340 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1921 



Fig. 1. — A prompt be- 



ginnin'? in the first super 



is important. 



needed during the honey flow, gives the pro- 

 ducer of extracted honey a groat advan- 

 tage. The nearer a comb-houey producer 

 can approximate these conditions, the 

 nearer will his yield approach that of the 

 extracted-honey producer. 



In conib-h o n e y 

 production much 

 can be done to en- 

 tice the multitude 

 of oncoming 

 younger bees out of 

 the brood-chamber 

 early in their lives 

 by giving them 

 work in comfort- 

 able and attractive 

 supers. The draw- 

 ing out of full 

 sheets of fresh 

 foundation, the 

 building of new comb, and the ripening 

 and moving about of the raw nectar 

 when carried on extensively by the hive 

 workers, apparently all tend to stimulate 

 the field force to bring home more loads of 

 nectar during the day. At the same time 

 the absence of the field force from the hive 

 during the heat of the day must add greatly 

 to the comfort of the bees within the hive, 

 thus facilitating their work and increasing 

 the spirit for work in the entire colony. 



A prompt beginning in the first supers is 

 extremely important in tiding a colony over 

 this critical period. The colonies should be 

 strong enough when the first supers are 

 given to send a force of comb-builders into 

 these supers large enough to fill them with 

 bees. The brood-chamber should be almost 

 completely filled with brood to the top-bars, 

 so that there will be no rim of honey be- 

 tween. It is better if the foundation is 

 fresh, so the bees will draw it out thruout 

 the entire super before these newly made 

 cells are really needed for the storage of 

 nectar. When conditions are less favorable 

 at least one bait comb should be used in 

 the first super. When two-story colonies 

 are reduced to a single story at the time of 

 putting on the first comb-honey super, it is 

 sometimes best to give each of these strong 

 colonies two supers at the same time. 

 Effect of Crowding from Supers Back into 

 Brood-Chamber. 

 After work is begun in the first super, if 

 no other supers are given until the combs 

 are built out, it should be noted that the 

 space in the supers that can be occupied by 

 bees is being reduced as the combs are 

 drawn out, until finally there is only about 

 one-fourth of an inch left between the comb 

 and the separator, so that most of the bees 

 are crowded out and must go back into the 

 brood-chamber. This is almost sure to cause 

 the colony to work less vigorously. The 

 same thing happens if the bees are driven 

 • from the super because it is too hot or be- 

 cause the hive is not well ventilated. If 

 the colony is strong enough to draw out the 



foundation uniformly in all of the sections, 

 and the honey How is promising, a second 

 super should be given, even tho but little 

 honey is stored in the first one. 



In order to induce additional comb-build- 

 ers to go up into the supers, this second 

 super may be placed below the first one. If 

 conditions are favorable, the foundation in 

 the second super will be drawn out within 

 a few days and these shallow cells can be 

 used for the evaporation of the incoming 

 icetar. The bees apparently enjoy spread- 

 ing out the raw nectar, a little in each cell, 

 thus hastening its ripening by increasing 

 the surface of the nectar exposed to the 

 air. Before much honey has been stored in 

 the second super it may in turn be raised 

 up and a third super given. This operation 

 may be repeated as often as necessary to 

 keep the bees busy drawing out foundation 

 and to attract more and more of the young- 

 er bees from the brood-chamber into the 

 supers. In order to hasten the completion 

 of the first super that was given it may be 

 placed immediately above the super in 

 which the bees are drawing out foundation, 

 while the other supers are arranged above 

 it in the order that they were put on the 

 hive, the one in which the least wc^ik has 

 been done being placed on top. 



If it were possible to foretell the num- 

 ber of supers that each colony would finish 

 during the honey flow, it would be well to 

 induce the bees to draw out the foundation 

 and begin comb-building in that many su- 

 pers as early in the 

 honey flow as possi- 

 ble, then give an 

 extra one to be 

 placed on top as 

 soon as the founda- 

 tion is completelj' 

 drawn, the purpose 

 of this extra super 

 being to contain 

 the overflow of 

 nectar during the 

 process of ripening. 

 This extra super, 

 having served as 

 an e V a p r a t- 

 ing chamber 

 this season, can then be taken off' before 

 the combs and sections become soiled with 

 jiropolis and be given as the first super 

 next year. 



When the New Super Should Be Added on 

 Top. 

 Colonies that are not strong enough to 

 send a large force of comb-builders into 

 the first supers should not have their super 

 room expanded so rapidly. A good rule to 

 follow is to place the new super under those 

 in which work has been started, provided 

 the colony is strong enough, and the honey 

 flow is good enough to cause the bees to 

 draw out the foundation uniformly thruout 

 the super. If they draw out only those in 

 the middle of the sui>er, the second super 



'-eg 



^ 



Fig 2. — Second .s ii p e r 

 placed below the fiist. 



