PRODUCTION AND CARE OF EXTRACTED HONEY. 



tion of extracted honey. It would certainly be unwise to recommend 

 or condemn this system in general, for its use should be- governed by 

 local conditions of the honey flow. In this case, as in many others, 

 the maximum results may not be expected without a careful study of 

 local conditions. Bee keepers talk a great deal about " locality differ- 

 ences," and, as generally used, the term " locality " is only an excuse 

 for a lack of information as to the true cause of various observed 

 facts. It is nevertheless most true that there are scores of local 

 differences which are great enough to bring success or failure, accord- 

 ing as they are studied or neglected. 



PERFORATED ZINC. 



The use of a perforated zinc queen-excluding board between the 

 brood chamber and the surplus bodies is gaining in popularity. 

 Without this zinc the queen is likely to go into the second story, or 

 even higher, particularly toward the close of the season. Some bee 

 keepers prefer to use combs for extracting which have never been used 

 for brood, and if this plan is followed the perforated zinc is abso- 

 lutely necessary. Honey extracted from dark combs which have been 

 used for brood is darker in color as a rule than that produced in 

 combs which have never contained brood. This is doubtless due to 

 the fact that a certain amount of the larval skins and larval excreta 

 which are packed at the bottom of brood cells becomes dissolved in 

 the honey. These deposits in the cells are usually spoken of as 

 " cocoons," but certainly only a small part is really the silk of the 

 cocoon. If this really were merely a cocoon, no possible objection 

 could be made to the use of brood combs for extracting. It would 

 probably do little good to advocate the universal use of only such 

 combs as had not been used for brood rearing in the production of 

 extracted honey, but a strict regard for cleanliness would most 

 assuredly demand it. 



REMOVING HONEY FROM THE HIVE. 



Honey should not be taken from the hive until fully " ripened." 

 When the time comes to extract, the frames should be lifted from the 

 hive and the adhering bees shaken or brushed off. They may be 

 brushed off with a regular bee brush, many styles of which are manu- 

 factured, or a bunch of grass or weeds will usually answer as well. 

 The only advantage of a regular brush is that it is always ready 

 for use. 



If the honey flow is over or the bees are hard to manipulate on 

 account of their stinging, a bee escape is desirable. The escape is 

 so arranged that the bees can pass down to the story below with 

 comparative ease but can not get back. Within a few hours the 



