 moth in particular, and other infects which 
 frequently find means to creep into the hive, 
 do to the combs of the bees ; we Ihall find the 
 Romans judged very rightly in cleaning their 
 hives j of the manner of doing which. Colu- 
 mella fpeaks to the following purport '^\ 
 
 " The hives fhould be firft cured by open- 
 ** ing them in the fpring, in order that all 
 ** the filth which has gathered in them dur- 
 ** ing the winter, maybe removed. Spiders, 
 '•' which fpoil the combs, and thefe fmall 
 *' worms, or rather caterpillars, from which 
 " the moths proceed, mult be killed. Dur- 
 '* ing this operation, the fmoak made by 
 " burning cow-dung mixed with a little 
 " greafe, may be conveyed into the hive. 
 *' When the hive has been thus cleaned, the 
 " bees will apply themfelves to work with 
 ** the greater diligence and refolution. From 
 
 f Lib. ix. c. 14, 
 
 F 2 the 
 
6S Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 '' the fummer iblftice to the autumnal equi- 
 nox, the hives fhould be opened, cleaned, 
 and fmoaked, every tenth day, and then 
 wafhed and cooled with cold fpring-water; 
 and what impurities cannot be wafhed 
 au'ay, fliould be wiped off with the pinion 
 of a fufficiently ftrong wing. Particular 
 care muft be taken to fweep out every ca- 
 terpillar that can be {itt'[iy and to deftroy 
 all the moths. To this end, a veffel with 
 a narrow neck increaiing gradually to a wide 
 mouth, with a light in the neck, fhould 
 be placed under the hive, in the evening. 
 The moths, gathering from all parts around 
 this light, are, in that narrow (pace, fcorched 
 and killed. The hives muft be carefully 
 guarded in this feafon from robbers, and 
 efpecially wafps, which lie in wait before 
 the door, to watch the coming out of the 
 bees. 
 
 <* On the approach of winter, the hives 
 {hould be again cleaned from all fikh and 
 noxious infeits, becaufe it is not proper to 
 open them in the winter : and that this 
 may be done the more cffed:ually, a bright 
 fiin>fliiny day (liould be chofen for it. If 
 the hive is not fufficiently filled with combs, 
 the vacuities in it fhould be filled up with 
 fome fuitable fubftance, in order that, the 
 void fpace being thereby reduced to a nar- 
 rower compafs, tlie bees may the more 
 eafily keep themfelves warm during the 
 
 " winter. 
 
Of taking the Honey and Wax. 69 
 
 *« winter. The fmalleft crevices muft new 
 ** be carefully flopped up, and the hives be 
 '* covered with ilraw, to (helter them from 
 " llorms, even though they are in porticos. ' 
 
 OF THE COMMON METHOD OF 
 TAKING THE HON ET AND JVAX. 
 
 AVING given an account of tne ene- 
 mies to bees, I now proceed to their 
 molt inhuman one, mjan, who wantonly de- 
 ftroys greater numbers of them, than all the 
 reft of their foes put together. Were we to 
 kill the hen for her tgg, the cow for her 
 milk, or the Iheep for the lieece it bears, every 
 one would inftantly fee how much wx fhould 
 acl contrary to our own intereft : and yet this 
 ispractifed every year in regard to bees. Would 
 it not argue more wifdom in us, to be con- 
 tented with taking away only a portion of 
 their wax and honey, as is the practice of ma- 
 ny countries ? The common method here is, 
 that when thofe which are doomed for jQaughter 
 have been marked out (which is generally 
 done in September) a hole is dug near the 
 hive, and a ftick, at the end of which is a 
 rag that has been dipped in melted brimftone, 
 being ftuck in that hole, the rag is fet on fire, 
 the hive is immediately fet over it, and the 
 earth is inftantly thrown up all around, fo that 
 none of the fmoak can efcape. In a quarter 
 of an hour, all the bees are feemingly dead j 
 F 3 aad 
 
7© Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 and they will foon after be irrecoverably fo, 
 by being buried in the earth that is returned 
 back into the hole: I fay, they will foon be 
 abfolutely killed by this laft means ; becaufe 
 it has been found by experiment, that all the 
 bees which have been affedled only by the 
 fume of the brimllone, recover again, ex- 
 cepting fuch as have been fmged or hurt by 
 the flame. Hence it is evident, that the 
 fume of brimftone mi^ht be ufed for intox- 
 icating the bees, with fome few precautions. 
 The heavieft and the lighteft hives are aUke 
 treated in this manner; the former, becaufe 
 they yield the moil profit, with an immedi- 
 ate return i and the latter, becaufe they would 
 not be able to furvive the winter. Thofe 
 hives which weigh from fifteen to twenty 
 pounds are thought to be tlie fitted for keep- 
 ing. 
 
 OF THE METHOD PRACTISED Br 
 THE GREEKS AND ROMANS, FOR 
 TAKING THE WAX AND HONET, 
 WITHOUT DESTROriNG THE 
 BEES. 
 
 "^ H E following are the directions given 
 by Columellas for taking the wax and 
 honey, in the more humane and judicious 
 manner of faving the lives of the bees. 
 
 ^ Lib. ix c 15. See jilfo Varro de Re rultica, lib. iii. c. 16. 
 
 <* Choose 
 
Of taking the Honey and Wax. j i 
 
 " Choose the early morning, before the 
 *' bees are flirring ; for it is not proper to ex- 
 ** afperate them in the middle of the day : 
 *' have ready two knives, about a foot and an 
 '' half long 3 one with a cutting edge on each 
 ^' fide j the other of a curved form, with a 
 *' very (harp edge on one fide only, and a 
 ** back fafliioned for fcraping. With the 
 " former of thefe, cut down the combs; and 
 ** with the latter fcrape off whatever frag- 
 ** ments may have been left. Have alfo ready 
 '• an earthen pot, with live coals in it, and 
 " with afunnel-lhaped cover, through which 
 " the fmell of galbanum, or of dried dung, 
 *' may be conveyed to any part of the hive, 
 '* in order to drive the bees from the combs 
 ** intended to be taken away. 
 
 " The firft feafon for taking the combs is 
 *' when the bees are obferved to expel the 
 ** drones. The combs always hang from 
 *' the roof of the hive, adhering but little to 
 *' the fides, in other refpecfts, they are of 
 ** a iliaoe littcd to the hQ;ure of the hive. At 
 /' the lirfl: time of taking the combs, only 
 '* one-hfth part of them need be left ; becauie 
 " the fields flill continue to abound in food 
 " for the bees : but at the fecond taking-, about 
 ** the autumnal equinox, a third part ihould 
 " be left, on account of the then approach- 
 " ing winter. This, however, is not an in- 
 ** variable rule -, for it ihould be altered ac- 
 ** cording to the nature of the feafons, and 
 
 F4 •' the 
 
72 Of the Management of Bees, 
 
 ** the greater or lefs plenty of food in diffe- 
 *' rent fituations. The combs are cut out with 
 ** the cutting knife, and whatever fragments 
 *' of them are left, may be pared off with 
 ** the crooked knife. All the old combs, and 
 ** fuch as are any way impaired by vermin or 
 " otherwife, fhould be taken away, as well 
 ** as thofe that are full of honey. The combs 
 *' which contain bee-bread, or young bees, 
 ** fliould be left, the former for a fupply of 
 ** food, and the others for a recruit of young 
 *' bees. The hive fhould be fo placed when 
 " the combs are firft cur, that the remaining 
 ** combs may be eafily come at when thele 
 '* laft are alfo to be taken ; for the older the 
 *' combs are, the worfe is the honey. 
 
 ** All the combs fliould then be carried 
 ** into the place where the honey is to be fe- 
 ** parated from the wax ; and particular care 
 ** fhould be taken to ftop every hole through 
 *' which the bees might find admittance into 
 ** this place, becaufe they would otherwife be 
 *' very troublefome during that operation. 
 ** Dry dung may be kept burning at the door, 
 *' to prevent their entrance there. 
 
 ** The honey fhould be drained from the 
 **^ combs as foon as pofflble; and thofe combs 
 ** which have young bees in them, or are any 
 " ways damaged, fljould be carefully parted 
 *' from the refl, lefb a bad flavour be com- 
 ** municated to the honey. The honey 
 
 ** which 
 
Of taking the Honey and Wax. 73 
 
 ** which flows freely fhould be kept by itfelf, 
 
 " as being the pureft and beft." 
 
 Somewhat limilar to this, but fimpler, 
 
 and fo far better, is the method now prad:ifed in 
 
 Greece, as related by Mr. Wheeler h, whole 
 
 words I Ihall here give. 
 
 '* Mount Hymethus is celebrated for the 
 beft honey in all Greece. We eat of it 
 very freely, finding it to be very good, and 
 were not at all incommoded with any grip- 
 ings after it. This m.ountain was not lefs 
 famous in times paft for bees and admirable 
 honey; the antients believing that bees 
 were fir/l bred here, and that all other bees 
 were but colonies from this mountain; 
 v/hich if fo, we afTured ourfelves that it 
 muft be from this part of the mountain 
 that the colonies were fent ; both becaufe 
 the honey here made is the beft, and that 
 here they never deftroy the bees. It is of 
 a good conliftence, of a fair gold-colour, 
 and the fame quantity fweetens more water 
 than the like quantity of any other doth. 
 The natives w^ondered at my comrade, in 
 that he preferred the white honey of France; 
 telling him, that white honey is raw, aad 
 not rightly conco6led either by nature or 
 the bees. I no fooner knew that they 
 never deitroy or impair the ilock of bees m 
 
 h A Journey into Greece, by George Wheeler, Efq; ia 
 Company with Dr. Spon of Lyons, p. 411. 
 
 *^ taking 
 
74 Q/" ib<^ Management of Bees. 
 
 '* taking away their honey, but I was inqui- 
 *' fitive to underftand their mehod of order- 
 *^ ing the bees; which being an art fo wor- 
 ** thy the knowledge of the curious, I fhall 
 *' not think it befide the purpofe, to relate 
 ** what I faw, and was informed to that 
 *' effe(5l, by fuch as had fkill in that place. 
 
 ** The hives they keep their bees m are 
 ** made of willows or ofiers, £ifhioned like 
 ** our common duft-bafkets, wide at top and 
 ** narrow at the bottom, and plaiftered with 
 " clay or loam within and without. They 
 *' are fet as in P/. i. Fig. 4. with the wide 
 ** end upmoih The tops are covered with 
 *' broad flat flicks, which are alio plaiftered 
 " over with clay ; and to fecure them from 
 ** the weather, they cover them with a tuft 
 " of ftraw, as we do. Along each of thefe 
 *' flicks, the bees faften their combs; lb that 
 ** a comb may be taken out whole, without 
 " the leaft bruifmg, and with the greatcfl: 
 '* cafe imaginable. To increafe them in fpring 
 " time, that is in March or April, until the 
 *^ beginning of May, they divide them; firft 
 ** feparating the flicks on which the combs and 
 *' bees are faflened, from one another, with 
 *' a knife : fo taking out the firfl comb and 
 " bees together on each fide, they put them 
 ** into another bail^et, in the fame order as 
 ** they were taken out, until they have equally 
 " divided them. After this, when they are 
 ^^ both again accommodated with flicks and 
 
 *-' plaifler. 
 
Of taking the Honey and Wax. 7^ 
 
 « plaifter, they let the new bafket in the place 
 *< of the old one, and the old one in fome 
 «' new place. And all this they do in the 
 *' middle of the day, at fuch time as the 
 ** greateft part of the bees are abroad ; who 
 " at their coming home, without much dif- 
 ** ficulty, by this means divide themfelves 
 " equally. This device hinders them from 
 *' fwarming and flying away. In Auguft they 
 " take out their honey, which they do in the 
 ** day time alfo, while they are abroad ; the 
 '* bees being thereby, fay they, dillurbed leail : 
 '' at which time they take out the combs 
 ** laden with honey, as before ; that is, be- 
 *' ginning at each outfide, and fo taking away, 
 " until they have left only fuch a quantity of 
 " combs, in the middle, as they judge will 
 ** be fufiicient to maintain the bees in winter; 
 ** fweeping thofe bees that are on the combs 
 ** into the bafket again, and again covering 
 ** it with new fticks and plaifter. 
 
 " All that I doubt concerning the prac- 
 " tice of this here in England, is, that per- 
 " haps the bees gather a lefs quantity of honey 
 ** in this country ; and that, lliould we take 
 ** from them a like proportion of it, they 
 " would not have enough left to preferve 
 '* them in winter. But this hinders not 
 " much : for by being lefs covetous, and not 
 ** taking fo much honey from the poor bees, 
 ** the great increafe and multiplying of them 
 '* would foon equalize, and far exceed the 
 
 !* little 
 
76 Of the Management of' Bees r 
 
 ** little profit we have by deftroylng them. 
 " This is done without the fmoke of lulphur, 
 ** which takes away very much of the fra- 
 " grance of the wax : and fure I am, that 
 ** the honey can receive neither good tafte, 
 ** nor good fmell, from it." 
 
 Mr. Wheeler hkewife informs us, that 
 whilfl he was viewing the beauties of Par- 
 naffus, he enjoyed the fweets ofarepafi: of 
 honey thus eafily come at. ** After I had 
 ** difcourfed fome time," fays he^", *' with 
 ** the good old Caloyer (Prie(l), whom they 
 ** efleemed a laint, I was conducted into a 
 " garden well planted with beans and peas 
 ** (this was at the end of January), and ano- 
 ** ther by it furniihed with four or five hun- 
 *' dred flocks of bees. The good old Caloyer 
 " prefently went, took a flock of bees, and 
 ** brought me of delicate white honey-combs, 
 " with bread and olives, and very good wine; 
 " to which he fat us down in his hut, and 
 *' made us a dinner, with far greater fatif- 
 ** fadion than the moft princely banquet in 
 ** Europe could have afforded us." 
 
 That the number of our hives might be 
 greatly increafed wherever there is proper 
 paflure for bees, appears evidently from Mr. 
 Wheeler's narrative, and is confirmed by the 
 following pafi^age in the account lately pub- 
 liflied of the fheep in Spain. 
 
 ip. 326. 
 
 i« If 
 
Of taking the Honey and Wax. yy 
 
 " If (heep loved aromatic plants, it would 
 " be one of the greatefl misfortunes that 
 ** could befal the farmers in Spain. The. 
 ** number of bee-hives there is incredible. 
 •* I am almoft afhamed to give under my 
 '* hand, that I knew a parifli-prieft who had 
 ** five thoufand hives. The bees fuck all tlieir 
 ** honey, and gather all their wax, from the 
 ** aromatick flov/ers, which enamel and per- 
 ** fume two-thirds of the fheep-walks. This 
 ** priell cautiouily feizes the queens in a fmall 
 " crape fly-catch, and then clips off their 
 ** wings, after which their majefties fl:ay at 
 " home : he aflured me, that he never loft a 
 ** fwarm from the day of this difcovery, to 
 ** the day he faw me, which was, I think, 
 ** five years after." 
 
 The Greek method, which Mr. Wheeler 
 relates, of lliaring the honey with the bees, 
 has been lately introduced into France, as we 
 are informed by MelT. de Reaumur and Du 
 Hamel. The latter gives the following ac- 
 count of it, in the memoirs of the royal aca- 
 demy of fciences, for the year ly)^^. 
 
 " M. Prouteau made great improve- 
 ** ments in the management of bees. I took 
 ** a fingular pleafure in being, from time to 
 ** time, an eye-witnefs of the progrefs of his 
 ** refearches, and in admiring the fuccefs of 
 
 ^ P-33I- 
 
 his 
 
78 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 " his Induflry. I took notes of what I faw, 
 " and communicated them to M. de Reau- 
 ** mur, who has added them to his own very 
 " interefting obfervationson bees. Theme- 
 " thods pra6tifed byM.Prouteau have rendered 
 " our province of Gatinois fomewhat famous. 
 
 *' M. Prouteau isdead ; but the tafte for 
 **■ rearing bees has increafed. This fpirit of 
 ** inquiry being continued, feveral fuccefsful 
 ** trials have beenmade, and particularly by the 
 ** SieurDelbois at Pethiviers, who excels in 
 " the management of thcfe little animals. 
 *' He has devifed new methods of pra«5tice, 
 ** which are adopted by all who rear bees. 
 
 ** It is true, that the firft hints of thefe 
 ** practices may be found in M. de Reau- 
 " mur's works : but it is right to inform the 
 ** public, that they are executed in an ex- 
 ** tenfive manner, and with fuccefs ; were it 
 ** only to refute the prejudice of thofe who 
 " lay to the charge of inquirers into nature, 
 ** that their purfuits are only matters of mere 
 ** curiofity and amufement. 
 
