58 



THE PRACTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



experienced apiarists, who claim that the advantage of having 

 the sections protected from the queen's attentions, more than 

 compensates for any possible obstruction to the_ workers (268). 

 Where super boxes (108) with frames are employed for extract- 

 ing purposes, an excluder below the super box is generally 

 used. It is important to arrange the excluder with its open- 

 ings running across, and not parallel with, the frames, thus 

 giving the bees freer access to the supers. New excluders 

 may be rubbed with emery cloth, to remove the rough edges 

 of the openings. 



CHAPTER X. 



COMB FOUNDATION. 



110. Use of Foundation. — No less important than the intro- 

 duction of the moveable frame, the invention of foundation 

 (Fig. 41) marked a distinct advance in the methods of practical 

 bee-keeping ; simplified the management of frame hives ; and 

 effected a substantial economy in the expenses of working. 

 It has already been pointed out that the great advantage of the 

 modern moveable-comb hive depends upon its frames, in use, 

 being really moveable. If bees are placed in hives fitted with 

 empty frames, they will build their combs in the frames, but 

 at such angles, and in such manner as frequently to fasten the 



frames together and to render 

 them immoveable in the hive, 

 thus defeating the object in view. 

 If strips of wax, as " starters," be 

 fixed below the top bars of the 

 frames, the bees will begin their 

 combs at the starters, but will 

 sometimes build them so irregu- 

 larly that, here and there, comb 

 .,^. ,.y, -...,. ,. ,. . ,,,. , . ,-. will be joined to comb, and only 

 fe'.*Sa-,^vt^'^«*^'rf t3i?:(^i a few, if any of the combs will be 



perfectly even and moveable. In 

 both cases there will be con- 

 structed so large a proportion of 

 drone cells that the drones reared 

 m such cells may be sufficiently numerous to consume the 

 surplus honey which it is the aim of the bee-keeper to secure 

 for himself (195). To obviate those difficulties; to enable thf 



COMB FOUNDATION. 



