50 



MANAGEMENT OE OUT-APIARIES 



of smoke are driven through this crack to drive the bees away. I am 

 careful not to make this crack big enough at first to let out any bees; 

 for if I dOj they are sure to crawl all about on the back side of the hives 

 and supers, to become a nuisance through my killing them, and their 

 stinging my hands during the rapid handling now required. By smoke 

 driv,en through this Vg-inch crack, the bees are "stampeded" in all direc- 

 tions away from the place where I am at work, and thus are entirely out 

 of the way. By the use of the piece of wagon-spring as a "pry," the 

 wedge is soon pushed in one-half its length, this giving a one-inch opening 

 into which I can blow smoke, which is now done quite freely. The smoker 

 is now quickly set down, when one hand grasps the escape-board, and by 

 thrusting' the fingers of the other into the opened crack, the supers are 

 lifted up at the back end as high as possible without having them slide off 

 the front of the hive, and the escape-board pushed in as far as it will 

 go toward the front of the hive when the supers are quickly lowered upon 

 it. The smoker is now quickly grasped again, and a stream of smoke sent 

 in at the opening which this has made at the front of the hive by the 



USE OF THE WEDGE BETWEEN SUPER AND EXCLUDER BOARD. 



escape-board not being quite in place. The chisel end of the spring 

 is now caught under the back end of the bottom super, while the other 

 hand grasps the top (forward end) of the cover, when, by bearing down 

 on the spring, so as to make a fulcrum of the escape-board, and at 

 the same time pulling with the top hand, the supers are easily and 

 quickly slid into their place so as to cover nicely the escape-board. Quickly 

 go to the front, catch the chisel end of the spring under the escape- 

 board, with the other hand at the back, on top of the cover; bear down 

 on the spring so as to make a fulcrum of the hive below, at the same 

 time pulling with the top hand, when the board with its load of supers 

 is quickly and easily brought completely over the top of the hive. If a 

 sort of rocking motion is given to the piece of wagon-spring when 

 bearing down, it will facilitate matters much, especially where there is a 

 heavy load of supers or hives to go on the escape-board. The heavy end 

 of the wedge takes that to the ground and out of the way, immediately 

 upon the lifting of the super, so neither of the hands is obliged to touch 

 it, thus saving one motion when we are in a hurry to get what is needed 

 done before the bees realize what our interference means. The wedge 

 should be made of some kind of hard wood, and be polished smooth. 

 Otherwise it will "brooni" up from the heavy pressure that is brought 

 to bear on it in handling supers or heavy hives, three or four stories 

 high, which are filled with honey. 



