Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-04-04

necessary requirements Of the locations
for family apiaries, so that the keepers of
few swarms may have some idea of
what place on the farm, or in the yard,
may be the most suitable for them.
In the first place, we desire that the
apiary should be partially protected from
the overheated rays of the summer sun,
and therefore give our apiary place
shaded by the foliage of trees or large
shrubs, or, in the absence of this natural
shade, we erect shelter of boards that
will protect them at least from the mid
day sun. Should our home be where the
breezes hold unobstructed and almost
continued sway, as they do over the far
reaching plains of Kansas and Colorado
during the summer, as well as In winter,
we must have an eye to breaking the force
of these, while we are devising protec-
ton against the scorching rays of the
sun. Let me say, just here, to those who
live in windy country, that they must
not expect enormous yields of honey,
though the prairies may abound in honey
producing flowers, because, during rather
strong breezes, the bees cannot be on the
wing, but must necessarily remain in the
shelter of their hives.
Our attention should next be directed
to the convenient distance of the apiary
from the house, and also from bee-pas-
turage. 1t should not be locat ed in an
isolated spot, especially if we intend to
allow natural swarming during the first
part of our experience in bee-keeping. If
this is our intention, we must select
place that can be easily and frequently
observed from the house. Even in case
we,practice artificial swarming, the hives
should be near the dwelling. in order that
the tired farmer, busy housekeeper, or
whoever has the bees in charge, may not
find it inconvenient to pay the apiary fire.
quent visits of observation, as well as
those of thorough investigation. For, al
though bees will not brock too frequent
disturbances, the beekeeper should not
| approach the other extreme by leaving
them too much to themselves. In choos.
| ing place near the house, we must see
that it is one not liable to be molested by
horses, or other domestic animals. have
never heard of poultry interfering with the
| bees, excepting in one instance A neigh
| Dor of ours discovered last summer one
of her ducks seated near the entrance of
hive, onTiieriy receiving the insects in
! ner eepaclous mouth as they flew from
the hive in search of liquid sweets, un-
conscious of the dangerous proximity of
this new enemy. To guard against this,
4 lAc hlNGS bIlOulu utlNC a oulhSlCAt OACNd a
ton from the ground. The rear or side
is better location for bees than the front
part of the yard, for the reason that it is
undesirable to have visitors annoyed by
them. The distance of hives from bee
pasturage is more important than is COM
monty supposed. If the principal pastur-
age is few miles distant, it is very .evi'
dent that the bees will be exposed to
greater danger OF being lost and disabled
than if the distance be less, and this
would necessarily keep down the working
force in the hives.
The direction in which the hives should
face is another point that we must con-
slider. 1t is advantageous, in our climate,
to have them so placed that the rays of
the sun, in the morning, may rest upon
the fronts of the hives, and call the bees
out early to their daily labors. Langstroth
advises that they be given a southeastern
exposure in the Northern and Middle
States.-"EZa," in Chicago Tribune.