50 
ANTS 
died, rind the hives filled with honey, scat¬ 
tered about the apisgry. unprotected, seemed 
to he as fair a chance for the ants, that had 
not “dwindled” a particle, as they could 
well ask for. We watched to see how fast 
they would carry away the honey, but, to 
our astonishment, they seemed to care more 
for the hives that contained bees than for 
those containing only honey. We soon de¬ 
termined that it was the warmth from the 
cluster that especially attracted them; and, 
as the hives were directly on the ground, 
the ants soon moved into several that con¬ 
tained a small cluster only, and for a while 
both used one common entrance. As the 
bees increased, they began to show a de¬ 
cided aversion to having two families in 
the same house, altho the ants were evi¬ 
dently inclined to be peaceable enough un¬ 
til the bees tried to “push” matters, when 
they turned about and showed themselves 
fully able to hold possession. The bees 
seemed to be studying over the matter for 
awhile, and finally we found them one day 
taking the ants, one by one, and carrying 
them high up in the air, and letting them 
drop at such a distance, from their home 
that they would surely never be able to 
walk back again. The bees, as fast as they 
became strong colonies, drove the ants out; 
and our experience ever since has been, 
that a good colony of bees in the North is 
never in any danger of being troubled in 
the least by ants. One weak colony, after 
battling a while with a strong nest of the 
ants, Swarmed out; but they might have 
done this any way, so we do not lay much 
blame to the ants. 
Rut ants do prove to be very annoying in 
those apiaries where there is any attempt 
to keep the grass down with a lawnmower. 
The little hillocks that they make all over 
the yard disfigure it to some extent, as well 
as forming more or less obstruction to the 
scythe and lawnmower. While, as we have 
already said, ants do little if any damage to 
hives in the North, yet as it is so easy to 
eradicate them it may be well to consider 
methods for their extermination. 
Trow TO DESTROY ANTS'* NESTS. 
With a crowbar or a short stick and a 
mallet make a hole an inch or so in diame¬ 
ter, and about a foot deep, down thru the 
center of the nest. Around "this hole make 
two or three other similar ones, or more if 
the nest is a large one. Go to the drugstore 
and get about a dime’s worth of bisulphide 
of carbon. Be careful with the stuff, for it 
is veiy explosive, and the fumes of it 
should not be allowed to collect in the room 
where there is a gasoline flame or any stove 
or lamp burning. From this bottle pour 
about a tablespoonful of the liquid in each 
hole; then immediately stop each up with 
a plug of earth, for it is desired to have 
the fumes of bisulphide penetrate all the 
galleries of the nest, thus destroying ante, 
larvae and eggs. In a day or so it will be 
found that everything formerly animate in 
and about the nest is dead. 
But if the nests are not very large, one 
can secure almost as good results by using 
coal oil or gasoline in place of the bisul¬ 
phide. But in using these, about twice or 
three times the quantity should be poured 
in each bole. We have tried both gasoline 
and kerosene, and have found each effect¬ 
ive in destroying the nest. Of the two, 
the kerosene seems to be preferable. In 
using bisulphide of carbon, gasoline, or 
kerosene, be careful about spilling or ] tour¬ 
ing any of it on the top of the nest, as 
that will kill the grass, leaving a brown 
spot right where it should be green. The 
bisulphide is more apt to kill the grass 
than the gasoline or kerosene, as it is much 
more powerful. 
The best time to destroy ants’ nests is in 
the spring, before the ants have had an 
opportunity to make much of a hillock; 
then there will be less liability of killing 
the grass; or, rather, a better opportunity 
for the grass to recover from its “dose” 
during the early spring rains. 
ANTS IN THE SOUTH. 
These insects are much more troublesome 
in the southern States, and all Avarm cli¬ 
mates, in fact, than in the North. Some¬ 
times they are so large and powerful that 
they even set about to destroy the colony. 
When the nest lias been discovered, pro¬ 
ceed to destroy it by the use of kerosene or 
gasoline. If these do not prove to be power¬ 
ful enough, use bisulphide of carbon, mak¬ 
ing three or four holes to the square foot 
of nest; but in the ease of bisulphide, one 
must be careful to have each hole stopped 
HP tight with plugs of earth, otherwise the 