 ** To fhew in their order the dlfcoveries 
 " that have been made in this province, I 
 ** (hall here run over the different operations 
 ** which fucceed one another during the courfe 
 ** of a year. 
 
 " As foon as the feverity of the winter is 
 ** over, the bees go forth from their hives, to 
 *' gather in their harveft from the trees which 
 " are firft in bloom. They are feen at this 
 
 feafon 
 
Of taking the Honey and Wax. 79 
 
 ** feafon to alight on the bark of refinous 
 ** trees, from whence they are thought to ga- 
 " ther the propohs. They are permitted to 
 " indulge themfelves peaceably in thefe oc- 
 " cupations, till the coming out of the firil 
 *' fwarms, which generally lafls from the 
 ** 20th of May to the 20th of June. 
 
 *' Their fwarming is watched with great 
 ** vigilance, and all poffible care is taken to 
 *' put both the ftrong and the weak fwarms 
 *' into hives. The ftrong ones form good 
 " hives ; and the weak ones ferve to ftrengthen 
 " thofe which ftand in need of their ailiftance, 
 *' as I fliall hereafter explain : for the greateft 
 ** part of the art of managing thefe infedts 
 ** confifts in keeping the hives always well 
 " ftocked with bees ; thefe being fo many 
 ** labourers which work with furprifmg a6ti- 
 •" vity to enrich their mafter. 
 
 ** As the fwarms or cafts which come in 
 " July are fmall, they fhould always be made 
 *' ufe of to ftrengthen weak hives; though 
 ** many, without troubling themfelves about 
 ** thefe little fwarms, ihift their bees from 
 *' one hive into another, from the very bc- 
 " ginning of July, in order to poffefs them- 
 " felves of all the wax, and all the honey, 
 " which they have amaffed in great quantity 
 " from oft the fpring flowers. The manner 
 ** of performing this operation is thus : 
 
 " One or two openings are made at the 
 
 *^ top of the hive intended to be emptied ; by 
 
 5 ** cutting 
 
8o Of the Management of Bees, 
 
 ** cutting down the ofiers which run crofs-' 
 ** wife, and fparing as much as poffible thofe 
 ** which run length-wife, in order that it 
 " may be repaired after it has been emptied, 
 ** by weaving in new ofiers. This hive is 
 ** then placed on the back of a chair, the end 
 ** of which is refted on a bench, and the 
 " hive into which the bees are to be driven 
 ** is fet over that other hive. 
 
 *' To prevent the bees from efcaping be- 
 ** tween the hives, thefe are wrapped up in a 
 ** large cloth tied round with a cord. An 
 ** earthen pot with live-coals in it, covered 
 " with a few linen-rags, to make a great 
 ** deal of fmoke, is put under the chair, that 
 *' the fmoke may get into the full hive. The 
 •' bees, incommoded by the fmoke, afcend 
 *' to the top, and finding there an opening, 
 ** go into the empty hive, to avoid that nui- 
 -** fance. When it is fuppofed that they are 
 " all got into the upper hive, this is gently 
 *' lifted ofr, and fet upon the ground, and 
 ** the full hive is carried away quickly. 
 
 ** It is well known, that the propagatiort 
 '* of their fpecies is what the bees have mofh 
 *' of all at heart. Take away their provi- 
 ** fions, which they have been at infinite pains^ 
 *' to amafs, and they will procure themfelves- 
 ** a new ftore : but if their brood is taken 
 ** from them, the difcouragement is fenfible, 
 ** and nothing but the hope of feeing their 
 ** queen lay eggs anew can. determine them 
 
 '^ to 
 
Of taking the Honey and Wax. 8 1 
 
 '^^ to return to their labours. Accordingly, it 
 *' is obferved, that when the brood is pre- 
 " ferved in changing the hives, the activity is 
 " much greater than when the bees are de- 
 " prived of them. 
 
 *' To explain the manner in which the 
 ** young are preferved, it is neceffary to pre- 
 *' mile, that the fmoke of rags intoxicates the 
 ** bees in fome degree, from which they gra- 
 '' dua^lly recover. While they are in that 
 ** ftate, the combs are taken out of the hive 
 ^"^ from which the bees have been driven, and 
 *' fuch of them as are full of honey are fet 
 *' apart for the profit of the owner, who takes 
 ** great care not to damage thofe which con- 
 " tain the young, and replaces them quite at 
 " the top of a new hive, where they are fup- 
 ** ported by fticks run acrofs. This hive is 
 *' placed near to that in which the bees were 
 " left J and upon giving this laft a fmart 
 " ftroke with the hand, the bees in it fall to 
 " the ground, where they are inftantly co- 
 *' vered w'ith that in which the combs with 
 the young brood were fixed. The bees, 
 foon recovering, afcend into this hive, where, 
 finding their young, they fet to work with in- 
 credible alacrity to repair their lolfes : they 
 foon faften the combs with their young oft- 
 fpring either to the hives, ,c)x to the flicks : 
 the nymphs that have been killed in the 
 courfe of this operation are taken out of the 
 cells, which are then filled with honey; nev/ 
 G " combs 
 
 <c 
 
82 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 combs are immediately fet about ; the re- 
 maining nymphs foon become bees ; and 
 by this increafe of the number of labourers, 
 the cells are quickly filled with honey. 
 That this may be the more fpeedily accom- 
 plifhed, the bees are removed to places 
 where they find plants ftill in bloom. Of 
 this kind are heath, melilot, broom, fea- 
 rufhes, vetches, buck-wheat, wild muf- 
 tard, or charlock growing in too great 
 plenty in corn fields, and efpecially the -u/V- 
 ga aiirea Virgi7iiana Zanoni, which our pea- 
 fants call baflard-hemp. 
 *' If the weather is favourable, and there 
 is plenty of flowers, the hives that were firfl: 
 changed are well filled towards the end of 
 Auguft. When that is the cafe, they are 
 emptied a fecond time ; ftill with the fame 
 care of their young : and as it is of the 
 higheft importance that the hives be al- 
 w^ays well flocked vi^ith bees, it is at this 
 time found necefiary to ftrengthen fome 
 hives, by uniting the bees of two hives 
 into one. 
 
 ** When it is intended to unite the bees of 
 two hives, one of them is fumigated as be- 
 fore, fo as to force the bees into an empty 
 hive. Being then ll:ruck to the ground, 
 they are covered with the hive which is to 
 receive this reinforcement. The ftrange 
 bees mingle with the others, and form one 
 family, generally without much conten- 
 
 ** tion; 
 
Of taking the Honey and Wax. 83 
 
 «< tion ; though fometimes there arifesa quar- 
 *' rel which cofts the lives of many bees ; and 
 '* it is thought that thefe hoftilities do not 
 *' ceale till one of the mothers has been kill- 
 " ed '. If there be feveral weak hives, and 
 " none of the others Hand in need of being 
 *' re-inforced, two or three of the weak ones 
 ** may be united together ; for in this ftate 
 ** they often turn out very profitable. 
 
 '* As foon as the hives have been changed 
 ** a fecond time, they are carried into the 
 '* neighbourhood of a field of buck-wheat, 
 ** to enable the bees to colled: a third fi:ore ; 
 '* and in a favourable feafon for working, 
 ** when there is not either much rain or 
 ** ftormy wind, and the flowers blow well, 
 " the hives are fo well filled by the end of 
 " September, that near half a foot of the 
 ** combs may be pared off. This operation 
 ** requires few precautions : the hive is laid 
 ** on a chair a little inclined, and the bees 
 " are forced to retire to the top of the hive, 
 ** by blowing in fmoke between the combs, 
 " which are then cut without the leaft dif- 
 ** turbance from the bees. 
 
 *' It is almoft needlefs to fay that the 
 ** hives fliould not be changed again, unlefs 
 '* they are very heavy, and well ftccked with 
 ** bees. And even if they are, the hazard 
 
 1 It would therefore be prudent to kill one of the mo- 
 thers when the bees are flruck down upon the ground ; 
 fmce this would preveat any future animofity. 
 
 G 2 "of 
 
•8'4 • Of the Manngemenf of Bees. 
 
 ** of their not recruiting their lofs, in thi^ 
 ** late feafon of the year, ihould not be ven- 
 *' tured for the inconfiderable profit they 
 ** would yield : for the honey which is col- 
 *' k(fted from buck-wheat is always yellow, 
 *' and of little value. 
 
 '* In the beginning of Oflober, the hives 
 *' fhould be vifited, or rather weighed by 
 " hand, in order to give honey to the bees 
 ** of fuch as are light, and therefore judged 
 *' not to have a fufficiency of provifion for 
 *' the winter -, a fjbjed; which will be fpoken 
 ** of hereafter. But in the mean time I 
 ** ought not here to pafs over in filence af^d: 
 *' v/hich none of us could account for.' 
 
 " Having vifited our hives this autumn, 
 ** to fee which of them would want help, we 
 *' found one very light, and judged that fix 
 *' pounds of honey Ihould be given to this 
 *' hive. Four or five days after, when this hive 
 *' was lifted up, in order to put the plate of ho- 
 ** ney under it, it was found to be very heavy, 
 *' without its being poffible to conceive how, 
 ** in fo advanced a feafon, the bees could have 
 ** coll edted fo much. We fufpedtcd that they 
 *' had plundered fome neighbouring hive : 
 '* but if they did, they muft have gone a 
 " great way for it ; there not being any hives 
 '* near that had been robbed. 
 
 *' The nature of the feafons has a great ef- 
 " feet on. the labour of the bees, with regard 
 '* to their fuccefs j and of this the proprietor 
 
 *' ihould 
 
Of taking the Honey and TVax. %^ 
 
 " fliould be able to judge : for thouc^h their 
 '' iaives may be changed three times in fa- 
 ** vourable years; the feafons may be fuch 
 *' in other years, that they cannot be changed 
 " more than once. This difference fnould 
 " alio be attended to in choofing their paf- 
 '' tnre : for inftance, if the fummer is wet, 
 '*^ ihady and watery places (liould be avoided, 
 *' becaufe there the bees themfelves would be 
 *' in danger of being dellroyed by the wa- 
 *' terinefs of the honey. On the other hand, 
 ** ,thefe are the bed fituations in dry years, 
 " when all the flowers are parched up in 
 ** places expofed to the fun. Sudden and un- 
 *' forefeen changes may deceive the molt in- 
 ** telligent hufbandman ; and iii that cafe he 
 ** fliould give his bees a fupply proportioned 
 ^^ to their exigencies. 
 
 *' It fometinies happens that when fome 
 '* hives are -quite full of honey, we find others 
 ** almoft empty. We call thefe lad degenc" 
 " mted hives, the bees of which w^ork ' only 
 " to live. This inadion of the bees is g^w^- 
 *' rally a fign that their queen is dead. In 
 *^ this cafe, if the hive is weak in bees, it is 
 " added to a ftrong one^ but if it is ilrong 
 *^ in bees, a weak hive is added to it : or an 
 ■** old hive may be examined, to fee whether 
 ** there be not in it a young queen to fpare; 
 ^* by this means the adlivity of the bees is ge- 
 '* nerally reftored. Some hives degenerate 
 •**• when full of combs and honey : not for 
 
 G 3 " want 
 
86 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 " want of a queen ; but becaufe the bees, 
 *' content with their flore, inaulge them- 
 ** felves in idlenefs. In this cafe, they may 
 ** be put into another hive, if the feafon is 
 '* yet favourable ; or the combs may be cut 
 ** off to within four or five inches of the top 
 *' of the hive. If they are not fet to work 
 ** by thefe means, it is a fure fign that the 
 ** queen is dead. 
 
 ** I SHALL clofe this account with the re- 
 ** lation of a fa<5l which happened to a cler- 
 ** gyman in the neighbourhood of Pethiviers. 
 *' He fet a well flocked hive of bees upon a 
 ^* tub turned bottom up, after having made 
 <* a hole through that bottom. The bees 
 ** made in this tub combs fo large, that their 
 '' cells refembled quills. It contained near 
 " fix pounds of wax, and four hundred and 
 ** twenty pounds of honey. This was a great 
 ** deal : for our befl hives weigh but from 
 ** eighty to an hundred pounds, and contain 
 '' only from two pounds to two pounds and 
 *' an half of wax, and about feventy^ pounds 
 '^^ of honeyc" 
 
 OF 
 
[ 8; ] 
 
 OF THE IMPROVED METHODS OF 
 TAKING THE HONET AND WAX 
 WITHOUT DESTROriNG THE 
 BEES. 
 
 ATTEMPTS have been made in our 
 own country, to attain the delirable end 
 of getting the honey and wax without deftroy- 
 ing the bees. John Geddy, Efq; pubhihed' 
 in the year 1665 his invention of boxes for 
 preferving the lives of bees. Thefe were inir 
 proved by Jofeph Warder, Phylician, at Croy- 
 don, who at the fame time embelhflied his 
 account of the ftrudlure and ufe of thefe boxes, 
 with feveral other curious circumftances con- 
 cerning bees, in his work intituled T/je true 
 Amazons, or the Monarchy of Bees, Two 
 very worthy clergymen, the reverend Mr. 
 John Thorley of Oxford, and the reverend 
 Mr. Stephen White, M.A, Reilor of Holton 
 in Suffolk, have brought the method of pre- 
 ferving the lives of bees to lliill greater per- 
 fediion. I fliall relate the opinions and prac- 
 tice of each, beginning with Mr. Thorley, 
 who lived many years before Mr. White, and 
 mix their accounts with the beft improvements 
 that have been lately made in foreign countries. 
 Mr. Thorley, in his Enquiry into the Na- 
 ture, Order, and Government of Bees ^■, thinks 
 
 •n P. 139. 
 
 G 4 colonies 
 
88 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 colonies preferable to hives, for the following 
 reafons. Firji, the more certain prefervation 
 of very many thoufands of thefe noble and 
 ufeful creatures : Secondly their greater 
 flrength (which confifts in numbers) and 
 confequently their greater fafety from robbers: 
 thirdly, their greater wealth, arifmg from the 
 united labours of the greater number. He tells 
 us " that he has in fomxe fummers taken two 
 boxes filled with honey from one colony; and 
 yet fufficient ftore has been left for their main- 
 tenance during the winter j each box weigh- 
 ing forty pounds. Add to thefe advantages, 
 the pleafure of viewing them; with the greatefl; 
 fafety, at all feafons, even in their bufieft 
 time of gathering, and their requiring a much 
 iefs attendance in fwarming time. The bees 
 thus managed are alfo more eftetlually fecured 
 from wet and cold, from mice and other ver^ 
 min. 
 
 His boxes are made of deal, which, being 
 fpungy, fucks up the breath of the bees 
 fooner than a more fohd wood would do. Yel- 
 low dram-deal thoroughly feafoned is the befl:. 
 
 An octagon, being nearer to a fphere, is 
 better than a fquare form; for as the bees, in 
 winter, lie in a round body near the centre of 
 the hive, a due heat is then conveyed to all 
 the out-parts, and the honey is kept from 
 candying, 
 
 " V, 140. 
 
 The 
 
Of taking the Homy and Wax. 89 
 
 The dimeniions which Mr. Thorley, after 
 many years experience, recommends for the 
 boxes are ten inches depth, and twelve or 
 fourteen inches breadth, in the infide«. He 
 has tried boxes containing a builiel or more, 
 but found them not to anfwer the defign 
 like thofe of a leiTer fize. The larger are 
 much longer in filling j fo that it is later 
 ere you come to reap the fruits of the labour 
 of the bees; nor is the honey there fo good 
 and fine; the effluvia even of their own bodies 
 
 tamtmg it. 
 
 The bell: and pureft honey is that which is 
 gathered in the firfh five or fix weeks : and 
 in boxes of lefs dlmenfions you may take in 
 a month or little more, provided the feafon 
 be favourable, a box full of the fineft honey. 
 The top of the boxp fhould be made of an 
 . entire board, a full inch thick after it has 
 been planed, and it fhould project on all fides 
 at leall an inch beyond the dimenfions of the 
 box. In the middle of this top there mufi: 
 be a hole five inches fquare, for a communi- 
 cation between the boxes; and this hole ihould 
 be covered with a Hiding fhutter, of deal or 
 elm, running eafily in a groove over the back 
 window. The eight pannels, nine inches deep, 
 and three quarters of an inch thick when 
 planed, are to be let into the top fo far as to 
 keep them in their proper places 3 to be fecured 
 
 " p. 141. p P. 143. 
 
go Of the Managemc77t of Bees. 
 
 at the corners with plates of brafs, and to be 
 cramped with wires at the bottom, to keep 
 them firm: for the heat in fammer will try 
 their ftrengthp. There fliould be a glafs win- 
 dow behind, fixed in a frame, with a thin 
 deal cover, two fmall brafs hinges, and a but- 
 ton to faften it. This window will be fuf- 
 ficient for infpedting the progrefs of the bees. 
 Two brafs handles, one on each fide, are ne- 
 ceflary, to lift up the box: thefe (liould be 
 fixed in with two thin plates of iron, near 
 three inches long, fo as to turn up. and down, 
 and put three inches below the top-board, 
 which is nailed clofe down with fprigs to the 
 other parts of the box. 
 
