51 



Care of Utensils. 

 As soon as the honey has been disposed of thoroughly clean all 

 utensils used in handling the crop. Remove all traces of honey from 

 the extractor, tanks, uncapping-knives, &c. Wash carefully with boil- 

 ing water, and dry thoroughly to prevent rusting. The high cost of 

 working-equipment should impel the beekeeper to take great care in 

 storing his plant during the off season. It is advantageous to use loose 

 washing-covers of close texture to cover the tanks and extractor. The 

 covers will help to keep the utensils free from dust that is likely to 

 accumulate during the winter. See that all metal parts likely to rust 

 are given a good coating of oil. In season or out of season the watch- 

 word of the beekeeper in the extracting-house should be cleanliness. 



Uniting Colonies. 

 A simple method of uniting may be practised by placing the weaker 

 hive on top of a stronger one, and placing a sheet of newspaper between 

 the two hive-bodies. In the course of a few days the bees of the weaker 

 colony will gain their way through the paper, and unite peaceably with 

 the bees in the stronger hive. The surplus combs may subsequently be 

 removed and reserved for spring feeding if required. It is not advis- 

 able to attempt to winter weak colonies, as there is a danger of them 

 being robbed of their stores by other colonies in the autumn or spring, 

 and thus starting an epidemic of robbing throughout the apiary. 



Robbing. 



At the close of the honey-flow the beekeeper must persistently 

 guard against robbing. Robbing is the result of carelessness, and once 

 it has started is exceedingly hard to check. Do not expose honey, 

 sugar, syrup, or anything that the bees can rob. In case wet combs 

 have to be returned to the hives for the bees to clean up, postpone this 

 operation until late in the day, when robbing is not likely to start. See 

 that the honey-house is bee-proof and that all combs and vessels con- 

 taining honey are removed to a place of safety. Contract all hive- 

 entrances, and especially guard against leaving hives open in a way 

 that they can be attacked by robbers. All operations must be carried 

 out quickly. If robbing has started it is better to postpone all outside 

 work until the apiary is quiet again than to risk extending the trouble 

 by opening the hives. Should a colony be attacked, contract the 

 entrance and pile wet grass in front of the hive. This will usually cure 

 mild cases of robbing, but where a colony has been overpowered by the 

 robbers it should be closed altogether or removed to another location 

 in the apiary. 



Care of Comb-honey. 



There are factors in the proper treatment and care of comb-honey 

 which the producer is apt to overlook when putting his honey on the 

 market. Usually the practice followed is to despatch the crop to 

 market, where it is sold, to be afterwards graded and. cleaned by buyers 

 who are alive to the demands of the local market. These buyers 

 obtain a better price by grading and cleaning the comb-honey, whereas 

 the producer can by employing proper methods demand an increased 

 price. Comb-honey should be fuUy capped before taking from the hive, 

 and it should not be left until its white appearance is destroyed by 

 travel-stain, this being caused by the constant traffic in the hive. 

 When the sections are removed they should be stored in a warm dry 

 room, as low temperatures hasten granulation, and granulated comb- 

 honey is not likely to meet with ready sale. Moreover, comb-honey 



