METHODS OF REPRESSION. 
91 
In spite of the fact that the hive stand was absolutely ant proof 
we experienced much difficulty in preventing grass from growing up 
under the hives and affording a passageway for the ants. To elimi- 
nate this difficulty we covered the entire apiary with about 5 inches 
of cinders and placed each hive stand upon a concrete block. (See 
Plate VII.) 
Rev. Albert Biever, S. J., devised a unique method of protecting his 
bees from the ants. This method he describes as follows : 
Blocks of wood are obtained, upon which the legs of the bee stand rest. Then the 
cover of a lard can or large tin box sufficiently wide when placed in an inverted posi- 
tion on top of the blocks will overlap the block of wood on all sides. A paste con- 
sisting of vaseline mixed with kerosene and red pepper is then spread thinly over 
the inside of the can or cover, and the ants will never be able to reach the legs of the 
stand and gain access to the hives. An advantage of this method is that the paste 
need not be renewed more than once every year or two, and, being protected from the 
weather, it can not be washed off. 
One can successfully keep a few colonies of bees in any portion of the 
ant-infested area by 
making use of the spe- 
cial stands described 
above, but eternal vig- 
ilance is the price of 
success, for when the 
ants do gain access 
to the bees the latter 
are likely to be dis- 
organized within a 
few hours and the 
swarms will abscond. 
Along with the use of 
the ant-proof stands one should also use every means for reducing 
the ant colonies in the vicinity of the apiary. 
The commercial apiarist can hardly continue keeping bees with 
profit after his apiary is invaded by this pest, the amount of labor in 
constructing hive stands and keeping down vegetation being almost 
prohibitive. In such cases the wisest course would be to remove the 
entire apiary to some locality where these ants do not occur. As 
already noted, the infestation is not infrequently confined to cities 
and towns, and small rural sections still free from this pest can usually 
be found within driving distance. 
Fig. 12. — Sectional view of ant- proof hive stand, showing method of 
making top and sides water-tight by •' breaking" the joints. (Sen- 
ior author's illustration. ) 
CONTROL OF THE ANT IN ORANGE GROVES. 
The main orange-growing section of Louisiana lies along the banks 
of the Mississippi River below New Orleans and extends for a distance 
of about 50 miles. This section has the reputation of producing 
