1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



8ll 



them on again. Then I raise the cover about an 

 inch, on the back part of the hive, creating thereby 

 an air-passage over the surplus boxes. 



C. F. Muth. 



a. I do. b. When the weather becomes so hot as 

 to make bees lie out, or to endanger the melting of 

 combs, I fold the duck-cloth cover forward 2 or IS 

 inches, off the frames, and leave the rear end of the 

 board cover, that lies on it, elevated an inch or 

 more by placing a stone under it. R. "Wilkin. 



When we think that our 8-inch entrance is not 

 sufficient, i. e., when the weather is warm and the 

 crop begun, we place a block to raise the hive from 

 its bottom in front. Besides, as our colonies are 

 very populous we push back the surplus box, so as 

 to get a current of air through the hive. 



Dadant & Son. 



Many of my hives have no provision for ventila- 

 tion of the super; but my accepted way of making 

 a hive is to have a crack a quarter of an inch wide 

 or more run clear around the hive between the 

 lower story and the super. To prevent the obvious 

 ill consequences of this arrangement the whole top 

 is covered with what I call a shirt, so the wind must 

 first filter through muslin before it can blow in. 

 Does the improvement increase the surplus? Well, 

 it's pretty clear that extra ventilation has a chance 

 to be of direct profit only when honey comes in so 

 rapidly that the bees find difficulty in evaporating 

 it fast enough. I am not quite settled in mind as to 

 how often this happens— rather seldom in my local- 

 ity, I judge. E. E. Hasty. 



At one time I made many experiments in 

 regard to entrances ; and once I was very 

 strongly decided in favor of a two-inch au- 

 ger-hole in the front end of the hive. The 

 bees then could fly right in and alight di- 

 rectly on the combs; and I would stick to 

 the auger-holes now were it not that it hin- 

 ders brood-rearing for some distance around 

 the hole when the weather is severe. Other 

 experiments in this line made me feel sure 

 that the entrance should be at the bottom 

 of the hive. And then I was very strong 

 for a time in favor of having a large en- 

 trance right through the middle of the bot- 

 tom-board, and I would still stick to this 

 plan were it not for the difficulty of closing 

 the entrance when we wish. All things con- 

 sidered, I made a compromise by pushing 

 the Simplicity hive so as to project over the 

 bottom-board. This enables you to adjust 

 the entrance to the size of your colony, and 

 you can do it in an instant, without any 

 blocks or loose traps lying around. When 

 you come to ventilate, you can make the 

 bees go in the hive by giving them an en- 

 trance nearly half the size of the whole bot- 

 tom of the hive if you wish. When hiving 

 new swarms in hot weather I think this is 

 very much to be desired. The objection to 

 openings for ventilation, covered by wire 

 cloth, is that they invariably get waxed up 

 sooner or later. 



Question 120.— a. What kind of an al ioliti no-hoard 

 do you prefer during the rush of incoming laden bees? 

 b. Does it pay to have a bare spot of ground near the 

 entrance, covered with sawdust or sand nicely patted 

 dovml 



a. A board 10 or 12 inches wide. b. I guess not. 

 Mrs. L. Haruison. 



I prefer a board from the ground to a level with 

 the alighting-board. C. F. Muth. 



Any kind of board will do. Sawdust and sand are 

 not as good, and too much trouble. Geo. Grimm. 



Simply have the ground kept clean and clear 

 about the entrance. It does pay. 



H. R. Boardman. 



a. A slanting alighting-board is best. I think 

 short grass is cooler than bare ground or sawdust. 



P. H. Elwood. 



a. A plain board projecting three or four inches. 

 Others may be as good. b. Probably, if easily ob- 

 tained. C. C. Miller. 



a. Inclined wooden, b. I used to have it. 1 have 

 exchanged to smooth closely mown lawn. This 

 latter looks better, and is practically about as good. 



A. J. Cook. 



My entrances are all within 2 inches of the ground. 

 I keep it clean in front of the hives. In the honey 

 season the dry sandy soil can be graded up to the 

 entrance. R. Wilkin. 



The alighting - board should be about one foot 

 wide, and as long as the width of the front of the 

 hive. This is sufficient if the grass and weeds are 

 kept down. L. C. Root. 



a. Our bottom-board is at least six or eight inches, 

 or more, longer than the hive. b. We take care to 

 cut the weeds away in front of the hives, and, of 

 course, all around. Sand is very good with a slop- 

 ing apron. Dadant & Son. 



Besides the detachable alighting-board I use a 

 slanting board from the ground to the alighting- 

 board or entrance. I find sawdust dangerous 

 around hives, as sparks from the smoker are liable 

 to set it on Are. Paul L. Viallon. 



The only alighting-board my bees have is the pro- 

 jection of the bottom of the hive, 3i inches, and the 

 front is close to the ground, b. Perhaps it does, 

 but I like a closely cut lawn the best, after having 

 tried bare ground and sawdust. A. B. Mason. 



a. Simply an extension of the bottom-board, the 

 same extending six inches in front, of the hive. b. 

 I lay a cleated board down in front to keep the 

 grass down, then when the lawn-mower is run in 

 front of the hive this board is taken out of the way, 

 so that all is smooth work. G. M. Doolittle. 



I strongly prefer a level or slightly slanting board 

 of generous size, with arrangements so that bees 

 which fall to the ground can readily crawl up in. 

 b. I am willing to take considerable pains to secui-e 

 a clean dooryard for them. As to sawdust, I find 

 myself getting a little out of conceit with it. 



E. E. Hasty. 



I prefer to have the bottom-board enough longer 

 than the hive to form an alighting-board. I think 

 it pays to have not only the ground near the en- 

 trance, but all around the hive, bare. My apiary is 

 covered with slack coal, ashes, sand, etc., so thickly 

 that grass or weeds seldom struggle through. 



James A. Green. 



a. Any kind of wide board, so arranged as to 

 avoid having sharp corners or crevices to obstruct 

 the direct passage of bees into the hive. b. I pre- 

 fer a spot of bare ground to either sand or sawdust, 

 if there is some practicable way to keep it bare. 

 Who can tell us how to do that cheaply and easily? 

 O. O. Poppleton. 



