938 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 15 



one of the most practical. Our assistant 

 editor, Mr. H. H. Root, is now on his way 

 to Mr. Townsend's to test a power-driven 

 extractor outfit. The motor will be of the 

 gasoline type, of special construction. 



We have been working on this problem 

 for some two or three years, and now think 

 we have it nearly solved. But in order to 

 make sure of it we propose to go into the 

 field where actual condiiions are met. — Ed. ] 



REMOVING COMBS FROM THE HIVE FOR 

 EXTRACTING. 



How to Drive a Large Part of the Bees out of 



the Supers with a Smoker; the New 



Bee-brush, and How to Use it. 



BY R. F. HOLTERMANN. 



In how many apiaries throughout the land 

 does the season for extracting become a 

 season of dread? Time was when it was 

 the same to me; but long experience and 

 careful observation, and pointers from oth- 

 ers whom I have met at conventions, and 

 the reading of articles in bee- journals, have 

 changed all this; and now we often extract 

 in out-apiaries in buildings very far from 

 bee-tight. During the robbing season we 

 extract all day, and for years have not been 

 compelled to stop work. To go into the de- 

 tails of management to accomplish this will 

 necessitate another article. The present is 

 simply to cover the removal of combs from 

 the hive to the bee-house. 



We work in pairs, the least experienced 

 doing the smoking, although to smoke bees 

 "to perfection" requires great skill, close 

 observation, and faithful work. 



The next hive to operate upon is smoked 

 while we are about to open a new hive. 

 Smoking is done through the ventilator 

 which has been described and illustrated in 

 my hive. To smoke the bees at the entrance 

 is to drive them into the super. The hive is 

 not jarred, but handled carefully. The cov- 

 er and cloth or honey- board are removed 

 from the super, and the bees smoked. A 

 swinging motion of the smoker throwing the 

 smoke between the combs from end to end 

 is far more effectual to drive the bees down 

 than to smoke in the usual circling motion, 

 and largely across the combs. If there are 

 two supers on the hive, the combs are taken 

 out of the first super, shaking the bees in 

 front of the hive, but so far in front that 

 they are not likely to reach the brood- cham- 

 ber before the super next to the brood- 

 chamber is being operated upon. We work 

 quickly but not roughly. Let movements be 

 rapid, purposeful, but not nervous. We 

 avoid crushing bees; and by having straight 

 combs and using a little careful judgment 

 we have no trouble about crushing bees. I 

 now catch hold of the top- bar ends with 

 thumb on one side, fore fingers on the side- 

 bar and the rest of the hand on the other 

 side of the frame inside of the hands, fac- 

 ms each other, and make a quick shake 

 followed by a rapid reversal in motion, and 



another quick shake down, done in less time 

 than it takes to describe it, and yet the bees 

 have had three attempts to dislodge them, 

 followed in rapid succession. To hold a 

 heavy comb by the top- bar lugs alone would 

 break the lugs in many cases; but by also 

 pressing on the side- bar, much of the weight 

 is taken from the lugs. I also find that the 

 staples driven into the top-bar weaken the 

 lug, and they are more liable to split ofl?. 

 Your metal spacers would have the opposite 

 effect. Unless with some strains of Ital- 

 ians, I find, after such shaking, but few 

 bees upon the comb. Whatever is left upon 

 the comb is brushed off. 



For twenty-five years I have tried almost 

 if not every thing recommended as a brush 

 if within reach, and some things which had 

 to be purchased a long way from home. A 

 turkey feather and wing, or a goose wing, 

 was the first. I find these too harsh. There 

 is not give enough to them; and even with 

 an experienced hand the bees are likely to 

 be more or lets crushed or rolled under the 

 feather, and they will fight the feather. 

 I have seen the bees do it many a time. 

 Asparagus and weeds do not last, and are 

 too irregular, and much time is lost in look- 

 ing for more. The Coggshall bee-brush, 

 which should be used only at the end, has 

 sufficient play, but does not cover enough 

 surface at a sweep. The Dixie bee- brush 

 is all right at first; but when it has been 

 put in water it hardens, and when in use be- 

 comes tangled. However, I prefer it to any 

 of the above-named articles. 



More than a year ago I saw cataloged a 

 German brush, and sent for two. It is a 

 hair brush. Water has had no effect upon 

 it. The hairs are long enough to be pliable 

 and not crush the bees if caught between 

 the brush and the comb. There are neither 

 too many nor too few hairs in the brush. 



THE GERMAN BEE-BRUSH. 



either being a defect. With that brush we 

 brushed at least comb surface enough to 

 contam 30 000 lbs. of honey, 60,000 lbs. be- 

 ing one crop. I showed the brush to many, 

 the editor of this journal among the num- 

 ber, and it looked, aside from a dulling of 

 the paint on the wood, about as good as 

 new. Even when used by a novice, as it 

 was many a time, we never saw the bees 

 try to fight it. It was shown at conven- 

 tions here in Canada, and many wanted to 

 buy one like it, among them some of our 

 very best-known Canadian bee-keepers (I 

 have none for sale). I never used a brush 

 its equal. It could be washed in a moment, 

 and be again ready for use, water not 

 changing its texture as with vegetable 

 matter I know the brush has saved us 

 from many stings and annoyances. The 

 lower- story comb-, when a third have been 

 removed, have their bees shaken into the 



