466 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 26. 1900. 



Managing Out-Apiaries for Extracted Honey. 



BY N. K. FRANCE. 



EACH bee-keeper should study the various ways of others, 

 and then apply such methods as will best suit his loca- 

 tion and circuir.stances. With us, bees wintered in the 

 cellar would often be weaker in numbers the last of April 

 and May than when taken out of the cellar, while those win- 

 tered in large chaff hives on the summer stands would be 

 strong- and by far the more profitable. So that, for the last 

 20 years, our bees have been mostly iu these chaff hives, 

 which are simply four standard Langstroth hives inside, 

 combined into one hive or house, with a 2-inch space on the 

 outside for chaff filling-. Each colonj' is separate from the 

 others, one entrance on a side, but in winter weather the 

 bees cluster near the center of the hive, and thus help to 

 keep each other warm. See the picture herewith of an 

 empty hive, showing- brood-frames in hive-body, button 

 over upper entrance turned to one side as in summer; 

 second story by the side of the hive ; top and side next to 

 the stack showing chaff wall with a strip of tinon two upper 

 stories of the hive to prevent any chance for bees to pass 

 from one colony to another. When two sets of estracting- 

 combs are to be used, the cover is raised in place by use of 

 the board band, which is hookt together and set on the hive 

 proper. One-half of this band is laid on the grass, with 

 the queen-excluding zinc leaning against the hive by it. 

 The hinged cover is turned back one waj' while working 

 two colonies, and reverst when working the others — so that 

 there is no need of lifting any covers. A plain band made 

 of commoti fencing forms the stand for the hive, and is 

 leveled before the hive is put on it. 



If the bees have plenty of good honey and a young fer- 

 tile queen early in the fall, we seldom have any loss. On 

 an average, not over three to five percent. - I do not recom- 

 mend this hive, nor advise those having single hives, and 

 who can winter bees successfully in the cellar, to change to 

 our method or kind of hive. The bees consume a little more 

 food in chaff hives than in a cellar, so, if you can, keep the 

 cellar dry, well ventilated, of uniform temperature, about 

 45 degrees with strong colonies and good feed, and don't be 

 in too great a hurry to get the bees out in the spring. 



In warm weather in the spring I examine each colony, 

 and see if they need any feed or help ; and, if so, give them 

 next to the brood a comb of honey that I may find in some 

 queenless colony that has lost its queen during the winter ; 

 or, perhaps, exchange an empty comb for a comb of honej' 

 from some colony that can spare it. When dandelion bloom 

 appears, I again examine each colony, clipping the queen's 

 wings, putting the brood from the second story down be- 

 low, and putting emptj' combs above. If a colony has a 

 good queen, but the colony itself is not as good as desired, 

 I take from the strongest colonies one oi' two brood-combs 

 covered with bees, and give them to the weaker. 



When there is nothing for the bees to gather in the 

 spring, we use a hive-tent ; for by its use we can work in 

 the apiary all day and not have any colony of bees disturbed 

 by robber-bees. Our tent is made of a light frame, and 

 covered with cheese-cloth, with an outlet at the top to let 

 out bees that may alight on the inside while we are at 

 work. If I were to make a tent in which to work single- 

 colony hives, I would use three light frames covered with 

 wire-cloth and hinged together, so it could be folded and 

 easily stored away when not in use. 



From the best colony in the apiary I select choice 

 worker-combs full of eggs to rear my queens for that api- 

 ary ; buying new queens, one or two each year, to introduce 

 new blood. As my bees are mostly in out-apiaries, from 

 three to five miles from home, and no one there to look 

 after them when we are away, I do not allow natural 

 swarming, but divide as occasion requires. 



When white clover begins to yield honey we extract all 

 the store-combs to get out this amber grade from fruit- 

 bloom and dandelions, as its color and flavor should not be 

 mixt with the better grades. Great care is taken to keep 

 each grade separate, and to see that each package is markt, 

 showing- the weights and the source from which the honey 

 is gathered. No honey is allowed to be extracted until fully 

 ripened; and, generally, all capt over. If unripened honey 

 is put on the market it will soon spoil and ruin the market. 

 Good, ripened honey, if kept in a dry room, will keep for 

 years. I have some good honey in common glass jars that 

 I extracted 22 j'ears ag-o, and it promises to remain good so 

 long as not sampled too often. 



Towards the close of the honey-flow we make sure to 

 save enough good combs of honey to feed the bees until 

 dandelion bloom next season. I am often askt, "How much 



honey is necessary to winter a colony of bees?" My reply 

 is, " A little too much feed in the fall will be just enough 

 next spring." Wisconsin bee-keepers lost 70 percent of 

 their bees last winter, not all for want of honey, but in 

 many places in the State, in May, I found dead or weak 

 colonies without honey. 



