A profitable instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees/First Treatise/Chapter 10
VVHere the Hiues of Bees ought eſpecially to be placed. Cap. x.
ARiſtotle willeth the Hiues of Bees in the winter time to be placed in a warme place, and in the hotte ſeaſon of Sommer, in a colde place. Palladius Rutilius in his firſte Booke of huſbandrie teacheth that the fitteſt place for bees, is that, whiche is in a Garden, not farre or rather neare to the owners houſe, which by that meanes ſuffereth not the windes, nor the acceſſe of theeues or beaſtes.
Which alſo nouriſheth Trees growing on the Northſide of the place, the better to defend the cold ayre from them, & cleare ſprings or faire riuer water running by. Columella willeth the Hiues to be ſet open toward the ſouth, far from noyſe, & haunte of people and beaſtes, neyther in a hote nor colde place, for eyther of theſe do moleſt and harme the bees. Alſo that the hyues ſtande in the bottome of a valley, or if not ſo poſſible, then placed neare to the valley, the better and eaſier for the Bees to bring their food gathered to their hiues, and in anye caſe farre from ſtincking puddels, ditches, dung-heapes, and ſuch like filthy ſtinckes, which greatly annoye and endamage the bees beyng neare hande to their huies. M. Varro writing in his ſecond booke vnto a huſwife of the countrey, willeth her alſo to ſet the Hiues cloſe to hir houſe, and vnder ſome ſhed, & that far from ye noyſe of formes, whiche is mente from a groue or wood, leaſte through the woodde or groue neare hande, the ſame may giue the Eccho, whiche ſounde in verye deede the Bees do greatly hate. Virgil {{bl|willeth buſhie trees to be planted and ſtand right before their hiues, like as the Peare tree is, the Peach tree, the Dake tree, many kyndes of Apple trees, the birche tree, Holy tree, the Bay tree alſo, not allowed for his goodneſſe, but bycause ye ſame giueth out muche honny, and al other trees which beare no bitter floures. And he willeth theſe plantes and hearbes to grow neare hande, as the Roſemary, the red and damaſke Roſe, the white Lillie, the Uiolets, the Flouredeluce, the Dryganye, the Lime, the running Lime, the Sauery, ſweete Maſorome, the Saffron floure, which coloureth the honny and maketh it ſmel ſweete, the beane floures, the French beane floures, the Mellylot floures, the hearbe Baulme, the white Poppie floures, and many other ſweete and wholeſome floures, not here named. But the Bore tree, the Maſticke tree, the dogge or Gatten tree, or as ſome ſuppoſe the long and high cheeritree they greatly hate, for hat taſting of the floures of anye of theſe, they die forthwyth}}. Maro wylleth ſtanding waters, to be neare to their hiues, & ſo ſhallow, ye ſmal ſtones thrown into thē, may appeare aboue the water, & serue in ſteede of bridges for their often recourſe to thē, & that they may aptly ſtretch their wings abroad on the ſtones, at the heate of the ſun. The ſtādings for hiues ought to be three foote diſtant from the ground, & wittily ſtopped about with red clay, leaſt vermine, and Myse creepe into the hiues, and ſpoyle the honny combes. The Hiues alſo oughte to be ſet a little aſūder the one from the other, leaſt by loking into them, you ſhake one another by cleauing togither, and ſo diſquiet the bees nexte to, which feare al manner of ſhaking leaſt the ſame throw not downe their weake workes of ware. And the mouthes of the hiues ought to ſtand ſomwhat ſtiper than the back part, leaſte rain beating in, might not lightly run out again by their entry or hole. For remedy of ye which, ſome make a couer ouer theyr hole ye better to keepe off ye weather & raine. And no manner of heate ſo much harmeth them, as doth the bitter cold, & for this ye faces of hiues ought to be toward the winter riſing of the ſun, that the Bees may ſo receiue the warme comofort, in ye morning comming forth, & be the liuelier, for colde doth cuaſe them to be ſluggiſh, and for that cauſe their holes ought to be very narrow, that as little colde as poſſible, may enter into them, & ſo narrowe made, that the Bees within may receiue the encreaſe but of one Bee at once. For by that meanes can neither the Beetil, butterflie, nor great moath enter, to annoye them. Beſides for their often recourſe home, Maro willeth to make two or three commings into the hiue, ſomewhat diſtant aſunder.