Jaxuakv, 19-21 



G J^ E A N I N G S IK BEE CULTURE 



17 



bees of comb-building age. Those who have 

 tried this liave not noticed any reduction in 

 the yield, because of the extra wax secured 

 in this way, and no one knows how thin 

 the combs could be shaved down without 

 reducing the yield. Bees will deposit nectar 

 in cells not more than one-eighth inch deep, 

 and then add wax as needed in elongating 

 the cells; while they refuse to draw out 

 foundation, unless the need of more room is 

 imminent. 



Under favorable conditions a few frames 

 of foundation mixed with empty combs 

 may be drawn out and filled with no per- 

 ceptible reduction in the yield; but, if none 

 but frames of foundation are given, the 

 yield is usually considerably reduced. It is 

 apparent, therefore, that the difference in 

 yield of the two types of honey can not be 

 calculated from the number of pounds of 

 honey needed to produce one pound of wax; 

 and, conversely, the number of pounds of 

 honey required to produce a pound of wax 

 can not be computed from the difference in 

 yield between the two types of honey. 



Great Variation in Yield Under Different 

 Conditions. 



During some seasons the character of the 

 honey flow may be such that practically no 

 comb honey is secured, while in the same 

 locality a fair crop of extracted honey may 

 be produced. Yet in the next season in the 

 same locality the yield of the two types of 

 honey may be nearly equal. In some loca- 

 tions the character of the honey flow is such 

 that the average yield of comb honey dur- 

 ing a series of years may be even less than 

 one-half that of extracted honey, while in 

 other locations the average yield of comb 

 honey during a series of years may be 75 or 

 80 per cent of that of extracted honey; 

 and, finally, under precisely the same con- 

 ditions as to location and season the bee- 

 keeper without skill and experience in comb- 

 honey production will secure less than half 

 the yield in comb honey as compared with 

 extracted honey, while the skilled comb- 

 honey producer may secure nearly as much 

 comb honey as extracted honey. 



Undoubtedly, the extra amount of wax 

 secretion necessary in comb-honey produc- 

 tion is a factor in reducing the yield; but it 

 is by no means the only one, and under 

 some conditions it becomes of minor im- 

 portance. The condition of the colonies, the 

 character of the honey flow, and weather 

 conditions may have greater influence on 

 the difference in yield than the secretion of 

 wax and comb-building. 



At the close of the honey flow there is 

 usually more honey and less brood in the 

 brood-chamber when comb honey is pro- 

 duced. If there is no later honey flow, this 

 additional honey in the brood-chamber must 

 be considered when comparing the yielil 

 with colonies used for producing extracted 

 honey. In addition tu this, there are fewer 



bees to "board" during the late summer. 

 On the other hand, if there is a later honey 

 flow of considerable importance, the greater 

 number of young bees in the colonies used 

 for producing extracted honey may result 

 in a great gain in surplus at the end of the 

 season over those used for comb-honey pro- 

 duction. The difference in yield in these • 

 cases can not be greatly influenced by wax 

 secretion and comb-building. 



Difference in the Spirit with Which Bees 

 Work. 



Probably the greatest factor in the 

 causes of the difference in yield of the two 

 types of honey is in the difference in the 

 spirit with which the bees work, and the 

 rapidity with which they expand their ac- 

 tivities thruout a large super space when 

 empty combs are given in the supers in- 

 stead of frames of foundation. It some- 

 times happens that conditions are such that 

 the work of the colony becomes stagnant 

 even during a good honey flow when comb 

 honey is being produced; but this does not 

 often happen when extracted honey is being 

 produced, if sufiicient room is given. 



The problem of swarm control is so close- 

 ly associated with the spirit with which the 

 bees work that it is difiicult in some in- 

 stances to separate these two things. Much 

 of the loss in yield in comb-honey produc- 

 tion comes about by some of the colonies 

 being thrown out of condition for best work 

 while preparing to swarm or because of 

 some hitch in the management in the con- 

 trol of swarming. When it becomes neces- 

 sary for the beekeeper to interfere to pre- 

 vent the issuing of a swarm, the colony may 

 respond to his treatment by a period of loaf- 

 ing, as if to get even with the "big boss" 

 who presumes to meddle with its private af- 

 fairs. Thus the skill of the comb-honey pro- 

 ducer is sometimes taxed to the limit in 

 controlling swarming and at the same 

 time keeping the bees in the best working 

 mood. 



Since most of the conditions which tend 

 to bring on swarming are the same condi- 

 tions that tend to reduce the spirit with 

 which the bees work, the beekeeper, who 

 by careful management is able to stimulate 

 his colony to work with the greatest pos- 

 sible vigor from the very beginning of the 

 honey flow, not only increases his yield be- 

 cause of better work, but at the same time 

 greatly reduces the tendency to swarm. 



It sometimes appears that the spirit with 

 which the bees work is of even greater im- 

 portance in securing a large yield than the 

 number of workers, and herein, to a great 

 extent, is the key to successful comb-honey 

 production. The beekeeper who can do these 

 things, if located in a region suitable for 

 comb-honey production, will probably pro- 

 duce about as many sections of comb honey 

 per colony as pounds of extracted. 



