Live Stock. 



377 



LIVE STOCK. 



Apiculture in Ceylon. — II. 



By an Amateur. 



I have given you a rough idea of the requisite appliances for apiculture ; and 

 these will be quite sufficient to begin on. You will do better to commence with one 

 hive (or at the most two) until you begin to feel your way. Then you can invest in 

 other necessaries for an extensive bee-farm. 



Having got your hive, place it ready where you wish it to stand. Then cut 

 three long strips of foundation, turn three of your frames upside down on a table, 

 and, with the help of a little melted beeswax and a teaspoon, fasten the strips as 

 nearly as possible along the middle of the top bars. Hang the frames so prepared 

 in the body-box, close up the dummy-boards on each side, and cut two strips of half- 

 inch wood, so as to fit into the entrance-hole, leaving a small gap in the middle. 

 Now raise the front of your hive off the floor-board, by inserting a couple of pieces 

 of wood under the ends, making the entrance about two inches deep, and blocking 

 the entrance with screws of paper except in the space between the two dummy- 

 boards. Thus, any bees that run in at the entrance will find their way up between 

 the prepared frames. Cover the frames with the quilts. You can now hive a swarm 

 when you like. 



Be most careful to see that the hive stands level. If it does not, it must be 

 propped here and there with stones. Bees always build their combs plumb with the 

 earth ; so that, if the hives are not level, the combs will be built crooked in the 

 frames. 



The question now naturally arises, what sort of bees you should keep. If 

 you decide on Europeans, get Italians. They are so gentle, that you will practically 

 never be stung. These you will buy either as a swarm or a stock already on frames' 

 In the latter case, insist that they shall be on American Standard frames, which will 

 exactly fit your hive. You need not then trouble to prepare your frames, but 

 merely take out the frames of bees one by one and transfer them bodily into your 

 hive, and the operation is complete. But if you get them as a swarm, they will 

 come in a box, hanging in a cluster from the top. Take off the bottom and place 

 the box on a board so that none may e=cape. Then take a second board (the same 

 width as your floor-board) and place it so that one end rests against the edge of the 

 alighting board of the hive, while the other slopes down to a lower level, If you can 

 get a board long enough, let the lower end rest on the ground. But you must not 

 have too steep a gradient. 



Now lift up your box of bees between the palms of your hands, steady it for 

 a moment over the sloping board , and give one or two sharp downward jerks. The 

 bees will all fall in lumps on to the board and at once commence to run upwards. If 

 you can see the queen (she is longer and of a paler colour than the rest), you can 

 induce her to crawl on to a piece of wood and deposit her gently in front of the 

 entrance. She is such a nervous animal that she will at once run in, only too glad 

 to find a dark hole where she can hide herself ; and all the bees will follow her with 

 a contented hum. If you fail to see her, and the bees appear dissatisfied with their 

 new home, watch them carefully. Wherever the bulk of them settle, you may be 

 quite sure the queen is there. Perhaps they will return to their original box, which 

 is a sign that you did not shake out the queen. Possibly they will cluster on a 

 neighbouring branch in which case you must put their original box exactly under 

 neath them and give the branch a sharp shake, turning the box upside down im- 



