114 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL.. 



done away with, as no bees can gain ac- 

 cess to the interior except those of the 

 colony that is being handled. Bees are 

 more amicable when handled in-doors. 

 They can be handled in rainy weather, 

 or even in the night, if necessary. The 

 work of protecting them for winter is 

 greatly lessened, and artificial heat can 

 be used if found desirable. If there 



tilating openings on each side. The sills 

 are 2 pieces of 2 by 4 ; the lower joists 

 are 2 by 8, 2 feet apart from center to 

 center, and the same distance as the 

 studding. The floor is double, of % 

 lumber, planed, with a strip of sheet- 

 iron between the layers next to the wall 

 and around the studding, to prevent 

 mice from gnawing up though. 



Exterior View of Mr. H. P. LangdoiVs House- Aviary. 



comes a warm day in winter, the bees 

 can enjoy a cleansing flight, which is 

 not the case when wintered in the cellar. 

 The protection enables them to build up 

 in the spring much more rapidly ; and, 

 finally, everything can be kept under 

 lock and key, safe from thieves and 

 prowlers. 



What is admitted to be the largest 

 house-apiary in the world, is owned by 

 a friend of mine, H. P. Langdon, in 

 northern New York, who took a great 

 deal of pains to inform himself in regard 

 to the advantages and disadvantages of 

 other house-apiaries before building ; 

 and now, after two seasons' use, the 

 only fault he finds with the building is 

 that it is not one foot wider. This would 

 give plenty of room for sorting and crat- 

 ing the heney in the house, instead of 

 having a separate house for this work. 



The building is 11 by 100 feet, and 

 stands on a good stone wall, having ven- 



A platform 12 inches high, and the 

 width of a hive extends lengthwise of 

 the building in the center of the room, 

 except that a space of 8 feet is left at 

 each end, and a space of 6 feet in the 

 middle. This platform is for holding 

 extra hives, supers, etc., that the alley 

 on each side may be left clear. The 

 studding is 2 by 4, and of such a length 

 as to make the top of the plate — 2 by 4, 

 two pieces — come 83^ feet above the 

 floor, and the upper joists, 13^ by 8, are 

 nailed across the rafters one foot above 

 the top of the plate, thus making the 

 room i)\i in the clear. 



The roof has the common pitch, and 

 is well shingled. A few braces are put 

 in to keep the building from shaking in 

 high winds. The boarding is a second 

 quality of spruce, made shiplap, and put 

 on horizontally. 



On the floor at each side of the house, 

 is a platform the whole length of the 



