SUBDUING AND HANDLING BEES. 



47 



poison ejected by the sting has a most exasperating 

 eifect on the colony, and scores or even hundreds of 

 stings may be sheathed in tlie gloves or other parts 

 of the clothin,g not capable of being withdrawn by the 

 bees, thus causing a needless loss of bee life. The 

 timid bee-keeper may, however, rub his hands with 

 Grimshaw's apifuge, which, according to the testi- 

 mony of many who have tried it, has a wonderful 

 effect on irritated bees, in that they decline to sting 

 the part over which this charm has 

 been rubbed. 



While there is a strong objection 

 to the use of gloves, there can be 

 none to the use of a bee-veil made 

 of light material, to protect the face. 

 Some bee-keepers neglect even this 

 precaution, the time and manner of 

 their manipulations rendering such 

 protection unnecessary. As a rule 

 a veil should be worn. In fact, the 

 work, whatever it may be, to be per- 

 formed with an open hive, will 

 generally proceed in a more satis- 

 factory manner from the consciousness that the 

 face is protected. Cumbersome dresses should be 

 avoided ; a veil of white mosquito net with black silk 

 net front being all that is necessary. Such a veil 

 with an elastic band running through a slot at the 

 top, fits easily round the hat, while the lower part is 

 tucked under the coat, the projecting rim of the hat 

 keeping the veil at a convenient distance from the 

 face, as in Fig. 8. 



Fig. 8. 



