Vol. XVII. 



JULY 1, 1889, 



No. 13. 



MS : $1.00 Per Annum, in Advance; "I 77» / „ 7, 7-,* 7, „ /I ,'-*, 7 i? "Y Q f clubs to different postoffices, not less 

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TERMS 

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10 or more, 75cts. each. Single num- 

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 be sent to one post-office. 



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A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO. IStWffliyr^S 



OUT-APIARIES, NO. X. 



VENTILATION FOR BEES WHEN HAULING. 



fNB day 1 was hauling-, among- others, a very 

 strong colony of bees from home to the Wil- 

 son apiary. The day was very hot, and I did 

 not g-et started till pretty late, and was de- 

 layed by some business in the villag-e as I 

 passed through. When the entrance to the hive 

 was opened, after reaching- the Wilson apiary, the 

 bees of this strong colony rushed forth in a body, 

 not taking wing-— they couldn't take wing- — but 

 spreading- out on the ground until they covered a 

 distance of perhaps three feet from the hive. I 

 should think about a fourth of the colony were on 

 the ground -perhaps not so many. The rest of the 

 bees didn't crawl out— dead bees don't. Those that 

 did come out soon died. The whole colony was a 

 steaming-, wet mass, and the combs were soft and 

 broken down. Fifty colonies lost in wintering were 

 not mourned so much as that one colony. It seem- 

 ed a case of deliberate murder. 



Bees don't need such an immense amount of ven- 

 tilation; but what they do need, be very sure you 

 give them, or they will smother to death. I have, 

 in a few cases, hauled bees in the middle of a hot 

 day, in the middle of summer, in which case I gave 

 them the usual ventilation at the entrance and a 

 covering of wire cloth over the entire top, a space 

 of three or four inches being between the tops of 

 the frames and the wire cloth. That was probably 

 more ventilation than they needed, but the excess 

 of ventilation did no hurt. For the usual hauling, 

 spring and fall, I give no other ventilation than the 

 ordinary entrance covered with wire cloth. Until 

 recently the eutrances to my hives were 15VS x 3 8 , 

 making a space of nearly 6 square inches; but now 

 they are 15^ x %, making about 8 square inches. 



The 6 square inches seemed to answer very well, 

 but 8 are probably better. Perhaps smaller hives 

 would need more ventilation. In any case, be sure 

 that you give ventilation enough. Don't start out 

 with a full load of bees, giving only 6 inches ven- 

 tilation, till you have tried one or two, and know 

 that 6 inches is enough for you. Possibly 13 square 

 inches may be none too large space for ventilating 

 your hives. At any rate, too much ventilation will 

 do uo harm, and the only reasou I have so little is 

 the simple matter of convenience. I formerly at- 

 tached to the front of each entrance a wire-cloth 

 portico, which answered the purpose excellently, 

 but I now have a simpler and easier way. Take a 

 stick about as long as the width of the hive, an inch 

 wide, and % thick. Take a piece of wire cloth 

 about two inches wide, and as long as your stick, 

 and double it lengthwise. Lay the wire cloth on 

 the stick, and fasten it on with three or four dou- 

 ble-pointed tacks, running them across the grain 



WIRE-CLOTH STOPPER FOR ENTRANCE, SHOWING 

 THE SIDE THAT GOES NEXT THE HIVE. 



so as not to split the stick, letting the doubled edge 

 project over the edge of the stick ?»] or ^..'inch, 

 whatever the size of the entrance. A single thick- 

 ness of wire cloth would answer as well or better 

 than double, but for its raveling out at the edge. 

 A lJ4-inch wire nail driven into each end of the 

 stick holds it fast on the hive. The nail is driven 

 in only a little more than half its length, so it can 

 be easily drawn out with a claw hammer. After 

 the nail is drawn in a sufficient depth, it is bent 

 over so there is no danger of the stick slipping back, 

 on the nail. 