When our honey season is over the extra combs, after 

 being cleaned up by the bees, are stored in racks in the 

 bee-house, the hive-entrance nearly closed up by the large 

 button, and the little space over the bees, under the roof, 

 filled with dry oats chaff or straw. This is all the work we 

 do to fit our bees for winter. 



Allow me to describe some of the methods of handling 

 the six or seven hired, inexperienced boys from IS to 20 

 years of age. I board them for the days they help me, 

 about four weeks, and pay from $12 to S20 per month. Each 

 one, by number, has duties assigned, and will take special 

 interest in his worl<, and soon become an expert in his de- 

 partment. Each is furnisht a good straw hat and bee- 

 veil to take care of and return at the close of the season. 



As we near an out-apiary, each man gets his trousers 

 adjusted bee-tight at the ankles, and veil on his hat ready 

 for business. Each apiary is located on a gentle slope to 

 the south, with a heavy timber wind-break on the north and 

 west, and a private road from the upper side of the apiary, 

 thru the yard by the side of the extracting-house that is in 

 the center of the yard. This road leads on down the slope 

 below the apiary, so that the wagons, when loaded, can be 

 run by hand easily to a safe distance in the grove to hitch 

 on the teams. There is a freight wagon for barrels, un- 

 capping-box, etc., and a canopy-top four-seated rig much 

 like a stage. Having but one team, I hire a team for a few 

 days to haul one of my wagons. We generally arrive at an 

 out-apiary about 8:30 a. m., three to five miles from home. 

 Each man is ready for duty, and they soon change the 

 scene in the apiary. All are a jolly set ; and if one should 

 get a sting he is quiet about it, for fear the other boys may 

 laugh at him. I will call them bj' number to be better un- 

 derstood. 



Nos. 1 and 2 each have a team to care for and drive ; so 

 on arrival near the apiary they unhitch and put the teams 

 in the farm-barn near by ; then bring to the apiary the ex- 

 tractor that was stored in some dry farm-building. 



No. 3 being the smallest boy, brings two pails of spring 

 water, one for drinking and the other for wash-water. No. 



4 leads the wagons into the apiary by the side of the bee- 

 house ; then puts the barrels, etc., in place in the house. No. 



5 lights the smokers, gets fuel in the open box near the 

 house, and each set of tools in place ready. No. 6 puts the 

 cloth roof and siding on the house, and with a couple of 

 nails fastens the board in place with the screen-door at- 

 tacht with spring hinges. This bee-house has simply four 

 corner posts seven feet above the ground. The sides of the 

 house are each ten feet, with a foot-wide board around the 

 top and bottom. Cheese-cloth two yards wide and 40 feet 

 long forms the entire siding, and a heavy ducking cloth, 

 10x12, forms the gable roof, which gives plentj' of shade in 

 hot days, and sheds water if caught in a shower. Small 

 strips of leather are sewed to the edges of these cloths thru 

 which to drive the wire nails to hold them in place. 



All this takes only from five to eight minutes after 

 arrival ; then No. S, with a sharp Bingham knife, will un- 

 cap the honey-combs, while No. 6 attends to the extracting, 

 straining, and filling of the barrels holding 360 pounds 

 each. I usually take the place as No. 6, as I can better take 

 that place, and at the same time have a chance to see each 

 hand and give orders. No. 1, with No. 2 as assistant, and 

 No. 3, with No. 4 as assistant, open hives, take out honey- 

 combs, brush off what bees do not run off by two or three 

 strokes of a very f/iiii and wide brush-broom, that is made 

 specially for the purpose, at a broom factory, of select, fine 

 stock. Nos. 2 and 4 bring these honey-combs, a set at a 

 time, to the hou.se, and return with a set of extracted ones 

 to fill up and close the hive. The first hive in the morning 

 has to be closed up without upper combs, so as to have 

 combs ready for use in others, and the last set is returned 

 to the first workt colony. To save time and keep out of 

 each other's way, the honey-combs are set just inside of 

 the door of the extracting-house, to the leftside of the door, 

 so that No. 5 can get the combs, uncap them over a box 

 made for the purpose, and set them close by the side of the 

 extractor without taking time for one or two steps. No. 6 

 puts the honey-combs in the extractor, which is a Cowan 4- 

 frame reversible, with ball bearings and lever brake — iu 

 short, the best extractor on the market. 



The empty combs are set by the right side of the door, 

 and without taking more than one step. The field-boys. 



