jm AMERICAN 





Apiculturist. 



A. Journal Devoted to Practical Beekeeping. 



VOL. IX. 



SEPTEMBER, 1891. 



No. 9. 



CAHEFUL HANDLING OF BEES. 



If there is oue point I would im- 

 press upon the mind of a novice in 

 bee-culture more than another, it is 

 to acquire the habit from the first of 

 very careful handling. 



While attending a National Bee 

 Convention at Cincinnati, 1 was sur- 

 prised and delighted with the good be- 

 havior of Mr. Muth's bees. There 

 were about forty colonies on the roof 

 of his store, and there were about as 

 many visitors as could be accommo- 

 dated in the passage-way between the 

 rows of hives. I do not remember 

 that Mr. Muth used any smoke ; I 

 rather think he did not. He opened the 

 hives, lifting out combs, and point- 

 ing out the queen to the visitors, who 

 stood closely around. No one pres- 

 ent had any protection, and though 

 it was late in Fall, when no honey 

 was being gathered, there was no 

 stinging. 



AMIABLE BEES. 



Bees came in and out of the store 

 and customers did not appear to no- 

 tice them more than flies. If a bee 

 touched the hair of one of Mr. Muth's 

 sons, he very gently brushed it aside. 

 I said to one of them : "Do you ever 

 kill any bees?" He said: ''Oh, no ! 

 if we did, father would go for us." 



After inspecting the apiary of Mr. 

 Muth, a party of us took carriages, 

 and were driven to Mt. Healthy to 

 visit the apiary of Mr. Hill. Here I 

 noticed the same thing. While a 

 party stood around an open hive, I 



kept at a respectful distance, and re- 

 marked to a daughter of our host, "I 

 never before saw any bees like your's 

 here in Ohio." 



She replied : "It is all in the hand- 

 ling ; my brother used to help father, 

 and the bees were very cross ; but 

 since I help him, they are not so any 

 more. I work gently, and never jar 

 thein, or strike at them with quick 

 motions, and they never get excited." 

 Hives manipulated without snap or 

 jar are most desirable. Our first 

 hives had the frames covered with a 

 board that pried up with a snap, which 

 caused the bees to immediately ele- 

 vate their tails, and a tiny drop of 

 poison was occasionally seen. When, 

 in lieu of this board, duck or heavy 

 muslin was used, it was a move in 

 the right direction, for this could 'be 

 peeled back without causing any dis- 

 turbance at all. 



MASHING BEES. 



This is another justifiable cause for 

 war, as it releases the poison, and the 

 scent of it angers them. AYhen the 

 clothing of a person has this scent, 

 bees will attack it when near their 

 hive. 



In most apiaries of any size, there 

 will often be a score or so of bees 

 which appear to follow war as a bus- 

 iness — never apparently going to the 

 field for nectar, but watching the 

 doors for some one to attack. The 

 best way to manage such fighters is 

 to dispatch them at once ; a palm- 

 leaf fan is a good Aveapon ; knock 



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