The boards on which the hives are placed, should be cleaned about four times in the year—January, March, April and November, much time and trouble will be saved the Bees thereby.
Plants which rise in height equal to or exceeding the entrance of the hives, should not be suffered to grow in their immediate vicinity, and every facility should be removed by which the enemies of the Bees can ascend into the hives.
Still, however, a few shrubs or standard roses of four or five feet may with advantage be placed eight or ten paces in front of the hives, for the Bees to alight upon in their return home, when heavily laden with honey and pollen—it saves their falling to the ground from the weight of their load, which they frequently do, and in unfavourable weather to rise no more. It was seeing them rest in this manner that gave rise to the following lines:—
Rest on that Rose's leaf awhile, thou little Busy Bee,
Thou hast winged thy way with thousands, the wand'ring, the free.
Unwearied with thy ceaseless toil in search for future store,
Thou'rt come back to unlade thy sweets, then sally forth for more.
Thou'st been among the flow'rs of gold, their kiss is on thee yet,
And o'er thy richly powdered wings how many hues are met.
That tell of revelling at the founts of nectar's luscious tide,