420 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



July, 1920 



ly the same day it is removed than it will 

 later when it has had time to cool. For the 

 same reason some prefer the ventilated 

 escape which allows the heat from the bees 

 to rise into the super even after the bees 

 have left it. 



Once in a while it may happen that dead 

 bees may clog the escape so that the bees 

 are unable to leave the super. In such a 

 case if one does not wish to wait another 

 day, but prefers to take the honey immedi- 

 ately he may remove the combs one at a time, 

 and holding them in a vertical position, 

 give them a sudden shake in front of the 

 entrance. This will remove most of the 

 bees and the remainder may be brushed off 

 by means of a brush, feather, or handful of 

 grass, as shown in the illustration. The 

 combs, one at a time, as soon as cleared of 

 bees, should be placed in a box and covered 

 so no robbers may find them. This work of 

 shaking and brushing should not be resort- 

 ed to unless it seems really necessary, for 

 after the honey flow there is always danger 

 of starting robbing. 



Extracting Equipment. 



The room in which the extracting is done 

 should have screened windows and no open- 

 ings anywhere large enough for robbers to 

 enter. There should be room enough not 

 only for the extracting equipment, but also 

 for the supers to be stored before and after 

 extracting. Near the window where there 

 is a good light should be placed the un- 

 ieapping barrel which stands in a galvanized 

 tub. The barrel has both heads knocked 

 out and is screened on the bottom with 

 quarter-inch mesh screen, and across the 



upper end about one-third of the distance 

 from one side has a two-inch strip which is 

 nailed in place. At the middle of the strip 

 is a sharp-pointed nail projecting upward 

 about an inch to hold the frame while un- 

 capping. It may be necessary to nail two 



Brushing the bees from both sides of the comb. 



strips to the bottom of the barrel to support 

 it in the tub into which the cappings are to 

 fall. 



The extractor should be firmly attached to 

 a box which in turn is securely bolted to the 

 floor. If placed near the wall there will be 

 less danger of vibration which is hard on the 

 combs and sometimes causes them to break. 

 The box should be just the right height so 

 that a galvanized honey pail may be placed 



To shake bees fioiii a comb, liold it as shown and give a sharp jerk. Most of the bees wil 

 tlie second or third jerk. The few bees remaining may be brushed oft. 



le dislodged at 



