306 THE APIARY. 



Covered Apiaries. 



570. Covered apiaries, unless built at great expense, 

 afford little protection against extreme heat or cold, and 

 greatly increase the risk of losing the queens (503) and the' 

 young bees. The weak colonies are always the losers, for 

 their young bees, in returning from their first trip (l'J'3), 

 are attracted by the noise of other hives closely adjoining, 

 and prove the truth of the French proverlj "La pierre va 

 toujour.^ au tas,"' (the stone always goes to the heap). 



When hives must stand close together, they should be of 

 different colors. Even varying the color of the blocks will 

 be of great usefulness. 



John Mills, in a work published at London, in 1766, gives- 

 (p. 93) the following directions: — "Forget not to pamt the. 

 mouths of your colonies with different colors, as red, white, 

 blue, yellow, &c., in form of a half -moon, or square, that the 

 bees may the better know their own homes.'' 



C'o^-ered apiaries are common in Germany and Italy ; their 

 only quality is that of being thief proof, when shut and 

 locked. But such structures, especially when several stories- 

 high, c.nnnot easily shelter top-opening hives. 



Syi. Probably the most convenient covered apiaries are 

 simple sheds, facing South, and open in front during the 

 Summer and warm days of Winter. House apiaries, in 

 which the hives are placed in several stories, facing every 

 direction, are worse than nothing. Their only quality is to 

 be ornamental and costly. 



572. In the Summer, no place is so congenial to bees as 

 the sluule of trees, if it is not too dense, or the branches so 

 low as (o interfere with their flight. As the weather becomes 

 cool, they can, if necessary, be moved to any more desirable 

 Winter location. If colonies are moved in the line of their 

 flight, and a short distance at a time, no loss of bees will be 

 incurred; but, if moved a few yards, all at once, many will 



