SUPEMNG, EXTRACTING, AND HAEVESTING. 67 



till another glut of honey oomos, or sufficient has been stored to last the 

 winter. 



Having taken a peep at our pets by raising the jacket, and having die- 

 covered that the lower cells of the outside combs are just being com- 

 pleted, with their air-tight snowy caps, we proceed thus, i.e., if a bottom 

 board has been supplied to the super, we simply slip the whole upon the 

 hive top board, a distance equal to the diameter of the openings in it, and 

 all communication between the hive and super is cut off. The bees quickly 

 find they are imprisoned, and some begin to run about, while others lap up 

 any bleeding honey. After leaving them a few minutes., they will be glad 

 to fly in considerable numbers to the hive when their super is carried 

 to a shady place. A few puffs of smoke given at intervals between 

 which the super must be covered with a cloth to save it from robbers, 

 will generally get rid of the remainder. 



If the super be a large one, and many bees are found in it, or it is neces- 

 sary to remove it before completion, it will be advisable to act somewhat 

 differently. In the evening take off its jacket and wrap round it a wet 

 cloth or towel, the evaporation from which will quickly cool the slabs of 

 honey, and render the small spaces between them most uncomfortable 

 quarters for their then owners. They will descend for the most part, and 

 in the morning the operation may be much more easily performed by pro- 

 ceeding as before. 



Or the supers may be placed in a box* immediately after removal, to one 

 side of which has been attached one of Mr. Aston's bee traps, too well 

 known to need description, taking care that the bees have exit from the 

 super by its being blocked up beneath ; but for this purpose, our little 

 five-pin trap wiU be found to work quite as well as the one referred 

 to, while it may be made in ten minutes with five pins. A hole 

 ^in. in diameter, which may be made either square or round, is cut 

 through a piece of thin wood. Four rather small pins are driven in, two 

 above and two below the opening and on each side of a perpendicular 

 line, whicli would pass across its centre and so near to each other that 

 a fifth pin dropped between them will be held between the upper two by 

 its head, while the lower two will prevent its being moved laterally. These 

 pins are not driven straight into the wood, but slope upwards like an 

 ordinary wall nail ; three or four of these apertures should be made in 

 a. wooden slip, the section of which should be triangular (see Fig. 44), and 

 which may then be fastened upon the opening in the supef , all ingress closed, 

 and light allowed to enter only by the holes in the bee trap ; to this end, with 

 the glass super, the box plan is the beat. The bees coming to the light press" 

 upon the pin which crosses the hole ; it immediately rises, and they freely 

 make their exit, while entry is effectually barred. The hole to the right 



* This box WiU tie muoli more convenient if it open at the side 

 E 2 



