Chapter 9, Item 62a
Bees and honey
27. Observations and Terms used about Bees, and Honey.
A Hive, is the little House into which Bees bring their Honey.
A Swarm of Bees, is a multitude of Bees knit together in, or on any place. Also the increase of a Stock.
The Stock, or Store are the old Bees from whence the new Swarm hath proceeded.
The King of the Bees, is the Bee as rules all the rest; or the Queen-Bee.
A Drone, is a Bee that hath lost his Sting, and will not work, but liveth on the Labours of others.
The Comb, or Honey-Comb; is the Cells in which the Honey is laid.
Wax, or Pitch; is the substance of which the Comb is made.
Propolis, or Bees-Glew, is that which the Comb is last covered withall.
Bees-Eggs, Eggs like Ants-Eggs, which come to be young Bees.
Nature of Bees are hot, & fiery, therefore Honey is so, though extracted out of cold and moist flowers.
Sex, are Male, and Female, and breed by procreation.
Bees are bred by Females blowing their brood in the cells or holes of their Combs.
Stock, is the whole company of Bees in one Hive.
Swarm, are young Bees, coming out of the Hive, they were bred in, to find a new place to abide, and work in.
Male Bees. Are the bigger, which we call Drones, they work not, but live on the labour, of the rest.
Female Bees, are the lesser working Bees.
Weak, and Poor stock, when but few Bees in it.
Drone-pots, things made of Osiars, the twigs set so close that drones cannot get through, yet wide enough for the Female Bees to go in and out.
Bees-blow, or breed a small thing, less, then or as little a Fly-bote, which come to be as big as a great Maggot, and coloured brown, and about 18, or 20 days, they come forth.
Chiled, starved through cold, benummed.
Beak, like a Gnat, by which they suck, and draw up Honey, and carry it home in a bladder.
Combs are made by holes on both sides, not one against another, but placed triangular, one against three.
Ring the Pan, when the Swarm is all out, not before.
Stings, the Bees weapons, which they loose not, in stinging one another, for their skin is dry, and thin, that their Spears come away again without hurt; but in stinging thick and moist skined creatures, they leave their sting behind them, and die, for their intrails come forth therewith.
Bees-stocks may be bought, lent, given, or kept to part, and will prosper if carefully looked too, but are not to be stolen.
Removing of Bees, from place to place, is best in February, or a little before, they begin to gather Honey; and set the side fore-most, that was fore-most before.
Queen-bees, being lost in stocks and swarms, the same shortly perish, and come to decay.
Bees not working, and yet being good store, shews they are either annoyed with dead brood, or disturbed with enemies, as Ants, Mice, and the like: or else have lost their Queen, which causeth them to make a mourning noise.
Hives must be covered with Boards, to keep them dry, for wet or rain will decay the Hives, and the Bees work.
Place your Hives two foot or more, above ground, let the Bees fly to the Southward, keep winds from them, by trees or other shelter, neither let the Sun shine hot upon them, least their work be in danger of melting.
Salt laid in the Hives on the places they stand, will quicken Bees, and put vigour into them, if you find the fainty and foggy, lazy or dull.
Enemies to Bees, are Hornets, Swallows, Titmice, Martins and the like, besides Wasps, Robbing-Bees. Their lesser are Emmers, or Pismires, Spiders, also Toads, and Snails, all which are noisome and hurtful to Bees.
Bees that are Robbers, are commonly fat, and will not labour.
Stocks may be known to be full or empty of Bees, by looking into them morning and evening, or by giving the Hive a knock or phillip, if there be store they will rush a pretty while; if few, they will give a little quick sound.
Bees come to Decay, & be lost many ways, a boisterous winds, by Faintness, by Robbers, by Fighting, by Rotten Combs, or by dead Brood, and other Putrifaction.
Dead-brood, are young Bees-eggs, that come not to perfection, but putrifie, and infect the cells or holes, they lie in.
Hives in a smoaky or bad air, will not thrive.
Swarms, expect in May, if the Year prove warm and kindly.
Swarms knit on Boughs of trees, may be shaken unto the Hive, if setled on a place not to be shaken, then sweep them into it with a little Broom or Green bough.
Set not a New Swarmed Hive, neither near the old stock it came from, nor to another Swarm set up a little before, for ferr they creep together.
Little and Poor Swarms may be united, and put together in one Hive.
Great and Forward Swarms, going together, may be seperated, and knocked gently out of one Hive into an other, ready trimed, and drest.
Two Swarms are apt to fight, and destroy, one another, for want of a Queen, or having two Queens, they will strive which shall Govern, till one be kill'd, and then they will be at peace.
Swarms will be apt to fly away, when Honey dews fall, for many Honey dews fall in Gloomy weather.
Feed your Bees, with Honey, till they have gotten some provision in their Hives, this will give them content, at home and so keep them, from straying abroad.
Times to Feed Bees, is in the Spring, and Summer, in cold or wet weather, or over dry seasons: for then Honey is not to be gathered abroad, the feed them, else they may starve, or pine, or be out of heart, and not able to work.
Driveing of full and fat stocks, by seting one Hive prepared with Honey, upon the other full of Honey and Bees; then knock or rap on the under Hive, and all the Bees will go up to the empty Hive.
Bees Swarming in the Woods, in hollow trees, and being there for some time, and having got provision in good quantities, are hardly and with much a do gotten from thence.
Bees newly gon into Hollow trees, will the sooner be gotten out, by putting a prepared Hive at the hole, and disturbing them by smoak, or knocking the tree, and so you will make the Bees run up into the Hive.
Prepared Hive, is how to dress the Hive, when it is new, which is to make it smooth and clean, by cutting of the ends of twigs or straws, then rub it with Bean, Oak, Willow, or other sweet Leaves, and then stick the Hive with sticks, cleft in four quarters taking off the edges, and stick them bendingly from the top, to almost the bottom; and other like stick set cross: and when the swarm is ready to come, sprinkle it with Honey, or other sweet things as Wort, or Sugar dissolved in fair water, which will make the Bees take a better liking to the Hive.
Provoke Bees to Swarm, and go into their Hive, if they hang out: Is by moving the Hives up on that side where the Bees ly out, and by stiring, and moving them, and smoaking them, it will make them go up into the Hive.
Bees in Winter, when they stir not, eat not but slee: therefore, are not to be fed in that Season.
Before they Swarm, the Males or Drones, will commonly play forth, three or four days, and the Bees will play Swarm-play, and sometime you may see the Queen come out and in, before swarming.
Poor stocks, are to be housed in Winter, or keep them close by putting stones to the Hive mouth, to prevent Mice.
Always in Snowy weather, shut up the Bees in Sun-shine, else they will out, and be drowned.
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