GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



i>'(/ R. C. Aikiii. 



WINDOW ESCAPK8 AND TRAPS. 



In a formor ariicle I told how I used our cov- 

 ered wagon in removing surplus, and some 

 little about my method of carrying the honey 

 into the honey-house and letting the bees out 

 through the window. For several years I have 

 had my honey-house windows screened in such 

 a way that, as the bees passed up, they massed 

 at one point and passed through a hole into a 

 box or trap placed above. As an illustration 

 will tell this better than words, we will show 



you the arrangement. The trap should be 

 about 8 or more inches high, as much wide, and 

 4 or .5 inches thick. One of the 4 inch sides 

 should be ma':e into a slide door, or at least 

 removable, and the whole trap made detach- 

 able from the building or window. The trap 

 is designed to remain on the window at all 

 times when not needed off, yet when removed 

 there is still the point of exit above the window 

 — the same principle now in use all over the 

 country in honey-house windows. The trap 

 will act as a fly-trap, and catch any insect 

 passing out that can not pass the meshes of the 

 screen. 



UKMO\ING SECTION HONEY. 



In taking off sections, the times that they 

 can not be reniovid without the bees breaking 

 the cappings are very tew. Much depends on 

 the manner in which it is done. I have had so 

 very little trouble of this kind that I never stop 

 to consider the question, though I know there 

 is sometimes danger by careless work. Aside 

 from robbers there is never any likelihood of 

 the cappings being marred if there is honey 

 being gathered, or if there be plenty of open 

 cells within easy reach. I have many, many 

 times removed supers that were solid sealed, 

 and no caps disturbed, when no honey was 

 coming in. 



Let me tell you how to have the bees bite the 

 cappings, then tell how to prevent it. Just go 

 to the hive and work about it carelessly for five 

 or ten minutes. Get the bees alarmed by a 

 little smoke, and yet let them remain in the 

 super. Take plenty of time to get the super off, 

 and perhaps look around awhile or talk to 

 some one who may be about. In short, go 

 about it in a leisurely, careless manner, and if 

 there is not open honey in the super, and some- 

 times when there is, you will get some cappings 

 cut that the bees may load their sacs. 



Here is the other way: Go with your smoker 

 in good trim, start the cover, and, before the 

 bees know what is up, shoot smoke over the 

 sections. Keep things moving; and as the 

 cover is clear removed from the super, and the 

 bees starting down, follow them with the 

 smoke and keep them going. Do not smoke 

 ahead of them, and do not smoke too much at 

 one place, but smoke all parts of the super, 

 turning the smoker at various angles to hit all 

 corners. Just as soon as the bees are well down 

 in the super, at once remove it from the hive; 

 and if your yard is nicely grassed, swipe the 

 bottom of the super on the grass to brush off 

 the adhering bees, or brush them off with a big 

 grass or other brush, then set the super on end 

 in the yard or remove at once to the house and 

 set it before the window. In this operation the 

 bees have not had time to dig open cells of 

 honey, but rush around to get away, and those 

 that go into the house on the honey will soon 

 make for the window. It is possible a little 

 damage may sometimes be done; though if 

 honey be removed when it should be there is 

 almost no trouble to speak of. I have practiced 

 this at all times when bees could fly, and I 

 think not one super in 100 is damaged. 



KEMOVIN6 EXTRACTED HONKY. 



Extracted honey I remove in the same way 

 as sections, though it is more difficult to get 

 the bees out of deep combs than out of sections; 

 hence more bees are carried into the house. 

 Suppose I am at the home yard, and want to 

 extract, say, 500 or 1000 pounds. I go to the 

 yard and remove the extras, not stopping to 

 handle frames singly or brush bees off, putting 



