1 68 FITTIXGS AND APPARATUS. [Ch. iv. 



and as easily shut down again when the inspection is 

 finished. We may here remark that it is not well to 

 keep the glasses long exposed 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 to the hives 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 giving admission j the sliding 

 zinc entrances may also be advantageously fixed, as 

 shown in the woodcut of the bee-house to contain twelve 

 hives. The bee-houses we- furnish have a lock and 

 key. 



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 

 of A piece of string will keep the flannel close to the 

 wood, and then neither ant nor other insect will pass 

 up; so that by this simple means the_ hives may, so to 

 speak, be insulated and placed beyond their reach. As 



