ENTRANCES TO HIVES. 



loa 



ENTRANCES TO HIVES. 



an occuneiice tliat we can liaitlly regard it 

 as a matter of any very serious importance. 

 It may be well at times to look out for the 

 enemies that prey on bees; but, as a general 

 thing, we think they are quite capable of 

 lightiijg their own battles if we give them 

 the jirojier care and i)roper hives. 



It was Mr. L. L. I^angstroth, just before 

 he died, who shoAved how sjiiders may baof 

 value to the bee-keeper. If, he said, they 

 have access freely to the combs stored in 

 stacked-np hives in the apiary, there never 

 need be any fear that the moth-worm or 

 moth-miller will be able to do any damage, 

 for the si>iders will very shortly destroy 

 tlieni. 



wAsrs. 



Wasps and hornets sometimes capture and 

 carry off honey bees; but unless they should 

 take part in the work in great numbers, we 

 would have no solicitude in regard to them. 



A large fly, called the bee-hawk, or mos- 

 quito-hawk, has been mentioned by oiu' 

 Southern neighbors, but it is said to be eas- 

 ily frightened away by opening a vigorous 

 warfare with whips and sticks. 



THIEVES. 



Thieves are sometimes troublesome at out- 

 yards, and once in a long while at the home 

 yard. The best way to \mt a stop to their 

 deiiredations is to jiut up a sign or two offer- 

 ing fifty or a hundred dollars reward for the 

 arrest and conviction of the guilty parties. 

 The thief is immediately Avarned that a 

 price is ]>ut ujjon his head, and that he had 

 best, if he knows when he is well off, stop 

 his stealing. It is seldom that the reward 

 money is ever called for. and further annoy- 

 ance is stopped. 



ENTRANCE-GUARDS. See DnONES. 



\ ENTRANCES TO HIVES. ^Ve do 



not know that it makes any re* ?/ great differ- 

 ence to the bees, or with the amount of hon- 

 ey gathered, where the entrance is; whether 

 at the very lowest part of the hive, or right 

 in the top. We have had them do well with 

 their entrance in almost all positions. On 

 many accounts, an entrance even with, or a 

 little below, the bottom-board of the hive 

 would be most desirable. This gives the 

 bees every facility for removing dirt or dead 

 bees that frequently clog the hive and combs 

 in cold weather; also bits of refuse comb, 

 cappings from the cells, dust, etc.. for this 

 all falls to the bottom of the hive, and is nat- 

 urally carried toward the eutranee by the 

 passage, out and in, of the inmates. Also, 

 if the upper part of the hive is close and 



warm, the waun air geneiated by the clus- 

 ter, rising by its lightness, comjiared witli 

 the colder air outdoors, has a much less 

 chance for escape than if the entrance were 

 nearer the top of the hive. If the entrance is 

 a little below the bottom-board, cold winds 

 and storms are not so readily admitted. 



It has been said that an entrance part way 

 ui> is not so liable to become clogged with 

 dead bees. This is probably true; but, on 

 the other hand, the live ones will not be able 

 nearly so ea-ily to remove the dead if they 

 have to tug them up the perpendicular sides 

 until they reach the opening; neither can 

 the apiarist himself assist in the process. 

 Where the entrance is on a level with the 

 bottom of the hive, he can reach in witli a 

 hooked wire and rake out all the dead bees 

 that may have accumulated during the win- 

 ter. Indeed, he should, if the accumulation 

 is enough to clog the entrance, clear it out 

 once or twice during the winter, with a wire. 



There is still another objection to a high 

 entrance. During cool weather many of the 

 flying bees on returning will become chilled 

 in their efforts to crawl up the perpendicu- 

 lar side, and thus fail to get into the hive ; 

 so, all things considered, an entrance that is 

 handy for the bees is also best for the bee- 

 keeper. 



-~^^»-*'- •'^^ 



On account of the tendency of returniijg \ 

 b^es to chill in cool weather, there should be 

 a large alighting-board if the hive is raised 

 off the ground; or if on the ground, there 

 should be a nice easy slanting grade or door- 

 step to the entrance. All grass and weeds 

 should be kept down within at least a foot 

 of the front of the hive; and it would be 

 better if there were a good full yard of clear 

 space. Bees that come in heavily laden are 

 often knocked down by bumping into tall 

 weeds or sprigs of grass. AVhile they ulti- 

 mately take wing, making another attemi)t. 

 finally landing in the hive, such obstruc- 



