286 



GLEAlflNGS IN BEE CULTURE 



April, 1917 



flow starts. Too often, under the manage- 

 ment of a beginner, a colony will swarm be- 

 fore getting well starled in the eomb-hcney 

 supers. 



Cappings sliced off leaving the dripping honey ex- 

 posed ready to be extracted. 



An abundance of room, which is one of 

 the great jireventives of swarming, can not 

 be given to colonies run for tlie production 

 of comb honey, otherwise there are likely to 

 be a good many unfinished sections. In 

 fact, successful comb-honey production re- 

 quires contentment in spite of the often 

 crowded and almost unnatural surroundings. 



Not all seasons are conducive to eomb- 

 honey production. The best comb honey is 

 produced in a short time during a quick, 

 bountiful honey-flow. Bees run for comb 

 honey need careful attention at tlie right 

 time. A beginner in choosing to ]iroduce 

 comb honey has to begin very nearly at the 

 top of the ladder. Comb-honey production 

 is, or ought to be, the business of a specialist 

 — at least of an experienced beekeeper. 



EXTRACTED-HONEY EQUIPMENT SIMPLE. 



Aside from the cost of the honey-extractor 

 itself, the first cost of an extraeted-honey 

 equipment is practically the same as the 

 cost of the comb-honey outfit. About the 

 only difference is in the choice of supers. 

 While the extracted-honey man may, if he 

 chooses, use shallow supers, not much deep- 

 er than ordinary comb-honej' supers, the 

 majority use full-dejith supers identical with 



the brood - chambers. This in itself is a 

 long step toward simplicity, the frames sur- 

 rounding the extracting-eombs being identi- 

 cal, usually, with the frames of the brood- 

 chamber below. And here is an important 

 point that many beginners overlook — the 

 subsequent expense for the equipment is 

 much less in case of extracted-honey produc- 

 tion where the combs are used over and 

 over again year after year. In comb-honey 

 production the small section boxes have to 

 be bought new every time, of course, as 

 they are sold with the honey. 



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The empty comb after being extracted may be 

 put back again and refilled by the bees. 



Small-sized extractors for a moderate be- 

 ginning (and all beginning's with bees ought 

 to be moderate), can be purchased at a 

 price not exceeding $12.00 to $15.00. Two 

 or three extra supers are needed per colony ; 

 for while it is possible, it is unwise to work 

 from hand to mouth, with one super only. 



About the only other device used in the 

 apiary that the comb-honey producer does 

 not need is the queen-excluder, a framework 



111 tlie extractor the combs arc wliirlcd rapidly. 

 The centrifugal force throws the honey out again.st 

 the side of the can. 



A queen-excluder between the brood-chamber and 

 tlie supers keeps the queen from going above and 

 laying eggs in the extracting-combs. 



with wires located 163-1000 nf an inch 

 apart. The worker bees can pass thru these 

 readily, but the queen cannot. Most queens 

 will not enter comb-honey sections to lay 

 eggs; but, unless prevented by a queen-ex- 

 cluder, they are likely to enter extracting- 

 supers. 



In Lesson 4 we shall consider tlie actual 

 start — how to get the bees, the first work to 

 be done, and something concerning the de- 

 tails of extracting honey. 



