- Joined
- Nov 10, 2008
- Messages
- 761
- Reaction score
- 45
- Location
- Oxfordshire
- Hive Type
- Commercial
- Number of Hives
- More than 1, numbers seem to go up and down.
A bit bored I picked up a couple of old books and found the following:
Huish; 1819. In his “Instructions for using the Huish hive, from which the combs are extracted without killing the bees”.
It may appear visionary to the incredulous Apiarian, but I can mention a liquid which will induce Bees to take to a hive sooner than all the honey and syrups which can be mentioned, and this is human urine; nor will this appear so improbable as many person regard it, when it is considered that the liquid abounds in sugar and salt, two substances to which the bees testify the greatest partiality. I strenuously recommend every person to sprinkle their hives with it, previously to put the swarm into it, and they will then be convinced of the specific virtue with which the liquid in question is endowed. I can with truth affirm its efficacy.
Huish was quite keen on urine as he mentions it again in his 1820 book The cottages manual for the management of his bees.
If the bees take a dislike to the hive, it is not the odour of the honey of Hybla which will induce them to remain in it; but should the prejudice for the preparation of a hive exist strongly in the mind of any individual. I will recommend a liquid to him, which, singular as it may appear, will be found more gratifying to the Bee, and possessing a greater inducement to it to take possession of the hive, than all the odours, real or artificial, which can be administered and this liquid is human urine; if any thing will induce a swarm to remain in a hive, it is a copious sprinkling of this liquid - it is a cure for almost every distemper of the bees and Hulhen the celebrated German apiarian was right when he said, on a sprinkling of this liquid, that no person had any occasion to apply to an apothecary for a medicine for his bees.
Huish; 1819. In his “Instructions for using the Huish hive, from which the combs are extracted without killing the bees”.
It may appear visionary to the incredulous Apiarian, but I can mention a liquid which will induce Bees to take to a hive sooner than all the honey and syrups which can be mentioned, and this is human urine; nor will this appear so improbable as many person regard it, when it is considered that the liquid abounds in sugar and salt, two substances to which the bees testify the greatest partiality. I strenuously recommend every person to sprinkle their hives with it, previously to put the swarm into it, and they will then be convinced of the specific virtue with which the liquid in question is endowed. I can with truth affirm its efficacy.
Huish was quite keen on urine as he mentions it again in his 1820 book The cottages manual for the management of his bees.
If the bees take a dislike to the hive, it is not the odour of the honey of Hybla which will induce them to remain in it; but should the prejudice for the preparation of a hive exist strongly in the mind of any individual. I will recommend a liquid to him, which, singular as it may appear, will be found more gratifying to the Bee, and possessing a greater inducement to it to take possession of the hive, than all the odours, real or artificial, which can be administered and this liquid is human urine; if any thing will induce a swarm to remain in a hive, it is a copious sprinkling of this liquid - it is a cure for almost every distemper of the bees and Hulhen the celebrated German apiarian was right when he said, on a sprinkling of this liquid, that no person had any occasion to apply to an apothecary for a medicine for his bees.
