230 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



the same manner as we do at shelf No. 1. 

 I use the common galvanized 3-inch wa- 

 ter-conductor pipes to run honey into the 

 tanks. The conductor running from one 

 to the other is about two inches above the 

 tanks, and the one running from the ex- 

 tractor runs into it. This conductor is sep- 

 arated by the one from the extractor where 

 it passes through the wall ; and if we want 

 to run the light honey from the extractor 

 into tank No. 1 we raise* the end of the 

 conductor over tank No. 2, and it turns the 

 honey into it. This is done by the man at 

 the extractor by means of two cords, one 

 attached at each end of the conductor. 

 These cords pass up tkrough the wall at the 

 most convenient place for the man at the 

 extractor, who can change the cun-ent of 

 honey by loosening the cord for one end 

 and tightening the one for the other. 

 Cordele, Ga. 



GETTING BEES OUT OF SUPERS WITHOUT A 

 BEE-ESCAPE 



BY C. A. BUNCH 



Last season I used a simple device in tak- 

 ing off one and a half tons of honey for 

 clearing supers of bees quickly, which does 

 not demoralize the bees in the hives, but 

 leaves them in fine condition to defend 

 themselves. 



The drawing makes the plan clear. I 

 used a (en-frame full-depth super, and on 

 the under side, %-inch apart, I nailed two 



square sticks in the center. Then I cut two 

 thick pieces of wrapping paper, 8 inches 

 long, which I tacked to the upper side of 

 the suiter; then I brought the lower edge 

 down and tacked it to the parallel square 

 sticks, thus making a V-shaped arrange- 

 ment with a narrow slot at the bottom. 



I set this prepared super on an eight- 

 frame super, and cleated both ends, which 

 made it ready for use. When I am ready 

 to take off honey I set the whole tiling near 

 the hive, remove a super and set it on the 



cleaner (placing a robber-cloth over the hive 

 if necessai-y. As I use loose hanging frames 

 without spacing devices 1 loosen all of them 

 with a screwdriver and slide them over to- 

 ward the opposite side of the hive. Then 

 with a head of broom corn I begin brushing 

 the bees down without taking any frames 

 out of the hive, pulling them over toward 

 me as I get them clean of bees. When the 

 bees strike the incline below they slide down 

 and out of the slot into the eight-frame 

 super before they can take wing, and most 

 of them will be clustered below. There are 

 cleats across the end of the super to fur- 

 nish a grip for the hands, and I empty the 

 bees out by lifting the super and giving it 

 a sudden jar on the gi'ound in front of the 

 hive after all of the supers have been clear- 

 ed of bees. 



Of course I use some smoke at the time 

 when I begin brusliing. As soon as the 

 nearest side of the first comb is free from 

 bees I pull it over toward me, then brush 

 the bees from the opposite side; then go to 

 the next one, etc. 



Lakeville, Ind. 



HONEY-TANKS BELOW THE EXTRACTOR 



Moving the Extractor from One to the Other 



BY J. D. EVANS 



My bee-house is 16 x 25 feet, and 7 feet 

 high at the eaves. There is a stone wall 

 under all. There are two floor levels, and 

 at the south end 4 feet 6 inches lower than 

 at the north end. A stone wall separates a 

 hold-up of earth at the north end. Across 

 the lower half is a plank bench on which 

 six tanks holding 500 pounds each can be 

 placed. Tliis platform is two feet high, and 

 leaves room for scales and a 60-lb. can into 

 which the honey is run from the tanks. The 

 extractors stand on the high level; and 

 the honey, as fast as it is extracted, runs 

 into the tanks, which are covered with 

 cheese-cloth. This is all the straining re- 

 quired, as the honey is left in the tanks 

 until they are required for the next extract- 

 ing. I tliink a strainer in an extractor must 

 be an abomination. When one tank is filled 

 the extractor is moved to another place, and 

 so on until all are filled. 



My house has five windows — two in the 

 west, two in the east, and one in the south 

 gable. Two doors opposite each other are 

 used. The yard is on the west of the bee- 

 house, and the floor is level with the gi-ound 

 on that side. On the east side the land is 

 about three feet lower than the doors, which 

 makes it handy in loading the honey or tak- 

 ing in supplies. 



