GLEANINGS IN BEK CULTURE 



little practice in handling it; but as it is to 

 be used in troublous times a jDerson can 

 not be too careful not to have the hive en- 

 trance unduly large and not to puff smoke 

 on the guards at the entrance, for they may 

 soon be needed there. If there is an inside 

 as well as an outside cover, so much the 

 better, assuming there is only one cover. 



We have the smoker ready, and also a clean 

 piece of cloth or burlap to lay over the 

 open hive as soon as the cover is removed; 

 then after the cage is set on top of that, we 

 first tip one end of the cage up to remove 

 that end inwardly, and then tip the other 

 end; then take the cloth away, and not a 

 bee will get in. This done, it is a pleasure 

 to work with the colony or lift out frames. 

 A little puff of smoke on the bees in the 

 hive subdues them. The roof of the cage 

 gives a very agreeable shade, and in cool 

 weather the cage is a protection against 

 chilling the unsealed brood. 



[At certain seasons of the year, especial- 

 ly right after a heavy flow of honey, and 

 when all the nectar supply has ceased, rob- 

 bers are particularly troublesome. At such 

 times we find a cage very convenient, and 

 at times indispensable. The form of cage 

 that we use, however, is made of a light 

 framework of yg-square strips covered 

 with cheese-cloth. This material is not 

 only cheaper but better than mosquito-net- 

 ting or even wire cloth. If it becomes torn 

 it can be very cheaply replaced. But why 

 is cheese-cloth better than mosquito-net- 

 ting? Mainly because it cuts off from the 

 robber bees hovering on the outside all view 

 of the operations inside. This, we have dis- 



covered of late years, is very important; 

 for when the bees can see the combs ex- 

 13osed they are much more inclined to hover 

 around the cage than Avhen the vision is cut 

 off by cheese-cloth. 



The tops of our cages have no cover of 

 any sort, and hence no bee-escape is needed. 

 The average beekeeper would supjDose that 

 a top would be indis- 

 l^ensable to keep out 

 the robbers; but as a 

 matter of fact they will 

 not dive down; and if 

 they hover around at 

 all it will be about two 

 feet from the ground, 

 or about the level of 

 the top of the hive. The 

 bees that fly up when 

 the hive is being ope- 

 rated, readily escape ; 

 but no outside bees will 

 dive down into the in- 

 elosure where the ope- 

 rator is quietly at work 

 free from molestation. 

 The cages that we use 

 are 5 feet high, 3 feet 6 

 inches wide, and 4 feet 

 long. Two feet from 

 the bottom are two side 

 rails, % square, which 

 serve as handles to enable the operator to 

 lift the cage off the ground, walk over to 

 another hive, and "squat" over it. 



We have never tried an arrangement like 

 the one here shown ; but we would consider 

 it more difficult to adjust over the top of a 

 hive than one of a slightly larger size and 

 lighter construction — one that could be" set 

 over the entire hive and still leave room for 

 the operator. One objection to the Leon- 

 ard cage is that it would fit only one style 

 of hive. Where double and single walled 

 hives are used, as in our apiary, especially 

 if some of them were eight frame and some 

 ten, it would not be practicable. Then it 

 occurs to us that the curtain work at the 

 back of the operator would have to fit 

 closely around the ground and close to the 

 liive to prevent robbers from getting in. 

 The cage that we have described rests on 

 the ground, and the grass makes it practi- 

 cally impossible for robbers to get under. 

 As a matter of fact, they are not much in- 

 clined to crawl through obstructions. — Ed.] 



There has just come from the press a new bee 

 book entitled "The Tunisian Beekeeper," by J. 

 Georges, Chevalier du Merite Agricol, an officer of 

 the Nicham Iftihhar, President of the Apicultural 

 Society of Tunis, and teacher at that place. The 

 price of the book is 60 cts. ; by mail, 65 cts. ; 12 cop- 

 ies for $5.62. Send remittances to Mr. J. Georges, 

 150 rue Bab Souika, Tunis, Africa. 



