GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



THE WINDOWS OF THE HONEY -HOUSE 



BY B. BLACKBOURNE 



An important part of the honey-house is 

 the window; and altho by the superfieial 

 observer it may be dismissed with scant 

 consideration, a little thought spent upon 

 this one item alone when planning a honey- 

 house will be amply repaid b}^ the conven- 

 ience afforded later. 



Before discussing different types of win- 

 dows especially suitable for honey-houses, 

 let us consider what are the particular re- 

 quirements of such windows. These are, to 

 admit light; to admit air without allowing 

 bees to enter; to clear the honey-house of 

 bees trying to get out, without admitting 

 those attempting to get in. 



The usual method employed is by the use 

 of wire cloth. This is tacked outside the 

 window, and bee-escapes are fitted at the 

 top corners or else the wire cloth is carried 

 six inches above the opening, and the upper 

 border held out a quarter of an inch as 

 suggested in Dr. Phillips' " Beekeeping." 

 In both these methods it is necessary for 

 the window to be open ; and unless Dr. 

 Phillips' sliding sash is used the bees are 

 likely to collect on the window-pane, and 

 miany will not find their way to the ware 

 cloth at all. The ordinary sash window is 

 certain to be a nuisance, and a casement 

 window cannot be used unless it is made to 

 open inward, which is inconvenient, and 

 even then bees will get back of the window 

 and collect on the pane. 



Simmins, in his " Modern Bee Farm," 

 recommends a good window, which I have 

 used in my bee-house for some years. The 

 glass panes are brought down to V2 inch 

 from the frame at the bottom, and this is 

 left open. On the outside perforated zinc 

 is tacked to the frame and extended 6 inches 



up the front, and % inch from the glass. 

 The bees fly against the window, fall down, 

 pass thru the oj^ening, crawl up the zinc, 

 and escape. During a honey-flow bees es- 

 cape well by this method; but if a sudden 

 check comes wliile one is extracting, or 

 while there is honey in the house, the bees 

 scent it from the outside, and in a compar- 

 atively short time find their way down the 

 zinc and into the house. Wasps frequently 

 lead the way, as they are very much quicker 

 than bees in finding an opening; but once 

 the bees have found the way in they don't 

 forget it in a hurry. Very soon the whole 

 apiary is in an uproar ; bees inside pass the 

 stolen honey thru the zinc to those outside, 

 and, owing to the hundreds inside buzzing 

 up and down the windows, clusters very 

 soon collect in the top corners. Owing to 

 this trouble I made removable strips of 

 wood with which to close the openings dur- 

 ing extracting time, or while I had honey 

 in the house. Then there was the trouble of 

 getting the clusters of bees out in the eve- 

 ning. With this style of window, too, 

 there is another danger. When handling 

 queens in the house it is quite possible to 

 lose the queen, owing to a momentary care- 

 lessness, and she will very likely get out 

 befoi^ she can be caught. Then, too, the 

 window cannot be opened for ventilation. 



Details of clutch and brake for operating Clark's honey-house elevator. 



