SURPLUS HONEY ^^ 



— May or June — is a very different matter to getting 

 one into condition for the heather harvest in August.^ 



Doolittle, an American bee-master of world-wide 

 celebrity, lays great emphasis upon the importance of 

 having a " full force of working bees in the field at the 

 right timer 



To judge when honey is coming in, note the appear- 

 ance of the upper portions of the combs in the brood 

 nest. When these begin to whiten, owing to the bees 

 elongating the cells, it may be assumed that the honey 

 flow has commenced. 



Another indication, at once apparent to the ex- 

 perienced eye, is the behaviour of the bees themselves. 

 When honey begins to be obtainable in quantity, a 

 notable increase in energy is at once observable. 



Surplus honey is usually obtained in two forms — 

 either in the form of comb honey or extracted honey. 

 The beginner in beekeeping is advised to work for 

 comb honey in the first instance, as involving less capital 

 outlay ; afterwards he will take into consideration what 

 particular form of honey is most in demand in the 

 market for which he caters. The yield, per colony, of 

 comb honey is less than that of extracted, the ratio 

 being about 30 lbs. of the former to 50 lbs. of the latter. 

 Comb honey, however, commands a higher price in the 

 market. 



' When heather alone is relied upon as the source of surplus honey, 

 great judgment should be exercised in regard to stimulative feeding, 

 as being likely to bring the bees too early into condition, so that by the 

 time that the heather is in full bloom the queen will be diminishing 

 her egg laying, and the population will consequently be decreasing. 



