310 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



November 



made lue settle down on nothing wid- 

 er than three-fourths inch for a hot" 

 torn starter. Wider than that they're 

 in too much danger of toppling over 

 when they become warm with bees on 

 them. 



Sometimes bees will gnaw down to 

 bottom starters; but if everything is 

 just right, there isn't much danger in 

 that direction. If sections are allow- 

 ed to stay on a hive when there is no 

 need for them, bees are likely to gnaw 

 the foundation, both upper and lower, 

 and the lower seems to have the Vvorst 

 of it. So it's a good plan to take off 

 sections when a dearth comes, even if 

 they be •^vX on again later. Besides 

 gnawing the foundation, the bees daub 

 it with propolis when idle. 



Bees are more likely to gnaw very 

 thin foundation, whether it be at top 

 or bottom, and the very thin topples 

 over more easily than that which has 

 a little more in the shape of side wall. 

 When convenient I like to haye the 

 bottom starter of a little heavier 

 foundation than the top. 



I always use foundation enough to 

 fill the section all but about a quarter 

 of an inch, and I don't know for cer- 

 tain just what would be the result of 

 using a narrower starter both at the 

 top and bottom ; but I suspect that 

 there are times, when honey is not 

 coming in very rapidly, when a bot- 

 tom starter under a narrow top starter 

 would be gnawed down ; whereas, one 

 with only a quarter-inch space be- 

 tween the two would be respected. 

 Where there is a big space between 

 the two starters, the bees are more 

 likely to act as if they thought the 

 bottom starter ought to be got out 

 of the way ; whereas, with only a 

 fourth-inch space between, the bees at 



once begin to join the two starters, 

 and after that the bottom starter is 

 pretty safe. 



To sum up, then, if you don't want 

 bees to gnaw down your bottom start- 

 ers, don't have too great a space be- 

 tween them and the top starters ; don't 

 use for them foudation too thin, and 

 don't let sectious stay on the hive 

 when the bees are idle. 



KEEPING TOPS OF SECTIONS CLEAN. 



A friend thinks there should be 

 some way devised by which the tops 

 of sections in T supers and section- 

 holders can be kept clean. It would 

 certainly be a nice thing if the}^ could 

 be taken off the hive looking as clean 

 as when put on; but I have some doubt 

 w^hether it will ever be accomplished — 

 that is, so that everv section shall be 

 entirely clean under all circumstances; 

 for I've seen many so clean that you'd 

 have to look very close to see that 

 bees had ever been on them. 



The only way I know of that you 

 could have sections so that it would 

 be impossible for bees to put glue on 

 them would be to have something sol- 

 id fitting down perfeotly close upon 

 them, and of such weight that bees 

 could not raise it. You can have cloth 

 to fit down close; but the bees can 

 raise the edge, and then little by little 

 they'll raise it more, and you'll have 

 a big pile of bee-glue on top of your 

 sections. You can have what are 

 sometimes called "pattern-slats" over 

 your sections, but it's simply impossi- 

 ble to have them fit so close that the 

 bees can not squeeze glue into the 

 cracks. 



On the whole I suspect they are 

 better off with nothing over them, al- 

 lowing the bees a space above. la the' 

 early part of the white-honey harvest, 



