232 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Apr. 1 



ger of combs breaking out in the extractor while they 

 are new if wiring be added, if, indeed, it be thought 

 advisable to use splints at all in extracting-frames. 



It is important to keep in mind that bees have a 

 strong inclination to have a passageway between the 

 lower part of the comb and the bottom-bar. If a frame 

 of splinted foundation be given when bees are doing 

 little or nothing, the bees will be pretty sure to dig 

 away this passageway, using the wax gnawed out to 

 help in the upper part of the frame. So such frames 

 should be given to the bees to be drawn out only at a 

 time when honey is yielding well. In an upper story 

 the bees do not care so much to make this passageway. 



C. C. Miller. 



THE METCALFE FRAME-WIRING NEEDLE. 



Some Hints about Wiring Frames. 



BY 0. B. METCALFE ("THE N. M. CHAP"). 



Having several thousand brood-frames to 

 put together and wire last spring I set about 

 getting up some contrivances to aid in the 

 work. The accompanying cut shows my 

 needle for wiring frames. The tip end of 

 the wire is drawn tightly into the small slot 

 shown at a, where it wedges in so tightly 

 that it may be pulled in two before it will 

 slip out. The needle automatically grips the 

 wire at the very end, and so that the wire 

 may be drawn by the needle itself. 



When the wire has been threaded through 

 all the holes, the very tip end of it may be 

 tightly wrapped lour or five times about the 

 last nail by simply holding the wire just in- 

 side the frame firmly with the left hand, 

 while with the right the needle is twisted 

 round and round the partly driven nail, the 

 wire being forced to feed out through the 

 slot as it wraps around the nail. As soon 

 as one gets well on to the trick, the end of 

 the wire will be wound so closely up to 

 the nail as to leave no trace of it after the 

 nail is driven up. The operator does not get 

 his fingers pricked while doing it, and noth- 

 ing is left to prick fingers in the future. 



I made some of these needles last season, 

 and gave them to my neighbor bee-keepers. 

 They reported that they were such a boon to 

 them that they could not get along without 

 one, and I know I shall never wire as many 

 as fifty frames without one, even if I have to 

 stop and make it. 



Some credit is due my partner, H. L. Parks, 

 for perfecting this needle. I at first made 

 the slot right at the end of the needle; and 

 after sticking the doubled-back end of the 

 wire in his fingers a few times he suggested 

 that I make the slot further up the needle so 

 about a quarter-inch of wire could be turned 



back without extending past the needle. The 

 suggestion was a good one, and, so far as I 

 can see, perfected the needle. 



A FRAME-HOLDER FOR CONVENIENCE IN WIR- 

 ING. 



Next in order of contrivances I made a 

 frame- holder for holding the brood-frames 

 while wiring them. Any one may make one 

 of these by a study of the illustration. 



The small wooden eccentric, when it is 

 turned toward the frame, will crowd the 

 frame against the small block opposite, and 

 the end-bars will be slightly sprung in. If I 

 remember correctly, I read this plan of 

 springing in the end-bars in Gleanings; at 

 any rate, it is not original but worth repeat- 

 ing; for it leaves the wires tightened better 

 than any other method. 



Make the small wooden box just a little 

 larger than necessary to hold a spool of wire. 

 Put the spool in it and bore through the sides 

 of the box with a small bit so the bit will pass 

 through the hole in the spool and on out the 

 other side of the box. Next get a small iron 

 rod of a size to go loosely through the hole 

 in the spool, and about 14 inches long. At 

 two points, about 2 inches apart on the rod 

 and about 2>^ inches from the end, mash it 

 with a hammer until it will not quite go 'nto 

 the spool. File the edges of the flattened 

 places sharp. Put a spool of wire in the box, 

 and force the flattened places through the 

 hole in one side of the box, and far enough 

 into the spool so the end of the rod will pass 

 out the hole in the opposite side ot the box. 

 Bend the remainder of the rod to a right an- 



§le twice, making a small crank. Nail the 

 ox under the table so the wire will feed out 

 just right to enter the hole at the top of the 

 right-hand end-bar, and so the little crank will 

 be handy to turn with the right hand. Drive 

 a staple in the edge of the table for the wire 

 to pass up through, and you are ready to wire 

 frames. 



When the wire has been passed through 

 all the holes and fastened to the nail, and the 

 nail driven up, as is usually done, take hold 

 of the little crank and begin to wind, helping 

 the slack along with the left hand. When 

 the wires seem well stretched, catch the wire 

 just outside the frame, and, holding it tight, 

 let go the crank; wrap the wire four times 

 about the nail driven for that purpose; drive 

 the nail up well, and again go through the 

 same motion you did to wrap the wire around 

 the nail. This twisting will break the wire 

 off close under the nail head, and you will 

 have a well-wired frame with no sharp ends 

 to stick fingers in the future. 



Mesilla Park, N. M. 



