§1-] 



BEE-HOUSES. 



169 



the oil dries up it can easily be renewed. We have 

 found this an effectual remedy against these insidious 

 enemies of bees. 



Where economy of room is a consideration we fit up 

 bee-houses with a double row of hives, one above the 

 other. Our illustrations show respectively the front and 

 back of a house of this kind for twelve hives, having an 



ornamental zinc gutter to prevent the wet from dripping 

 on to the alighting-board. When a number of hives are 

 thus together we colour the alighting-boards differently, 

 so as to provide the bees with a distinctive mark by 

 which each may know its own home, and not wander 

 into its neighbour's house. Bees readily enough receive 

 a honey-laden labourer into a hive ; but if the wanderer 

 be poor and empty it will be promptly repulsed, and 



