432 



Gleanings in Bee Culture 



caught by closing the 

 lid. I take them with 

 the combs to the honey- 

 house, where they are 

 kept prisoners until I 

 get through extracting 

 for the day. Jiy pick- 

 ing up what robbers I 

 can with every basket 

 I carry to the honey- 

 house, I keej) the yard 

 quite free from these 

 pests. 



The question would 

 naturally arise, "What 

 do you do with those 

 indoor robbers? how do 

 you dispose of them?" 

 Simply by opening the 

 screen door wide, past 

 the center when I see 

 fit to liberate them. I 

 have no bee-escape to 

 my honey-house, and 

 would not have any 

 under any considera- 

 tion. To let the bees 



pass out at any time by means of one of 

 these devices is just exactly what causes 

 trouble. They will soon return and bring 

 another lot of investigators with them, and, 

 before many hours — yes, minutes — my 

 honey-house would ))e surroimded by a very 

 troublesome crowd. But under the circum- 

 stances Mr. liobber has to stay in until it 

 suits my jHirpose to set him free, theieby 

 preventing all communication between him 

 and the outside world. 



My screen-doors are the only bee-escai)e 

 I use, and they work to perfection. The 

 frame is made of 1 'i^-inch stuff, and fits to 



Fig. 1.— One of S. I). House's colonies, in an Aspinwall hive, that produc- 

 ed 120 lbs. of honey without offering to swarm. 



the door ojjening on the outside. It forms, 

 with the screen nailed on the outside of it, 

 a sort of inclosure which confines the robbers 

 to the screen, even when the door is partly 

 opened. This enables me to pass in or out, 

 or move my comb-basket one way or the 

 other without a single robber taking the hint 

 that he could gain his liberty by taking the 

 right course. 



Jiut I have another scheme of deception. 

 It sometimes happens that the inside rob- 

 bers have become quite numerous, and at- 

 tract a large number on the outside — too 

 many to make the passing in and out agree- 

 able. Then I 

 use a second 

 door about three 

 or four feet from 

 the screen. Be- 

 ing a solid door, 

 always closed 

 when not used, 

 and opening on 

 the opposite 

 side from the 

 screen, not a 

 single robber 

 molests me 

 when going in 

 or out with hon- 

 ey or e m p t y 

 combs. The 

 screen V)eing so 

 near it draws 

 their attention 

 in that direc- 

 tion. 



My c o m b - 

 baskets, when 

 taken to the 

 hone y- house 

 with full combs, 

 are a 1 w a y s 

 placed near the 

 Fig. 2.— Bees actually suffering for want of ventilation. 



