660 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15 



than go into the sections. I tried putting 

 another super on, with about half of each, 

 extracting and sections, with the same re- 

 sult. Bees would swarm before they would 

 touch the sections. I had one hive with 

 four supers on, filled the same way, and in 

 the fall I had about all the extracting- 

 frames full of honey, but not a section. I 

 have a poor location for comb honey, any 

 way. The case might be different with 

 abundant pasturage and warm nights. 

 East Burnaby, B. C, Dec. 4. 



[It is very possible, and no doubt quite 

 probable, that, in a locality like the one you 

 describe, the Hoffman frame might be very 

 unsatisfactory. In that case I should nat- 

 urally suppose that the metal-spaced Hoff- 

 man as described in Gleanings, page 17, 

 Jan. 1st, would suit your conditions better. 

 These would obviate the objections against 

 the staple-spaccd frames that you tested. 



The entrance of a colony should never be 

 contracted in winter to a point where it 

 would result in an excess of moisture in the 

 hive causing dampness and mold, and ulti- 

 mately end in the spring in dysentery. But 

 this question of size of hive-entrance depends 

 very largely on the humidity of the locality. 

 Inasmuch as your frames and hive parts 

 swell by reason of the great excess of mois- 

 ture, it follows that your entrances should 

 be full width during winter. 



The excess of moisture in your locality 

 doubtless accounts for your unsatisfactory 

 experience in producing comb honey. 



Referring again to the Hoffman frame, you 

 have no doubt observed that it has many 

 warm friends and supporters— for example, 

 the article by Mr. Hickox below is a fair 

 sample.— Ed.] 



HOFFMAN FRAMES. 



Preferred by an Owner of 1500 Colonies; Hoff- 

 man Frames Best in an Extracting 

 Apiary where Propolis 

 is Abundant. 



BY W. HICKOX. 



Probably enough has been said in regard 

 to the Hoffman frame; but as it seems you 

 have been holding a kind of voting contest 

 in regard to frames I will send you my vote 

 in its favor. 



As I have bought bees in all kinds of hives, 

 and in all conditions, for the past six years, 

 I have had a chance to become practically 

 acquainted with nearly all forms of movable 

 frames, and many that are not movable. I 

 have employed from two to six helpers each 

 season, many coming here decidedly in favor 

 of some frame and hive they had used at 

 home; but before the season was through I 

 do not know of one who would not prefer 

 the Hoffman frame to any other he had ever 

 used. I have made a {)oint of asking the 

 boys which was their choice, since the mat- 

 ter has come up so prominently; and as they 



have had a chance here to use both the com- 

 mon frame and Hoffman, and have all day 

 at it, first one and then the other, they all 

 tell me that it makes them tired to open a 

 hive and find the plain frames. We are get- 

 ting rid of the old frames as fast as we have 

 good cause to reject them without loss. As 

 we handle about 1500 colonies each year, 

 over half for extracted honey, ease of manip- 

 ulation is quite an object with us, as well as 

 certainty that a green hand will get the 

 combs properly spaced. 



Personally I prefer the Hoffman frame in 

 an extractmg-super as well as in the brood- 

 chamber. It we have a honey- flow that 

 amounts to any thing the combs are drawn 

 out so the end projections are not in the way 

 in uncapping. If the flow is poor they are 

 no more in the way than the top- bar is, or 

 the common plain end piece, as one has to 

 be careful any way. 



A neighbormg bee-keeper who has a large 

 number of bees, and who has never given 

 the Hoffman frame a fair trial, hired an 

 "expert" helper, and set him to clipping 

 queens. Upon a later visit to his apiary I 

 found the helper had failed to space the 

 frames properly, and many bees and several 

 valuable queens were killed by the combs 

 being too closely pressed together. This 

 would not have happened with a self-spac- 

 ing frame. 



1 believe we have in this locality as much 

 propolis as in any place in the United States 

 —certainly much more than I ever found in 

 Michigan or Ohio— so much that our hands 

 and any tools we may use in extracting are 

 all gummed up with it; but instead of this 

 being in favor of the plain frame I find it 

 much easier to work the Hoffman frame. 

 For some reason, possibly because the bees 

 have to use the space around the end of the 

 frame for a passageway, there is less pro- 

 polis placed there, and that is just where we 

 particularly do not want it. The little plac- 

 ed along the end-bar, where the frames join 

 each other, does not cause serious trouble. 

 We use a screwdriver to loosen the frames; 

 and should it happen that they do not open 

 readily we simply reach down about two 

 inches from the top, and a little pressure 

 immediately causes them to open up. As 

 this is seldom required it does not begin to 

 take the time it does to space the common 

 frame when we are ready to close the hive. 

 As to experience I have had with the old 

 frame, I will say two summers I handled 

 350 colonies of bees for extracted honey, 

 handling the extracting- frames at least ten 

 times per colony, or equal to about 30,000 

 combs one handling each year, besides the 

 brood- combs, about half as many; so I think 

 I have had enough experience in that time 

 to become used to them; and as one does not 

 like a change in tools unless they are easier 

 to handle and readily adapt themselves to 

 our unconscious muscular action, the fact of 

 a sense of relief when opening a hive of 

 Hoffman frames is to me a proof of their 

 easier manipulation. 

 Berthoud, Col. 



