72 



THF BEE-KEEPER^' REVii^W, 



It is very evident, then, if one has comb 

 that cannot presently be made use of by the 

 bees, that it is worth while ^o know how to 

 keep them in a good state of preservation. 

 The moths and the mice are the enemies 

 that work the most rapid destruction, but 

 light and moisture in connection with bee- 

 bread and other foreign matter cause a 

 gradual deterioration. I have experimen- 

 ted largely both during the past year as well 

 as during prior years, with different methods 

 of preserving combs, and it has not been 

 altogether from choice, but rather a case of 

 necessity, for I have had on hand, not in 

 use, for several years, from one thousand to 

 two thousand combs. There are four meth- 

 ods which I have found to have merit as fol- 

 lows : 



1. Placing them, in hives, over strong col- 

 onies of bees so that the bees can have free 

 access to them. To good colonies from one 

 to half a dozen hives of empty combs may 

 be given, care only need be taken that no 

 more be given than the bees will visit some- 

 what freely. Where it can be used this is 

 the safest and best method, for the bees 

 not only protect them completely, but clean 

 them to a considerable extent, so that they 

 are put in better condition for preservation 

 by other methods, still it has its disadvan- 

 tages ; the combs must be handled two to 

 four times a season and during the honey 

 season if comb honey is produced they must 

 be removed, and this is the time when they 

 especially need protection from moths. 



2. I have had excellent success in keeping 

 them in close hives in , the shop by laying 

 two tliicknesses of newspaper upon a level 

 place on the floor, setting a hive of them 

 upon the paper, covering the hive witli two 

 thicknesses of the paper putting another hive 

 covered with paper on that and so continue 

 the operation until the pile is of the desired 

 height, when the top- most hive is to be pro- 

 tected with paper and a close fitting cov- 

 er. As the combs are thus so tightly in- 

 closed they must be reasonably dry and put 

 away only in a dry place. It is all-important, 

 too, that they be put away early, at least be- 

 fore the millers have an opportunity to de- 

 posit their eggs in them. By this method I 

 have kept combs the season through with- 

 out the sign of a moth, while combs put up 

 in the same room, in the same way, except 

 that the paper was not used, required con- 

 stant care to preserve them from destruction. 

 The miller tliat produces the egg from 



which the moth emerges is furnished with a 

 long ovipositor which she can insert in a 

 very small opening, such as she is almost 

 sure to find somewhere between almost any- 

 two hives set one upon another. No doubt 

 the openings are present only in a less de- 

 gree where the paper is used, but for some 

 reason they appear not to invite the miller ; 

 it may be because there is something re- 

 pulsive to her in paper, or, possibly, be- 

 cause the paper, extending outward from 

 the hives all around an inch or so does not 

 allow her to take the position she desires 

 when she uses her ovipositor. There is one 

 function which it seems reasonable to sup- 

 pose the paper would perform, though, as 

 yet, I have had nothing to test it, that is, 

 in case the moths should obtain a lodge- 

 ment in one hive to impede their spread to 

 the others. Tar paper unquestionably 

 would be much more effective in this respect 

 and quite likely fully as repulsive to the egg- 

 laying miller. It is worthy of a trial. The 

 method here described when the combs are 

 reasonably clean has proved with me on the 

 whole the most satisfactory. 



:!. Another way that is entirely effective 

 against the moths is to hang the combs up 

 to the light and air with a space of at least 

 one inch between each comb and its neigh- 

 bors. This answers well enough for a sea- 

 son or two or even longer when the combs 

 have become toughened by the cocoons of 

 many generations of brood, but if the combs 

 are new the light seems to have a deteriorat- 

 ing effect upon the wax composing them 

 causing ittoreadily crumble, besides, combs 

 so disposed gather dust and the webs of 

 other insects than the moths. For conven- 

 ience in practicing this plan, when I built 

 my shop I placed the joists overhead so as to 

 freely admit the top bar of a Ijangstroth 

 frame crosswise, then by nailing half inch 

 strips near the lower edge of neighboring 

 joists, each space is made to conveniently 

 accommodate a tier of combs, their arms 

 resting upon the half inch strips. 



4. The other method I have to mention is 

 the placing of the combs in hives in the bee- 

 cellar. It appears thpt a somewhat high 

 temperature is necessary for the propaga- 

 tion of the wax moth, at least, I have never 

 known them to breed in combs placed in 

 the cellar, so I think I may safely say that 

 any good cool cellar would be a sure pro- 

 tection against the moths. Unfortunately 

 my cellar is damp on account of which there 



