And there the busy citizens disclosed."
Murphy's Vaniere.
Exterior of an Apiary.
As originally erected in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park.
Interior of an Apiary.
May be taken as suggestive for the construction or appropriation of rooms for the
larger Apiaries in summer-houses or other out-buildings.
THE NEW BOTTLE-FEEDER.
It has long been acknowledged that the best mode of feeding bees is through an opening at the top of the stock-hive. The new bottle-feeder is a simple and good means of administering food when a stock requires help in that way, as bees can take the food from it without leaving the hive. Any kind of hive that has an opening at the top may thus be fed. Another important feature is the cleanliness with which liberal feeding can be accomplished; and few operations require more care than does feeding. If liquid sweet is left hanging about the hive, it tempts robber-bees; and when once the bees of an apiary have had a taste, there is no knowing where their depredations will stop: they resolutely attack and endeavour to rob other hives, fighting and killing one another to a considerable extent. Even if no hives be completely destroyed, weakness from loss of numbers will be the portion of most, if not of all, the hives in the garden.
The morals of our favourites are here a good deal at fault, for the stronger hives, when their inordinate passion is thus stirred up by the carelessness or want of knowledge of the bee-keeper, attack and prey upon the weaker ones. To be "forewarned is to be forearmed"—and "prevention is better than cure." We strongly recommend closely covering up the feeder; one of the middle-size bell glasses put over it makes a close-fitting cover, should the regular cover to the hive not be sufficiently tight. When bees are not kept in a bee-house, and are, on that account, more accessible, this extra care is particularly needed. The right time for feeding is in the autumn or spring. As stated at [page 76], it is requisite to ascertain the condition of the hive at Michaelmas, and, if wanting, the deficiency can then be made up.[13] It is not wise to defer feeding until later in the season, because it is important that, when the food is placed b the cells, the bees should seal it up; and a tolerably warm temperature is required to enable them to secrete the wax for the delicately-formed lids of the cells. If the food remained unsealed, there is danger of its turning sour, and thereby causing disease among the bees. It is not well to feed in mid-winter or when the weather is very cold: bees at such times consume but little food, being in a state of torpor, from which it is better not to arouse them.