 Those who chufe a frame within, to which 
 the bees may faften their combs, need only 
 ufe a couple of deal fticks of an inch fquare, 
 placed a-crofs the box, and fupported by two 
 pins of brafs -, one an inch and half below the 
 top, and the other two inches below it; by 
 which means the combs will quickly find a reft. 
 One thing more, which perfects the work, is, 
 a pafifage, four or five inches long, and lefs 
 than half an inch deep, for the bees to go 
 in and out at the bottom of the box. 
 
 P Dr. Warder makes the top of the box eighteen inches 
 over ; the pannels feven inches and a quarter wide on the 
 outfide, and fix and three quarters hi the indde ; and the 
 diameter of the box feventeen inches. Monarchy of Bees, 
 p. 123. 
 
 OF 
 
[91 ] 
 
 OF THE MANAGEMENT OF 
 BEES IN COLONIES. 
 
 IN keeping bees in colonies, an houfe is 
 necelTary, or at leafh a fhed; without 
 which the \veather, efpecially the heat of 
 the fun, would foon rend the boxes to pieces. 
 
 Your houfe may be made of any boards 
 you pleafe, but deal is the bef:. Of \vhat- 
 ever fort the materials are, the houfe mufl be 
 painted, to fecure it from the weather. 
 
 Thl length of this houfe, we will fuppofe 
 for fix colonies, fliould be full twelve feet and 
 an half, and each colony fhould fland a foot dif- 
 tance from the other. It fliould be three feet 
 and an half high, to admit four boxes one upon 
 another; but if only three boxes are employed, 
 two feet eight inches will be fufficient. Its 
 breadth in the infide {hould be two feet. The 
 four corner pofts Ihould be made of oak, and 
 well fixed in the ground, that no ftormy w^inds 
 may overturn it, and all the rails ihould be of 
 oak, fupported by feveral uprights of the fame, 
 before and behind, that they may not yield or 
 fink under fix, feven, or eight hundred weight, 
 or upwards. The floor of the houfe (about 
 two feet from the ground) ihould be ftrong 
 and fmooth, that the loweil box may ftand 
 clofe to it. 
 
 This floor may be made with boards or 
 planks of deal the full length cf the bee- 
 
 houfe; 
 
92 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 houfej or, which is preferahle, with a board or 
 pknk to each colony, of two feet four inches 
 long, and fixed down to the rails ; and that 
 part which appears at the front of the houfes 
 may be cut into a femi-circle, as a proper 
 alighting place for the bees. Plane it to a 
 llope, tjiat the wet may fall off. When this 
 floor to a fmgle colony wants to be repaired, 
 it may eafily be removed, and another be 
 placed in its room, without difturbing the 
 other colonies, or touching any other part of 
 the floor. 
 
 Upon this floor, at equal diftances, all 
 your colonics mufh be placed, againft a door 
 or pailage cut in the front of the houfe. 
 
 Only obferve farther, to prevent any falfe 
 flep, that as the top-board of the box (being 
 a full inch broader than the other part) will 
 not permit the two mouths to come toge- 
 ther, you mull cut a third in a piece of deal 
 of a fuihcient breadth, and place it between 
 the other two, fo clofe, that not a bee may 
 get that way into the houfe. And fixing the 
 faid piece of deal down to the floor with two 
 lath nails, you will find afterw^ards to be of 
 fervice, when you have occafion either to raife 
 a colony, or take a box of honey, and may 
 prove a means of preventing a great deal of 
 trouble and mifchief. 
 
 The houfe being in this forwardnefs you 
 may cover it to your own mind, with boards, 
 fine Hates, or tiles. But contrive their pofi- 
 
 tion 
 
 3 
 
m Colonies. 93 
 
 tion fo as to carry off the wet, and keep out 
 the cold, rain, fnow, or whatever might any- 
 way prejudice and hurt them. 
 
 The back- doors mav be made of half- 
 inch deal, two of them to Ihut clofe in a 
 rabet, cut in an upright pillar, which may be 
 fo contrived, as to take in and out, by a 
 mortife in the bottom rail, and a notch in 
 the inlide of the upper rail, and faftened with 
 a ftrong hafp. Place thefe pillars in the fpaces 
 between the colonies. 
 
 Concluding your houfe made after this 
 model, without front doors, a weather- 
 board will be very necelTary to carry the 
 water off from the places where the bees 
 fettle and reft. 
 
 Good painting will be a great prefervative. 
 Forget not to paint the mouths of your co- 
 lonies, with different colours, as red, white, 
 blue, yellow, &c. in form of a half- moon, 
 or fquare, that the bees may the better know 
 their own home. Such diverfity will be a 
 dirediion to them. 
 
 Thus your bees are kept warm in the 
 coldeft winter; and in the hctteft fummer 
 greatly refrefhed by the cool air, the back- 
 doors being fet open, without any air-holes 
 made in the boxes. 
 
 Dr. Warder obferves q, that in June, 
 July, and Auguft, when the colonies come to 
 be very full, and the weather proves very hot, 
 1 Monarchy of Bees, p. 128. 
 
 the 
 
94 Q/* i^^^ Management of Bees 
 
 the appearance of a ihower drives the bees home 
 in fuch crouds, that prefling to get in, they 
 flop the palTage fo clofe, that thofe within are 
 almoft fufFocated for want of air i which makes 
 thefe lail fo uneafy, that they are hke mad 
 things. In this extremity, he has Hfted the 
 whole colony up a little on one fide, and by thus 
 giving them air, has foon quieted them. He 
 has known them, he fays, come pouring out, 
 on fuch an occalion, in number fufficient to 
 have filled at once two or three quarts -, as if 
 they had been going to fwarm. To prevent 
 this inconvenience, he advifes cutting a hole 
 two inches fquare in about the middle of one 
 of the hinder panncls of each box. Over 
 this hole, nail, in the infide of the box, a 
 piece of tin-plate punched full of holes fo fmall 
 that a bee cannot creep through them , and 
 have over it, on the outfide, a very thin flider, 
 made to run in grooves \ fo that, when it is 
 thruft home, all may be clofe and vvarm ; and 
 when it is opened, in very hot weather, the 
 air may pafs through the holes, and prevent 
 the fuffocating heat. Or holes may be bored 
 in the panne) s themfelves, on fuch an emer- 
 gency, in a colony already fettled. 
 
 Such a thorough paliage for the air may be 
 very convenient in extreme heat, which is 
 fomctimes fo great as to make the honey run 
 out of the combs. The Memoirs of the truly 
 laudable Berne Society, for the year 1764, 
 give us a particular inftance of this, when they 
 
 5 % 
 
in Colonies . g^ 
 
 fay, that, in 176 1, many in Swiflerland 
 were obliged to fmother their bees, when 
 they faw the honey and wax trickhng down ; 
 not knowing any other remedy for the lofTes 
 they daily fuftained. Some (haded their hives 
 from the fun, or covered them with cloths 
 wet feveral times a-day, and watered the 
 ground all around. 
 
 The beft time to plant the colonies iss, ei- 
 ther in fDrino:with new llocks full of bees, or 
 in fummer with fwarms. If fwarms are ufed, 
 procure, ifpoflible, two of the fame day; hive 
 them either in two boxes, or in a hive and a 
 box ; at night place them in the bee-houfe, 
 one over the other, and, with a knife and a 
 little lime and hair, ilop clofe the mouth of 
 the hive, or upper box, fo that not a bee may 
 be able to go in or out, but at the front door. 
 This done, you will, in a week or ten days, 
 with pleafure fee the combs appear in the 
 boxes ; but if it be an hive, nothing can be 
 feen till the bees have wrought down into 
 the box'. Never plant a colony with a fingle 
 fwarm, as Mr. Thorley fays he has fometimes 
 done, but with little fuccefs. 
 
 When the fecond box, or the box under 
 the hive, appears full of bees and conibs, it is 
 time to raife your colony. This fhould be' 
 
 " P. 116. ' Thorley, p. 146. ' Mr. Thor- 
 
 ley (the fon) puts a glafs in ftraw hives, and thereby ren- 
 ders them equally conveoient for looking at. 
 
 dons 
 
96 Of the ManagentcJit of Bees 
 
 done in the daik of the evening, and in the 
 following manner. 
 
 Place your empty box, with the Hiding 
 fliutter drawn back, behind the houfe, near 
 the colony that is to be railed, and at nearly - 
 the height of the floor i then lifting up the co- 
 lony with what expedition you can, let the 
 empty box be put in the place where it is to 
 ftand, and the colony upon it, and lliut up 
 the mouth of the then upper box, with lime 
 and hair as before directed. 
 
 When, by the help of the windows in the 
 back of the boxes, you find the middle box 
 full of combs, and a quantity of honey fealed 
 up in it, the lowefl box half full of combs, 
 and few bees in the uppermofl box, proceed 
 thus". 
 
 About five o'clock in the afternoon, drive 
 clofe, with a mallet, the flidinsr lliuttcr under 
 the hive or box that is to be taken from the 
 colony. If the combs are new, the fliutter 
 may be forced home without a mallet; but 
 be fure it be clofe, that no bees may afcend 
 into the hive or box to be removed. After 
 this, fliut clofe the doors of your houfe, and 
 leave the bees thus cut off from the reft of 
 their companions, for the fpace of half an 
 hour or more. In this fpace of time, having 
 loft their queen, they will fill themfelves with 
 honey, and be impatient to be fet at liberty. 
 
 " Thodey, p. 148. 
 
 If, 
 
in Colonies. 9^ 
 
 If, In this interval, you examine the box 
 or boxes beneath, and obferve all to be quiet 
 in them, you may be confident that the queen 
 is there, and in fafety. Hereupon raife the 
 back part of the hive or box fo far, by a piece 
 of wood flipped under it, as to give the pri^ 
 foners room to come out, and they will returrl 
 to their fellows : then lifting the box from 
 off the colony, and turning it bottom upmofl, 
 cover it with a cloth all night -y and the next 
 morning, when this cloth is removed, the 
 bees that may have remained in it will return 
 to the colony. Thus you have a hive or box 
 of honey, and all your bees fafe". 
 
 If the bees do not all come out In this 
 manner, Dr. Warder's w method may be fol- 
 lowed, efpecially if it be with a hive. It is, 
 to place the hive with the fmall end down- 
 ward in a pail, peck, or flower-pot, fo as to 
 make it fiand firm : then to take an empty 
 hive, and fet it upon the former, and to draw 
 a cloth tight round the joining of the two hives, 
 fo that none of the bees may be able to get 
 out : after this, to ftrike the full hive fo 
 fmartly as to diflurb the bees that are in it, 
 
 " By leaving the box or hive out all night, with Its 
 bottom upmoft, the honey will be confiderably thickened, 
 efpecially if the night happens to be cold. I therefore think 
 it more advifeable to drain the honey off as foon as poffible, 
 after the box or hive has been taken from the colony ; as 
 is direfted by Columella. ^' Monarchy of Bees, 
 
 p. 145- 
 
 H * but 
 
98 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 but with fuch paufes between the ftrokes as 
 to allow them time to afcend into the empty 
 hive, which muft be held faft whilll: this is 
 doing, left it fall off by the fliaking of the 
 other. When you perceive by the noife of 
 the bees in the upper hive, that they are got 
 into this laft, carry it to a cloth fpread for 
 this purpofe before the colony, with one end 
 faftened to the landing-place, and knock them 
 out upon it: they v/ill foon crawl up the cloth, 
 and join their fellows, who will gladly receive 
 them. 
 
 Mr. Thorley next gives x an account of 
 his narcotic, and of the manner of uling it. 
 
 The method which he has purfued with 
 great fuccefs, for many years, and which 
 he recommends to the public, as the moft 
 effed:ual for preferving bees in common hives, 
 is incorporation, or uniting two ftocks into 
 one, by the help of a peculiar fume or opiate, 
 which will put them intirely in your power 
 for a time, to divide and difpofe of at plea- 
 fure. But as that dominion over them will be 
 of fhort duration, you mull be expeditious in 
 this bulinefs. 
 
 The queen is immediately to be fearched 
 for, and killed. Hives which have fwarmed 
 twice, and are confequently reduced in their 
 numbers, are the fitteft; to be joined toge- 
 ther, as this will greatly ftrengthen and im- 
 
 '' Enquiry into the Nature, &c. ot Bees, p. 151. 
 
 prove 
 
in Colonies. 99 
 
 prove them. If a hive which you would 
 take is both rich in honey, and full of bees, 
 it is but dividing the bees into two parts, and 
 putting them into two boxes, inftead of one. 
 Examine whether the ftock to which you in- 
 tend to join the bees of another, have honey 
 enough in it to maintain the bees of both: it 
 fliould weigh full twenty pounds. 
 
 The narcotic, or ftupefying fume, is made 
 with t\iQ fungus maximus or puherulentuSy the 
 large mufliroom, commonly knov/n by the 
 name of bunt, puckfift, or frog-cheefe. It 
 is as big as a man's head, or bigger: when 
 ripe, it is of a brov/n colour, turns to pow- 
 der, and is exceeding light. Put one of thefe 
 pucks into a large paper, prefs it therein to 
 two- thirds or near half the bulk of it's former 
 fize, and tie it up very clofe; then put it into 
 an oven fome time after the houfehold bread 
 has been drawn, and let it remain there all 
 night : v/hen it is dry enough to hold lire, 
 it is fit for ufe. The manner of uiing it is 
 thus : 
 
 Cut off a piece of the puck, as large as a 
 hen's ^^^y and fix it in the end of a fmail 
 flick flit for that purpofe, and iharpened at 
 the other end, which place fo that the puck 
 may hang near the middle of an empty hive. 
 This hive mud be fet wiih the mouth up- 
 ward, in a pail or bucket v/hich fhall hold it 
 fleady, near the flock you intend to take. 
 This done, fet fire to the puck, and imme- 
 H 2 " diately 
 
joo Of the Majtagement cf Bees 
 
 diately place the ftock of bees over it, tying 
 a cloth round the hives, that no fmoke may 
 come forth. In a minute's time, or little 
 more, you will hear the bees fall like drops 
 of hail into the empty hive. You may then 
 beat the top of the full hive gently with yonr 
 hand,, to get out as many of them as you can : 
 after this, looling the cloth, lift the hive off 
 to a tabic, knock it feveral times againfl the 
 table, feveral more bees w^ill tumble out, and 
 perhaps the queen among them. She often 
 is one of the laft that falls. If {lie is not there, 
 fcarch for her among the main body in the 
 empty hive, fpreading them for this purpofe 
 on a table. 
 
 You muft proceed in the fame manner 
 with the other hive, with the bees of which 
 thefe are to be united. One of the queens 
 being fecured, you muft put the bees of both 
 hives together, mingle them thoroughly, and 
 drop them among the combs of the hive which 
 they are intended to inhabit. When they are 
 all in, cover it with a packing or other coarfe 
 cloth which will admit air, and let them re- 
 main ihut up all that night and the next day. 
 You will foon be fenlible that they are awaked 
 from this fleep. 
 
 The fecond mgtit after their union, m 
 the du/k of the evening, gently remove the 
 cloth from off the mouth of the hive, (take 
 care of yourfelf ) and the bees will imm-edi- 
 atcly fally forth with a great noife ,; but be- 
 
 inor 
 
in Colonies. loi 
 
 ing too late, they will foon return : then in- 
 ferring two pieces of tobacco pipes to let in 
 air, keep them confined for three or four 
 days, after which the door may be left open, 
 • The beft time of the year for uniting bees 
 is after their young brood are all aut, and be- 
 fore they begin to lodge in the empty cells. 
 As to the hour of the day, he adviles young 
 pracflitioners to do it early in the afternoon, in 
 order that, having the longer light, they may 
 the more eafily find out the queen. He never 
 knew fuch combined flocks conquered by 
 robbers. They will either fwarm in the next 
 fummer, or yield an hive full of honey. 
 
