DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES -A.ISTX3 EIOISI 
Vol. II. JULY 
HOW TO CONDUCT AN APIARY'. 
No. 7. 
' \ Kf E f ear we shall be obliged this month, 
'J'J to let the fortunate ones, who have 
none but full colonies and are doubtless busy 
with their surplus honey, run the machinery 
their own way, while we consider the wants 
and needs of the unfortunates like ourselves, 
who are building up again from a few mere 
remnants. 
When all the spare combs can be put under 
the supervision of the bees, by June 1st, but 
little or no apprehension need be felt of the 
depredations of the moth miller; but when 
1000 combs or more must be kept sately through 
the warm weather, or until needed, it may be 
a serious matter us to how best to do it. A 
little knowledge of the habits of the moth at 
such a time may enable us to save much need- 
less time and manipulation. We believe 
it has been well demonstrated that freezing, 
entirely destroys the moth, worms and eggs, 
and accordingly hives that have been destitute 
of bees ever since freezing weather, if kept per- 
fectly closed, that the moth may deposit no 
fresh eggs, may be considered safe. It should 
be remembered however that they will in the 
summer months, deposit eggs around the 
cracks, etc., the larva when hatched from 
these make their way inside, soon change into 
the cocoon, thence into a moth, and when 
once a laying moth is inside a hive of combs, 
destruction follows very quickly. On page 27 
Vol. l, we are informed by a subscriber that, 
"corahs hung in the open air, that is, not in a 
hive, at a distance of 1 or 1 inches apart, are 
almost secure from their depredations” 
This although seemingly strange has proved 
to be the case in at least two instances, and 
even when combs are left in the hive, if they 
arc spread so as to be at least an inch apart, 
they are seldom troubled by the moth. 
Although little danger may be apprehended 
from chilling brood during this month, by 
spreading too much, yet where the unsealed 
brood is thus pushed out-side (he cluster, the . 
effect is bad and wasteful ; when you have a 
hi va full of bees there seems to he little danger, 
and if’tis a possible thing all hives should be 
lull before commencing any kind of artificial 
swarming or Queen rearing. 
A single story hive for instance if full of 
bees, could spare a frame of brood once a week 
without feeling it. If we have a dozen hivts 
or more, that will do the same, we may expect 
'° ''e able to produce at hast two new colonics 
every week. When these new ones are also 
1, 1874. No. VII 
able to spare a comb with the rest, we shall 
have colonies accumulating at t lie rate of da 
week, then 4, and when our number gets up to 
25 or 30 one new one per day. This plan will 
soon re stock an Apiary, and it lias the advan- 
tage of not reducing any hive so long as all 
are kept rearing brood. Later in the season 
we would give the new colony 0 or 8 combs, 
and then they will be sure to be all right no 
matter when the season closes. We once in- 
creased fTom 11 colonies to 48 In this manner, 
and wintered the whole without loss. 
Notwithstanding all we have said about 
grass and weeds in front of the hive during 
the working season, we rarely visit an Apiary 
where such ueg.igence is not the prevailing 
fault. We have seen a single spear of grass 
not more than three inches in bight, knock 
down half a dozen heavily laden bees in suc- 
cession as they’ sweep laboriously toward the 
entrance, which they would have gained had 
it not beeu for this trifling obstacle; this oc- 
curred in a period of not more than five min- 
utes. Now how many bees did the same blade 
interrupt in a whole day? Where a thicket 
of grass and weeds obstruct the entrance, the 
bees almost all of them tumble somewhere near 
the hives, and panting from the exertion they 
have made, crawl in as best they can, rejoicing 
with a glad hum, poor abused patient little 
fellows, when their home is safely reached at 
last. Many will say, “Oh we raise the hive up, 
above the grass etc.,” but that won’t do either, 
for in one sense it makes matters worse; those 
that fall to make the hive get down, and some- 
times never get up. Any careful observer may 
see bees from their suspended hives, when very 
heavily laden, take wing again and again, be- 
fore making the entrance. A broad board be- 
fore the entrance ’tis true is a partial remedy, 
lint such boards warp, and give a lodging 
place for toads spiders and bugs, underneath ; 
if you have only the bare ground, kept clean, 
it is Arm, solid and simple. 
We would set the hive directly on a frame, 
made of two inch strips, a little smaller than 
the hive ; this would raise It two inches from 
the ground, but we would bank sawdust up 
around it high enough to cover this frame, and 
this wouid help to keep down weeds. 
Around the entrance to the hive for at least 
a yard each way, we would keep it clean with 
a hoe and broom, picking out each spear of 
grass ns soon as it can possibly trip up a bee. 
That bees take pride in such a door yard is 
evident, for they may frequently he seen carry- 
ing away sticks and (load bees that lie around 
hall' a foot from the hive, and the Italians will 
