96 MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTEALASIA 



reversible — that is, after the thumb screws are tightened 

 to prevent the frames falling down — though the above 

 object may be gained by simply inverting the top portion. 

 Besides the foregoing schemes, practical apiarists 

 alter the super fitments in various ways to overcome the 

 "passive resistance" to comb-supers. Some go so far 

 as to place Bolton extracting-frames on the outside of 

 the sections ; some produce comb and extracted honey in 

 the same super by alternating combs with rows of 

 sections. Since all are divided by fence separators, the 

 evenness of the section face is nowise impaired. American 

 comb-honey producers save all the unfinished sections 

 of the previous year, and when getting the new season's 

 supers ready place one in each corner as bait. Others 

 claim better results by putting the bait sections in the 

 centre of the super over the middle of the brood-nest. 



DRAWN COMB. 



Latterly a practice of fitting fully-drawn comb in the 

 sections has gained a number of enthusiastic supporters. 

 The bees are given a super of shallow or Bolton frames 

 containing foundation, and when this is drawn out into 

 nice white comb, it is cut and fitted into sections. They 

 are then given to the bees in regulation comb-supers. 

 That this super of drawn comb is more readily accepted 

 by the bees for honey storage is hot questioned, but it 

 can be conclusively shown that the finished comb in 

 sections so prepared is not fastened to the wood as 

 effectively as comb built therein by the bees. This 

 insufficient attachment is the bugbear. 



One or two apiarists have allowed the bees to fill the 

 shallow frames with honey and to seal it up. This full 

 comb is then fitted to sections and given to the bees to 

 clean up and fasten, but the combs are only fixed 

 superficially, so the bugbear of insecurity is not 

 demolished. It is, however, comforting to know that 

 once the bees get the habit of storing above, any style 

 or number of supers may be given; in fact the last given 

 may be rendered more acceptable than any previous one. 



