30 
Beekeeping 
from the weather. It is most important that the joint or 
dovetail be painted as decay starts there in unpainted hives. 
White paint (white lead and raw linseed oil) is to be pre¬ 
ferred as it makes a cooler hive than dark colors. For the 
sake of the appearance of the apiary, all hives should be of 
the same color. This is also important if one wishes to 
interchange hives in the apiary. 
The hive, as it has been discussed so far, is essentially 
the home of the bees and is occupied by them throughout 
the year. This portion is usually known as the''brood- 
chamber. For surplus honey, on which the beekeeper de¬ 
pends for his profit, additional parts are needed and these 
are discussed in connection with the production of the 
various kinds of honey. 
Equipment for handling bees. 
A few special tools are necessary in handling bees. A 
good smoker (Fig. 24), consisting of a tin or copper receptacle 
in which to burn rotten wood or 
other materials, with a bellows at¬ 
tached to force a draft, is in¬ 
dispensable. The medium-sized 
smokers are best for the beginner 
and the professional beekeeper may 
learn by experience what size is 
best suited to his needs. The 
German beekeeper often uses a 
specially constructed pipe (Fig. 
25), which is naturally a dual-pur¬ 
pose tool. 
A veil of black material, prefer¬ 
ably of cotton netting with a silk 
tulle front (Fig. 26), is needed to 
protect the face from stings. Even 
a seasoned beekeeper, who some¬ 
times likes to brag that he never uses a veil, may find it 
convenient to have a veil thrown back on his hat, which can 
Fig. 25. — German beekeep¬ 
er’s pipe. 