 Mr. N. Thorley, fon of the above-men- 
 tioned ckrgyman, has added to the edition 
 which he has given of his father's book, a 
 poftfcript purporting that perfonsy who chufe 
 to keep bees in glafs hives may, after uncover- 
 ing the hole at the top of a flat-topped ftraw 
 hive, or box, place the glafs over it, fo clofe 
 that no bees can go in or out but at the bot- 
 tom of the hive or box. The glafs hive mufl 
 be covered with an empty hive, or with a cloth, 
 that too much light may not prevent the bees 
 from working. As foon as they have filled the 
 ftraw hive or box, they will begin to work 
 up into the glafs hive. He tells us, that he 
 himfelf has had one of thefe glafs hives filled 
 by the bees in thirty days, in a fine feafon, 
 
 y p. 156. 
 H 3 and 
 
J 02 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 and that it contained thirty-eight pounds of 
 fine honey. When the glafs is conapletely 
 filled, Hide a tin-plate between it and the hive 
 ^Dr box, fo as to cover the palTage, and in half 
 an hour the glafs may be taken off with fafety. 
 What few bees remain in it, will readily go 
 to their companions. He then very obhg- 
 ingly offers his fervice and farther information 
 to any gentleman or lady whofe curiofity may 
 incline them to infped: his apiary. He has 
 added a glafs window to his draw hives, in 
 order to fee what progrcfs the bees make^ 
 which is of fome importance, efpecially if one 
 hive is to be taken away whilft the feafcnftill 
 continues favourable for their colled^ing of 
 honey; for when the combs are hlled with 
 honey, the cells are fcaled up, and the bees 
 forfake |:hem, and refide moftly in the hive 
 in which their v/orks are chiefly carried on. 
 Obferving alfo that the bees were apt to ex- 
 tend their combs through the paffage of com- 
 munication into the upper hive, whether glafs 
 Of otlier, which rendered it neceffary to divide 
 the comb when the upper hive was taken away, 
 he now puts in that pailage a wire fcreen, 
 or netting, the mefhes of which are large 
 enough for a loaded bee to go eafily through 
 them. This prevents the joining of the combs 
 from pne box to the other, and confequentjy 
 obviates the neceffuy of cutting them, and of 
 fpilli'ig fome of the honey, which, running 
 down amoDgft a crowd of bees, uled before 
 
 5 ^^ 
 
in Hives. 103 
 
 to incommode them much; it being diffi- 
 cult for them to clear their wings of it. Fig. 
 5, fPl. I J is a drawing of one of his colo- 
 nies. 
 
 OF THE MANAGEMENT OF 
 BEES IN HIVES, 
 
 TH E Society which the States of Bri- 
 tany have eftabliilied for the improve- 
 ment of Agriculture, Arts, and Commerce, 
 conftantly diflinguifhed by the regularity and 
 judgment which attend all their fteps, have 
 proceeded admirably in regard to bees^. They 
 began with procuring information of what 
 has been hitherto done to preferve the lives of 
 thofe ufeful creatures, and at the lame time 
 increafe the quantity of wax, their principal 
 objedt. Count de la Bourdonnaye took upon 
 himfelf not only the making of this inquiry, 
 but alfo the conducting of fuch experiments 
 as might be necelTary to afcertain the true 
 merit of each method propofed. 
 
 In their Memoirs for the years 1759 and 
 1760, we are informed^, that the Count pre- 
 ferred the following, on account of the fuc- 
 cefs with which it was attended, and alfo for 
 its cheapnefs, which, as they juftly obferve, 
 
 ^ Corps d'Obfervatlons de la Societe d'Agrlculture, de 
 Commerce, et des Arts, etablie par les Etats de Bretagne. 
 Annees 1757 et 1759, p. 162. » p. 237. 
 
 H 4 is 
 
104 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 is a moft important point in whatever relates 
 to the management of rural affairs. As this 
 method bears a near refemblance to Mr. Thor- 
 ley's, I Ihall here fubjoin it to his account. 
 
 Count de la Bourdonnaye's hives are 
 made of fl:raw, divided into two parts, which 
 are placed one over the other. Each of 
 thefe parts is twelve Paris inches* in di- 
 ameter in the infide, and eleven inches high; 
 fo that, when joined, they make an hive 
 twenty-two inches in height. They are nearly 
 flat on the top, and have in the middle of the 
 top a hole an inch and a quarter fquare. The 
 upper half reils on the lov/er. They are made 
 of fufficient thicknefs to be proof againfl cold, 
 and not to be heated by the rays of the fun. 
 When united, their joining is luted clofe. 
 
 When the bees have filled the upper half, 
 the combs are neceffarily interrupted by the 
 intermediate bottom ; and this, perhaps, in- 
 duces them to fill that half more completely 
 than they would do if they met not with fuch 
 a ftop. When both parts are full, which may 
 be known by the bees wanting room, the up- 
 per half is taken away, and as foon as it has 
 been emptied, it is put under the remaining 
 full half. 
 
 Whilst the bees are filling the lower half 
 of the hive, the eggs laid in the upper half 
 
 * The Paris foot is to the Englifli foot, as I2 ^Hi 
 inches are to 12 inche?. 
 
 become 
 
in Boxes. 105 
 
 become bees : and as tlie queen depofits her 
 eggs as near the entrance as can be done with 
 latety to the young, flie never lays any in the 
 upper half, after it is become the upper half; 
 but as faft as the bees are perfected there, the 
 cells are filled with honey. By this means 
 none of the young brood are loft, and almoft 
 the whole of what is taken confifts of honey 
 and wax. 
 
 The hives ftand feparate, and at a diflance 
 from walls c. No plants are fuffered to rife 
 hio-h near them ; and the ftool is raifed fo hieh 
 from the ground, that mice, their very dan- 
 gerous enemies, cannot jump up to it. 
 
 OF THE MANAGEMENT GF BEES 
 IN BOXES. 
 
 A Very ingenious and attentive lady in 
 Swifferland has publiflied, in the Me- 
 moirs of the Berne Society for the year 176^4"^, 
 extremely judicious obfetvations on bees and 
 hives, particularly thofe which are added one 
 to another in the manner above defcribed. Her 
 remarks well deferve our attention. I lliall 
 therefore give here her own account of them^. 
 
 ^ p. 240. '^ Memoires et Obfervations receuilles 
 
 par la Societe Oeconomique de Berne. Annee 1764, Part 
 I. p. 95. ' Obfervations fur les Abeilles, par Madame 
 
 Vicar, nee de Curtas, Epoufe de M. Vicat, Profefleur en 
 Proit a Laufanne. 
 
 On 
 
io6 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 On the 9th of June 1761, this lady bought 
 an hive of bees, in a ftraw hive. The combs 
 were emptied of their honey, and thereby ren- 
 dered the more liable to be attacked by the 
 moth. Sheplaced it in alittle garden in the heart 
 of the city of Laufanne. She foon difcovered 
 that there were moths in it, and that the bees 
 had lice on them , which determined her to 
 place a glafs hive over the ftraw one, and to fliut 
 up the opening into the lower hive. She fre- 
 quently looked into the glafs hive, to fee 
 what paiTed in it. The bees never flopped in 
 it, and it ferved only as a thoroughfare to the 
 ftrav/ hive. The bees, though very laborious 
 and numerous, could not defend themfelves 
 againffc the moths, which multiplied daily: 
 On the 1 8th of July her bees were reduced to 
 little more than three hundred. Finding: their 
 number decreafe every day, Ihe fufpedted that 
 fome accident had happened to the queen, 
 which upon examination fhe found to be true; 
 as fhe alfo did, that thefe moths may foon 
 deftroy the moft numerous hive. They had 
 mouldered avv'ay the wax, and had united the 
 three middle combs, by their galleries, to 
 fuch a degree, that they appeared but as one 
 mafs. Upon turning up the hive, to fee what 
 condition it was in, ihe found the fides co- 
 vered with white and hard cocoons, which 
 would foon produce moths. They were in 
 fuch quantity as to fill the crown of her hat. 
 
 It 
 
in Boxes. 107 
 
 It appears to her that the moths are mofl 
 ready to attack hives which have fwarmed 
 oftener than oncei becaufe in them the combs, 
 in which the young bees were reared, being 
 empty, ferve for both flielter and food to their 
 maggots, which feed only on wax. For the 
 fame reafon, late fwarms, and hives in which 
 there is not much honey, are equally ex- 
 pofed to thefe infedis. Such hives (hould 
 therefore be cleaned at leail once a week. If 
 moths are found on the ftool of the hive, it 
 /hould be cleaned every morning. In order 
 to do this the more eafily, without difturb- 
 ing the bees, or running the hazard of being 
 ftung by them, £he caufed a large fquare hole 
 to be made in the ilools on which her bees 
 iland, with a Hider underneath, fitted to it. 
 By this means llie preferved another hive, 
 which (he had placed in the fame garden on 
 the fame day, June 9th, 1761 : and though 
 it was a fwarm put into a new flraw hive, fhe 
 obferved moths in it by the end of July. She 
 calls this hive N*^. i. 
 
 When {lie fecured this hive for the win- 
 ter, flie put ii; into a dry room: but the air 
 there being too mild, the bees confumed al- 
 moft their whole ilore. She drew the Aider 
 often; for the difafter which had happened to 
 her other hive rendered her now more atten- 
 tive j and fhe generally found a quantity of 
 moths on it. The combs became mouldy, 
 which fhe endeavoured to wipe off with foft 
 
 brown 
 
loS Of the Management of Bees 
 
 brov/h paper, and rubbed it off the fides of the 
 hive with a napkin. So many bees died dur- 
 ing the winter, that the hive became very 
 weak in comparifon to what it was in the au- 
 tumn. About the middle of March, fhe 
 placed it in a little garden furrounded with 
 houfes. 
 
 She placed near the former a fwarm of June 
 176 1, which had been kept in a hive of Mr. 
 Paltau's conftrudion*, and had flood the pre- 
 ceding fummer in the country, and the winter 
 in a green-houfe in town, where the air was 
 conflantly kept temperate. Fewofthefe bees 
 died. She calls this hive N^. 2. 
 
 That fhe might judge of the flrength of 
 thefe hives, flie counted the bees which en- 
 tered into each of them in a quarter of an 
 hour ; taking the fame hour of a fine day. She 
 repeated this during feveral weeks, and found 
 that about fix hundred and fixty entered in N". 
 2, and two hundred, or fometimes two hun- 
 dred and -twenty, in the fame time, into 
 N«. I. 
 
 In May, the numbers of bees were fo much 
 increafed, that it was no longer poffible to 
 count them, N^^. i. was now as well fi:ocked 
 with bees as N". 2. She had been particularly 
 careful of the former, and had fed them with 
 honey in rainy weather. She had cleaned the 
 
 ^ Defcrlbed in a work intituled Noiivelk Cotj/irunion de 
 Riichcs, priQted iit Metz ia 1756. b^'. p- 316. 
 
 Aider 
 
m Boxes. i6g 
 
 Aider every morning, and often found on it 
 even four moths at a time. She thinks that 
 the bees can eafily pull them out of their 
 holes before their galleries have been ftrength- 
 ened with crofs threads, and cemented with 
 the crumbs of wax or their excrements. The 
 bees do not always carry them out of the hive, 
 but fometimes leave them on the ftool, where 
 the little mag-eots foon weave a cafe to conceal 
 themfelves in ; as llie has known them do in 
 a few hours. She found the greateft number 
 of them at about four or five o'clock in the 
 
 mornmg. 
 
 She refolved to place over N° i. a glafs 
 hive, to give the bees an opportunity of work- 
 ing in it. With this view, (lie cut fome rounds 
 off the top of the ftraw hive, fo as to make 
 an opening of four inches, upon which fhe 
 put a piece of board with a correfponding 
 opening of four inches ; and on the 25th of 
 March 17^2 a glafs hive was placed over it. 
 She {hut up the mouth of the ftraw hive, in 
 order to oblige the bees to enter by an open- 
 ing under the glafs hive, which ftie covered, 
 left the cold might incommode or even kill 
 her bees, which were few in number. Though 
 they increafed fo much by May as to be equal 
 with N° 2, yet the bees never ftopped in the 
 glafs hive. She judged from this, that they 
 would rather defcend, if flie gave them a con- 
 venient habitation below. She therefore plac- 
 ed under the ftraw hive a box, which had an 
 
 opening 
 
I I o Of the Management of Bees 
 
 opening in it of eight inches, for the bees to 
 pafs through. They foon extended their 
 works downward, fo that in a fortnight they 
 alrnofl: filled the box with combs. On the 
 8th of July ilje took away the glafs hive ; and 
 though it had hitherto ferved them only as a 
 paiTage, they were much difconcerted when 
 it was removed : for after (l^e had filled up 
 the opening in the top of the ilraw hive with 
 flax and rue, the loaded bee^ continued for 
 feveral days to fly round it, though the rue 
 was difagreeable to them, before they would 
 enter by the opening in the box, which was 
 the only one they now had. 
 
 It is very remarkable, that the bees made 
 no combs in the glafs hive, though they were 
 fo fond of entering by it ; and yet they de- 
 fcended into the box as foon as it was placed 
 under them. We might have imagined it to 
 be eafiefl: for them to enter below, at the 
 bottom of the box ; but infl:ead of fo doing, 
 they entered by the glafs hive, pafled through 
 the draw hive full of combs, and carried their 
 load down into the box. This gave her the 
 firfl: hint, that it was moft advifeable to put 
 the additional hive into which we would have 
 the bees to work, under the full one, and flie 
 has fince found it fucceed accordingly. 
 
 Oi<J the 20th of July, flie found that the 
 bees of N" i. had calf out fo great a quantity 
 of their young brood, that llie gathered fome 
 
 .handfuls 
 
in Boxes. 1 1 1 
 
 handfuls of it about the hive. The bees con- 
 tinuing to do the fame next day, fhe deter- 
 mined to take away the ftraw hive the day 
 after. For this purpofe, ihe chofe eight o'- 
 clock in the morning, which ihe had obferved 
 to be the time when the greateft number of 
 bees vv^ere gone into the fields. She began by 
 loofening the ftraw hive from the board on 
 which it refbed, and to which the bees had faf- 
 tened it with propolis. She then took the wad- 
 ding out of the hole in the top of the ftraw hive; 
 near to whici"! fome linen rags were kept fmok- 
 ing, and this fmoke was blown into the hive 
 by a pair of bellows. As foon as flie judged 
 that moft of the bees had been forced down 
 into the box, ftie caufed a Itrong iron wire to 
 be drawn through between the hive and the 
 board it refted on, thereby to cut tranfverfely 
 all the combs which were extended from the 
 hive into the box through the hole of com- 
 munication. The hive was then taken up 
 with all the combs but one, which feparated 
 from the middle of the hive. She carried 
 this comb, v/ith two fingers of each hand, to 
 a table at fome diftance, on which the hive 
 had been placed bottom up. The comb which 
 fhe carried was almoft covered with bees ; and 
 as it fell from the middle of the hive, where 
 the queen generally refides, (he fearched for 
 her, and found her on the firft round of the 
 hive, fcarce able to crawl, being daubed with 
 
 honey 
 
1 1 2 Of the McmagemcTit of Bees 
 
 honey which had flowed from the combs cut 
 through. She wafhed her in a glafs of wa- 
 ter ; but finding that this did not entirely car- 
 ry oft the honey which flill adhered to her 
 wings, {lie wafhed her a fecond time, and 
 put her among feveral bees which had alfo 
 been waflied, but had recovered flrength 
 enough to allift their queen. They imme- 
 diately fet themfelves to dry and aflRfl her. 
 She kept her thus for half an hour, in the pre- 
 fence of feveral curious perlbns, who had 
 often fought in vain for her. As foon as fhe 
 thought her able to make ufe of her legs and 
 wines, fhe carried her to the flool on which 
 the box remained, now to become the only 
 habitation of the bees. Here ihe was again 
 brufhed and licked during an hour, by bees 
 which were in great numbers on the fore part 
 of the box, and at laft flie entered. 
 
 A FARMER with whom this lady kept fome 
 bees in the country had an old ftraw hive, 
 which he intended to defiiroy in order to come 
 at their honey and wax. She propofed to him 
 to follow the fame fteps as flie had taken with 
 her's, which he agreed to, knowing that he 
 could not lofe any thing by it. Having been 
 taught by experience, fhe advifed him to put 
 a box under the hive; rather than a hive 
 over it. As flie had obferved that her own 
 bees had fo obftinately adhered to their former 
 paffage, fhe advifed him to place the box at a 
 
 fmall 
 
in Boxes. 11-5 
 
 fmall diilance from the place where the hive 
 had flood, that the whole might be the newer 
 to them. They fet to work heartily on the 
 3d of July j and by the i6th of Augufl they 
 had lain in fo much proviiion, that fhe deter-^ 
 mined to take off the hive in the fame man- 
 ner as fhe had done her own. The honey 
 did not run fo much, becaufe the weather was 
 not fo hot. 
 
 Whatever pains are taken to drive the 
 bees out of the hive by means of fmoke, 
 many ftill remain in it. In order to preferve 
 thefe bees, fhe found that the bell way was 
 to fweep them with the wing of a fowl into 
 a tub of water, as fafl as the combs were 
 taken out. This pradice was attended with 
 feveral advantages. It prevented the people 
 being flung, it cleared the bees of any honey 
 that might have dropped on them, and it 
 made many of their lice fall off them. 
 
