Commercial Comb Honey Production 
Whether the beekeeper plans to produce comb or extracted honey, 
his first care should be to produce the largest possible colony by 
the time the honey harvest arrives. If the suggestions as outlined 
under that head have been followed the colony will be boiling 
over with bees in two stories when the blossoms open from which 
the surplus honey is gathered. 
In producing comb honey it must be borne in mind that bees 
show a preference for large frames for storage as opposed to the pound 
sections; that new work (comb building) is best done when in close 
proximity to the brood, and that when the super in which comb honey 
is being capped is next to the brood chamber there is danger that 
some of the darkened wax from the brood combs will be carried above 
and used in the capping, thus spoiling its looks. 
Reducing the Colony to One Story 
With the first proposition in mind, if the colony has been built 
up to two stories it is necessary to reduce it to one story when the 
comb honey super is put on; otherwise, the super would be neglect- 
ed and most of the crop stored in the deep frames. 
When the surplus honey flow arrives the first move is to put all 
the brood in one body on the old stand, giving preference to the 
oldest; also put all the bees and the queen in this single story. The 
remaining brood, if any, and the combs are put on a colony not yet 
strong enough to do comb honey work, are used to make other colo- 
nies of the required strength, or enough bees are left with the brood 
to care for it and it is used to start new colonies. 
Supering 
The first super, fitted with full sheets of foundation, is placed 
on the prepared colony. It will clearly be seen that when a two- 
story colony is reduced to one and a half stories no measures will 
be needed to coax the bees into the super as there is no other place 
for them. They will be forced to occupy the supers. 
The conditions which have been created by this manipulation 
are ideal for getting good comb honey work done, provided the 
beekeeper is able to keep the colony contentedly working together. 
It is also to be remembered that conditions have been created which 
favor the development of the swarming impulse. For this reason 
very close attention must be given to conditions in the brood nest 
in relation to swarm preparation measures. 
If the honey flow is good the second super will be needed soon, 
perhaps within three days. It is desirable that there be work for 
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