Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-06-03
Handling Bees, Smoker, etc.

To be a successful ~bee-keeper, the
persons keeping them should see
their bees often, and know at all
times their actual condition. To dc
this satisfactorily, we must have the
movable frame hive in some form,
and be able to open it and take out
the frames at pleasure. "Rut,' says
one, "the bees will sting. ! should
not dare open a hive full of bees
Yes, we know The bees will sting II
YOU are careless, and in taking out
the frames you hit them one against
another, thus Earring and smashing
the bees and honey. But if you will
be careful, and use q little smoke
when needed, there will be no trou-
Bile. When you wish to open a hive
step to the back side Of it, 50 as not
to interfere with the bees f. ing out
and in remove the cap, and with
your knife or something else, pry
gently on the honey-board. If the
weather is warm the propolls will be
soft, and the honey-board will come
off without jarring a particle. Have
on hand some smoke, and as soon as
YOU raise the honey-board blow in
some to keep them quiet. Begin two
or three frames from the one you
wish to take out, and with your knife
or fingers move them away q little,
then take out the one you wish.
After the first you a take out any
you wish by setting one down on the
outside of the hive. With the blacks
and hybrids you will want smoke ;
but as far as my experience goes,
with the pure Italians you will need
no smoke.
Twill describe a smoker which with
me works like charm and what suits
me l think will suit any one. Take
a piece of sheGt-iron and make q tube
eight inches long and two inches in
diameter. This is easily done with
small rivcts used by tinmcn-and
almost any person a make it. Now,
make a plug for each end, tapering
each down to a point. Bore q quar-
ter-inch hole in the plugs and cover
the large ends of the plugs with wire
cloth, which should be bent so as to
raise them in the centre; this keeps
trash from filling the holes in the
plugs. NeXt-onc end is nailed fast,
and the other is left movable, so that
it NAV be taken out when the nine or
tube thus preparedis to be filled with
dccayed wood, which is to be kindled
at the open end of course. You yet
want a handle, which is made by
boring a two-inch hole in a piece of
one-half inch plank, and shaping it
to suit you. Then slip the tube into
it, and it may be fastened by insert
ing a nail between the wood and the
tube. One plug should be shaped
convenient to be held in the mouth
when blowing smoke through the
tube. When you wish to use the
smoker insert the plug made for the
mouth-piece, and then you can smoke
the bees sufficiently in a short time.
by adding fuel occasionally you can
keep it burning any length of time,
keeping one end open when not in
use. DO not use tobacco for smoke,
as it stupeties the bees and makes
them irritable for several days after.
Now a word for the Italians. l find
them very ~peaceable when compared
with the black bees. | can open q
hive Of Italians at any time when
they are raising brood without smoke
and not have one offer to sting me,
unless by some mishap | jar them so
as to arouse them, which takes con-
siderable. Beside this you can find
the queen readily the young bees
do not drop from the comb as the
black ones do, and as far as my expe-
rience goes, they will make one-third
more honey. | have one stock of
Italians that gave nc one good swarm
and l25 pounds box honey the first
season, The Italians, to be pure,
should all have three bands, and some
will occasionally show the fourth
Cor. Bee journal,