 In order to take them out of the water, fhe 
 caufed a thin linnen cloth to be fpread over 
 the mouth of an empty tub, in fuch manner 
 that it hung every v/here over the brim, and 
 was held there by one perfon, whilfl another 
 poured the water in which the bees were 
 gradually through it. The bees remained on 
 the cloth. It is effential that the quantity of 
 water be large in proportion to the number 
 of bees, and that they be quite fenfelefs be- 
 fore they are taken out. If the firft water 
 tafles of honey, they fl:iould be bathed in a fe- 
 
 1 cond 
 
i 1 4 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 cond quantity. M-deReaumurS loft many bees 
 by not attending to this precaution h. When 
 the bees have been lufficiently bathed, Madam 
 Vicat fpreads them on whited-brown paper, 
 which, with the warm air, loon dries them. 
 
 It was fome time before this lady could find 
 the queen of the farmer's hive. The country 
 people who faw this operation, were ftruck 
 with great compaffion on feeing fo many bees 
 laid out, as it were, upon the tabic ; for they 
 thought them quite dead, and could not be- 
 lieve her when Die aflured them that they 
 would all return to life. By the time flie 
 had found the queen, many of the bees had 
 fo far recovered, as to take care of her. Ma- 
 dam Vicat obferved on her crocelet a loufe, 
 which fhe ftruck off" with a pin. She faw a 
 fecond on the hind part of her head ; but it 
 
 g Memoires pour fervir arHiiloire Naturelle des la- 
 fefts, tool. V. p. 560. 
 
 ^ As an inftance how long fome lnfe61s may retain life 
 when immerfed in a fluid, I have been aflured by a very 
 ingenious and accurate gentleman, that, being prefent at 
 tJie opening of a bottle of Madeira wine which had been 
 brought from Virginia to London, a fly was found in it. 
 He immediately obferved, that they had a fair opportu- 
 nity of trying the truth of the common opinion, that a fl.y 
 cannot be drowned ; and defired tlie company to lay the 
 fly in the fan, the day being very warm. The fly was ac- 
 cordingly laid on a China plate, and in lefs than hour it 
 took wing. M. de Reaumur kept bees under water dur- 
 ing nine hours, and all of them came to life. Tom. v. p. 
 540. They have remained twenty-four hours under an 
 exhaufled air-pUmp, and revived. Derham's Phyllco-Theg- 
 logy, book I. chap. i. 
 
 ftuck 
 
in Boxfs. 11^ 
 
 iluck fo faft that fhe could not remove it j nor 
 was flie much foUcitous about it, becaufe the 
 queen feemed to be in good plight. All 
 the bees were placed on the flool before the 
 box ; and (he was informed next day, that 
 they had all foon returned to their companions. 
 Having obferved in the combs fome cells 
 which had young in them, fhe put an addi- 
 tional height under the box, in which fhe 
 placed the combs with the young in them : 
 and remarking on the 20th of Augufl that 
 there were feveral moths under the laft ad- 
 dition, in which the combs with young were 
 placed, fhe judged it not to be right to pre- 
 ferve fuch combs for the future. Experience 
 has fince confirmed her in this opinion. 
 
 It is generally alleged, that the moths 
 get fo much the upper hand in the hives by 
 the fourth year, that it is neceifary to defcroy 
 the bees on the third year, in order to get 
 the then remaining honey and wax ; for that 
 all would other wife fall a prey to the moths. 
 Madam Vicat has now fliewn, that hives may 
 be preferved from moths without condemning 
 to the fire thofe precious labourers, the bees ; 
 a practice as barbarous as it is fenfelefs ; a 
 practice which was flridly forbidden by a 
 Grand Duke of Tufcany, under the penalty 
 of fevere punifhment, as we are informed 
 by M. de Reaumur i. If care is not taken, 
 even three years will be too long a time to al- 
 
 i Tom. V. p, 666. 
 
 I 2 low; 
 
1 1 6- Of the Management of Bees 
 
 low; for the moths will frequently deflroy 3 
 hive the very firft year. 
 
 The lice which flick to bees are not gene- 
 rally thought to be prejudicial to them ^; and 
 this may be true when there are but few of 
 thofe vermin ; but when every bee in a hive 
 has two or perhaps three lice upon it, as is 
 often the cafe, we may believe that the bees, 
 are greatly incommoded by them : indeed we 
 may be allured of it, by their ufing every 
 means in their power, though incffedually, 
 to get rid of them. M. de Reaumur de- 
 clares ', that he cannot think well of a hive in 
 which the greateft number of bees have lice 
 on them. 
 
 Madam Vicat had a hive near a chair in 
 her garden, in which fhe ufed to fit at work 
 for hours. She one day faw many bees en- 
 deavouring to rid themfelves of thcfc trouble- 
 fome enemies, and endeavoured, but to little 
 purpofe, to affift them, by killing the lice 
 with her fcilTars. Recolled:ing that tobacco 
 is a poifon to many infe<3:sj (he immediately 
 ilrewed a little Morocco tobacco over fome 
 bees which l;iad lice on them. The lice fell 
 off inftantly, as dead. In order to be alTurcd 
 that tobacco did not hurt the bees, flie con- 
 fined fome which were loufy, under a glafs 
 placed on paper ilrewed with tobacco. After 
 
 ^ Madam Vicat, in the Berne Memoirs above quoted, 
 p. 135. ^ Tom. V, p. 71 1. 
 
 the 
 
in Boxes. 1 1 7 
 
 the bees had pafied feveral times over the to- 
 bacco, the lice fell off them, dead. She left 
 the bees in the glafs three hours, and at the 
 end of that time they appeared vigorous and 
 well. She had bathed fome bees in water, 
 in order to rid them of the lice ; but found 
 that, though many of them fell off, they re- 
 covered themfelves again as foon as the bees 
 did. One of the lice jumped two inches high, 
 to get at a bee which flie held in her hand. 
 
 The reverend Mr. Stephen White, Re6lor 
 of Holton in Suffolk, informs us ™, that his 
 fondnefs for thefe little animals foon put him 
 upon endeavouring, ■ if poifible, to fave them 
 hon\ fire 2i\\dL brimjlojie 'y that he thought he 
 had reafon to be content to fliare their labours 
 for the prefent, and great reafon to rejoice if 
 he could at any time preferve their lives', to 
 work for him another year^ and that the 
 main drift of his obferv^itions and experiments 
 has therefore been, to difcover an eafy and 
 cheap method, fuited to the abilities of the 
 common people, of taking away fo much ho- 
 ney as can be fpared, without deftroying or 
 llarving the bees ; and by the fame means to 
 encourage feafonable fwarms. 
 
 In his diredions how to make the bee- 
 boxes of his inventing, he tells us ", fpeaking 
 
 ■^ Collateral Bee-boxes ; or, An eafy and advantageous 
 Method of managing Bees, p. 7. of the introduction to the 
 third edition. " Ibid. p. i — 6. 
 
 I ^ of 
 
Il8 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 of the manner of conftruding a fingle one, 
 that it may be made of deal or any other well 
 feafoned boards which are not apt to warp or 
 Iplit. The boards fhould be near an inch 
 thick ; the figure of the box fquare, and its 
 height and breadth nine inches and five 
 eighths, every way meafuring within. With 
 thefe dimenfions it will contain near a peck 
 and an half The front part muil have a door 
 cut in the middle of the bottom edge, three 
 inches wide, and near half an inch in height, 
 which will give free liberty to the bees to pafs 
 through, yet not be large enough for their 
 enemy the moufe to enter. In the back part 
 you muft cut a hole wiih a rabbit in it, in 
 which you are to fix a pane of the cleareil 
 and befl crown-glafs, about five inches in 
 length and three in breadth; and faftenit with 
 putty : let the top of the glafs be placed as 
 .high as the roof within-fide, that you may 
 fee the upper part of the combs, where the 
 bees with their riches are moftly placed. You 
 will, by this means, be better able to judge 
 of their flate and flrength, than if your glafs 
 was fixed in the middle. The glafs muft be 
 covered with a thin piece of board, by way 
 of fh utter, which may be made to hang by 
 a firing, or turn upon a nail, or Hide fide- 
 ways between two mouldings. Such as are 
 defirous of feeing more of the bees works, may 
 make the glafs as large as the box will ad- 
 mit, without weakening it too much ; or they 
 
 may 
 
in Boxes. 119 
 
 may add a pane of glafs on the top, which 
 muft likewife be covered with a fliutter, fafl- 
 ened dov/n with pegs to prevent accidents. 
 
 The fide of the box which is to be joined 
 to another box of the fame form and dimen- 
 lions, as it will not be expofed to the exter- 
 nal air, may be made of a piece of flit deal 
 not half an inch thick. This he calls the 
 fide of communication, becaufe it is not to be 
 wholly inclofed : a fpace is to be left at the 
 bottom the whole breadth of the box, -and a 
 little more than an inch in height, and a hole 
 or paffage is to be made at top, three inches 
 long, and more than half an inch wide. 
 Through thefe the bees are to have a com- 
 munication from one box to the other. The 
 lower communication being on the floor, oi^r 
 labourers, with their burdens, may readily and 
 eafily afcend into either of the boxes. The 
 upper communication is only intended as a 
 paifage between the boxes, refembling the 
 little holes, or narrow pafll^s, which may be 
 obferved in the combs formed by our fagacious 
 architecfts, to fave time and fliorten the way 
 when they have occafion to pafs from one 
 comb to another i juft as, in populous cities, 
 there are narrow lanes and alleys, palling 
 tranfverfly from one large flireet to another* 
 
 In the next place you are to provide a loofe 
 board, half an inch thick, and large enough 
 to cover the fide where you have made the 
 communications. You are likewife to have 
 
 I 4 in 
 
120 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 in readlneis feveral little iron ftaples, an inch 
 iind half long, with the two points or ends 
 bended down more than half an inch. The 
 ufe of thefe will be {(z^w prefently. 
 
 You have now only to fix two fticks croffing 
 the box from fide to fide, and crofting each 
 other, to be a ll;ay to the .combs; one about three 
 inches from the bottom, the other the fame 
 diftance from the top ; and when you have 
 painted the whole, to make it more durable, 
 your box is hniiiied. 
 
 The judicious bee-mafter will here obferve, 
 that the form of the box now defcribed is as 
 plain as is poflible for it to be. It is little more 
 than five fquare pieces of board nailed toge- 
 ther ; fo. that a poor cottager, who has but in- 
 genuity enough to faw a board into the given 
 dimenlions, and to drive a nail, may make his 
 own boxes well enough, without the help or 
 expence of a carpenter. 
 
 No directions are neceflary for making the 
 other box, which muft be of the fame form 
 and dimenlions. The two boxes differ from 
 each other only in this, that the fide of com- 
 munication of the one muft be on your right- 
 h^nd \ of the other, on your left. Fig. 6, 
 (P/. I,) reprefents two of thefe boxes, with 
 their openings of communication, ready to join 
 to each other. 
 
 Mr. White's manner of hiving a fwarm 
 into one or both of thefe boxes, is thus ». 
 
 Ibid, p. 6—8. 
 
 You 
 
in Boxes. 12 r 
 
 You are to take the loofe board, and fallen 
 it to one of the boxes, fo as to fuop the com- 
 munications. This may be done by three of 
 the ftaples before mentioned ; one on the top 
 of the box near the front, the two others on 
 the back, near the top and near the bottom. 
 Let one end of the ftaple be thruft into a gim- 
 let hole made in the box, {o that the other 
 end may go as tight as can be over the loofe 
 board, to keep it from flipping v/hen it is 
 handled. The next morning, after the bees 
 have been hived in this box, the other box 
 fliould be added, and the loofe board fhould 
 be taken away. This will prevent a great 
 deal of labour to the bees, and fome to the 
 proprietor. 
 
 Be careful to faften the fliutter fo clofe to 
 the glafs, that no light m.ay enter through it; 
 for the bees feem to look upon fuch light, as 
 a hole or breach in their houfe, and on that 
 account may not fo well like their new habi- 
 tation. But the principal thing to be ob- 
 ferved at this time, is to cover the box, as 
 foon as the bees are hived, with a linnen cloth 
 thrown loofely over it, or with green boughs, 
 to protect it from the piercing heat of the 
 fun. Boxes will admit the heat much fooner 
 than flraw hives j and if the bees find their 
 houfe too hot for them, they will be wife 
 enough to leave it. If the fwarm be larger 
 than ufual, inftead of faftening the loofe board 
 to one box, you may join two boxes together 
 
 with 
 
122 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 with three rtaples, leaving the communication 
 open from one to th& other, and then hive 
 your bees into both. In all other refpedts, 
 they are to be hived in boxes after the fame 
 manner as in common hives ; which being 
 well known, it were needlefs here to give par- 
 ticular directions concerning it. 
 
 The door of the fecond box ihould be care- 
 fully flopped up, and be kept conftantly clofed, 
 in order that the bees may not have any en- 
 trance but through the firft box. 
 
 When the boxes are fet in the places where 
 they are to remain, they mufl: be fcreened 
 from the fummer's fun, becaufe the wood will 
 otherwife be heated to a greater degree than 
 either the bees or their works can bear ; and 
 they lliould likewife be fcreened from the win- 
 ter's fun, becaufe the warmth of this will 
 draw the bees from that lethargic ftate which 
 is natural to them, as well as to many other 
 infects, in the winter feafon. For this pur- 
 pofe, and alfo to Ihelter the boxes from rain, 
 Gur ingenious clergyman has contrived the 
 following frame. 
 
 Fig, 7 (PA I •) reprefents the front of a frame 
 for twelve ^ colonies, a, a, are two cells of 
 oak, lying flat on the ground, more than four 
 feet long. In thefe cells you are to fix four 
 oaken ports, about the thicknefs of fuch as are 
 ufed for drying linnen. 
 
 p Ibi4. p. 13. 
 
 c The 
 
. i7i Boxes. 123 
 
 The two pofts b, b, in the front, are about 
 fix feet two inches above the cells : the 
 other two, flanding backward, five feet eight 
 inches. 
 
 You are next to nail fome boards of ilit 
 deal horizontally from one of the fore-pofls to 
 the other, to fcreen the bees from the fun. 
 Let thefe boards be feven feet feven inches 
 in length, and nailed to the iniide of the 
 pofts, and be well feafoned, that they may 
 not iLrink or gape in the joints. 
 
 r, Cy are two fplines of deal, to keep the 
 boards even, and ftrengthen them. 
 
 Fig, 8 [PL I.) reprefents the back of the 
 frame, d, dy dy d, are four ftrong boards of the 
 fame length with the frame, on which you are 
 to place the boxes. Let the upper lide of them 
 be very fmooth and even, that the boxes may 
 fland true upon them: or it may beflill more 
 advifeable, to place under every pair of boxes a 
 fmooth thin board, as long as the boxes, and 
 about a quarter of an inch wider. The bees 
 will foon faften the boxes to this board, in 
 fiich manner, that you may move or weigh 
 the boxes and board together, without break- 
 ing the wax or reiin, which for many reafons 
 ought to be avoided. Thefe floors muft be 
 fupported by pieces of wood, or bearers f, e, 
 6cc. which are nailed from poft to poft at 
 each end. They are likewife to be well 
 nailed to the frame, to keep them from fink- 
 ing with the weight of the boxes. 
 
 /repre- 
 
124 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 f repiefents the roof, which projects back- 
 ward about leven or eight inches beyond the 
 boxes, to fl:!elter them from rain. 
 
 You have have now only to cut niches or 
 holes in the frame, over againft each mouth 
 or entrance into the boxes, at hy h, by in 
 Fig. J. Let thefe niches be near four inches 
 lono-j and under each you muft nail a fmall 
 piece of wood for the bees to alight upon. 
 
 The morning or evening fun will Ihine 
 upon one or both ends of the frame, let its 
 alped be what it will : but you may prevent 
 its over-heating the boxes, by a loofe board 
 fet up between the pofts, and kept in by two 
 or three pegs. 
 
 The fame gentleman, with great huma- 
 nity, obferves^ that no true lover of bees 
 ever lighted the fatal match without much 
 concern j and that it is evidently more to our 
 advantage, to fpare the lives of our bees, 
 and be content v/ith part of their ftores, than 
 to kill and take polTeifion of the whole. 
 
 About the latter end of Auguft, fays he, 
 by a little infpedion through your glaffes, you 
 m w eafily difcov.r which of your colonies you 
 may lay under contribution. Such as have 
 filled a box and an half with their works, will 
 pretty readily yield you the half box. But 
 you are not to depend upon the quantity of 
 cdmbs, without examining how they are flored 
 
 4 P. i8. 
 
 ■vvitBi 
 
in Boxes: 12^ 
 
 with honey. The bees llioiild, according to 
 him, have eight or nine pounds ^ left them, . 
 by way of wages for their lummer's work. 
 
