1900 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



613 



should a united attack be contemplated I want 

 a smoker that will throw a dense smoke in a 

 moment. A large smoker, and a good one, 

 can be made to throw but little smoke when 

 occasion offers ; but a small ill-constructed 

 smoker can not be made to throw rapidly 

 dense volumes of smoke at a moment's notice. 

 With many the extra price will not weigh very 

 heavily when once they see the advantage of 

 the better article. I do not believe in fuel 

 which is so terribly pungent, a whiff of smoke 

 being very distressing to the operator. I do 

 not know, but I am inclined to think it angers 

 the bees. Let the smoker fuel be dry. It is 

 needless for me to say much upon this sub- 

 ject. 



WHEN TO HANDI^E. 



Many fail to handle bees when they should 

 be handled. It is a rare occurrence that bees 

 require to be handled at unseasonable times. 

 They should be flying freely, or the weather 

 warm enough to permit them to do so. Dis- 

 turbed during cold and perhaps damp weath- 

 er, the bees are more likely to be irritable. 

 If the operations can be postponed until the 

 bees are gathering honey or pollen, so much 

 the better; and if you want the greatest 

 amount of profit from the bees, do not disturb 

 them unnecessarily. One can get endless en- 

 tertainment by sitting by the hive and watch- 

 ing bees going in and out, coming in loaded 

 with the fruit of their labor, soon to hurry 

 out again, and all in obedience to the divine 

 law — no rebellion there; and then we can ex- 

 amine ourselves and see to what extent we 

 are util zing our own lives to carry out the 

 purposes of God. 



HOW CI^OTHED. 



Having now a good hive, a good smoker, 

 and having chosen the proper time, let us 

 look at the dress. This is of very great im- 

 portance. The bees, as most of us know, do 

 not like rough and fuzzy clothing. The hooks 

 on their legs catch on the hairs, and irritate 

 the bees. There are two classes to deal with — 

 those keeping only one or at most a few col- 

 onies of bees, and those making to some ex- 

 tent a business of bee-keeping. The person 

 keeping a few swarms can not well clothe 

 himself specially. Many farmers wear wool- 

 en clothing. Their shirtsleeves, with the fuzz 

 found on the surface, is to the bees like a red 

 rag to an angry bull. To put on a coat does 

 not better matters much. I have often no- 

 ticed, with the open sleeves at the wrist the 

 bees are much more likely to sting. The plan 

 I adopted was to get print sleeves made with 

 an elastic at the wrist, and another at the 

 shoulder, fastening the sleeves at the shoulder 

 with a hook and eye or a safety-pin. The 

 elastic band can be kept well down on the 

 wrist, and many a sting be prevented. The 

 legs should be thoroughly protected and the 

 bees have no way of getting under the cover- 

 ing. I have taken bicycle-clips, or even two 

 ordinary strings (elastic would probably be 

 better), and if I were a wheelman, or had 

 knickerbockers, I would use a device on the 

 same principle as the covering for the sleeves, 

 for the bees could sting through the stockings, 

 ^nd the fuzz would aLso irritate. 



A felt hat should never be used in the api- 

 ary. Take the smooth straw ; and if you 

 like to rip a portion of the broad rim, 

 and sew it again to give it a more rounding- 

 down shape, so much the better. It will pro- 

 tect more from the sun ; and when no veil is 

 worn, the bees are less likely to fly under the 

 rim of the hat. 



VEilvS. 



I have worked much among bees, with and 

 without a veil ; and, after carefully weighing 

 my words, I would say it is folly to work 

 among bees, when they are likely to sling, 

 without a veil. The rules for clothing I have 

 given are likely to give confidence to the op- 

 erator, prevent nervous movements, the result 

 of fear of being stung, and a steadier hand over 

 the hive. Many veils sold are useless be- 

 cause too small. They draw the veil tightly 

 over the nose, and the bees can attack this 

 weak though prominent spot, or the veil comes 

 loose about the neck, and ihe bee can get un- 

 der. They should be long enough to allow of 

 being well fastened about the neck, and at the 

 same time not be tightly drawn about the face. 



If the bee-keeper is a specialist, or likely to 

 spend much time in the apiary, a pair of linen 

 trousers will be found to be a decided advan- 

 tage. They are free from roughness of any 

 sort. To allow the hair to grow long is also a 

 protection from stings. By "long" I mean 

 long enough to prevent the bees from stinging 

 through it, and protect the neck. 



I have said nothing about a covering for the 

 hands. I can not see any necessity for cover- 

 ings for the hands. They must make it more 

 difficult to operate, and I could not put up 

 with such covering. If such is desired, ex- 

 tend the sleeves mentioned above so the thumb 

 and fingers only are exposed ; or, if more is 

 required, use gloves with smooth surfaces. 



THE OPERATION. 



Thus equipped go to the hive and gently 

 smoke it at the entrance — just a puff or two — 

 and then remove the cover. Many go up to a 

 hive, and the first thing the bees know the 

 hive-stand or hive is rudely kicked against, or 

 the cover and honey-board are as rudely dis- 

 turbed, and the bees rush out to resent the at- 

 tack. Think of a commercial traveler trying 

 to get on the right side of a customer by in- 

 troducing himself by means of a kick or a 

 cuff ! The result in both cases are somewhat 

 similar, if natural inclinations are followed. 

 The frames being exposed, instead of pulling 

 out a frame, crushing bees on either side, gen- 

 tly crowd over adjoining frames ; or if you 

 have the closed-end frame, which is better, 

 withdraw the follower, and begin operations, 

 avoiding always the crushing of bees. A bee 

 injured is angered. It throws off formic-acid 

 odor, or, if able, may sting. In either case 

 the other bees may be aroused and put on the 

 defensive. 



WHAT KIND OF BRUSH TO USE. 



I am not prepared to say. A strong turkey 

 feather or a wing answers very well, but there 

 may be better. In brushing do not let tie 

 bees get between the comb and the brush and 

 so crush them. Shove them ahead of the 



