METHODS OF REPRESSION. 



91 



In spite of the fact that the hive stand was absolutely ant proof 

 we experienced much difficulty in preventing grass from gro'W'ing up 

 under the hives and affording a })assageway for the ants. To elimi- 

 nate tliis difficulty we covered the entire apiary with about 5 laches 

 of cinders and placed each hive stand upon a concrete block. (See 

 Plate VII.) 



Rev. Albert Biever, S. J., devised a unique method of protectmg his 

 bees from the ants. This method he describes as follows : 



Blocks of wood are obtained, upon which the legs of the bee stand rest. Then the 

 cover of a lard can or large tin box sufficiently wide when placed in an inverted posi- 

 tion on top of the blocks will overlap the block of wood on all sides. A paste con- 

 sisting of vaseline mixed with kerosene and red pepper is then spread thinly over 

 the inside of the can or cover, and the ants will never be able to reach the legs of the 

 stand and gain access to the hives. An advantage of this method is that the paste 

 ■ need not be renewed more than once every year or two, and, being protected from the 

 weather, it can not be washed off. 



One can successfully keep a few colonies of bees in any portion of the 

 ant-mfested area by 

 makmg use of the s])e- 

 cial stands described 

 above, but eternal vig- 

 ilance is the price of 

 success, for when the 

 ants do gain access 

 to the bees the latter 

 are likely to be dis- 

 organized witliiii a 

 few hours and the 

 swarms will abscond, 

 xllong with the use of 

 the ant-proof stands one should also use every means for reducing 

 the ant colonies in the vicinit}^ of the apiary. 



The commercial apiarist can hardly continue keeping bees \\dth 

 profit after liis apiary is mvaded by this pest, the amount of labor in 

 constructing hive stands and keeping do^vn vegetation being almost 

 proliibitive. In such cases the ^vdsest course would be to remove the 

 entire apiary to some locality where these ants do not occur. As 

 already noted, the infestation is not infrequently confined to cities 

 and townis, and small rural sections still free from this pest can usuallj^ 

 be found withm drivino; distance. 



Fig. 12.— Sectional view of ant-proof hive stand, showing method of 

 making top and sides water-tight by " breaking" the loints. (Sen- 

 ior author's illustration. ) 



CONTROL OF THE ANT IN ORANGE GROVES. 



The mam orange-growing section of Louisiana lies along the banks 

 of the Mississippi River below Xew Orleans and extends for a distance 

 of about 50 miles. This section has the reputation of producing 