 The moll proper time for this bufmefs 
 is the middle of the day^: and as you (land 
 behind the frame, you will need no armour, 
 except a pair of gloves. The operation itfelf 
 is very hmple, and eafily performed, thus: 
 open the mouth of the box you intend to 
 take; then, with a thin knife, cut through 
 the refm With which the bees have joined the 
 boxes to each other, till you find that you 
 have feparated them; and after this thruli a 
 fheet of tin gently in between the boxes. The 
 communication being hereby flopped, the 
 bees in the fullefl; box, where it moil likely 
 the queen is, will be a little diilurbed at 
 the operation ; but thofe in the other box, 
 where we fuppofe the queen is not, will run 
 too and fro in the utmoft hurry and confufion, 
 and fend forth a mournful cry, eafily diflin- 
 guifhed from their other notes. They will 
 iffue out at the newly opened door; not in a 
 body, as when they fwarm, nor with fuch calm 
 and chearful adiivity as when they go forth 
 to their labours ; but by one or two at a time, 
 with a wild flutter, and vifible rage and dif- 
 order. This, however, is foon over; for as 
 foon as they get abroad, and fpy their fellows, 
 
 r This is lefs by one half than other writers allow. 
 • P. 22. 
 
 they 
 
126 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 they fly to them inilantly, and join them at 
 the mouth of the other box. By this means, 
 in an hour or two, for they go out flowly, 
 you will have a box of pure honey, without 
 a living bee in it to moleft you ; and likewife 
 without dead bees, which, when you burn 
 them, are often mixed with your honey, and 
 both wafle and damage it. 
 
 Mr. White acknowledges f, that he has 
 fometimes found this method fail, when the 
 mouth of the box to be taken away has not 
 been conftantly and carefully clofed : the bees 
 will, in this cafe, get acquainted with it as 
 an entrance, and when you open the mouth 
 in order to their leaving this box, many of 
 them will be apt to return, and, the commu- 
 nication being {topped, will, in a fhort time, 
 carry away all the honey from this to the 
 other box ; fo much do they abhor a fepara- 
 tion. When this happens, he has recourfe 
 to the following expedient, which he thinks 
 infallible. He takes a piece of deal, a little 
 larger than will cover the mouth of the box, 
 and cuts in it a fquare nich fomewhat more 
 than half an inch wide. In this nich he hangs 
 a little trap door, made of a thin piece of tin, 
 turning upon a pin, with another pin croffing 
 the nich a little lower, fo as to prevent the 
 hanging door from opening both ways. This 
 being placed clofe to the mouth, the, bees 
 
 \ P. 25. 
 
 which 
 
in Boxes. 127 
 
 which want to get out will eafily thurft open 
 the door outwards, but cannot open it the 
 other way, to get in again ; lb muft, and will 
 readily, make to the other box, leaving this 
 in about the fpaee of two hours, with all its 
 ftore, juftly due to the tender hearted bee- 
 mafter, as a ranfom for their lives. 
 
 What led Mr. White to prefer colla- 
 teral boxes to thofe before in ufe, was", to 
 ufe his own words, his " compafilon for 
 " the poor bees, who, after traverfing the 
 '* fields, return home weary and heavy 
 " laden, and muft perhaps depofit their bur- 
 *' den up two pair of ftairs, or in the gar- 
 " ret. The lower room, it is likely, is not 
 ** yet furnifhed with ftairs: for, as is well 
 " known, our little archite(fts lay the foun- 
 *' dation of their ftrucflures at the top, and 
 " build downward. In this cafe, the weary 
 " little labourer is to drag her load up the 
 ** iides of the walls; and when Ihe has done 
 " this, flie will travel, many times, back- 
 '* ward and forward, as I have frequently 
 " feen, along the roof, before ftie finds the 
 '' door, or pafi^age into the fecond ftory; and 
 " here again flie is perplexed with a like puz- 
 ** zling labyrinth, before ftie gets into the 
 " third. What a wafte is here, of that pre- 
 ** cious time which our bees value fo much, 
 ** and which they employ fo well ? and what 
 
 u p. 35. 
 
 '' an 
 
128 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 *' an expencc of llrength and fpirits, on which 
 ** their fupport and fuftenance depends? In 
 " the collateral boxes, the rooms are all on 
 /' the ground floor: and becaufe I know my 
 <^ bees are wife enough to value convenience 
 ** more than ftate, I have made them of fuch 
 ** a moderate, though decent, height, that 
 " the bees have much lefs way to climb to 
 " the top of them, than they have to the 
 ** crown of a common hive." 
 
 Mr. White \\' is coniident that the ex- 
 pence of his boxes, and of the frame above 
 defcribed, will not, if a reafonable allowance 
 .be made for their duration, prove greater, in 
 the end, than the charge of ftraw hives, and 
 of the frames that are made, in moil: places, 
 for their reception : to which he adds, that 
 a great part of this expence may be faved, 
 if the bee-mafler can fpare a place within any 
 of his buildings, efpecially if they be boarded, 
 where he may fix his ftools for the boxes to 
 ftand on, making holes at proper diftances 
 for the bees to work out at: nor need he be 
 very folicitous concerning the afpe6t or height 
 of his buildings ; for bees have been known 
 to thrive well, and get a large quantity of 
 honey, though placed almoft at the top of a 
 high turret in Trinity College, and on the 
 north fide of it. 
 
 ^ P. 37. 
 
 Madam 
 
i?2 Boxes. 129 
 
 Madam Vicat, already mentioned with 
 well deferved commendation, having obferved 
 many inconveniencies attending the ufe of 
 boxes or hives which ftand on one another^ 
 likewife contrived what I may call collateral 
 boxes, of a very fimple and feemingly conve- 
 nient ftrudlure. 
 
 She tells us, that Ihe has always been of 
 opinion y, that the cells intended for breedr- 
 ing the young are placed in the centre of the 
 hive. The hive is both drier and v/armer 
 there than in any other part. The mcif- 
 ture which flies upwards might be prejudicial 
 to the young. The method which the bees 
 oblerve in laying up theii honey confirms 
 this opinion. The centre is the lall: part fil- 
 led, after the young broods are all become 
 bees; and this honey is the firft confumed, 
 probably to moke room for the queen's lay- 
 ing her eggs in thofe cells in the fpring. This 
 is much more likely, than that the bees ihould 
 eat that part firil:, becaufe it would putrefy if 
 kept. The queen begins early in the fpring 
 tp lay her eggs, and fne lays great numbers 
 of them. M. de Reaumur fays, that flie lays 
 two h^jndred eggs in twenty-four hours, and 
 that fix thoufand bees are fometimes brought 
 to perfection in the fpace of three weeks. 
 On this principle Madam Vicat has contrived 
 
 * Memoirs, &c. de la Sodete de Berne; Annee 1764, 
 Parti, p. 119. ylbid. p. 123. 
 
 K her 
 
^3*-^ 0/'//^^ Management of Bees 
 
 her boxes, fo that thefe cells, fo much wanted 
 
 in the fpring, fhall not be taken away. 
 
 She places her boxes on a flool, or rather 
 table, of fir ; for oak, being a more folid wood, 
 is colder, and thereby the bees, which either 
 fall or reft upon it in the winter, may be fo 
 chilled as not to be able to rife again. This 
 table is three feet long, fifteen inches in 
 breadth, and three inches thick. It Hopes 
 on the fides, which gives the middle an ele- 
 vation that keeps it dry in rainy weather. 
 There run along each fide two grooves, the 
 innermoll to receive the boxes, and the other, 
 which is deeper, to receive the cover. In 
 the middle of the table is a hole eight inches 
 fquare, which is clofed with a Aider fupported 
 underneath by grooves cut in the folid wood. 
 There is in the Aider a hole four inches fquare; 
 and this hole is covered with a plate of tin 
 pierced with little holes, like the nozzle of a 
 watering-pot, in order to admit air in hot 
 weather. For the winter, and for the cold 
 nights in fpring and autumn, there is a Aider 
 of folid fir, which keeps out the air. The ta- 
 ble is refted upon fourftrong feet, high enough 
 to admit of examining the Aate of the bees 
 from below. That the bees may have a con- 
 venient landing place before the hive, the ta- 
 ble is extended fome inches forward beyond 
 the cover, and terminates there in a femi- 
 circle. 
 
 The 
 
in Boxes. i-^r 
 
 The hive or colony is compofed of four 
 boxes, if I may be allowed this expreffion, 
 where there are only three fides. It may con- 
 lift of three or of two boxes, as may be mofl 
 agreeable to the owner. Each of the boxes 
 is made of three pieces of deal, a full half 
 inch thic,k. The two {landing pieces are each 
 eleven inches in height, and five and a half in 
 breadth, and are dove-tailed into the piece at 
 top, w^hich fets the two ftandards at the di- 
 stance of feven inches from each other above, 
 whilfl they are ten inches afimder at the bot- 
 tom. They are kept thus diftant by a rod, 
 or thin piece of wood, which at the fame time 
 renders the box the frronger. This rod is 
 placed within two inches of the bottom; and 
 another is made to crofs about an inch from 
 the top, in order to afford a prop or fray to 
 the combs. Thefe boxes are not jointed or 
 fet into each other. They are only fet quite 
 clofe together ; fo that any one of them may 
 be eaiily feparated from the reft of the colo- 
 ny. They are connected by rods of wood 
 which run along the whole colony, and pafs 
 through wooden rings fixed to each fide of 
 each box. Each of thefe wooden rods has a 
 hole in the end next the back of the colony, 
 fit to receive a large iron wire, which after 
 being pafied through the holes, is drawn tight, , 
 to fecure the piece of deal which forms the 
 back of the colony. The piece which forms 
 the fore-part of the colony is fecured by two 
 
 K 2 nuts 
 
1 3 2 Of the Management of Bees 
 
 nuts fcrewed on to the ends of the wooden 
 rods which come to the fore part of the co- 
 lony. By thefe means the boxes are kept very 
 cloie together. The pieces of deal at each 
 extremity of the colony or hive are exadtly 
 fitted to the boxes > fo as not to exceed them 
 in any part. Thefe pieces being placed only 
 at the extremities of the hives, when any part 
 is taken away, what remains may be flipt or 
 puihed forward or backward in the grooves, 
 and the extremities be immediately fitted 
 thereto. There is in the middle of the end- 
 pieces an opening, that in the front to give 
 an outlet to the bees, that in the rear to 
 be ufually ihut up. Three of thefe boxes 
 hold as much as an ordinary ftraw hive : but 
 the addition is not too much for a flrong flock 
 of bees. 
 
 There is on the table, as already men- 
 tioned, an outer groove to receive the cover 
 of the boxes, which is made of fir, above half 
 an inch thick. On one f de it is thirteen 
 inches high, and on the other feventeen ; fo 
 that there may be a dechvity fufficient to carry 
 off the rain water. There is in the fore part 
 of it an opening, anfwering to the opening in 
 the hive, to admit the bees. To this open- 
 ing in the cover a frame is fixed, either on a 
 pivot, or in a groove, and there are in it four 
 partitions, to be either turned on the pivot, 
 or moved in the groove, as occafion requires. 
 The firfi partition gives a free pafiage to the 
 
 bees 
 
in Boxes. Xj^ 
 
 bees, and is applied to the mouth of the cover 
 in the working or fwarming Teafon : the next 
 narrows the paflage fo that but few bees can 
 get out or in at a time, and is ufed when there 
 is danger of robbers; the third is pierced full 
 of holes to let in air, 'whilft it confines the 
 bees, and is ufed chiefly in the beginning and 
 end of winter: the fourth is intirely (liut, and 
 is applied when the weather is extremely cold. 
 
 It will be convenient to have panes of glafs 
 in the fides of the boxes ; and a hole to be 
 opened occafionally at top, through which a 
 thermometer may be introduced whenever it 
 is thought proper. 
 
 When one of thefe hives or colonies is firft 
 peopled, the upper piece or top of one of 
 the boxes is taken off, and the ftraw hive is 
 placed upon the opening, putting a grate of 
 wire in the hole, to prevent an union of the 
 combs in the box with thofe in the hive, 
 which would render the feparati,on more dif- 
 ficult. 
 
 In the month of October, the firft and 
 fourth boxes, counting from the entrance,, may 
 be taken away; and this at a time when we 
 are fure of not taking away any of the young 
 brood; nor, as we have juil obferved, any of 
 the cells appropriated for them, thefe being 
 in the midle of the hive. When a box is to 
 be taken away, the rod which holds the boxes 
 firmly connected is unfcrewed. The boxes 
 which are to remain untouched may be fecured 
 K3 by 
 
J 34 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 by ftaples. The opening in the bottom of 
 the piece of deal which forms the back part 
 of the hive is then to be opened, and the fmoke 
 of hnnen rags is blown into the box. As foon 
 as we can judge that the bees are by this means 
 driven oiit of the farther box, the end is loof- 
 ened and taken av/ay j then the box itfelf is 
 loofened from the next, and the combs, if 
 they run in a longitudinal diredtion, mult be 
 cut through with a wire, or a fharp thin knife. 
 If the combs run crofs-wife, they may be taken 
 out fingly, before the box is taken away. The 
 box being then removed, the piece of deal 
 forming the back of the hive is inunediately 
 joined to the remaining box, and fecured as 
 it was before. The fmoke fliould be kept up 
 all the time, to prevent interruption Irom the 
 bees. If the iirit box is to be taken away, ex- 
 actly the fame fteps are purfued ; and if it be 
 done when moil of the bees are abroad, fcarce 
 a bee will be loll:. 
 
 As foon as both boxes are taken away, the 
 remaining boxes fhould be Hipped forward, 
 fo as to make the front ftand where iX. did be- 
 fore; and when the additional boxes are ad- 
 ded in the fpring, the two remaining boxes are 
 pufhed back to the farther end. If the fea- 
 fon is favourable, both the old boxes may be 
 taken away in the fummer. 
 
 In this miCthod, no void fpace is left in the 
 hives, and confequently the bees are not there- 
 by expofed to fo great a degree of cold as might 
 
 endanger 
 
Explanation of Madam Vicafs Boxes, 13^ 
 
 endanger great numbers of their lives. We 
 fhould, on this account, avoid adding an 
 empty box whilft the nights continue cold in 
 the fpring. With proper care, the bees in- 
 creafe as faft in thefe colonies, as in any hives; 
 and if fwarms are wanted, it is but delaying 
 the addition of empty boxes in the fpring. 
 
 EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES 
 REPRESENTING MADAM FIC AT' S 
 BOXES. 
 
 LATE II. Fig. I. ABCD reprefents 
 
 the infide of the hive compofed of its 
 
 four boves put together, laid on their iides a a. 
 E E are rods with fcrews, which ferve to con- 
 ned the boxes of the hive. F F mark the 
 front and the back of the hive. G the mouth 
 of the fore part of the hive. 6 b are the bot- 
 toms of the boxes feen in their inlidesj but 
 properly the tops as they Hand in the hive. 
 c c are notches which ferve to faften the hive 
 to the ledge of the table. Fig. 3. dd are the 
 rods deftined to fupport the combs: thele rods 
 are eight in number, two to each box, which 
 they traverfe breadth-wife, ee are twofcrew- 
 nuts moveable along the rods E E, and which 
 ferve to faflen the boxes more or lefs clofely 
 to each other. ff^VQ the wooden ringsthrough 
 which the fere w- rods pafs. 
 
 Fig. 2. reprefents one of the boxes fepa- 
 rated from the hive. It fliews the fame parts, . 
 K 4 marked 
 
'3^ Q/ ^^^ Management of Bees. 
 
 marked with the fame letters, as in Fig. i ; 
 namely, a a the fides, b the bottom, dd the 
 rods, and y the ring of this box. 
 
 Fig. 3. Ihews the table of the hive feeri 
 from above A BCD. E is the back part 
 of this table. F F are hollows made in the 
 under fide of the table, to receive the legs 
 which are nailed to it. G a groove to receive 
 the fiider of the table reprefented in Fig. 5. 
 hi? ledges which enter into the notches c c. 
 of Fig. I. a a ledges which fix the cover 
 reprefented in Fig. 7. Cf is the opening made 
 in the table of the hive, in order to its being 
 vifited and cleaned by means of the drawer 
 
 Fig' 5- 
 
 Fig. 4. reprefents the under furface of the 
 table A B C D. E is the fore part of itj F F 
 are the hollows of the preceding figure. G 
 is likewife the fame groove as that oi Fig. 3. 
 and cc the fame ppening as the preceding 
 figure reprefents. 
 
 A, Fig. 5. reprefents the drawer of the 
 t^ble. BB is a linnen llider intended to let 
 air in at the bottom of the hive, a is the 
 handle of this drawer, bb are the ledges 
 which ferve to fecure it in the groove C of 
 Fig, 3 and 4. 
 
