.TiLV, 1917 



GLEANINGS IN REE C l' L T l' R E 



To shake bees from a comb, hold it as shown and give a sharp jerk. Most of the tees will be 

 dislodged at the second or third jerk. It does not pay to try to shake oflf every bee. The few re- 

 maining should be brushed off. 



under the super in the afternoon, almost 

 completely frees the combs above from be«s 

 by the next clay. The honey may then be 

 removed without the bees knowing anything 

 about it — no hard work, no stings, no dan- 

 ger of robbing; in fact, if the honey is 

 not removed from the hives until after 

 the honey-flow has ceased, a beginner or- 

 dinarily should not attempt to get the bees 

 off the combs by any other plan ; for after 

 a few days of idleness following a good 

 honey-flow, the bees are prowling arourd, 

 apparently just looking for trouble, and a 

 littk exposed honey is like easy money, and 

 the bees are quick to begin to rob. During 

 a honey-dearth following a flow, therefore, 

 a beginner can not be too careful, for it is 

 easier to prevent robbing than to stop it 

 once it gets started. 



It is advisable to use the screened or 

 ventilated pattern of escape-board in order 

 that the honey may not have so much of a 

 chance to cool oif. Cold honey is much 

 harder to uncap and extract than warm 

 honey. 



While the honey-flow is still on there is 

 no danger of robbing; hence it is not clilfi- 

 cult to shake and brush the bees from the 

 combs. A little smoke should be blown in 

 at the entrance of the hive, the covers taken 

 off the super, and some vigorous blasts of 

 smoke blown down thru the combs, thus 

 driving the bees out of the way. The combs 



should be withdrawn from the super and 

 gi^^n a sharj? shake or two while held over 

 the alighting-board of the hive. Not all 

 of the bees can be dislodged by shaking, and 

 therefore the few remaining siiould he 

 brushed off, the comb being held as shown 

 in the illustration, and the brush quickly 

 swept over both sides alternately. With the 

 comb held in this position it is not necessary 

 to reverse it when brushing the other side. 

 If the beekeeper has a helper it saves eon- 



A good way to l;rush bees from a comb. Both 

 sides may be brushed without changing the position 

 of the comb verv much. 



