The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-01-27
Profitable Management for Bees.

An EngllSn Wrlter, j. W. Daguen, Oh
Sussex, has published book relating
how he made $3.50 from bees, commence
ing almost without capital. He says:
-Four years ago RECOMMENDED keeping
bees, and without any other outlay than
three dollars, excepting what has been
produced from the sale of honey, have
now nearly 100 stocks, remarkably strong
and vigorous, independent Of consider
able balance of money in their favor.
In almost all BET gardens you will no.
tice that the hives of bees are ranged close
under south wall this have found to be
the worst situation possible, the heat some
times being 80 great that all work is en-
tirely suspended for some of the most
valuable hours of the day, and, moreover,
they are exposed to all the storms Of wind
and rain which prevail from that quarter.
l have made trial of almost every point
OF the compass, and find east, or point
straw hive will last three times as long in
this as in the first-named position.
ut is not at all necessary or advisable
to place the hives under wall or hedge.
The most convenient plan is to range them
two or three feet apart, with the back of
the hives to a garden path this much
to be performed, such as putting on or re-
moving superior hives, feeding, etc.
bee houses are worse than useless, as
they afford shelter and a nursery for all
their worst enemies, and generally in at
tending on one hive you cause annoy
ance and confusion to the whole house
hold. It is important in practicing the
depriving system to have every hive on
its own stand, detached from others.
"Never put a new swarm of bees IN an
old hive, as there will almost certainly be
the eggs of the honeymoon deposited in
the crevices of the hive, which will hatch
out and probably destroy the swarm.
Nothing is more to be dreaded by the bee
keeper than the moth, and when they
once gain an entrance to the hive the bees
appear as if powerless to expel them, all
though they will seize them savagely at
the entrance. When moths have once es-
tablished themselves in q hive, and the
maggots begin to eat their way through
the combs, the sooner the bees are fumi-
gated and put into another hive the better,
as for them to remain with the moth mag
gots will be certain destruction to them.
Moths, as we'll as the large slug, may
be taken in great numbers, late on sum-
mer evenings, by spreading mixture Of
sugar, homemade wine and rum on walls
or the stems of tees.
"Do not have large round entrance
to the hive, making the admission OF mice,
large slugs and other enemies an easy
matter; but have an entrance of only
about quarter of an inch in height, and
from an inch in winter to four inches in
length in summer. But watch must be
kept on the entrance, as sometimes the
weight of the straw hive will press tdown,
stopping the entrance altogether. have
known many swarms destroyed from this
cause.
"Should wasps or robber bees attack a
hive the only plan is to narrow the en-
trance SO that only one or two bees can
pass at the same time; this enables them
the better to defend their gates and gen.
orally to hold their own against all inva-
ders.
"A very simple and easy plan of doing
this is to saturate piece OF wooden rag
with spirits of turpentine, and put it into
the entrance of the nest, leave it there
for the night and the next morning every
wasp will be dead. A wasp's nest, when
removed unbroken, Is very extraordinary
and beautiful in its construction, and u
curiosity quite worthy Of preservation"