Texas Beekeeping. 



23 



Muth's Ideal wire cloth veil. 



Cotton tulle veil. 



The first thing to do with the sting is to remove it carefully by 

 scraping it out with a knife blade, or the finger nail, in such a way 

 that the poison bag, which is attached to the sting, is not squeezed 

 and the contents forced into the wound. The best care for a sting 

 is to forget all about it as soon as possible. The application of am- 

 monia and other remedies supposed to neutralize the poison are, in 

 most eases, useless, as they can not enter the wound because it closes 

 immediately from swelling. In severe cases inflammation may be 

 reduced by wrapping the affected parts in cold, wet cloths, or bathing 

 with ammonia. 



As bees seem to resent dark colored objects, especially black hats 

 and clothing, upon which they pounce much more vehemently and 

 sting with greater fury, light colored clothing should be worn by the 

 apiarist in his work with them; 



THE FAMILY OF HONEY BEES. 



In order to better understand the necessary manipulation in the 

 successful management of bees, a somewhat general knowledge of the 

 life-habits of the inmates and the economy of the hive is of great ad- 

 vantage. 



Honey bees belong to the family Apidae, long-tongued bees, one of 

 the families of the order of insects of which bees, ants and wasps 

 are the most prominent members. There are many members of this 

 family — some solitary in their habits, living alone and making their 

 own nests ; some living as guests in the nests of other bees, and some 

 social bees living in colonies, a trait which is a distinguishing char- 

 acteristic of the honey bees, with which we have to do. The scientific 

 name of the honey bee is Apis millifera, to which the many races, or 

 varieties, the German or Black, Italian, Carniolan, Cyprian, Holy 

 Land, Caucasian and other bees belong. 



