216 



THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST. 



wintering is only attained by that 

 method. In this locality we should 

 think feeding for that purpose was 

 utterly useless. We have fre- 

 quentl}^ marked hives that were 

 broodless in August that have 

 wintered as well as if not better 

 than those in which brood-rearing 

 was continued until October. 



After preparing our bees in the 

 above manner they are left quietly 

 upon their stands until we put 

 them in the cellar or pack with 

 chaff and this is done as quietly 

 as possible. By this plan you 

 have the month of October and 

 perhaps a part of September for 

 other work. 



HUNTING WILD BEES. 



One of our readers who lives 

 way down in Texas desired us to 

 give information for hunting bees 

 in the woods. Below will be found 

 an article taken from the Amer- 

 ican Bee Journal of Aug. 11. 



You require a small box, which 

 can be made of any kind of wood. 

 The box is of a slanting shape, and 

 should be made according to the 

 following dimensions : bottom, 4x6 

 inches ; sides, 4 inches at one end, 

 bevelled down to IJ- inches at the 

 other ; end pieces, one, 4x4 inches, 

 the other l^deep by 4 inches long. 

 The top should be a separate piece, 

 and made as follows : width, 4 

 inches, whole length, 12 inches; 

 cutting down 4 inches on end for 

 handle, and inserting a glass 3x1 

 inches, flush with the under side 

 at the other end, as near the end 

 as convenient. 



The box should contain a piece 

 of honey comb about 1| inches in 

 thickness, which should be scented 

 with bee- bait covering the bottom 

 of the box. Tlie directions for 

 making this are as follows: 



Half an ounce of tincture of 



annis mixed with a half dozen 

 drops of oil of organum, to be kept 

 in an air-tight bottle. 



Taking the box in the left hand, 

 and the cover in the right, and ap- 

 proaching the bee while at work on 

 the flower or shrub, j'ou insert the 

 box under the bee, and quickly put- 

 ting the cover on the top (in such 

 a manner that the light can shine 

 in) you have the bee secure in the 

 box ; then put the box on a stake 

 three or four feet high, taking care 

 not to jar the box more than is 

 necessary. Then shove the cover 

 down so as to shut out the light 

 from the glass, when the bee will 

 go to work on the honey, which 

 can be ascertained by holding the 

 ear to the box, as it will cease its 

 "humming" as soon as it com- 

 mences on the comb. Then the cover 

 can be taken off" and the bee will 

 remain on the honey. Then take 

 a position where you can have an 

 unobstructed view of the box and 

 its surroundings, and wait for the 

 bee to come out, which it will do 

 in from one to three miiuites, and 

 commence circling in the air, grad- 

 ually enlarging the circles until it 

 finds its latitude, at which it will 

 immediately start in a direct line 

 for its home, and here care must be 

 taken to acciirately mark the direc- 

 tion it goes. You must now wait 

 for a short time when the bee^ will 

 return and re-enter the box, which 

 it will repeat as long as the box re- 

 mains. If the tree should be near 

 by, the other bees will accompany 

 it on its second or third return ; if 

 at a great distance it will take a 

 longer period for the bees to "dou- 

 ble up." 



If you have gotten fifteen or 

 twenty bees at work on the line, 

 you can safely take the box to a 

 point as far distant, in the course 

 the bee has taken, as 3'on choose, 

 being careful not to pass where 

 the bee is likely to tree, as they 

 will not follow the other way. 



