THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



:>:;: 



miles. Also, look well to the immedi- 

 ate surroundings. A location near 

 ponds or large bodies of water is not 

 generally desirable. Bees become 

 fatigued while on the wing, especially 

 when flying against the wind, and by 

 dropping into the water, often become 

 chilled and drown. 



It is a great advantage to have a strip 

 of timber on the north and west side 

 of the apiary to shelter hives from cold 

 and heavy winds. If no natural pro- 

 tection is afforded, a close, high board 

 fence should be put up for the purpose. 

 In building the fence the nails should 

 not be driven in firmly, but should be 

 so left that they may be easily drawn, 

 so that more or less of the boards may 

 be removed during the hottest weather, 

 to permit a free circulation of air. 

 When the hives are not protected from 

 the wind, the bees when returning 

 with heavy loads are frequently unable 

 to strike the hive, are blown to the 

 ground, become chilled and die. It is 

 especially necessary to protect bees dur- 

 ing the spring months, because the col- 

 onies then contain fewer bees than at 

 any other time ; and every bee is need- 

 ed to keep the brood warm. If one is 

 located where there is but little natural 

 pasturage for bees, much can be done 

 to improve such a locality, by furnish- 

 ing artificial pasturage. — Ex, 



Cook's "Manual of the Apiary" 

 reduced to $1.00. 



Bee Escapes. 



When it is desired to remove the- 

 filled sections from the hive there is 

 always more or less trouble in doing 

 so caused by the bees being among the- 

 sections; also, when a combined crate 

 is used and we wish to remove it filled 

 with full sections it will contain a 

 large number of bees whose presence- 

 is not wanted. In these cases it is 

 usually the custom to use the smoker 

 and thus drive the bees down or out,. 

 but in doing so it gives the honey a 

 bad odor and sometimes even discolors; 

 it, The quickest, easiest and by all 

 means the best way of getting rid of 

 the bees is to use a good bee escape ,- 

 It is used in a honey board placed 

 above the brood frames and under the 

 upper story, super or crate. It is so 

 made that the bees can only get thro' 

 it one way, which is from the upper 

 side, thus allowing them to gradually 

 work their way dovhi into the brood 

 chamber, but making it impossible for 

 them to get back again so that in a; 

 little while the surplus apartment of 

 the hive will be deserted. 



There have been several different 

 styles of bee escapes invented, the 

 Dibbern taking the lead, but Messrs. 

 R. & E. C. Porter, of Lewiston, 111., 

 have lately sent us an escape which 

 we think is fully equal to anything 

 we have ever seen. We give an illus- 

 tration of it herewith. 



It is substantially made of tin and 

 has two brass springs so arranged tlfat 

 they will let a bee pass through but 

 effectually prevent it from returning. 

 It is simple and cannot get out of or- 

 der or become clogged with dead bees 



