4s6 Handbook of Nature-Study 



An observation hive in the schoolroom is an object of greatest interest 

 to the pupils, as through its glass sides they may be able to verify for 

 themselves the wonderful tales concerning the lives and doings of the bees 

 which have been told us by naturalists. Moreover, the study thus made 

 of the habits of the bees is an excellent preparation for the practical 

 apiarist, and we sincerely believe that bee-lceeping is one of the ways by 

 which the boys and girls of the farm may obtain money for their own use. 



The observation hive is very simply constructed and can be made by 

 anyone who knows how to use ordinary carpenter tools. It is simply 

 a small, ordinary hive with a pane of glass on each side which is covered 

 by a hinged door. A hive thus made is placed so that the front end 

 rests upon a window sill ; the sash is lifted an inch or so, a strip of wood, or 

 a piece of wire netting being inserted underneath the sash except in front 

 of the entrance of the hive, to hinder the bees from coming back into the 

 room. A covered passageway should extend from the entrance of the 

 hive to the outside of the window sill. This window should be one which 

 opens away from the playground so that the bees coming and going, will 

 not come into collision with the pupils. The observation window should 

 be kept carefully shut, except when the pupils are using it, since the bees 

 object to light in their homes. 



The A. I. Root Co., of Medina, Ohio, sell a pretty observation hive 

 which we have used successfully by stocking it afresh each season, it being 

 too small for a self-sustaining colony. But it has the advantage of small- 

 ness which enables us to see all that is going on within it, which would be 

 impossible in a larger hive. This hive comes in several sizes, and will be 

 shipped from the makers stocked with bees at prices ranging from $1.25 to 

 $4.00. 



Observations — Industries and care of the hive- — i . What is the hive, and 

 what do wild bees use instead of the hive? Describe as follows: 



2. Describe a brood chamber and a super and the uses of each. 



3. How many and what bees live in a hive. 



4. How the honey-comb is made and placed and the purpose of it. 



5. How the wax is produced and built into the comb. 



6. How honey is made. 



7. What bee-bread is and its uses. 



8. What propolis is and what it is used for. 



9. How young bees look and how they are cradled and fed. 



10. Does the removal of the honey from the supers in the fall do any 

 harm to the bee colony? 



11. How much honey should a good-sized colony have in the fall to 

 winter well? 



1 2 . How should the hives be protected in the winter and summer ? 

 What may be seen in the observation hive — 13. Describe how a bee 



works when building honey-comb. 



14. How does the bee act when storing honey in a cell? 



15. How does a bee place pollen in a cell and pack it into bee-bread? 



16. Describe how the nurse bees feed the young, and how the young 

 look when eating. 



17. Describe how the "ladies in waiting" feed and care for the queen. 



18. Try to observe the queen when she is laying eggs and describe her 

 actions. 



19. How do the bee workers keep their house clean? 



