take the places of
those that get destroyed, or die of age.
To winter bees well, utterly exclude the light during all the cold
weather, until it becomes so warm, that they will not get so chilled
when out that they can not return. Intense cold is not injurious to
bees, provided they are kept in the hive and are dry. A large swarm,
will not eat two pounds of honey during the whole cold winter, if kept
from the light. When tempted out, every warm day they come into the
sunshine and empty themselves, and return to consume large quantities of
honey. Kept in the dark, they are nearly torpid, eat but a mere trifle,
and winter well. Whatever your hive or house, then, keep your bees
entirely from the light, in cold weather. This is the only reason why
bees keep so well in a dark dry cellar, or buried in the ground, with
something around them, to preserve them from moisture, and a conductor
through the surface, to admit fresh air. It is not because it keeps out
the cold, but because it excludes the light, and renders the bees
inactive. Gilmore's patent bee-house, is a great improvement on this
account.
Of the diseases of bees, such as dysentery, &c., we shall not treat. All
that can profitably be done, to remedy these evils, is secured by salt,
water, and properly-prepared food, as given above.
But the great question in bee-culture is, How to prevent the depredation
of the wax-moth? To this subject, much study has been given, and
respecting it many theories have been advanced. The following
suggestions are, to us, the most satisfactory. The miller, that
deposites the egg, which soon changes to the worm, so destructive in the
beehive, commences to fly about, at dark. In almost every country-house,
they are seen about the lights in the evening. They are still during all
the day. They are remarkably attracted by lights in the evening. Hence
our first rule:--
1. Place a teasaucer of melted lard or oil, with a piece of cotton
flannel for a wick, in or near the apiary at dusk; light it and allow it
to burn till near morning, expiring before daylight. This done every
night during the month of June, will be very effectual.
2. Keep grass and weeds away from the immediate vicinity of your apiary.
Let the ground be kept clean and smooth. This destroys many of the
hiding-places of the miller, and forces him away to spend the day. This
precaution has many other advantages.
3. Keep large strong colonies. They will be able to gua
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