90 



THE ARGENTINE ANT. 



used in the construction of an "ant-proof" liive stand. Accordingly 

 a four-legged hive stand was made with top and sides extending 

 some distance beyond the legs and downward, so as to prevent rain 

 water from reaching the upper end of each leg. The top and sides 

 were made thoroughly water-tight and the ant tape wound several 

 times about the upper end of each leg. Below the tape, fitting 

 snugly around the leg, was a piece of zmc about 6 inches square to 

 prevent water from splashing upward from the ground during storms. 

 One of these hive stands, turned on end to show the method of 

 construction, is illustrated m figure 11, and the details of construc- 

 tion are further shown 

 in figures 12 and 13. 

 These figures are from 

 drawings by ^Miss Ethel 

 Hutson. The two front 

 legs of the stand were 

 made an inch shorter 

 than the rear two to 

 give proper cb'amage to 

 the hive. In puttmg on 

 the tape we wrapped 

 about a yard of tape 

 about each leg, placing 

 corrosive sublimate be- 

 tween the layers. Made 

 in this manner these 



stands by actual test 

 repelled all ants for 11 

 months without any 

 attention being re- 

 quired except to pre- 

 vent grass and weeds 

 from growing up and 

 touchmg the hive and 

 upper part of the stand. 

 With corrosive sub- 

 limate between the 

 layers of tape the latter is effective until it dismtegi'ates or until it 

 gets wet, and bees crawling up the legs pass the barrier of tape 

 without injury or inconvenience. Our stands were made of tongue- 

 and-groove lumber, which made them rather cumbersome, but there 

 is no reason why such stands should not be made with top and sides 

 of galvanized iron. This would make them light, durable, and 

 cheap. 



Fig. 11.— Ant-proof hi\e stand, upturned, showing method of con 

 struction. (Senior author's ilhistration.) 



