Humanity to Honey-Bees: or, Practical Directions for the Management of Honey-Bees Upon an Improved and Humane Plan, by Which the Lives of Bees May Be Preserved, and Abundance of Honey of a Superior Quality May Be ObtainedNutt, Thomas
Science
Humanity to Honey-Bees: or, Practical Directions for the Management of Honey-Bees Upon an Improved and Humane Plan, by Which the Lives of Bees May Be Preserved, and Abundance of Honey of a Superior Quality May Be Obtained
I beg, however, to re-state distinctly--that, in taking off a box or a
glass of honey, _no fumigation whatever is necessary_, or ever practised
by me. It is only in cases such as those just enumerated that I have
recourse to it; but in no case for the destruction of Bees. Fumigation,
therefore, in my practice, is not suffocation.
The following figure is a representation of a fumigator, which a brief
explanation will render intelligible.
[Illustration]
This useful article consists of a square top-board upon which is placed a
straw-hive (E.) so as to show an open, circular space under the hive and
through the square board into the bag below. I need hardly observe--that
the straw-hive is no part of the fumigator, but is here represented as
standing upon it in order to exemplify its use. The top-board is of
inch-deal, and is nineteen or twenty inches square. A round piece is cut
out of its centre of not more than thirteen inches in diameter--that
being something near to, or perhaps rather more than, the inside diameter
of a common hive--so that a hive will stand upon the wooden circumference
of the part left, without there being any ledge inside, that is--any part
so enclosed by the hive as to catch and detain the falling Bees. From the
upper-edge of this circle is suspended a bag, a yard in length, made of
glazed calico, the bottom-part of which draws round the rim of a shallow,
funnel-shaped, tin Bee-receiver, which Bee-receiver is about ten inches
across at the top, and its lower part, or neck (D. or F.) is three inches
and a half in length, and its throat (if I may so term it) is nearly
three inches in width. To fit this neck, which is thickly perforated
for the purpose of admitting fresh air, when fresh air may be required,
is a close lid, just like that of a common, tin canister, to hold up the
fumigated Bees, and also to stop the ventilation when not wanted. C. is
the fumigating-lamp with a perforated top through which the fume ascends,
and is made conical, so that a fumigated Bee in its fall cannot rest upon
it and be thereby scorched or injured, as would inevitably be the case
were this top flat. The tie (B.) closes the bag and keeps every Bee above
until the lamp and every thing below be adjusted, and it is _then_ to be
untied. The fumigator is here represented as standing upon three legs
made fast to the top-board by small bolts, as at A.; but it is quite as
convenient in practice, and more portable, if, instead of these legs, it
be made like a common scale with a cord from each corner, which may be
gathered into a small iron-hook, and thereby suspended from the branch of
a tree, or from any other convenient place, when used. The lower part of
the bag is represented as being transparent, but that is done purposely
to show how the lamp is placed inside when prepared for operation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account