SUPER-CLEARERS. 99 



they offer an impenetrable barrier. If the bee, 

 foiled at the apex of the triangle formed by the 

 springs, tries to force a passage by their sides, 

 the only result is that the springs are pressed the 

 closer together, so that to gain an entrance is an 

 impossibility. 



With regard to the use of the super-clearer on 

 a hive, it may be said that its size depends on 

 that of the hive, and that no definite measure- 

 ments can be given beyond saying that appliance 

 dealers usually make it about 16 in. square. Take 

 sufficient dry pine or other wood, \ in. thick, and 

 joint it to the required width preferably by 

 grooving, as should it shrink sufficiently to allow 

 a bee-space between the joints its efficiency would 

 be lostand on each side fix a border, as shown 

 in Figs. 91 and 92, of 1-in. by f-in. wood. In its 



Vi 



Fig". 92. Section of Super-clearer. 



exact centre cut a hole to take the rectangular 

 box B of the escape, into which hole it should fit 

 firmly without the need of further fixing ; and in 

 order to allow the bees to escape, the end of the 

 hole at the outlet end must be bevelled off, as 

 shown at H in Fig. 92, which is a section of the 

 clearer. 



In use, the operation of removing surplus honey 

 is the same as when using the cone, with the 

 exception that the clearer, instead of a quilt, is 

 interposed between hive and super, the quilts 

 above the super remaining intact. The object of 

 the border round the clearer board will now be 

 apparent: a bee-space is provided above and 

 below. The bees, finding themselves practically 

 cut off from below, will soon discover a passage- 

 way out, and, passing through the hole in the 

 top of the escape, they will be guided past the 



