CHAPTIvK TIT. 



QUIETING AND MANIPULATING BEES. 



The denieaiior of bees toward an individual depends largely upon his 

 bearing and treatment of tlieni. Langstrotli, in liis excellent treatise, 

 Langstroth on the Honey Bee (p. 193, revised edition), says: 



Let all your motions about your hives be gentle and slow; never orusL or injure 

 tbe bees; acquaint yourself fully -with the iirinciT'lca of management, and you will 

 find you have little more reason to dread the stiiig of a bee than the horns of a 

 favorite cow or the heels of your faithful horse. 



Most bee manipulators, however, grow somewhat indiiferent to stings, 

 since in time they be(;omi' 



so inoculated with the iioi 

 son of the bee tliat the i)ain 

 of the sting is h\ss severe 

 and the swelling slight. 

 But to avoid the stings is, 



with some of the races more \ :' SS^" I 



recently i}itro(h(eed into this 

 country, sinq)ly a question 

 of care in manipulation and 

 a free use of smoke. It is 

 not meant that the bees 

 should be stupefied with 

 smoke, but merely alarmed 

 and subjugated, and when- 

 ever they show any disi)o- 



sitiou to act on the ofifen- I ^J^KHittt^ l 



sive recourse is to be had 

 to smoke. It is not neces- 

 sary that the smoke should 

 befromaparticular source, 

 but that from certain sub 

 stances, as tobacco, subju- 

 gates them more (juickly, 



while burning pufi'ball stupefies them for the time. There are some 

 objections to these substances which do not apply to wood, either i)ar- 

 tially decayed or sound, and as the latter when in a good smoker holds 

 lire best and is very etlective, it is advisable to keep a good sup])ly at 

 hand. Seasoned hickory or hard maple are best, though beech, soft 



31 



Fi(i. 12. — I'se (if veil aiul liec siuok»'r. (Oriiiinal.) 



