100 



THE BEE-KEEPERS ' REVIEW. 



inch stuff, twenty inches long, on each side 

 of each studding, with a brace 2x4x11-1 nailed 

 between them at their outer ends, and spiked 

 on the edge of the studding below. These 

 brackets are floored over just like the lower 

 platform, entrances and all, and packed for 

 winter in the same way. 



To work these upper shelves, there will be 

 a track of inch square hard wood laid on the 

 floor in each alley, with a platform truck 

 2>2x8 feet to run on it, with the top at a con- 

 venient height, and a couple of steps at each 

 end. This is not built yet, but is as is in- 

 tended for working these shelves. 



For the wall boarding I bought second 

 quality spruce at $7..50 per thousand and 

 made shiplap of it in my shop, to go on hor- 

 izontally, the best for the siding, next for 

 ceiling, floor and roof boards. 



Right here let me say, I cut nearly every 

 piece, except the frame, siding and roof 

 boards, to pattern, in the shop, so all I had 

 to do after the frame was up, was to nail 

 them on, without any hand work of high 

 priced carpenters, which made quite a dif- 

 ference in the price. 



The windows are one light, 14x20, with the 

 sash set into the wall without casings, and 

 screwed to a cleat on each side, that is nail- 

 ed inside the boarding. There is a window 

 in front of every third hive, of both lower 

 and upper rows, with the bottom of the sash 

 six inches above the top of the hive. This 

 gives three hives to each window and makes 

 the question of light perfect. It would be a 

 useless expense and labor to make the win- 

 dows so they would open, as ventilation is 

 provided for and the space in front of each 

 hive gives the needed conditions for shaking 

 bees off covers, comb, etc. A hole is bored 

 through the top sash close to the edge of the 

 glass and around each opening the wood is 

 cut away on each, inside, to lead out all bees 

 that fly to the window. I had no trouble 

 with their coming back, but I think a small 

 wire cone ought to be in each to be sure to 

 keep them out in a honey f<imiue. 



.Just above the level of the cover of each 

 hive is a two inch hole bored through the 

 wall, with a wire cone in each. These are 

 the bee-escajies proper of the house. All 

 windows, except the one nearest the hive 

 being manipulated, should be curtained quite 

 dark, or the bees do not leave the room well. 

 Also, instead of using an escape board on 

 the hive to rid tilled supers of bees, set the 

 filled cases across the cover cleats of any 



hive, close to the wall, cover the cases with a 

 cover and the bees will all leave promptly 

 through this cone, leaving the case to be set 

 back on to the middle platform without 

 opening the hive again to remove an escape 

 board. This makes a big difference in tak- 

 ing oft' the honey from a large number of 

 hives. I removed 75 cases (1,^00 pounds) in 

 this way in four hours, and put back as 

 many empty ones. The next morning they 

 were all free from bees. 



Upper ventilation is obtained by three 

 shafts 8x8 (I shall put in four more) through 

 the ceiling and roof into a cowl over each 

 on the roof. Both these and the openings 

 below can be closed in cool weather. The 

 draft is so strong most of the time that it 

 will draw up a piece of paper, consequently 

 no trouble is experienced by reason of smoke 

 in the room. 



The side walls are painted five different 

 colors of as much of a contrast as could be 

 made, six feet of each in rotation. This 

 brings a window of each upper and lower 

 row into the center of each color, also three 

 entrances to each color. It works admirably 

 in helping the bees locate their hives. Some 

 bee-keepers say that bees cannot tell colors, 

 but if they could see the way this plan works 

 with fifty entrances in a row, two feet from 

 center to center, they would be obliged to 

 admit that they are not color blind. 



Each entrance has an alighting board the 

 same color as the wall above. 



For wintering, a cleat ii}4 feet long is 

 screwed to the edge of the platform and 

 shelf, with a wide board running lengthwise 

 on the inside. This makes four troughs KK) 

 feet long, with 50 hives standing in each. 

 Planer shavings are then packed around the 

 hives, both sides and ends and over the top, 

 and the bees are then ready for winter. 



Up to date, they have had three or four 

 nice flights which they could not have had if 

 the hives had stood on the ground. I expect 

 to lose a few light ones as they did not have 

 proper care, as building the house put me 

 behind all summer, so that I did not get 

 them all packed until very late. However, 

 I know I can winter bees i)acked in single 

 hives, and I am sure that this plan is better 

 still, on account of their being up high and 

 dry. 



If I were going to build again, I know of 

 but one thing I would change, and that is, I 

 would make the building twelve feet in 

 width, instead of eleven, especially as all 



