BEE-HOUSES. 125 



the glasses ; the cord for each runs on pulleys, so that 

 the covers can be easily raised and sis easily shut down 

 ^ain when the inspection is finished. We may here 

 remcirk, that it is not well to keep the glasses long ex- 

 posed to full light and view. 



The front of the bee-house being closely boarded, a 

 passage-way is contrived for the bees, by which they 

 have egress and ingress, without being able to gain 

 access to the house. The hives must be kept close to 

 the front boarding of the house, to prevent the opening 

 of any crevices which the bees might mistake for the 

 entrance to their hives, and so find their way into 

 the house. The front view of this bee-house shows 

 the ordinary contrivance for entrance ; the sliding zinc 

 entrances may also be advantageously fixed, as shown 

 in the engraving of a bee-bouse to contain twelvelhives. 

 In many parts of the country, hives and honey are ^some- 

 times stolen from the garden ; the bee-houses we furnish 

 have a lock and key to prevent depredations of this 

 kind. 



Care must be taken to keep the bee-houses free from 

 spiders and other insects. In some districts, ants are 

 numerous and troublesome. The plan we recommend 

 for excluding them is to put some pitch round the four 

 supports of the bee-house, or, better still, strips of loose 

 flannel, or other woollen material that is absorbent, 

 which have previously been soaked in lamp oil. We 

 use sperm oil, as being the slowest-drying oil we know 



