GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



l)iacticed to atlvantage even by him. In 

 .some eases it seems to be tbe best way. I 

 would not want to recommend the method 

 to the up-to-date beekeeper who uses hives 

 of the Langstroth pattern, has every comb 

 a perfect one, easily movable, etc. He 

 probably will make brushed or shaken 

 swarms if such a procedure should become 

 necessary. But when using- such hives as 

 tlie Heddon or Hand sectional hives, par- 

 ticularly when they have been occupied for 

 a number of years by the bees, the method 

 (if driving and drumming out the swarm 

 will prove to be as simple and successful as 

 any other. I frequently resort to it in the 

 management of my sectional hives. 



It is not a bad practice to place the 

 empty hive on top of the hive which is to 

 be treated two oi' three days in advance, or 

 perhaps even a week, if it is in the out- 

 yards. In the latter instance it is better to 

 place an excluder between the occupied hive 

 and the empty one. I have the hive which 

 is to receive the swarm tilled with comb 

 foundation preferably, or comb. Then be- 

 fore I make the drive this excluder is re- 

 moved. Drumming and pounding on the 

 hive for 10 or 12 minutes sends the major- 

 ity of the bees with their queen into the 

 hive above. A little smoke given at the 

 same time facilitates the work. I close the 

 entrance during the operation, opening it 

 for only a moment when applying smoke 

 now and then. After the drive is made, 

 the upper hive with the bees is lifted off 

 carefully and placed on a bottom-board, 

 when it is given the same place the mother 

 hive had occujiied. The super is given at 

 once, perhaps two of them, according to 

 circumstances. 



The mother hive may be given a new 

 location and a queen run in at this time. 

 Or, if desired, a queen-cell may be substi- 

 tuted. If increase is not wanted, the old 

 hive is moved back; and after three weeks' 

 time a second drive is made, the Bees added 

 to the new colony, all the time plenty of 

 room being provided for storing honey in 

 the supers. The plan is practically the 

 same as transferring according to the im- 

 proved method. 



The brood -cliambers, now free from bees 

 and brood, are tiered up on colonies not in 

 the best working order. More or less honey 

 will be stored in them, and they may come 

 \'ery handy in supplying winter stores to 

 the colonies that have given the most sec- 

 tion honey and are often lacking enough 

 stores to carry them thru the winter safely. 



"WHY I NOW USE FULL SHEETS OP FOUNDA- 

 TION IN SECTIONS. 



Our lamented friend Hutchinson express- 



ed his idea of comb foundation m section 

 honey thus: "I would rather pay live cents 

 more per section of honey for my own use 

 if the comb was all built by the bees with 

 no foundation used." This was exactly my 

 idea, and I have produced honey, tons of it, 

 for years, using only small foundation 

 starters in my sections. How much more 

 money I might have made had I used full 

 sheets all the time would be interesting to 

 know, but will remain a matter of specula- 

 tion. I am satisfied that my bank account 

 would have made a better showing. 



What is the reason for my change of 

 practice? In the first place, my efforts to 

 produce a better grade of honey from the 

 consumer's standpoint were not appreciat- 

 ed. My honey did not bidng a better price 

 --rather the opposite. There was a reason 

 for buyers preferring honey built on foun- 

 dation. It not only looked better, was 

 usually built out better, and fastened to 

 the wood more securely, but it carried much 

 better when transported by vehicle or rail- 

 road. This last is a very important point 

 in favor of the more inferior article. 



This fact was vividly brought to my mind 

 when I bought about 200 sections of honey 

 from a farmer beekeeper this fall — honey 

 which had no foundation in it except very 

 small starters. It was fine honey; the sec- 

 tions were not very neat, well filled out, and 

 well attached. I scraped it, crated it in 

 cellular shipping-cases, and carried it home 

 in the auto over pretty fair country roads. 

 AVhen I arrived home and examined the 

 honey I found one-fifth of the combs brok- 

 en out. I have carried practically all of my 

 honey from the outyards home in the auto 

 for two seasons, and have not broken any 

 at all. The foundation that the boxes were 

 filled with made all the difference. I did 

 not feel so very bad over the mishap, for 

 we could and did use this honey on our own 

 table, and also sold a good i^art of the un- 

 broken lot to special friends who, we knew, 

 Avould appreciate a good thing. It is my 

 aim to produce a little comb honey every 

 year without the use of foundation. We 

 like it very much better for our own use. 



It is very difQcult to arrive at definite 

 facts as to how much more honey a colony 

 will produce when full sheets of founda-. 

 tion are given over the colony given starters 

 only. I have reason to think it is some- 

 where between 20 and 25 per cent. I am 

 satisfied that it is a good investment to fill 

 every section with foundation — extra-light 

 section foundation — no other should be 

 used. The cost is half a cent per section, 

 or thereabout. If on an average we obtain 

 50 lbs. of comb honey per hive, the cost of 



