WAX EXTEAOTING. 177 



water. When placed in a moderately hot oven the 

 wax will fall down as it melts into the water below, 

 and unless subjected to too great heat will not be 

 harmed by this method of extracting. An extractor 

 on this principle was designed by Mr. Killick in 1887. 

 A iowl with a perforated bottom is placed upon a pan 

 of water, and the action of the heat upon the combs 

 is as stated above when a sieve is used. 



Eefuse scraps of comb are by some bee-keepers 

 stored away for a general melting operation, but this 

 plan may cause loss, for should the wax moth gain 

 access to the store much, if not all, will be rendered 

 useless. When a small quantity has accumulated it 

 should be put, without further delay, into some kind 

 of wax extractor, for the wax will keep indefinitely 

 though the combs may be quickly spoilt. The solar 

 wax extractor, which has recently been recommended, 

 consists of a case with a glass front, placed at an 

 angle to collect the direct rays of the sun. A box 

 with a front wall of 2 inches, and back wall 6 inches, 

 will prove effective in dealing with small quantities 

 of comb. Upon the slanting front is placed a sheet 

 of glass. Inside the case is fixed a pan covered with 

 a sheet of perforated zinc. Upon the zinc is placed 

 the scraps of comb to be operated upon. If the 

 extractor is now placed in the direct rays of the sun 

 on a hot day the wax wiU be quickly melted and run 

 through the zinc into the pan below. This method 

 may be used at any time when the rays of the sun are 

 sufficiently powerful to melt the wax. 



The most popular extractor is the " Gerster " 

 (Fig. 56), m the form of a saucepan and steamer, 



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