86 



COBREt 



BEE-ESCAPE. 



Further Description and Expla- 

 nation of tlie Dibbern Bee- 

 Escape. 



Wfitten for the. American BeeJowmal 



BY C. H. DIBBERN. 



The illustration of my bee-escape, on 

 jjage 798 of tlie Bee Journal for 1889, 

 was no great success — except as a puz- 

 zle ! 



Well, the result is, that I am flooded 

 with letters, and jjostal cards, asking 

 for explanations, etc. It can easily 

 be understood, that I cannot answer 

 all these inquiries by personal letters, 

 and by means of the illustration here 

 shown, I trust that I can make the 

 matter a little plainer. 



During the present summer-like 

 weather, I have been testing the es- 

 capes in various ways, as I wish to 

 have them so perfect that they will not 

 soon be improved. I have been mak- 

 ing some improvements myself, how- 

 ever, since writing my former article. 



The illustration represents four of 

 the principal figures that suggest them- 

 selves, into which the escape can be 

 formed. No. 1, is a single exit escape, 

 and is the surest of all, as it is almost 

 impossible for any bees to get back 

 through the escapes. It is calculated 

 to use two of these on a boai'd. 



No. 2 is star shape, for a center es- 

 cape, with exits at the points. I now 

 prefer onl3' four points to the star, as 

 it gives better space around the inside 

 escape, and four exits are plenty. I 

 think that this four-point star shape 

 will be the favorite pattern. I have 

 lately improved this by cutting out a 

 4-inch hole, with an expansive bit, and 

 fastening the escape to another round 

 piece cut ]-inoh smaller all around, and 

 a piece of tin nailed on top. This 

 allows the escape to be pulled out at 

 the top, and a solid piece can be in- 

 serted without removing the board at 

 all. 



Care must be used, if the escapes are 

 tacked on the board in the bee-space, 

 to see that bees are out of the way be- 

 fore laying the board down, so that 

 they will not be crushed. By cutting 

 a 4-inch hole, I place the escape so 

 that it occupies the space cut out from 

 the board with exits in the J^-inch 

 space, that the escapes are smaller than 

 the hole. 



The escapes can'lse used just as well, 

 however, in the bee-space under the 

 board ; a puff or two of smoke through 

 the hole will drive the bees out of the 

 ■way, and the escape can then be slip- 



ped into place. I like this plan the 

 best of all, as it disturbs the bees less 

 than if the board has to be taken off. 



No. 3 and No. 4 are only different 

 forms of the same thing, which I now 

 think will not become very popular. It 

 will be noticed that the principle is the 

 same in all — a double escape with a 

 liberal bee-space between the inner and 

 outer figure. This space should be 

 wide enough to allow bees to pass, 

 otherwise they sometimes crowd from 

 opposite directions, and bees become 

 wedged in. I consider this bee-space 

 between the inner and outer cones or 

 figures, of great importance, as it 

 breaks the communications between 

 the bees and the main hive, and those 

 in the super to be Jremoved. 



I believe that the escape-boards, 

 which I make only }-inch thick, will be 



Forms of the Dibbern Bee-Escape. 



found very useful as an inner cover to 

 supers, and as a comb-honey protector, 

 with one or two ^-inch holes open, to 

 allow some bees to remain with the 

 honey, to care for and ripen it, till the 

 end of the white honey harvest. I now 

 make the claim that I am the first per- 

 son to suggest such a board for this 

 purpose. 



In moving or shipping bees, these es- 

 cape-boards, with a 4-inch hole cut out, 

 will be very handy to put on the main 

 hive, with wire-cloth tacked over the 

 hole. I expect to make up 200 hives 

 this winter, and they will all be pro- 

 vided with these boards. By using 

 these, I will do away with rubber 

 covers, which I have found objection- 

 able on account of retaining too much 

 moisture. 



During one of our numerous warm 

 daj's lately, I exposed a super of 

 partly-tilled sections in the apiary, and 

 it was not long until the bees were 

 fairly swarming on it. I then quickly 

 placed an escape-board over it, with 

 the escapes up. It was a sight to see 

 the bees pouring through the escapes 

 and out. Some few would try to turn 

 back, but they almost invai'iably made 

 the circuit around the inner escape, 

 and then out. The robbing bees clus- 

 tered on the escapes in great bunches, 

 , but seldom did a bee find its way back 



through the 2nd escape. In about an 

 hour after putting the escape boards on, 

 all efforts at robbing had ceased, and 

 the super was entirely free from bees, 

 although still containing plenty of 

 honey. 



I have also been giving supers of 

 sections from which the honey had 

 been extracted, to bees to be cleaned 

 up. I find I can get rid of the bees, 

 whether the honey has all been car- 

 ried down or not, in about an hour, by 

 placing the escape under it. One 

 super I had forgotten on a hive for a 

 few days, and the colony seemed to 

 have occupied the empty comb in the 

 super, so I placed the escape-board 

 under it in the evening, and the next 

 morning it was clear of bees. 



I am sure that when the real value 

 of this bee-escape is once known, it will 

 be found as necessary as a good 

 smoker. I imagine there will be much 

 less shaking the bees oft" the combs, or 

 brushing them off, in extracting honey 

 in the future than in the past. Then, 

 how pleasant it is to go to the hives, 

 slip the escapes under supers in the 

 evening, and the next morning carry 

 the honey in, and the bees never know 

 what has happened. 



Milan, Ills. 



BEE-KEEPING 



Considered in Connection ivitb 

 Otber Pursuits. 



Wntten for the American Bee Journal 



BY CHRISTIAN WECKESSER. 



Much may with propriety be said on 

 both sides of the question, as to whether 

 it is best to combine bee-keeping with 

 other pursuits; but circumstances will 

 ever alter cases to such an extent that 

 no definite rule may be given. Suc- 

 cessive unprofitable seasons have con- 

 vinced many that it is not wise to de- 

 pend upon bee-keeping alone, and 

 many have such a liking for the busi- 

 ness that they would not abandon it 

 even for something more profitable. A 

 practical question is, what and Iww to 

 combine it with other pursuits in a 

 satisfactory manner. Individual taste 

 and inclination will, at least measur- 

 ably, determine ivhat to combine with 

 bee-keeping, as well as the pursuit one 

 is pregaged in on starting out. 



To my mind the manner of combin- 

 ing bee-keeping with other pursuits is 

 an important consideration. I en- 

 deavor to make the most of bee-keep- 

 ing with the least labor, and it seems 

 best to give my time to matters that 

 will more invariably give profitable re- 

 turns, and I thus make bee-keeping a 

 sort of "side business," and endeavor 

 to still be prepared to "take in "a 

 good season when it comes. 



