40 Texas Department of Agriculture. 



this direction to allow proper drainage, and a sufficient number of 

 deciduous trees i'or shade is an ideal place to establish an apiary. 



The hives should have the morning aiid evening sun, but should be 

 protected during the hottest part of the day. Shade trees are most 

 desirable for this purpose, as they not only furnish shade to the 

 hives, but the beekeeper, as well, while he is at work with the bees, 

 those that give a partial shade in the summer and lose their foliage 

 in the winter are the best, while the live oaks and other evergreens, 

 or any too dense shade, should be avoided, as bees do not do well m it. 

 If natural shade can not be had, artificial shade must be provided. 

 Sheds are expensive in first cost, have their disadvantages, and are 

 harborers of insects, spiders and other pests. It is, therefore, better 

 to provide cheap shade boards for each hive. These are easily made of 

 light boards, a few sugar barrel staves held together by a short board 

 nailed across the under side, being the cheapest. 



The hives should be set close to the ground so the bees can crawl 

 into them if they fail to reach the entrance on returning from the 

 fields heavy laden; preferably on four common broken bricks, to 

 keep the bottoms from decaying, which can readily be obtained with- 

 out charge, or at small cost. It is a mistake to place hives upon tres- 

 tles, like so many are found on the farms. All weeds and grass 

 should be kept down in front of the hive entrances to prevent obstruct- 

 ing the flight of the bees. These impediments and the elevated hive 

 entrances, not only delay them considerably in their work, but many 



Hives grouped in threes and ground kept clean of grass and weeds. 



