THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



to resort to that method of disposing' 

 of them. 



REMO^■lNG SURPLUS WITHOUT TROUBLE 

 FROM ROBBERS. 



Wlieii the season closes tlie bees tliat 

 have been active in the lield are very 

 readily tauyht to be active as rol>bers. 

 This makes the removal of honey from 

 the c'olonies at this period a great bug- 

 bear to the novice. And it may well 

 b(^ dreaded even by the adept, when 

 once by mis-management, a goodly 

 army of robl)ers have been educated to 

 their new vocation. The remedy is in 

 not having the robbers. No honey 

 nuist l)e left anywhere where bees can 

 get at it. and no crack or crevice must 

 be o\-erlo()ked wliei'e they can creep 

 thi'ough and steal. If this is well at- 

 tended to the bees Avill quiet down 

 into contentment soon after nectar 

 gathering ceases. Now, tirst arrange 

 for the s(>curity of the lione.\- at the 

 mouu^nt it is removed from the hive. 

 As a matter of course there will 1k' a 

 greater or l(>ss numl)er of bees rtnnain- 

 ing in each case, and provision must 

 be made for their escape without per- 

 mitting others to gain access to the 

 honey. A honey-house should have 

 AvindoAvs provided with bee-escapes, 

 and, if the honey is taken from th<> 

 hive to sucli a place, it should be piletl 

 up on end to give the light free access 

 to induce the bees to forsake the hon- 

 ey for the windows But mdcss one 

 has at least two assistants it would 

 probably be found better, for the sake 

 of celerity, to pile the honey up in the 

 apiary. If this plan is adopted, pro- 

 vide places for the piles by putting a 

 hive cover, for each pile, bottom side 

 up, at desii'able points for receiving 

 the cases as they ax"e removed, and 

 provide for each pile a cover contain- 

 ing a bee-escape— either what is or- 

 dinarily known by that name or a 

 board with two or three round holes 



(>;ich crowned ""/ith a Avire cloth cone 

 with a i»encil hole in the apex. All is 

 now ready for the removal of the su- 

 pers, and as that is done most con- 

 veniently with an assistant, I shall 

 make use of one in this account. Arm- 

 ed witli a goose — or a turkey (luill of 

 the largest size, one having the Avider 

 vane on the side convenient for brush- 

 ing when the convex side of the feath- 

 er is uppermost, a screw driver, and a 

 smoker giving plenty of smoke, I t.-ike 

 my i)osition on the right side of the 

 liive; John, my assistant, on the other. 

 I lii'st loosen the super, then the cover, 

 which .John removes Avhile I pour the 

 smoke through the sections till the bees 

 are mostly out — the Avork of half a 

 minute— then, at the word, while the 

 smoke slili keeps the bees doAvn, he 

 (iuickly raises the case by the end 

 hand-holes, elevating the front end and 

 bringing the back end forAvard till it_ 

 is held iiei'pendicular over the front of 

 the jdve so that I can brush off the 

 liees fi'om the bottom in front of the 

 iu\(', which I do instantly with two or 

 three movements, lie puts the case 

 in the pile, drawing an escapi> or cov- 

 er over it, Avhile I cover the hive and 

 repair to the next, Avhere the opera- 

 tion is repeated. 



In the absence of an «'scape, a hive 

 cover may be used. ;ind the bees be 

 alloAved to escape about sundown, as 

 soon as the other bees are (piiet, if one 

 is c.iretul enough to certainly close it 

 .again before the bees are moA'ing in 

 the morning, Avhich Avill lie A'ery early 

 if the honey is left exposed. Or, if it 

 be convenient, and it is desired to get 

 the bees out (juickly, put the cover of 

 the pile on a hive of brood combs, one 

 of which contains considerable un- 

 se.-iled lirood and set it on top of the 

 1iih'. The bees Avill very soon leave the 

 honey for the hive, after Avhich both 

 the hive and the honey may be dis- 

 posed of conveili<Mitly. Moditications 



