Evening journal., 1908-04-06
BEES ON THE FARM
Article No. 5.
How to Make a Start With Bees.
BY Joel S. cilfiilan.


without getting stung." In this article
shall try to give as clearly as pos
sible the manner Of approaching a hive
and Of handling the bees. The first
thing that is necessary to have is a
smoker Anything that would enable
you to control a puff Of smoke and
make It go where you, want it 70 go
would answer the purpose. but there
are number of different kinds for sale
by those who handle bee supplies
which are handy and easily handled
The fuel used to produce the smoke
may be old rags, rotten wood OF apy
material that will burn slowly and
make more smoke than flame.
On approaching a hive of bees that
you wish to examine drive a pun Of
smoke across the entrance Of the hive;
Immediately the bees that are on guard
Will run into the hive with a peculiar
sound recognized by the bees as u
warning to prepare for calamity. Let
me stop just long enough to state
what would happen If instead of puff
Ing the smoke across the entrance you
should shake the hive or disturb it in
any way. In that case the bees that
are on guard, watching out for the
safety and security of the home, would
utter cry of danger and in far less
time than it takes to write it, the bees
would be rolling out of that hive by
the hundreds and woe be to the person
who is near them. But in the former
case when the cry of calamity is utter
ed, every bee in the hive dives into a
cell of honey and begins loading up
with honey.
They are preparing for the worse, if
their home should be destroyed and
every particle of honey and comb
taken from them, they could immedi-
ately set up housekeeping again and
build new comb from the honey they
had stored in their bodies.
Did they not prepare themselves in
this way. unless there was plenty OF
honey in the flowers at that time. they
would be unable to build new comb
and would soon perish. There are
two conditions OF the bee when it VIII
not sting, one when It is very busy
and the other is when it is full of
honey. When the bees are very busy
briging in nectar they can be handled
with ease and with less liability Of
their stinging. So also when bees are
swarming. they have filled up with
honey before leaving the hive and are
quiet and peaceable.
After putting the smoke across the
entrance, then lift the cover and as
you do so drive pun of smoke across
the TOP Of the bees in the hive.
Ordinarily-there are exceptions
which can only be learned by expert
ence-after that treatment you can
take the bees out and put them back
and do most anything YOU wish with
them as long as you are careful to
avoid any movement that will arouse
their anger. Be gentle. Let every
movement be smooth and even. Avoid
quick or ierlSy movements. In all this
you viii see how important it is to
cultivate courage. 1t will not do TO
show fear. Instinct teaches the bees,
that If you are afraid, there must be
some guilty action against them that
you are afraid they viii revenge
1t is well. therefore. for the beginner
to use a veil. This can be easily
made by any one. silk tulle makes
the best, but ordinary mosquito netting
win do. It is gathered with a rubber
band to ft around the crown Of the
hat and extends down below the neck
and the coat is buttoned over it. TLis
will give one sense Of security. Some
also wear gloves. A glove made OF
heavy drilling and soaked in lnseed
oil or white lead paint is prepared fos
that purpose and may be purchased for
thirty-flve cents a pair.
Most beekeepers prefer to worl;
without gloves as they are considered
both too warm and clumsy, but they
usually have a veil handy so that II
can be put on II the bees should show
signs of anger. This was demon
strated at the grange fair last year
when 1 entered the cage 20 open the
hive for the first time after bringine
1t from my apiary. There was a scrcer
fastened over the hive by four screws
and these screws came out with dit.
ficulty and when I got them out
neglected to puff a little smoke across
the bees before lifting the screen off
Consequently the bees few out and
showed fight. I stepped out Of thu
cage and put my veil on and soor
subdued them. when I laid the vel
] Nrlut AGAIN. Alter a. iilAlt tAptIAtnN'
one learns to detect the note of angei
in the bees. and takes warning. wa
glad that little episode happened as !
clearly showed ,that I was not exemp
from the attack az bees and also tina
the bees I had there We're not some ex
ceptionally ouiet bees. They were oul!
an average colony from my apialy
neither tho quietest nor the crossest.
Some people have the idea that ther
are some people the bees would no
sting no matter how they handles
them. And some people are continually
Dragging how they can do anythinl
they please with bees and never thlnl
of using smoke or in any way attemp
to quiet them.
One surh used to stop and take grea
pleasure in telling me how he coul
handle bees and never used smoke o
veil. After he would get through
would just quietly say; Il have tn
italian bees. They arc quiet. Jus
step back in the yard and open one c
the hives and take out frame o
bees"
But he never took up my offer. NOV
the only time he had ever handled bee
was at a time when any one coul
have done the same without fear Of
single sting.
His experience with bees had bee
confined to the robbiag Of bee trees
The tree would be cut down and b
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