7 HE A M ERIC A N B EE-KEEPER . 



137 



only to return the more persistent in 

 the fight. At such a time the smoke 

 should be hot and dense enough to send 

 them spinning to the ground or they 

 will follow, as mad bees will, for 

 hours. Cold blasts or small Binghams 

 are of little use in such emergencies. 

 Too clip queens in May when the ap- 

 iary is quiet and the colonies not so 

 strong and a little honey coming in, 

 not more than one colony in ten needs 

 to be smoked , Clouds, accidents, early 

 and late handling also modify cases. 

 A board cover cannot well be removed 

 without some jarring. 



In handling bees all day I find use 

 for the greatest as well as the least 

 amount of smoke. If there are a doz- 

 en angry bees following me about I 

 want a smoker that will send a blaze 

 out the muzzle to clip their wings for 

 them. It is better than boards or 

 shingles which it takes time to hunt 

 up and the smashing of the bees leaves 

 a scent which angers other bees. The 

 next moment a very gentle colony 

 may need to be examined. 



A person who would direct such a 

 volume of smoke as would follow this 

 blaze of fire upon a gentle colony 

 ought to be fined for cruelty to an- 

 imals. In such a case the smoke sho- 

 uld be blown by the side of the hive 

 and the wind be allowed to waft it over 

 the tops of the frames, or if there is no 

 wind the smoker must be put far enough 

 away so that the smoke is diluted 

 with the air before reaching the bees, 

 and as the bees begin to retire between 

 the top bars, we may set the smoker 

 down and begin taking out the frames. 

 By the time one or two frames have 

 been examined the bees will begin to 

 crawl up over the top bars again, and 

 some may be seen to flit their wings 



sharply and a bee now and then will 

 jump quickly at another. These 

 movements are warnings for the man- 

 ipulator to look a little out and the 

 smoker should be brought up with the 

 right hand and without moving any 

 other part of the body, and another 

 whiff wafted over the frames when 

 the bees will settle back as at first. 

 Just a little smoke on very slight oc- 

 casions is the best use of it. When 

 one or two bees on the top of the frames 

 begin to get frisky and can't stand 

 still, a quarter of a puff of dense smoke 

 with the nozzle held close by sobers 

 them, when, if they are not looked to, 

 they would put the whole top of the 

 hive in commotion, as other kindly 

 disposed bees catch the idea readily. 

 If a comb is set out of the hive the 

 bees on it will seldom fight unless ag- 

 gravated by quick angular motions, 

 which are decidedly improper in the 

 bee yard, unless it be after dark. 



All motions should be smooth, easy 

 and not swift, but to work swiftly 

 every motion should be made to count. 



The gait to acquire when working 

 with bees comes by practice and it 

 saves smoke as well as temper of both 

 bees and keeper. 



Practice also makes one expert in 

 taking out frames, setting them down 

 and doing other work with the least 

 jars, all of which saves reaching for 

 the smoker if not a fight. Some bee 

 handlers open hives quickly, jerk the 

 frames out spitefully, and to make up 

 for their rashness sends smoke in aw- 

 fully that drives the bees down in ut- 

 ter confusion, often out at the en- 

 trance and they go flocking around 

 the corner of the hive or under the 

 alighting board. 

 This is a shocking procedure; it stops 



