230 
Beekeejping 
the north. These must be held in place by a heavy weight 
and are rather objectionable because they have to be re¬ 
moved each time the colony is manipulated. 
As the extreme of protection from the sun’s rays may be 
mentioned the house apiary, in which the entrances to the 
hives are through holes in the wall of a specially constructed 
house. Such arrangements meet with little favor among 
American beekeepers because of the difficulty in manipulat¬ 
ing the colonies inside the house. In Europe, however, the 
beekeepers often 
construct elabo¬ 
rately designed 
and decorated 
house apiaries 
(Fig. 8) in which 
an American com¬ 
mercial bee¬ 
keeper would find 
himself seriously 
hindered. 
Care of the apiary 
grounds. 
The ground on 
which the hives 
are located should be smooth so that a wheelbarrow or cart 
may be utilized in carrying supplies or honey. This is also 
desirable if a lawnmower is used to keep grass and weeds from 
obstructing the entrances. High grass about the entrances 
is a hindrance to the bees on returning to the hive and 
should be avoided. Few commercial beekeepers find time 
to use a lawnmower during the rush season, but prefer to 
lay boards in front of the hive or to kill the grass with 
salt. It is sometimes convenient to pasture one or more 
sheep in the apiary inclosure. Raising the hives above the 
grass on high stands is another solution of the difficulty, but 
is not desirable in a heavy flow of honey, since bees often 
Kiq. 98. — Apiary in the West, shaded by thatched 
shed. 