 Fig. 6. A B is the entire hive compofed 
 qf its four boxes a a bb-, of its fcrew-rods 
 EE; of its table abed, the fore part of 
 v/hich is marked E. The fore part of the 
 hive is marked F, and its mouth is marked 
 
 G. 
 
Of the Dtfeafes of Bees, 137 
 
 G. The ledges of the table are marked with 
 the fame letters a a bb as in the foregoing 
 figures; and the feet ff are nailed in the 
 notches on each fide of the groove g made 
 to receive the drawer reprefented by Fig. 5. 
 
 A B, Fig. 7. is the cover with its move- 
 able circle, in which laft the part e is pierced 
 with holes, y'is quite open, ggggg are five 
 little arched openings for the pafiage of the 
 bees, and the ufe of the clofe part d is to ihut 
 ir^ir.ly the opening G of the foregoing figure, 
 when the weather is too cold for the bees. 
 
 N. B. The fcrew-rods (hould not be made 
 to projed: on each lide of the hive fo much as 
 they do in Fig. i ; but they fhould be as re- 
 prefented in Fig. 6. where tliey are faftened 
 behind by means of an iron rod. 
 
 Having thus given an account of every 
 method that has been or now is pradlifed for 
 obtaining the honey and wax, I fhall proceed 
 to confider what farther is wanted in order to 
 fecure the future welfare of the bees. 
 
 OF THE DISE4SES OF BEES. 
 
 IT has been already mentioned, that be- 
 fore the honey is taken all the hives {hould 
 be examined, to know what ftate they are in. 
 Every hive fi.ould have at leaft fifteen, but 
 rather twenty, pounds of honey in it, for the 
 winter picvifion of the bees. If they have 
 pot that quantity, the deficiency (hould be 
 
 2 made 
 
138 Of the Mmtagement of Bees. 
 
 made up to them. The befl way of doing 
 this is not yet fufficiently afcertained, as will 
 foon appear more fully when we fhall have 
 confidered the effects of cold on the bees, and 
 efpecially on the honey. 
 
 Providence has ordained that infedls which 
 feed on leaves, flowers, and green fucculent 
 plants, are in an infenlible or torpid flate from 
 the time that the winter's cold has deprived 
 them of the means of fubfirtence. Thus the 
 bees, during the winter, are in fo lethargic a 
 ftate, that little food fupports them : but as 
 the weather is very changeable, and every 
 warm or funny day revives them, and prompts 
 them to return to exercife; food becomes ne- 
 cefTary on thefe occafions. Mr. White very 
 judicioufly obferves s that a greater degree of 
 cold than is commonly imagined to be proper 
 for bees, is favourable to them in winter. If 
 a fliarpt* froft continues for two or three 
 months, without intcrmilTion, you may ob- 
 ferve, through your glafs, that the bees are all 
 this time clofely linked together in clufters 
 between the combs. If they are not altoge- 
 ther without motion, yet it is certain they flir 
 not from their places, while the cold con- 
 tinues, and therefore eat not at all. — This 
 gives us a plain reafon why more bees are ob- 
 ferved to die in open and warm, than in cold 
 and fevere winters. 
 
 a P. 9. ^ P. 10. 
 
 We 
 
Of the Difeafes of Bees. 13^ 
 
 We are indebted to Madam Vicat for an 
 obfervation which plainly fl:iews, that the win- 
 ter brings deftrudtion on whole hives, from a 
 caufe not thought of before. I fhall give 
 nearly her own account of it, as delivered in 
 the above mentioned memoirs of the Berne 
 Society ^. The farmer to whom flie intrufts 
 the care of her bees in the country loft a hive 
 in the winter of 1763, in a manner that had 
 never happened before. There was plenty 
 of provilion in the hive, and it was as well 
 flocked with bees as any other. They did 
 not die of cold, for the weather was warm, 
 and they went abroad the day before their al- 
 mofl Hidden delfrudfion. Of eight hives 
 which he had in another apiary, (m perifhed 
 in the fime manner. 
 
 She had a glafs hive, in which the number 
 of bees was reduced in the fpring to about 
 four hundred. In order to ftrengthen it, fhe 
 refolved to take about a thoufand bees from 
 one of her flrongefl: hives, and to add them 
 to this. She knew that bees, by being bathed 
 together, are reconciled to one another as foon 
 as they return to life , and therefore took the 
 following method. She held the mouth of a 
 wide-mouth'd bottle to the opening of the 
 flrong hive, whilll, with the other hand, flie 
 gently ftruck the hive. Upon this, the bees 
 
 c Annee 1764. Part iv. p. 112. 
 
 iffued 
 
140 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 ilTued into the bottle held clofe to the mouth 
 of the hive J and as foon as flie judged that a 
 fufticient number of them had entered the 
 bottle, fhe clapped a paper over the mouth,, 
 and held the bees prifoners. The bees in the 
 glafs hive were fo m,uch chilled by the cold 
 of the night, that they eafily fell down when 
 this hive was ftruck, and were taken. After 
 the bees had been a few minutes in the water, 
 fhe fpread them out on a brown paper to dry, 
 and afterwards put them into a bag of cleai'^ 
 fieve-cloth. It was not neceiTary to bathe the 
 queen. She therefore fecured her under a 
 glafs, with about a dozen of bees to keep her 
 warm. The bees being all returned to life, 
 flie put the queen into the hive, ancj applying 
 the mouth of the bag to the mouth of the 
 hive, all the bees entered, and ranged them- 
 felves on the combs. 
 
 At night fhe drew out the ilider in order 
 to wipe the bottom of the hive. There flie 
 found a great deal of candied honey, and fe- 
 veral bees which feemed to be expiring. In 
 the morning, fhe found many more in thq, 
 fame lituation, and knew not what to impute 
 it to. This was on the 24th of March ; and 
 the weather was fo cold, that the bees of her 
 o-ther hives did not go abroad. At eleven in 
 the morning, ihe faw the queen in the midft 
 of a group of bees on a comb. She could not 
 conceive the meaning of a noii'e that was fre- 
 quently made in the hive. As often as {lie 
 
 b.eard 
 
Of the Difeafes of Bees. 141 
 
 heard this noife flie approached, and was 
 grieved to lee numbers of bees fall to the bot- 
 tom. They ftruggled as much as poffible to 
 get upon the combs, but could not. 
 
 She had never heard that candied honey is 
 prejudicial to bees j yet could not account for 
 this havock from any other caufe : for the 
 beeSj not being able to fwallow the candied 
 honey, emptied it out of the combs, in order 
 to come at fuch as they could fwallow. The 
 candied honey falling on the bottom of the 
 hive, the bees could not ftir without daubing 
 themfeives in it. Their legs were clogged 
 with it, and by their endeavours to rid one 
 another of it, they daubed each other more 
 and more. Their bodies were fmeared with 
 it, and their wings fo loaded that they could 
 not fly. 
 
 On the morning of the 25th; flie fearched 
 in vain for the queen on the combs, where 
 only a few bees now remained free from this 
 misfortune. In general, the queen is the 
 laft that fuffers any injury j by reafon of the 
 great care which the other bees take of her. 
 Here, that very care became her deftrudiion -, 
 for, all of them being more or lefs clogged 
 with candied honey, their endeavours to help 
 her ferved only to increafe her already too great 
 load. All attempts to relieve them were fruit- 
 iefs. 
 
 The honey does not candy every year; and 
 even in the coldeft weather this accident is not 
 
 univerfal. 
 
142 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 unlverfal. Madam Vicat had an inflance of 
 it J for, in an apiary where there were a dozen 
 hives, only one periflied ; and in another where 
 fix perifhed, two remained fafe. It fecms 
 probable, that the honey candies when the 
 weather changes fuddenly from warm to 
 cold. Whilft the weather continues cold, 
 the bees remain in a lethargic jftate, eat none 
 of it, and therefore do not then open any of 
 the cells : but if there be returns of warm 
 weather, they want food in this weather, and 
 in this cafe they do open their cells. A fudden 
 return of cold congeals or candies the honey in 
 thefe open cells. On the return of warm 
 weather, the bees return to the cells they had 
 opened, and finding there a fubftance which is 
 too folid to pafs into their ffomachs, or which 
 they cannot fwallow, they throw it out of the 
 cells, in fearch of good honey : the candied 
 honey falls upon the ftool, or bottom of the 
 hive, and by this means they make their own 
 graves. The antients feem to have knov^^n that 
 candied honey is prejudicial to bees. Virgil 
 cautions particularly againft leaving an opening 
 fo large as to admit a degree of cold capable of 
 congealing the honey. 
 
 Many hives of bees which are thought to 
 die of cold in the winter, in truth die of fa- 
 mine ; as was the cafe in the winter of i/fp : 
 for the conflant rains of the preceding fummer 
 hindered the bees from laying in a fufficient 
 flore of provifions. The hives fhould be care- 
 fully 
 
Of the Difeafes of Bees. 1 43 
 
 fully examined in the autumn, and fhould then 
 weigh at leart eighteen pounds. 
 
 These obfervations of Madam Vicat's feem 
 to account more rationally than any other rea- 
 fons I have yet (ttn affigned, for a purging 
 which writers fpeak of as incident to bees in 
 the fpring. Columella defcribes it d as an an- 
 nual diilemper which feizes them in the fpring, 
 when the fpurge blolToms, and the elm dif- 
 cloles its feeds j for that the bees, being allured 
 by the jfirft flowers, feed fo greedily upon them, 
 that they furfeit themfelves therewith, and die 
 of a loofenefs if they are not fpeedily relieved. 
 He relates Hyginus's adviling, in this cafe, to 
 cover the bees with afhes of the fig tree ; and 
 affirms, that, being enlivened by the warmth 
 of thefe afhes, the bees will revive in two 
 hours, and go into a hive brought to them. 
 Columella advifes giving them rofemary and 
 honey diluted with water. Ariftomachus feems 
 to have prefcribed the mod: effediual cure, 
 namely, to take away all the vitiated combs, 
 that is, all the combs in which there are open 
 cells appearing to contain candied honey. 
 
 The authors of the Maifon rufiique^ im- 
 pute this purging to the bees feeding on pure 
 honey, which does not form a food fufficiently 
 fubftantial for them, unlefs they have bee-bread 
 to eat at the fame time ; and advife giving 
 them a honey-comb taken from another hive, 
 
 d Lib. ix. c. 13. e Tom. i. part i. liv. v. c. i, p. 
 454. 7th Edit. 4to. 
 
 5 the 
 
144 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 the cells of which are filled with crude wax oi 
 bee- bread. 
 
 Upon the whole, there is an undoubted 
 want of experiments to afcertain both the time 
 and the manner in which bees (liould be fed. 
 It is certain, that honey is more apt to candy 
 when mixed with a frnall proportion of water, 
 than it is in its natural ftate. For this reafon, 
 I {hould defer till fpring the feeding of the bees, 
 and then feed them fparingly, as occafions may 
 require. The common pra(ilice is to hcS them 
 in the autumn, giving them as much honey as 
 will bring the whole weight of the hive to near 
 twenty pounds. To this end, the honey is di- 
 luted with water, and then put into an empty 
 comb, fplit reeds, or, as Columella direds ^, 
 upon clean wool, which the bees will fuck 
 perfectly dry. 
 
 The following dire(5lions given for this 
 purpofein the Mai [on ruftiqueg feem to be very 
 judicious. Replenifh the weak hives in Sep- 
 tember, with fuch a portion of combs full of 
 honey, taken from other hives, as (hall be 
 judged to be a fufficient fupply for them. In 
 order to do this, turn up the weak hive, after 
 taking the precaution of defending yourfelf 
 with the fmoke of rags, cut out the empty 
 combs, and put the full ones in their place, 
 where fecure them with pieces of wood run 
 a-crofs, in fuch manner that they may not fall 
 
 f Lib. ix. c. 14. gTom. i. part i. liv. v. c. i. p. 435. 
 
 down 
 
Of the Difeafes of Bees, 1 45 
 
 down when the hive is returned to its place. 
 The bees will foon fix them more efFe(5tually, 
 If this method be thought too troublefome, fet 
 under the hive a plate of liquid honey, unmix^ 
 with water, with ftraws laid a-crofs it, and 
 over thefe a paper pierced full of holes, through 
 which the bees will fuck the honey without 
 daubing themfelves. This fhould be done in 
 cloudy or rainy weather, when the bees flir 
 leaft abroad ; and the hive fhould be covered, 
 to proted: the bees from robbers, who might be 
 allured to it by the fmell of the honey. 
 
 Another circumflance which may render 
 it very neceffary to feed the bees, is, when feve- 
 ral days of bad weather enfue immediately after 
 they have fwarmed ; for then, being deftitute 
 oi every fupply beyond what they carried wit^ 
 them, they may be in great danger of being 
 flarved. In this cafe honey fhould be given 
 them, in proportion to the duration pf the bad 
 weather. 
 
 The degree of cold which bees can endure 
 has not been afcertained. We find that they live 
 the cold parts of Rufha, and often in hollow 
 trees, without any care being taken of then?. 
 Their hives are frequently made of the 
 bark of trees, which does not afford them 
 much protedion from cold. Mr. White ^^ 
 therefore judicioufly confirms Mr. Gedde's ob- 
 fervation, that bees which fland on the north 
 fide of a building whofe height intercepts the 
 h p. ir. 
 
 L fun's 
 
146 Of tie Management of Bees. 
 
 fun's beams all the winter, will wafte lefs of 
 their provifions (almoft by half) than others 
 which ftand in the fun : for coming feldom 
 forth, they eat little, and yet, in the fpring, 
 are as forward to work and fwarm, as tho(e 
 which had twice as much honey in the autumn 
 before. The owner fliould, however, ex- 
 amine their ilate in the winter, and if he finds 
 that, infkad of being cluftered between the 
 combs, they fall down in numbers on the ftool 
 or bottom of the hive, the hive fliould be car- 
 ried to a warmer place, where they will foon 
 recover. He muil be cautious in returning 
 them again to the cold, left the honey be can- 
 died, as before obferved. 
 
 Where the winters are extremely fevere, 
 the authors of the Maifon rufticjtie advife i, to lay 
 on the bottom of an old cafk the depth of half 
 a foot of very dry earth, powdered, and prefled 
 down hard, and to fet on this the ftool witb 
 the hive ; then, to preferve a communication 
 with the air, which is abfolutely necefTary, to 
 cut a hole in the cafk, oppofite to the mouth 
 of the hive, and place a piece of reed, or of 
 elder made hollow, from the mouth of the 
 hive to the. hole in the cailc; and after this to 
 cover the hive with more of the fame dry earth. 
 If there be any room to fear that the bees will 
 not have a fuflkicncy of food, a plate with 
 honey, covered as before direded, may be put 
 
 * Tom. i. parti. liv. v. c. i. p. 441. 
 
 under 
 
Of Separating the Honey and Wax. 1 47 
 
 under the hive. If the number of hives be 
 great, boxes may be made of deals nailed to- 
 gether, deep enough to contain the hives when 
 covered u^ith dry earth. The bees will thus 
 remain all the winter free from any danger 
 from cold, hunger, or enemies. 
 
 OF SEPARATING T'HE HO MET 
 FROM THE WAX. 
 
 IN order to feparate the honey from the waxj 
 the combs Ihould be laid in a place per- 
 fedly fecure from the accefs of bees j for other- 
 wife the bees wouici not only carry off much 
 honey, but alfo be extremely troublefome, by 
 flinging the people at work. It is proper to 
 burn cow-dung or rotten hay at the doors and 
 windows of this place; becaufe the fmell of 
 the fmoke arifing from thence is fo difagreeable 
 to the bees, that it will drive them away. If 
 any bees remain in the combs, they (hould be 
 bfutlied off with the wing of a fowl into a tub 
 of water, and being afterwards dried in another 
 place, they wid fly back to their hive If the 
 combs are taken out of the hive before the end 
 of autumn, there are generally young bees in 
 them. The parts of the combs in which thcfe 
 are (hould be laid afide, for they would give a 
 bad tafte to the honey. The bee-bread muft 
 alfo be fCparated, and both ihouid be melted 
 with the wax, 
 
 L 2 Be- 
 
148 Of the Managcmeiit of Bca, • 
 
 Before the combs are laid to drain out their 
 honey, they fhould be carefully cleaned of every 
 fort of filth, or infe6ts. The craft with which 
 the bees cover the honey in them fhould then 
 be pared off with a fharp thin broad knife^ 
 and the combs themfelves fhould be divided^ 
 through the middle, in fuch manner as to 
 render the cells open at both ends, that the 
 honey may flow the more freely out of them. 
 The combs fhould be laid in this flate on fieves, 
 or fome other contrivance which will afford 
 the honey a free pafTage. It will run quite 
 clear; and the honey thus obtained fhould be 
 -kept by itfelf, as being the purefl and befl. 
 
