752 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



The late afternoon is the best time to permit tlie bees to clean out extrai-tinn-tombs. 



at the most dangerous place, the hive-en- 

 trance, the sniall passage, is the cause of 

 another very undesirable feature. It wears 

 bees out unnecessarily. The constant rum- 

 pus at the sniall opening, the rolling and 

 tumbling', the iDushing and crowding to gain 

 admittance, exhausts the last remnants of 

 vitality of the older stock, for it is mostly 

 that class, the field workers, that suffer in 

 those combats. After they have forced their 

 waj in and have loaded themselves it is the 

 same scramble to get out. At best it is a 

 cruel treatment we inflict upon our bees. 

 Some of our experienced beekeepers advo- 

 cate this plan, and call it the proper way. 

 As a compai-ison I refer the x'eader to the 

 accompanying illustration. It represents a 

 few stacks of extracting-combs and bait- 

 sections ready for the cleaning-out by the 

 bees. At the proper time, Avhich I will 

 explain below, all the covers at the top are 

 removed. Previous to this no bees are al- 

 lowed to enter the stocks, and special atten- 

 lion is paid to the closing of the hive- 

 entrances. In a very short time, after the 

 stacks are opened, all the bees of the yard 

 seem to be on the job. As they can go in 

 and out uninterruptedly, there is no crowd- 

 ing or fighting, no stinging or wearing 

 themselves out. Bees have free access any- 

 where; and from all appearance they act 

 almost as natural and unconcerned as 

 when gathering honey from the field during 

 a honey-flow. There is not the least danger 

 of being attacked when walking through 

 the midst of them, as is frequently done 

 when this oi)e)'ation is under v/ay. It is 

 needless to sav tliat it does not teach them 



to look for mischief at the hive-entrance 

 which is one of the objectionable features 

 of the one-bee-jiassage plan. 



Selecting the proper time of opening the 

 supers, referred to above, is the only part 

 of the program that needs a little more ex- 

 planation. About 3 o'clock in the aftcr- 

 i]oon on a warm, pleasant day, when bees 

 are flying freel\', and when there is no pros- 

 pect of a chilly night to follow, is the time 

 to give best satisfaction — first, because bees 

 liave sufficient time befoj^e nightfall to fin- 

 ish their job. Incredible as it may seem, ] 

 know from experience that any number of 

 colonies, large or small, will clean out the 

 supers they have used during the season in 

 less tlian two hours if conditions are favor- 

 able. But it must be remembered that I 

 extract direct from the hives. If honey has 

 been removed for days or weeks before be- 

 ing extracted, it may take longer. 



Second, in case of an absolute hoiiey- 

 dearth, when bees are 'more or less aroused, 

 which the exposure of honey will always 

 cause at such times, the oncoming night will 

 quiet them agiiin before they have time to 

 plan another laid. 



Third, being so nearly time for bees to 

 quiet down for the night, neighboring bees 

 are not so liable to be attracted by the 

 exposed honey. 



Some beekeepers do not favor the open 

 exposure of honey, because the strongest 

 colonies, that need it the least, are apt to 

 get tlie biggest share. This is true. But it 

 is too small a matter to take into considera- 

 tion. All the honey bees can carry away 

 in the short time of an hour or two would 



