56 EIGHTEENTH AXNUAL REPORT OF THE 



it is uncomfortable to get at them. You can build about three or four 

 or five high, instead of having so many stands, it is less trouble. 



The Secretary. — I scatter mine all over the yard, put them 

 out any day when it is nice weather. If they do not clear them up in 

 one day, I let them take two. I have never had a comb hurt yet. 



Mr. Bishop. — The advantage is that it takes only one stand to 

 set four or five hives on. One hive cover will cover this, and you have 

 them all cared for at night. It takes less work and less care. 



The Secretary. — Let them stay until you get another good 

 fly day, and get them away in good shape? 



Mr. Bishop. — That is the ide^. 



The Secretary. — If it gets cold weather they are more apt to 

 stick there than to clear up any honey. 



Mr. Bishop. — I do not wait that late. I get them cleaned up 

 before we get that kind of weather. 



The President. — If they are old combs they do not tear them 

 down so badly, but if they are new combs they will tear them to pieces. 

 I was asked a few moments ago whether I put out few or many. I 

 put out a great number, but the only time I had a real success I put 

 out several on various hives, a few so late in the year that cold weather 

 had set in. I had a little trouble getting the bees down as they would 

 generally be on a frame or two, and I would always run those extra 

 frames through the extractor. 



Mr. Bishop.^I had quite a few new drawn combs last season 

 and for the last two years, and I set those out with the old dark combs, 

 and some of those where I had taken out frames and put on the sheets, 

 they were drawn out nicely, went back together, and I never could 

 find where I had a comb that was cut the least bit. I tried that two 

 years and had very good success. 



Mr. Heinzel. — I work the same as Mr. Bishop does, and I have 

 good success with them, even new combs. 



Mr. Seastream. — I have had considerable experience in regard 

 to taking care of combs and getting them cleaned up, and as I produce 

 mostly extracted honey, I have tried everything. I found that I had, 

 the best success when 1 would take, say two or three supers and pile 

 them on a hive, and I never failed to have them cleaned out in 24 

 hours, and then I gave them another set and then keep on, let them 

 clean them, go over the whole yard. When they have finished off, 

 the combs are so clean they just bristle. Last fall I did not have them 

 cleaned out at all, and this fall I never had honey granulate so quickly 

 on me. I took some of it to the fair and it started to granulate right 

 there. That is what I had for not having cleaned them out. 



The Secretary. — You are bound to have trouble with them next 

 year if they are not cleaned out. 



I never saw the time yet when my supers were all placed, scattered 

 around that way and when the bees could get at them, but the bees 

 would clean them out in one day. They would swarm around as 

 thick as flies. 



Mr. Seastream. — They do a good job, too, as a rule. 



The Secretary. — You can find one hive that will cleaii up two or 

 three or four or five. 



