454 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 21, 



OONBTICTED BY 

 r>K. O. O. aULLEIt, MJLBtBTiGO, ILL, 



[Questions may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miiler direct.1 



meltinj^ Down or LieTclling Unflnisht Sections. 



Has it proved a success to melt off the face of unfinisht 

 sections in order to make thena even, or would an uncapping- 

 knife be better? What should be done when the melter forms 

 a cap over the comb? About how many sections can be 

 melted to their proper shape in an hour? Iowa. 



Answers. — Melting down the surface of sections by means 

 of the Taylor handy comb-leveler is a decided success, doing 

 the work more rapidly and more satisfactorily than it can be 

 done with a knife, for the combs being tender, unless the knife 

 is exceedingly sharp, there is danger of breaking down the 

 cell-walls. It is a very unusual thing, I think, for the melted 

 wax to form a cap over the comb. If any such ever did form, 

 I always left it to the care of the bees. I never timed the 

 work of the leveler, but at a guess I should say 200 might be 

 done in an hour. 



As I never had experience with very large quantities (I 

 try not to have many sections that need leveling down), I leave 

 the way open for others to answer. 



Questions on Conlraclion and Reversins 



1. In contraction of the brood-nest, as W. Z. Hutchinson 

 advises on page 403, how many Danzy brood-frames with only 

 1-Inch starters would you give a new swarm ? Also, how soon 

 would you put on the super ? 



2. What would be the effect if the brood-frames were re- 

 verst containing both sealed and unsealed honey, just as a 

 super Is put on ? 



3. What would be the effect on sealed and unsealed brood 

 in reversing ? 



4. How many frames should be reverst at a time ? And 

 how soon should they be changed back to the proper position ? 



5. In using a deep-entrance bottom-board, are the bees 

 liable to build comb between the bottom of the frames and the 

 top of the board. If there is an inch space ? Ohio. 



Answers. — 1. Give half of the 10 frames at the start. 

 Put on the super at once if a queen-excluder is used under the 

 super, otherwise wait two or three days. 



2. If there was no brood in the comb it would probably 

 have DO effect at all. If brood were In part of the comb it 

 might force some of the honey into the super. At one time 

 such practice was considerably discust, but at present it is 

 hardly considered advisable. 



3. Nothing, unless In a case where It might throw it out 

 of place In a rather weak colony, running the risk of chilling 

 if the weather should be cold. 



4. Reverse the frames of only one hive, Just enough to 

 satisfy yourself that you don't want to follow up the practice. 

 I don't know when Is the best time to reverse back, but should 

 think it might be in about two minutes. 



5. With only an inch space It will be a rare thing to find 

 any comb built down. 



^ — ^ 



Do Not Work in Sections, Etc. 



I started in the bee-business last year with seven colonies, 

 and now have 65. I could have had many more but could not 

 handle them. 



1. My bees don't seem to work, but want to swarm all the 

 time. Some of them will start and build comb In the super, 

 and then quit. But few bees stay, and perhaps they will till 

 two or three sections. They have plenty of alfalfa, button- 

 willow and white willow to work on. I am located on the San 

 Joaquin river where there is plenty of bee-feed. Then they 

 are very cross and will fight me at all times. Some of my new 

 swarms have workt well, and had the supers filled In a few 

 days, but the majority of them will go Into the super and seem 

 to work, and then quit. I could find no moths or anything 

 bothering them, so could not decide what Is the matter. The 

 hives and supers are all nice and clean, as I always wash them 

 out in strong salt water. They have become so bad that I 



lose about one-half of them by their losing their stingers. 

 They even go after the chickens and ducks. My neighbor's 

 bees across the river are just as bad as mine. 



2. I use the common box-hive 16x20 inches, with V-top 

 brood-frames. What Is the best hive to use ? 



3. What is the right way to handle beeswax for market ? 



4. What about straining honey ? California. 



Answers. — 1. As nearly as a guess can be made from the 

 particulars given, the trouble is that your bees always swarm 

 about the time they get fairly started in the surplus apart- 

 ment, and after swarming they are left so weak that they stop 

 working above. The thing for you to do is to throw all the 

 strength possible into the swarms, and depend upon them for 

 your surplus. When a colony sends out its first swarm, set the 

 swarm In the place of the old hive, setting the old hive close 

 beside the swarm. A week later take the old hive away, set- 

 ting it in an entirely new place. By that means you weaken 

 the old colony so much that it will swarm no more, and you 

 also strengthen the swarm so much that it will be strong to 

 work In the supers. The super may be put on the swarm two 

 or three days after hiving, unless you have a queen-excluder 

 under the super, in which case the super may be put on 

 at once. 



I hardly know what you mean by half of your bees losing 

 their stingers, but perhaps if you should make a careful count 

 you would find that a very small number have lost that useful 

 appendage. 



2. The term "box-hive" is used as applying to a box or 

 hive in which there are no movable frames. As you have V 

 brood-frames, you must have frame hives. It is quite possible 

 that the hive you have is as good as any, an objection, how- 

 ever, being that It has a frame of an odd size. If you make a 

 change, you will probably do well to adopt the frame that 

 comes nearest standard in size, that which is commonly called 

 the Langstroth frame, ITJ^ inches long and 9}s deep, outside 

 measure. 



3. If you should see the beeswax that is thrown on the 

 market, you would probably conclude that there is no wrong 

 way. But the brightest, cleanest wax brings the highest 

 price. If you will get a solar extractor you will probably be 

 all right as to the quality of your wax. 



4. About the only way in which honey Is strained, nowa- 

 days, is the straining of extracted honey, and all that is neces- 

 sary is to let it pass through cheese-cloth, or some thin stuff, 

 to take out the small quantity of bits of wax, or other objec- 

 tionable parts that may be present. 



When to Remove Surplus Honey. 



When shall I take off the sections ? A bee-keeper friend 

 advises doing it when every one is filled and capt. Another, 

 take off every box you can find in your super properly capt, 

 and not wait until all are full. I never put on but one story 

 of one-pound sections, and on a box-hive. I noticed the last 

 row of 3 out of 18 in all remained uncapt over a week after 

 others were all capt, so I removed 15 and put back the 3, and 

 it would seem there would be a period of idleness unless this 

 was done, as the whole colony could not work in 3 sections. 

 Yesterday I took off 15 sections completely capt, from an 

 early swarm in a 10-frame Langstroth hive, and put back 12 

 sections, about ?f of the cells being capt, with 3 of the sec- 

 tions (in the outside row) the comb not extended. Now I 

 could have waited longer, without doubt, in this case. Is it 

 any damage to disturb the super ? A few bees will get hurt. 

 Will this white honey (stored from white clover) change color 

 any for a difference of two or perhaps three weeks In time of 

 removal ? Massachusetts. 



Answers. — Answering your questions in their spirit 

 rather than in their order, it may be said that any harm re- 

 sulting from the disturbance of the colony in taking off supers 

 is hardly enough to be taken Into account. If a section of 

 honey Is left on three weeks after it is sealed over, the cap- 

 pings will become darker, and such section will not be quite so 

 good for the market as if taken off just as soon as sealed, for 

 the market demands the very whitest. As to the quality of 

 the honey in the cells, it will not become any darker in color, 

 but will become riper, as It is called, that is, it will become 

 thicker and better. So if you want the sections for your own 

 use, and don't care so much for looks as you do for eating 

 qualities, you will do well to leave the sections on some time 

 after they are sealed. 



If you leave a super of sections on the hive till the last 

 section Is sealed, not giving any additional room, the bees will 

 be crowded for room while sealing up the last, if honey is 

 coming In. Better give additional room by putting a second 



