398 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1922 



BROOD 

 & HONEY 



SUPER 



SUPER 



f^ 



QUEEN 



BROOD 

 CHAMBER 



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When anotlier super is 

 needed it is placed im- 

 mediately above ex- 

 cluder or above first 

 super. 



mouth, should be giv- 

 en a third story at 

 the begiuuing of the 

 honey flow, if uot be- 

 fore, when extracted 

 honey is to be pro- 

 duced. Wlien this 

 third story is given 

 the queen should be 

 put into the lower 

 story and confined 

 there by a queen-ex- 

 cluder. The queen 

 will usually be found 

 in the upper story at 

 this time. To do this 

 the upper story 

 should be set off and 

 placed on another 

 hive bottom, with no 

 more disturbance 

 than necessary and 

 without smoking 

 much at the top, 

 which might cause 

 the queen to run 

 down into the lower story; after which each 

 comb should be carefully taken out and 

 looked over until the queen is found, when 

 she can be picked up by the wings and 

 transferred to the lower story. The queen- 

 excluder should then be put in place, and, 

 if the weather is warm, an extracting-super 

 filled with empty combs set directly above 

 the queen-excluder, the former second story 

 being placed on top as the third story. If 

 empty combs are not available for this, 

 frames filled with foundation should be used, 

 in which event the combs of the former sec- 

 ond story should be divided between the 

 two upper stories to induce the bees to draw 

 out the foundation promptly, the combs of 

 brood being placed in the middle with 

 frames of foundation at each side. 



Ten days later these combs in the upper 

 story should be examined to find and de- 

 stroy all queen-cells, unless it is desirable 

 to make increase, in whlcli ease three or 

 four of these combs with adhering bees can 

 be put into a new hive to form a nucleus, 

 being sure that at least one of these combs 

 has queen-cells on it. When this is dpne, 

 frames of foundation should be put in the 

 super to take the place of the combs of 

 brood that were taken away. 



These combs of the former second story 

 having brood in them are to be left above 

 the queen-excluder until the brood emerges 

 and the combs are filled with honey, when 

 the honey may be extracted or (a better 

 way) left on the hive for reserve stores for 

 winter and spring. 



Additional supers should be added if more 

 room is needed, giving each adrlitional super 

 just a. little before it is needed rather than 

 wait until the colony is compelled to slow 

 down its work on account of a lack of room. 

 Wliou the new super contains frames of 

 fouinliitioti (nothing less tliaii full sheets 



A prompt beginning in 

 the first comb-honey su- 

 per is important. 



should be used) instead of empty combs, it 

 is a good plan, when each new super is add- 

 ed, to take off all but one of the supers, 

 then take out half of the i^artly filled combs 

 from the middle of the su])er left on the 

 hive, and put in frames of foundation to 

 take their place, the combs removed being 

 put in the new super, with the other frames 

 of foundation, which is then put on as the 

 third story, or, if near the close of the sea- 

 son, it can be placed on top. 

 Management of Supers for Comb Honey. 

 When comb honey is being produced it 

 will not do to put the super of sections on 

 top of the second story, if a second story 

 was given previous to the honey flow to sup- 

 ply more room for 

 the queen. Neither 

 will it do to put it 

 between the two 

 brood-chambers, for 

 the bees in building 

 comb in the sections 

 would darken it 

 with bits of wax 

 from the brood- 

 combs above; so it is 

 necessary to reduce 

 the colony to one 

 story during the 

 honey flow for comb 

 honey. In doiiig this most of the brood should 

 be put into the brood-chamber that is left, 

 choosing as far as possible the oldest brood, 

 which can be distinguished by its emerging 

 bees or by picking off a few caj)pings to note 

 the age of the pupae. This older brood will 

 • soon emerge, giving the queen more room for 

 eggs. If there are three or four colonies to 

 work with, the extra combs containing some 

 honey and brood, after the bees have been 

 shaken off, can be put back into the liive- 

 bodies, which are then tiered up on top of 

 one hive, choosing for this the weakest col- 

 ony. If the season is favorable this colony 

 should fill these combs Avith honey after the 

 brood has emerged, thus furnishing a large 

 reserve of stores to be distributed to the 

 other colonies after the comb-honey supers 

 are taken off at the close of the season, thus 

 again making tliem two stories high. 



Those who have but one colony will have 

 to work out some other plan for disposing 

 of the extra combs of 

 brood and honey, if 

 the colony is occu- 

 pying two stories at 

 the beginning of the 

 honey flow. One way 

 to do this is to form 

 a small colony from 

 the extra combs of 

 brood. This should 

 not be attempted un- 

 less there are more 

 combs of brood than 

 will go into one 

 b r o o d-chamber. " If 

 the colony is quite 



•O 



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Second sujut i)laei'd 

 low the first. 



