Honsc-apic;yic. 



133 



with one exception, are nearly all with the housc-apiar;,-, and this ex- 

 ception is the cost of the building. Pormerly there was the objection that 

 the removal of the surplus liberated many bees inside the building, where 

 they were a great annoyance upon the windows and under foot. The 

 introduction of the honey-house bee-escape has removed this most serious 

 objection. By means of the escapes surplus can be removed with scarcely 

 a bee entering the building, and these few find their way out through the 

 escapes with which the doors and windows are provided at the top. 



General View of Mr. Ludington's Flouse Apiaries. 

 (Honey-House in the Center — Shop in the LSackground) 



Probably the onl}- really serious objection to the house-apiary, aside 

 from its cost, is the great likelihood of queens being lost while on their 

 wedding flight ; that is, of their entering the wrong hive upon their 

 return. The trouble arises frrni the greater number, similarity, and reg- 

 ularity of the entrances. To help to overcome this difficulty, different por- 

 tions of the house are often painted different colors, and different designs 

 are placed about the entrances. Some bee-keepers have found it desir- 

 able to rear their queens outside of the house and introduce them when 

 needed. 



Mr. A. A. Luditigton, of \^erona Mills, Michigan, uses small house- 

 apiaries made of cheap lumber, and winters his bees in a cellar. Instead 

 of setting his hives upon shelves he hangs them up against the walls hv 

 means of heavy wire loops. The bottoms to his hives are hinged so that 

 thev can be let down. This allows of an easy examination of the lower 

 edges of the brood-combs where the bees are almost certain to build 

 queen-cells if preparing for swarming ; thus he is able to foretell swarm- 



