The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1866]: Being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management, with full directions, adapted for the cottager, farmer, or scientific apiarianNeighbor, Alfred
Science
The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1866]: Being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management, with full directions, adapted for the cottager, farmer, or scientific apiarian
The bee-keeper is interested in preventing the increase of wasps; it
is, therefore, a good practice for him to set a price on queen-wasps in
the spring the death of one of them at that time being equivalent to
the destruction of a whole nest.
Should nests be found in the neighbourhood of an apiary, their
annihilation must be accomplished, either by blowing them up with
gunpowder, an operation well understood by most country, lads, or any,
other effectual method. The late Mr. Payne recommended, that a small
quantity of gas tar should be put into the mouth of a wasps' nest, and
if then covered with earth, the total destruction of the wasps will
be accomplished without further trouble. But to use blazing straw for
the purpose is always dangerous in country districts. We have lately
heard of a very ingenious and successful mode of entrapping and killing
wasps. Place some sugar or strongly-sweetened compound on the ground
in a garden, and place over it a square hand-glass, wedged up an inch
or so all round. On this glass, which should have an opening at the
apex, lodge another, but a sound one. The wasps, attracted, by the
sweets, will soon crowd under the lower glass, and, when they have well
feasted, will ascend into the upper one; there, between the two, they
soon become scorched and perish by the heat of the sun shining on the
outer glass.
The season of 1864 was most productive for the increase of these prime
pests of the apiary, and many hives have severely suffered by their
depredations. When once wasps in any number have gained an entrance
into a hive, the bees can seldom eject them, and the invaders generally
remain until they have freely regaled themselves from the luscious
store. They not only consume the honey, but cause a good deal of worry
to the legitimate inhabitants of the hive, as well as killing the
foremost defenders of it. Wasps being much superior in strength, it
requires at least three bees to master one of them.
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