 The combs which are but partly filled, and 
 alfo thofe that were full and have done running, 
 are broken by hand, and the honey in them is 
 fqueezed out. Some put the broken combs 
 into a flrong bag, and then ufe a prefs to 
 iqueeze the honey out of them j and even warm 
 the broken combs with the help of fire : but 
 neither of thefe laft confidcr that, in both thefe 
 ways, much of the wax pafTes through the bag 
 with the honey, and that the wax being of 
 greater value than the honey, the owner fuf- 
 tains a lofs in that refped:, befides that his 
 honey becomes the lefs valuable, in proportion 
 to its being lefs pure. It rs true, that great 
 part of the wax thus mixed with the honey 
 foon rifcs to the furface, and may be t^ken ofF, 
 cfpecially after the honey is grown hard* 
 
 Tiic 
 
Of Separating the Honey and Wax. 149 
 The makers of mead need not be extremely 
 folicitous about feparating the honey fo very 
 per fed ly from the wax, becaufe, by wafhing 
 the wax in cold water, the honey will dilTolve 
 in the water, and the wax being ftralned from 
 it by running the water through a coarfe cloth, 
 neither bad tafte nor impurity will be com^ 
 municated by it to the water, which may af- 
 terwards be ufed for making mead. The wax 
 that has been flcimmed off the honey feparated 
 by preiTure, (hould be waflied in the fame 
 manner ; becaufe, by this means, no part of 
 the wax will be lofl. 
 
 The goodnefs and flavour of honey depend 
 on the fragrance of the plants from which the 
 bees collex^t it : and hence it is that the honey 
 of different places is held in different degrees 
 of eftimation. That which is made early ia 
 the year is alfo preferred to what is colleded i;i 
 the latter end of the feafon. 
 
 In order to obtain the wax in a pure flate, 
 what remains of the combs after feparating the 
 honey, together with the combs which contain 
 bee-bread and young bees or maggots, is put 
 into, a copper with a fufficient quantity of clean 
 water, which is made to boil over a flow fire, 
 and flirred frequently with a ftick. When the 
 wax is melted, it is run through bags, which 
 are put into a prefs, to feparate the wax perfe(ftly. 
 The wax runs from the preis into a veffel 
 placed underneath, with fome water in it, to. 
 prevent the wax from fficking to it. What 
 
 L 3 re-^ 
 
1 50 Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 mains after the preflure may be again boiled 
 in water, in order to obtain more wax from it : 
 and this ifhould be repeated by flow boilings, 
 rather than by boiling it ftrongly at once. 
 
 When all the wax is thus Separated from 
 the dregs, it is again melted in water, over a 
 very gentle fire, and ikimmed clean whilft 
 any fcum arifes. It is then powred into veffels 
 fuited to give it the defired form, after pre- 
 vioully putting into them a little water, to keep 
 the wax from flicking to them. Thefe vefTcls 
 are then carried into a place where the wax 
 may cool gradually. It is found that, the 
 larger the cakes of wax are, the better the 
 wax keeps, and the higher price it brings j 
 alfo, that the more gently it has been boiled, 
 the better it likewife is : for too hafty boiling 
 renders it hard, and this increafes the difficulty 
 of bleaching it. Whatever filth flicks to the 
 bottom of the cake is fcraped off with a knife. 
 
 I HAVE hitherto fuppofed the hufbandman to 
 be pofTeiTed of beesj but as this cannot always 
 b^ the cafe, I fhall here fubjoin fome diredions 
 to guide him in choofing them. 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR PURCHASING 
 Of BEES. 
 
 THE fpring is the mofl proper feafon for 
 purchafing of bees, becaufe they have 
 ^hen paiTed the dangers ^ of the winter. The 
 
 fum 
 
"DlreSltomfor purch'jfing Bees. 151 
 
 fummer is an improper time for buying them, 
 becaufe the heat of the weather then foftens the 
 wax, and thereby renders the combs liable to 
 break, if they are not very well fecured. The 
 honey too, being then thinner than at other 
 times, is more apt to run out of the cells, 
 which is attended with a double difadvantage, 
 namely, the lofs of the honey, and the daubing 
 of the bees, whereby many of them may be 
 deftroyed. A firft and flrong fwarm may in- ' 
 deed be purchafed, and be carried away in the 
 night after it has been hived. 
 
 The hive fliould be full of combs, and well 
 ftored with bees. The purchafer fhould exa* 
 mine the wax ^, in order to know the age of 
 the hive. The combs of a year old are white ; 
 thofe of two years are dark coloured, or yel- 
 low ; and where the combs are black, the 
 hive fliould be rejeded -, becaufe old hives are 
 mod: apt to be infedted with the moth, and 
 moft liable to other accidents. For this reafon, 
 the ftate of the combs fliould be examined as 
 high up as poffible ; becaufe the lower parts of 
 the combs may have been cut off, and renewed 
 in the preceding fummer^ It fometimes, 
 though rarely, happens, that two queens con- 
 tinue to govern feparately in the fame hive ^ ; 
 and in this cafe a large comb forms the barrier. 
 Such hives fhould be rejected, becaufe there is 
 
 ^ Maifon Ruftique, torn. i. p. 415. 7th Edit. ^ Ibid. 
 
 L 4 not 
 
jfi Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 not in tbem that harmony which is neceffary 
 for the fiiccefs of the bees. 
 
 In order to j 'dge of the ftate of the 
 hive it may be raifed a little in the evening, fo 
 as to admit a more than ufual degree of cold ; 
 for this will drive the bees to the top of the hive, 
 and fo benumb them, that the next morning 
 there will be no danger of their flinging,. If 
 any fuch danger does appear, a pot of lighted 
 charcoal, with fome linen rags upon it, may 
 be got ready, and held under the hive whilfl: 
 it is pulled back in order to be examined. 
 
 We may alfo judge of the thriving ftate 
 of the hive by the iollowing appearances. Bees 
 which are in good condition will get into the 
 fields early in the morning, return loaded, 
 enter boldly, and not come out o\ the hive in 
 bad weather ; for when they do, this indicates 
 that they arc in great want of provifions. They 
 are alert on the leaft difturbance y they preferve 
 their hive free from all filth, or dead nymphs 
 or bees ; they are ready to alfift the bees which 
 return loaded from the fields, and to defend 
 the hive againft every enemy that dares to ap- 
 proach : they make a continual humming 
 noiie, which increafes on the leaft touch. In- 
 deed, by the loudnefs of the humming we; 
 may judge of the ftrength and progrefs of the 
 laive, and therefore this (hould be frequently 
 noticed, to enable us to form the better judg- 
 pieot of the flate the bees are in. 
 
 The 
 
DireBions for dif covering Bees in Woods, i^x 
 
 The authors of the Mai f on ruftiqiie oblerveni, 
 that a particular fpecies of wood-bees, larger 
 than the domeftic bees, and of a dark brown 
 coloar, fometimes mix with thefe laft, and, 
 in this cafe, often carry tliem off, being of a 
 reftlefs di'pofition. They advife killing all 
 fuch, whenever they are obferved. However 
 this may be, the fpecies of domeftic bees is fre- 
 quently found in woods and forefts. Colu- 
 mella thought it of fuch importance to be able 
 to difcover them there, that he gives the fol- 
 lowing directions for that purpofe ". 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR DISCOVERING 
 BEES IN WOODS OR FORESTS. 
 
 APRIL, when the willow is in bloom, 
 or May, when the white thorn bblToms, 
 is a proper fcafon for difcovering the abode of 
 bees in woods, or near any place vvhere there 
 is plenty of flowers. They are alfo found to 
 refort to neighbouring fprings. It is proper to 
 obferve early in the morning, whether many 
 or f^w frequent thefe places : if but few, their 
 abode is diftant, or their whole ftock is not 
 numerous : but if they appear in numbers, 
 there is the greater room for hope to find their 
 habitation. 
 
 Their return to fprings being frequent, you 
 may ufe the following method to difcover the 
 
 ° Ubi fupra, p. 416. a ijb. ix. c. 8. 
 
 diftance 
 
I fj^ Of the Management of Bees. 
 
 diftance at which they live from the fpring. 
 Have by you fome oker diflblvcd in water, and 
 wet in this fome ftalks of grafs, with which 
 touch the bees on the back when they come. 
 By their being thus marked, vou will be able 
 to judge whether they return foon ; if they do, 
 it is a fign that their home is not far off j and 
 by the time they take to appear again^ you 
 will be able to judge at what diftance it is. If 
 they return foon, you may perhaps follow- 
 them to their place of refort. 
 
 If the bees come from a-far off, more 
 ikill is requifite to difcover their dwelling; and 
 in this cafe, the following method may be ufed. 
 Cut an intire joint off a large reed, with the 
 knot at one end ; bore a hole in the fide of it, 
 and through this drop fome honey into its in- 
 iide ; then lay it near the fpring or other refort 
 of the bees. When the fmell of the honey 
 has inticed fome of them into it, take it up, 
 clapping your thumb on the orifice, and let 
 go one of the bees, which purfue as long as you 
 can keep fight of it. When you have loft 
 fight of it, let another fly ; and if it follows 
 the fame courfe, continue the purfuit. By 
 this means you will be led to their abode. If 
 any of the bees take a different courfe, let 
 another fly, and fo on, till you find one take 
 the fame courfe as the firft : or if you find two 
 or more fly the fame way, though different 
 from that of the firft, purfue them, 
 
Dire5f ions for difcoijenng Bees in Woods, i^^ 
 
 If the bees are lodged in a cave, they muft 
 be expelled by fmoke ; and when they are fet- 
 tled on a tree or (hrub, put them into a proper 
 hive, in the ufual way, and carry them home 
 in the night. You may then fafely get at their 
 honey. If they have taken up their ftation in 
 a hollow tree, the upper part of the tree fhould 
 be fawed off, as near to them as may be with- 
 out touching them, and then a farther part of 
 it fhould be fawed off jull: below them, with 
 the fame precaution as before. The hollow 
 part of the tree, thus cut at both ends, fhould 
 be covered with a clean cloth, a circumftance 
 of great irnportance j and if there be any chinks 
 in it, thefe muft be filled up with proper 
 plaifter, fo as to leave only one opening for the 
 common paffage of the bees. In this ftate, it 
 is placed in the apiary. This work muft be 
 done in the morning, that you may have the 
 remainder of the day before you. 
 
 Some rub hives with aromatic plants agree- 
 able to bees, and then with honey , after which 
 they place them near to fprings or other places 
 that bees refort to, efpecially about their time 
 of fwarming. The bees, thus allured, fettle 
 fometimes in thefe hives, which are afterwards 
 carried home. 
 
 The reader of this elTay may not be difpleafed 
 at niy clofing it with the following 
 
i^6 Of the Management of Ben. 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING MEAD, 
 
 ALL the writers who have hitherto treated of 
 this fubjedl, have given into a capital error 
 with regard to the (Irength of this liquor, by di- 
 recting too great a proportion of honey to be 
 diflblved in. the water. The ufual pradlice of 
 making it fo llrong as to bear an egg, is very 
 wrong. The liquor is thereby rendered a 
 jjiere flum, and this bad quality is ftill in- 
 creafed by the long boiling generally pra^tifed. 
 It is fcarcely pofTible to procure honey fo pure 
 bat that fome bee-bread, wax, or other fub-v 
 llance Is mixed with it ; and this cannot be 
 pcrfedly feparated from it, fo far as I know, 
 but by boiling. On this account, therefore, the 
 jboiling of mead feems indifputably necelTary. 
 tn order the more effedually to feparate thefe 
 Impurities ■ from the liquor intended to be 
 boiled, it is advifable to mix fome whites of 
 5:gg.s with it before it Is put on the fire : very 
 particular care mufl: abfolutely be taken to fkim 
 gfr*the thick fcum that rifes upon it, the mo- 
 ment before it begins to boil, and this muft be 
 aittentively continued fo long a^ it does boil. 
 The only intention of boiling being here to fe- 
 parate the impurities, and to make a perfect 
 union of the water and the honey, both which 
 puipofcs rire very foon obtained, it evidently 
 apptars that the boiling need be of but very 
 flioit duradon. This circumftance (hould be 
 
 par-- 
 
Dire^ions for making Mead. i^j 
 
 particularly attended to in making of mead ^ be- 
 caufe, the longer the boiling has been conti- 
 nued, the lefs will the liquor be difpofed to 
 ferment kindly. It is perhaps owing to our 
 too long boiling only, that mead, highly ef- 
 teemed by moft of the northern nations, has 
 long lain under difcredit in this country j a dif- 
 credit from which it might probably be re- 
 trieved, if due care were taken to prepare it 
 rightly. The common method of boiling it 
 too much has always prevented its fermenting 
 fufficiently to remove its lufcious fweetnefsj 
 whereas, were it to undergo a due fermenta- 
 tion, that fweetnefs would go off, and the 
 liquor would acquire a fine racy flavour. 
 
 Some notable houfewives have added hops 
 to their mead. This helps to take off its 
 fweetnefs, and, as the bitternefs of the hop 
 goes off, ^ives it a pleafant flavour. A fer- 
 ment is here, as in all vinous liquors that are 
 boiled, generally wanted, to bring on a perfect 
 fermentation : but as the leaft taint in the fer- 
 ment will communicate itfelf to the whole li- 
 quor, due care fhould be taken that it be 
 very fweet and good. Mead, judicioufly ma- 
 naged on thefe principles, will keep for years, 
 and be improved by age. It is racked, fined, 
 &c. in the fame manner as other white wines. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
This Day is Puhlijhcd, 
 
 By J, Johnfon and B. Davenport in Pater- nofter-rov/* 
 
 I. A NEW and COMPLETE SYSTEM of PRACTI- 
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 Ornament and Improvement of the Country Gentleman's 
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 in Boards, or 30s. Bound. 
 
 II. THE SEMI-VIRGILIAN HUSBANDRY, deduced 
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 .2. A choice Colleftion of Pfalm and HyjEO Tunes, Canons 
 
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 try Choirs, as well as in the Gorigregations and other religious 
 Societies in London and Weftminitcr, 
 
 Ti^e folldiKiing BOOK, di-fgned to Jh. iv the true Spirit of the 
 Roman Catholic Rtligion, is jio'vj republijhed, at the Requeji of 
 fome judicious Per Jons, as the le/l Prejervatife again ft the prefent 
 dreadful Groivth of Popery, fo fi:uch lavicntfd by every Fri.nd 
 to the Ptotefiant Religion, and the Rights of Mankind. 
 
 The Fifft and Second Iropreffions having been fold off in a few 
 Months, this Day is pubJilhcd, Price 4s. 6d. bound, the 
 Third Edition of 
 
 V. THE BOOK of MARTYRS : or, The Hiftory of Pa- 
 ganism and Popery. From the Birth of Chrift to the laft 
 Confpiracy againft King William III. Containing 1. An Ac- 
 count of the Sufferings and Crucifixion of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Chr st; with the Sufferings and Martyrdoms of the 
 Apoftles and Primitive Chriftians, under the Ten Heathen 
 Perfecutions : And alfo the Life of Conftantine the Great, the 
 firft Chriftian Emperor. 2. A Difplay of the horrid Perfecu- 
 tions and Cruelties exercifed upon Proteftatits by the Papifts : 
 as the Perfecution of the Waldenfes and Albigenfes ; the Maf- 
 facre of the Proteftants in Piedmont and France, with the Par- 
 ticulars of the bloody Maffacre ac Paris, the Siege of Rochel, 
 &c. the Perfecution of the Proteftants in the Principality of 
 Orange, Bohemia, Hungary, the Palatinate, Germany, Li- 
 thuania, Italy, Spain, (with an Account of the bloody Inqui- 
 fition) Portugal, and the Low- Countries. 3. The Englifli 
 Martyrology ; containing an Account of the Sufferings ot the 
 Proteftant Martyrs in the Reigns of Henry IV. V. VIII. and 
 that of Queen Mary ; wherein is occafionaUy introduced fome 
 Ihort Memorials of the Reformation. 4. The Romifh Perfe- 
 cutions in Scotland. 5. The Romifh Perfecution in Ireland. 
 6. A fhort Account of the Spanifh Invafion, 1588. 7. The 
 Gun-Powder Treafon, 1605. 8. The Fire of London, 1666. 
 ■9. The horrid Popifh Plot in 1678. 10, The murther of Sir 
 Edmundbury Godfrey. 11. The dctcflablc Confpiracies of the 
 Papilb, and their Adherents, againft King William III. 
 72. God's Judgments upon Perfecutors. 13. A fliort Account 
 of the m^ft material Errors now taught in the Romilh Church, 
 
..^.tf^riht^.' 
 

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