Aspect.--I will commence by giving the aspect best suited for the Bees
to be placed in. I have tried all aspects, and have no hesitation
in saying that the south is the best. Bee-houses of all kinds I very
much dislike; many hives are ruined by them; they are expensive in the
first place, and they form a shelter for their worst enemies, mice,
moths, spiders, &c., and not the least, _dampness_, which is ruinous
to them. I would recommend the hives being placed south, or as nearly
so as may be convenient; if at all varying from it, give them a little
inclination to the east, and be sure to place them so that they have
the morning sun, for the honey-gathering for the day usually finishes
by two o'clock; therefore an hour in the morning is of much importance
to the Bees, as well as to their proprietors. Another inconvenience
arising from Bee-houses is that several hives being placed upon the
same board encourages pilfering, and renders it almost impossible to
operate upon one hive without disturbing the whole.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.]
Stand for Hive.--Having, therefore, for these reasons, recommended the
abandonment of Bee-houses altogether, I would say, Place each hive
upon r separate board supported by a single pedestal 4 or 5 inches in
diameter--a piece of wood with the bark on does remarkably well; place
it firmly in the ground, and about 15 inches from its surface. Upon the
top of this post should be nailed firmly a piece of board 8 or 9 inches
square, upon which should be placed the board the hive stands upon, but
not united to it, so that the hive may be removed whenever required
without disturbing the Bees.
Clay or mortar should never be used to fasten the hive to the board;
the Bees will do that in a much more effectual manner themselves, with
a substance they collect from resinous trees called propolis. Mortar
or clay tends very much to decay the hives; and hives managed on this
principle are expected to stand for fifteen or even twenty years. Let
the hives be placed about 3 feet apart from each other, and in a right
line. The best covering, as a protection from rain, is a large flat
earthen pan (a milk-pan) sufficiently large to prevent the drip from
falling upon the board. It would in all cases be well to give them the
shelter of a wall or fence from the north, but on no account place them
close to it, but leave a space of 4 or 5 feet at least for a path; for
the operations of taking off small hives, glasses, or boxes of honey,
are much more conveniently effected at the back than in the front of
the hives. It would be well to clean the boards on which the hives
stand four times in the year--namely, in January, March, April, and
November. January and March are the most important.
The place where the hives are fixed should be kept clear of weeds; and
plants which rise in height equal to or exceeding the entrance of the
hives should not be suffered to grow near them.