GLEANINGS IN BEE CITLTURK 



tree, althougii not always. Tliey have been 

 known to settle on almost every known 

 thing that would offer them a chance to 

 hang-. If they settle on something Avhere 

 the swarm is pendulous, and not too high 

 up, the process of hiving is very simple. 



Pi'otect the head with a veil, being sure 

 it is well wraj^ped about the neck and 

 stands away from the face somewhat. Any 

 good-sized hat-veil will do, if tied around a 

 hat with rim enough to hold it away from 

 the face. Protect the hands with loose kid 

 gloves and tie the sleeves over the wrists; 

 for if a bee starts up your sleeve or down 

 your back you will attend to nothing else 

 for a time, very likely. Get a good big pail 

 with a bail; and, holding it under the clus- 

 ter, pull them carefully off the branch into 

 the pail. A box will do, but is not so easily 

 handled. Having them in the pail, cover 

 them over with a thin cloth tied down, and 

 get a hive ready. They may remain in the 

 pail or box for some hours, or even over 

 night if the cloth covering is thin enough to 

 admit plenty of air. Mosquito netting is 

 about I'ight ; but cheese-cloth will answer. 

 If i:)ossible to find a modern hive and some 

 foundation, put strij^s of foundation along 

 the edge of the frames. Set the hive on 

 some kind of firm support that will raise it 

 a few inches from the ground, and face it 

 toward the south or east, so that the early 

 morning sun will warm the entrance. Place 

 a board close up to the entrance; cover it 

 with a white cloth; and when all is ready 

 empty your pail or box or bees out upon 

 this cloth-covered board close up to the 

 entrance. Of course you will want to wear 

 a veil and gloves to do this. Usually they 

 will begin at once to craAvl into this new 

 hive-entrance. If they do not start, brush 

 a few of them lightly toward it. After a 

 few of them have gone in, the others will 

 follow in a steady stream until all are in. 

 With frames and starters of foundation 

 Ihey will not come out, but at once establish 

 themselves and proceed to their business of 

 building brood comb in which to rear a 

 new crop of bees. 



If no hive is to be had, a box may be 

 made to answer, although, like all make- 

 shifts, it is not so good. A box about twen- 

 ty inches square and from eight to twelve 

 inches deep may have the bottom removed. 

 Saw out an entrance about six inches long 

 and half an inch deep. Find a bottom- 

 board that will allow of a four or five inch 

 margin all around, and, having set this on 

 something to raise it off the ground a few 

 inches, tui'n the box with entrance down and 

 toward the east or south upon this bottom 

 boai'd. You will have no frames or founda- 



tion unless you manufacture frames, which 

 you will hardly care to do. Make a cover 

 tor this box that will fit down tight, but 

 that can be easily raised. Place inside a 

 few lumps of sugar, and cover with a piece 

 of oilcloth, as the box will hardly be water- 

 proof. Let the oilcloth (an old table-cover 

 will answer) project a couple of inches all 

 around, and then place the cover, and 

 weight it with stones or old iron so that the 

 wind will not blow it off. Your house is 

 now ready for its occupants. Proceed as 

 with a new hive. 



It is well to watch them for a few days 

 to look out for sigiis that they are not 

 satisfied with their new home. If they are, 

 you will hear only a mild hum. The field 

 bees will be busily going to and fro, and 

 there will be a constant succession of little 

 pollen-carriers going into the hive with their 

 pollen-baskets so loaded with yellow pollen 

 as to make them very awkward about crawl- 

 ing into the hive. This shows that they 

 have begun work on their comb, and will 

 stay. Should these pollen-carriers be ab- 

 sent, and the hive noisy and excited, with 

 bees clustering around the outside, they will 

 be quite likely to come out and seek other 

 quarters. Sprinkling them with a fine spray 

 of water will usually quiet them, and they 

 will not come out if there is a big noise 

 about. I'utting lump sugar at the entrance, 

 and covering them over with a screen, will 

 induce them to get busy at home; and once 

 they begin work they will remain. They 

 seldom come out after the second day. 



If it is early in the season, and the swarm 

 a large one, they will want a chance to store 

 surplus honey, or they will cast a swarm 

 Avliich is not desirable so late. As they must 

 first build brood comb there will be plenty 

 of time to get a super or a shallow body for 

 extracting honey with frames and starters 

 of foundation. It is best for a beginner to 

 buy a body all prepared. After that one 

 will know how to prepare one himself, and 

 the expense will be somewhat less. In a 

 home-made hive the bees having no frames 

 or starters will build their comb very irreg- 

 ularly. They will winter all right indoors 

 in this, however, if they have plenty of 

 food. Take them in at the first hard frosts, 

 and stoie in a dry cool cellar; and if it is 

 not dark, shade the hive and entrance. 



I got my start with bees from a swarm 

 that settled on a shade-tree in the yard. I 

 have had a good deal of enjoyment, some 

 honey, and an increase of bees since then, 

 and am very much in love with the work. 

 Bee literature is as fascinating to m.e as the 

 most enthralling novel. 



Glover, Vt. 



