Ski'Tk.mbkk. lit 17 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



699 



the floor, and il makes liouhle iioitiii and 

 f'omino' to .sj)!!! it on 11k' lloor of an ex- 

 tractinii-roo'm, esjiecially if th? buildinii' 

 stands on ])iers or stakes so that tlie bees 

 can get underneath. The honey leaks thiu 

 t!ie thior. of course, and tlie b-es find it in- 

 slantly. This is why a room liaving a ti^ht 

 ft)undatioii is safi'r. 



After the extractiiiii is ovei- the danger is 

 not past; for during the ])rocess of drawirg 

 t!:e honey off into cans, barrels, or bottles, 

 there is always a chance for overflowing or 

 for leaks. A large numb:r of inoducers 

 jnit theii' honey in 60-lb. cans, two cans to 

 a case. In nailing on the covers to the cases, 

 sometimes if one is not careful the nail will 

 go in sidewise and jiuncture a can. Then 

 when the cas?s are moved about the honey 

 leaks out slowly and the bees find it if tliey 

 have half a chance. 



Barrels are far more likely to cause trou- 

 l)le. for the honey absorbs the moisture from 

 ihe wooden staves, allowing these to shrink 

 enough to let the honey leak out. A barvel 

 that has held water should never be ns-ed 

 for honey; even one that has be^n rinsed 

 out is unsafe. To be on the safe side all 

 barrels should be waxed thoroly. The best 

 way to do this properly is to let the barrd 

 stand in the hot sun until all parts are 

 thoroly warm, then pour into it a few 

 ])ounds of boiling-hot paratifine. The open- 

 ing should be immediately plugged and the 

 barrel rolled about for a few minutes so that 

 the wax may be distributed over every part. 

 The boiling-hot wax will increase the pres- 

 sure of air inside so that the wax will be 

 forced into all the cracks and crevices in the 

 wood. Before it cools the plug- must be 

 withdrawn, and the surplus poured out. 



After the honey has been safely barreled 

 up the hoo]3s must be driv,en down several 

 times until they will go no further. A good 

 tight barrel is one of the most satisfactory 

 receptacles for shipping- honey, but a leaky 

 barrel is an abomination everywhei'e. 

 Usually new barrels are the cheapest. 



Another possible cause of robbing after 

 the extracting has been done is the nearly 

 dry capi)ings. When these have drained so 

 long that no more honey will run out they 

 may be put in a solar wax-extractor (a 

 s'-allow box having a glass lid, and lined 

 with black sheet iron). The heat of the sun 

 melts the cappings and the lic|uid wax col- 

 lects at the lower end in a suitable recep- 

 tacle. Unless this box is tight the bees can 

 get started on the honey that separates from 

 the wax. Of course, it is necessary to pro- 

 tect all unmelted cappings from the bees. 

 It is hardly safe to assume that no more 

 lionev will drain out, for slow dripping 

 kcei s uj) a long time. 



The empty combs tlial are still wet are 

 usually put back for the bees to clean out. 

 Some stack the combs up, pi'oviding a small 

 entrance at tlie bottom, and allow the bees 

 to clean the honey out by slow i-obbing — 

 that is, by going in and out thru a small 

 entrance at the bottom of the s'ack. Th.ere 

 are objections to this plan, however; for if 

 one is not careful tlie I'obbing will be fast 

 instead of slow. Furthermore, if there is 

 any danger of disease, such as American 

 foul brood, it might by this procedure be 

 scattered all around thruout the apiai'v. A 

 l)etter way is to stack up the supers of wet 

 combs over strong colonies to clean out. 

 Tliere is then no danger of starting whole- 

 sale robbing and much less danger of scat- 

 tering disease. 



^Yeak colonies often invite robbing, espe- 

 cially if they are well provided with honey 

 and if their entrances are large. Preven- 

 tion in this case also is the best method of 

 cure. Weak colonies should have entrances 

 no larger than are absolutely necessary. 

 Sometimes, however, if bees get started rob- 

 bing a weak colony, that colony should be 

 placed temporarily in a dark cellar, and a 

 hive containing one comb witli a little lioney 

 in it put in its place with an entrance about 

 the size of the entrance to the hive tliat 

 formerly stood there. When the bees take 

 all of the honey in this one comb, thus mak- 

 ing a thoro job of it, they will quietly dis- 

 perse. On the other hand, if nothing were 

 furnished for them to work on they miglit, 

 when thwarted in their desire to get the 

 honey, go to other hives standing neai\ and 

 the trouble be extended. If robbing has but 

 just started, it can usually be controlled bv 

 contracting the entrance, throwina' a bunch 

 of hay or grass over the front of the hive 

 tliat is being robbed and keeping this wet. 

 Robber bees do not like to dodge thru such 

 an obstruction for they cannot make their 

 "quick get-away." If only one colony is 

 doing the robbing, it sometimes pays to 

 change places — putting the robbed colony in 

 .place of the one being robbed. When there 

 is a general "row," contract the entrances 

 to all weak colonies, see that there is no 

 possible opening, to exposed honey any- 

 wheie, then clear out, and let the bees alone. 



Beginners often mistake young bees at 

 play for robbers. Sometimes a large num- 

 ber of bees \vill be seen flying busily 

 around the front of the hive so that there 

 is a scene of great activity, while other hives 

 are quiet. Closer investigation, however, 

 shows the young bees merely at I'lay. Un- 

 der such circumstances tliere is entire ab- 

 sence of any fighting — no sneaking and 

 darting around of the old, sleek, greasy- 

 lookiiii;' robber bees. 



