HOW TO KEEP BEES. 17 



BEE ESCAPES. 



A bee escape is a sort of fly trap device, permitting the passage of 

 the bees in one direction only, and is used in a board placed between 

 the brood chamber and the super to free the super from bees when 



Fig. 12 — Bee Escape. 



it is desired to remove the honey. It is a most useful contrivance, 

 but its success depends upon there being no brood in the supers. 

 (Figs. 12 and 13.) 



Fig. 13. — Bee Escape in Board. 



These are improved by being "ventilated." Six or eight two-inch 

 holes are bored through the board, or a narrow slot is cut the whole 

 length of it and covered with wire screen cloth. 



DRONE AND QUEEN TRAP. 



The drone and queen trap is a two compartment box for use at the 

 hive entrance to catch drones and the queen, if a swarm issues. So 

 far as drones are concerned, it is far better to avoid their presence 

 by having combs built from full sheets of foundation. The few drone 

 cells then constructed around the edges will not produce enough 

 drones to do any harm. As a device for catching the queen when a 

 swarm issues, it is successful, unless the queen chances to be ab- 

 normally small. 



A word of caution regarding the use of the trap will not be amiss. 

 It calls for attention and thought. It must frequently be freed of 



