Juki 



(! I, K A N [ X G S T N B K K (11. T f K K 



3(!7 



combs ill tlu' iiiiddli- <pf tlu' siipor, loii\iii^ 

 the ci'lls ill tlu- oiitor [jortioiis (Miipty until 

 soiiic ot" tlic lioiu'N' in the midillo lins been 

 ript'iHMl ainl sealed. 



Wlicn this conditiou is t'duiid a second 

 super need not be given until the founda- 

 tion is drawn out in the outer sections of 

 the comb-honey supers, or until nectar is 

 found in the outside combs of extracting 

 supers, and the secoinl suj)er should be 

 placed on top of the first one. This is the 

 management for eitlier weak colonies or a 

 slow honey flow. 



On the other hand, if the c(d(inies are 

 strong and the honey flow is heavy the bees 

 should draw out the foundation in the out- 

 side sections soon after beginning to work 

 in those in the middle of the comb-honey 

 supers, and should put nectar in the outside 

 combs of extracting supers within a few 

 days after beginning to store in the middle 

 combs. When tliey do this a second super 

 should be placed under the first before much 

 honey has been stored in the first super, 

 ])rovide<l the weather continues favorable 

 and the flowers i)romise well. 



Following the same rule, ad<litional comb- 

 honey supers should be given just as fast 

 as the bees will draw out the foundation in 

 all the sections thruout the super, and for 

 extracted honey an additional super should 

 be given in each case as soon as the bees 

 Viegin to store the incoming nectar freely in 

 the outside combs of the super. 



For extracted honey it does not matter 

 so much if the supers arc not completely 

 filled when the season closes, tho it is bet- 

 ter to have the season 's crop within a few 

 well-filled supers than to have the same 

 amount of honey scattered thruout many 

 supers. For comb-honey ]>roducti(iij it is 

 very important that the expansion of super 

 room shall not be too rapid, for this may 

 result in many unfinished or poorly filled 

 sections. The rapidity by wliicli the bees 

 expand their super work can be regulated 

 largely by the position of each newly added 

 super, hence the rule is to place the empty 

 super under those already on the hive if 

 the bees arc storing rapidly, and on top of 

 those already on the hive if they are storing 

 slowly. 



Tt will be well for the beginner to look 

 into the supers every few days to note the 

 progress being ma<le and at the same time 

 watch the progress of the blooming period 

 of the honey plants, for sometimes without 

 warning the honey flow may suddenly either 

 be greatly increased or greatly decreased. 

 The beekeeper must be prepared any minute 

 to shift his supers to suit the needs, espe- 

 cially if producing comb honey, to avoid 

 loss either by too many unfinished or poorly 

 filled sections or by failing to supply room 

 fast enough so that the comb-building can 

 keep ahead of the honey gatherers. 



When an empty super is placed on top, 

 if the bees begin to work in it promptly, it 

 may then be placed below if the honey flow 



is good. VVlien tlie empty super is placed 

 below at first and the Vices fail to liegin 

 work in it proniiitly, it should lie trans- 

 ferred to the toji. 



In order that the more advanced ones 

 shall be well filled and the honey sealed 

 more promptly it is a good plan to place the 

 one that is nearest completion second above 

 the brood-chamber, with the others ar- 

 ranged above it in the order they were 

 originally given, tlie lightest being on 

 toil. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, Page 346-7.) When 

 airanged in this way, if the flowers should 

 fail unexpectedly, or the weather conditions 

 become adverse for nectar secretion, the 

 newly added super should be taken from its 

 position below the others and placed on top, 

 to liasten the completion of those which are 

 nearest full and to induce the bees to carry 

 the unsealed honey from the newly added 

 super (now on top) to better fill the others. 

 Taking Off Finished Honey. 



If comb honey is being produced the 

 supers should be taken off just as soon as 

 the sections of honey are sealed, for if they 

 are left longer the surface of the combs 

 may become darkened. This is more liable to 

 happen toward the close of the honey flow 

 or during a slow honey flow when the bees 

 usually varnish over the surface of the cap- 

 pings with propolis. Unless the honey flow 

 is rapid it is not best to leave the supers on 

 until all of the sections are completely 

 sealed, for before those in the corner are 

 scaled those in the middle of the super may 

 become discolored. It is not possible to tell 

 when a super of sections is finished by look- 

 ing in at the toj); but by standing the su])er 

 on end :ind looking in below to see if the 

 cells near the bottom of the section are 

 sealed, one can usually tell whether the 

 super is ready to be taken off. 



The completed or nearly completed supers 

 may be taken from the bees either by means 

 of a bee-escape or by driving most of the 

 bees out by smoke. If the bee-escape is 

 used, ])lace the sujier to be removed on toji 

 of the other supers but having a bee-escape 

 board (with the bee-escape in place) be- 

 tween. Be sure that the escajie-board is put 

 on with the fiat surface down, so there will 

 be a bee-space between the board and the 

 bottom slats in the sujier, and see that 

 there are no bits of comb on the lower ])art 

 of the super whicli would close the opening 

 in the bee-escape when ]iut in place. Also 

 be sure that the cover fits down in place 

 snugly, so there cjiii lie no cliance for bees 

 to get in from the outside. From 12 to 24 

 hours later nearly all of the bees will have 

 gone down, and the super then removed. 



If the supers are to be removed by smok- 

 ing the bees out. remove the cover quietly; 

 then smoke just enough to start the bees 

 running down. By sending a puff of smoke 

 down thru each of the openings between the 

 sections most of the bees can be driven out, 

 provided they are kept on the move so they 

 cannot stop to fill themselves with honev. 



