From the Hive to the Honey Market. 



EFORE taking up the main 



topic indicated by the heading, 



j I wish to say a few words about 

 "tiering up." 



When the first case of sections is partly 

 finished, it is raised and another case 

 placed between that and the hive. At 

 what stage of completion the sections 

 should be when a second case is added, 

 depends upon how crowded the bees are, 

 and the rate at which the honey is com- 

 ing in. I usually add a case when the 

 sections in the one next the hive are from 

 one-half to two-thirds completed. I have 

 not found it profitable to tier up sections 

 more than three cases high. As a rule, 

 the upper case of sections is ready for re- 

 moval before it is necessary to add a 

 fourth; if it is not, and honey is coming 

 in rapidly, I would transfer the upper 

 case, bees and all, to some colony having 

 less than three cases, rather than tier up 

 four cases high. With any system in 

 which the sections are finished in close 

 proximity to the brood nest, their remov- 

 al is necessary soon after completion to 

 prevent soiling by the bees passing over 

 them directly from the brood nest; but 

 with the tiering up system the finished 

 combs are so far from the brood nest that 

 they remain unsullied until a whole case 

 of finished sections can be removed at 

 once. During a regular "honey shower, ' ' 

 such as we have sometimes here in Mich- 

 igan, I have seen a colony draw out the 

 foundation in twenty-eight sections and 

 fill them full of honey (and here is where 



I believe foundation is very valuable) in 

 less than three days, and scarcely a cell 

 would be sealed. To give the bees another 

 case of sections next the hive is the work 

 of a moment. What other system will 

 enable us to handle one of these "honey 

 showers" with so little labor? At such 

 times it may be advisable to remove the 

 upper case, after the cases have been 

 tiered up three high, even if there are one 

 or two unfinished sections in each cor- 

 ner; and when crating, have an empt}' 

 case at hand in which to put the unfinish- 

 ed sections, and when it is full place it on 

 a hive. 



To remove a case of sections, I have 

 the smoker in good trim, take off the 

 cover and drive a perfect deluge of smoke 

 down among the bees. This starts them 

 out of the case at a lively rate, and before 

 they have time to get back I have the case 

 off the hive. The case is then tremulous- 

 ly shaken in front of the hive until most 

 of the bees are dislodged, when it is tak- 

 en to the honey house and set on end. 

 In a short time the few straggling bees 

 leave the case and escape by way .of the 

 windows. If the shaking process is found 

 too laborious, and robbers are not trouble- 

 some (and they will not be until the 

 close of the season) the case may be 

 leaned against the side of the hive, near 

 the entrance, when the bees will desert 

 the case for the hive. When robbers are 

 troublesome, the stragglers may be driv- 

 en out with smoke and brushed off in 

 front of the hive. 



