lo 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



are not selling them, but they can he ob- 

 tained from any of the manufacturers. If 

 you desire information, you can address 

 either of us as follows: H. H. Hyde, 

 Hutto, Tex., or L. SchoU, Hunter, Tex. 

 Oct. T2, 1S9S. 



AN ENTRANCE CLOSER. 



An Arrangement that Enables one to Close the 

 Hive with a Simple Twist of the Wrist. 



L. KREUTZINGER. 



EDITOR Review, Dear Sir, responding 

 to your request to contribute some 

 article to the Review, while renewing my 

 subscription, I beg leave to state that, 

 although no writer, I think I have found 

 a subject which will nieet3'our approv- 

 al. As you do not care so much for the 

 form it is put in, as for the idea, I .shall 

 with pleasure meet your request. It is 

 the idea^ then, which causes me to 

 write, and, owing to its orginality, it may, 

 perhaps, deserve a small space in the col- 

 umns of your journal. 



Nearly every bee-keeper, especially 

 those who own a large apiary, or several 

 of them, experience the troublesome prep- 

 aration for transporting their hives dur- 

 ing spring and fall, while getting them 

 out of the cellar, repositorj^ or yard, to 

 and from the out-apiaries or yards. We 

 all know the difficulty in getting in shape 

 the bee-entrances, for which purpose we 

 have to be prepared with wire-cloth cut 

 to the size of the entrance, nails, hammer, 

 etc., not speaking of the disturbance to 

 the bees arising from the noise and jar 

 of tacking on the cloth. We all know 

 that this expense and labor is to be re- 

 peated as often as we have bees to move, 

 and that such material is rendered useless 

 after once used. 



To avoid all this difficulty, labor and 

 expense, once for all, I wish to submit to 

 you and the readers of the Review, for 



criticism and trial, a design of a so-named 

 "fi^xtension Closer for Bee-entrances," 

 of which a cut and sample follow here- 

 with. This "Entrance Closer" is made 

 of perforated zinc in two parts sliding 

 against each other so as to be of use for 

 any kind of entrance, whether narrow or 

 high, short or long; whether for 8, 9, or 

 lo-frame, or the old box hives. To attach 

 it to the hive requires almost no explana- 

 tion is needed, as this is very simple and 

 easy. After the rear cranks or slats of 

 the "Closer" are slid into the bee-entrance, 

 turn the two cranks upright, then screw 

 by hand both the screws tight against the 

 hive, and the entrance is securely closed 

 — with plent}' of air and ventilation to 

 the bees. No tool of any kind is neces- 

 sary, as all the operation can be done 

 with the hand alone. There is no ham- 

 mering, nor wasting of any material, as 

 this Closer can be used for many years. 



KREUTZINGER'.S entrance CU)SKR. 



With this "Extension-Closer" not less 

 than .sixty hives can be closed up per 

 hour; and, considering its durability and 

 .saving of time, labor and material, an ex- 

 pense of twenty cents per closer appears 

 very reasonable and fair. 



Chicago, 111., Jan. 7, 1899. 



[Accompanying the foregoing was a 

 private letter asking me to give my opin- 

 ion, impartially, of the entrance closer. 

 It is certainly a handy and effective ar- 

 rangement for closing the entrance of a 

 hive, and to the man who moves bees 

 about a great deal very early in the spring 

 or very late in the fall it might be useful. 

 In hot weather more ventilation is need- 

 ed than what can be given by the way of 

 the entrance. The whole top of the hive, 

 and sometimes the bottom, and a space 

 above and below the frames, as well, are 

 needed. In such cases, a simple strip of 

 wood tacked over the entrance answers 

 every purpose ; in fact, that is the way I 



