The Honey Bee 



1391 



pass up into the supers. In the production of extracted honey, the 

 use of these excluders is very essential since all brood is best kept 

 in the brood chamber, and out of the extracting combs where it 

 becomes a nuisance if allowed. Also, less pollen is stored there. 

 Excluders are not needed between the brood chamber and honey 

 supers, unless supers are placed over a swarm before the comb is 

 built in the brood chamber, or the brood nest established. 



BEE ESCAPE 



The bee escape is a simple little appliance fitted into a board 

 the same size as the hive, placed under the supers of either comb 

 or extracted honev, whichever it is desired to remove from the 

 bees. The bees in the supers pass down into the hive, but none 

 can return. This method is slower than smoking or brushing, re- 

 quiring from twelve to twenty-four hours or longer, depending on 

 the temperature, to clear the super of bees ; however, it is valuable 

 at the close of the season or 

 whenever bees are inclined to 

 rob. It is also popular with 

 beginners and those who are in 



any way timid in handling bees. 



Fig. 45. Bee Escape 



B ingham 

 B ee Smokep. 



SMOKERS 



It is folly to attempt the handling of bees extensively without a 



first-class smoker, numerous kinds of which are on the market. 



The essential points are light weight, 



powerful and cold blast, light and 



quick action of the bellows, and 



durability. The Bingham is a good 



example. Some makes have too wide 



a spread of the bellows so they cannot 



6e readily grasped by the hand and 



are thus tiresome to work. In the 



lowest priced smokers the stove is 



made of tin. This answers for a 



time, but if used freely in a large 



„^ \„ ,,. , ~"^ ^ , apiary soon rusts out. Copper or 

 Fig. 40. Binuliam Bee Smoker ^ '' rv 



{Courtesy of the American Bee brass, preferably the latter, makes a 



much better implement. The smaller 

 size will answer better for a. smaU. or medium-sized apiary but for 



