Texas Beekeeping. 



81 



sometimes the larger "wax worms" also. Their presence can be told 

 by the little dust-like traces where these small "worms" have eaten 

 their way over the cappings. An empty hive should be set under 

 each pile of supers, which should not be too high, and a very small 

 quantity of sulphur be burned in it in a saucer to destroy the larvae, 

 during which time the supers should all be tightly closed. If cool 

 weather comes soon, no more danger need be feared from them. By 

 keeping the comb honey in a warm dry room during the winter, 

 it will not granulate very readily and comb honey can be supplied 

 for the table at any time. 



That intended for extracted honey should be removed before cool 

 weather, as it would then be too thick to be thrown out by the ex- 

 tractor. The too common mistake of removing the honey from the 

 hives too early should be avoided. Such honey is still "green," as 

 it has not been "ripened," or "cured," sufficiently on the hives, 

 and, although it may not sour or ferment, which it has done with 

 some careless beekeepers, it will be very thin and watery, and, there- 

 fore, of poor appearance and flavor. A general rule followed by 

 beekeepers is, never to remove honey until the bees have capped over 

 or sealed nearly all the honey cells. During a very dry season, when 

 the water content of the nectar is much less, and toward the end of the 

 summer honey crops, the honey is ripened much sooner and may be 

 safely taken off when the combs from which honey is to be extracted, 

 are two-thirds sealed over. 

 Comb honey, of course, 

 should always be entirely 

 capped. 



The general practice is to 

 open the hive, as in all other 

 operations, and, as the combs 

 of honey are removed, brush 

 the bees off with a bee brush 

 or a bunch of long slender 

 weeds or grass. A knack of 

 shaking the bees, or nearly 

 aU of them, off the combs 

 can be acquired, and, besides 

 being done faster, it prevents irritating the bees with a brush. 



Bee escape boards are quite ex- 

 tensively used, these being placed 

 between the full supers of honey 

 and the hive below a day before 

 the honey is to be removed. The 

 bees pass down over night to the 

 hive below, through the metal es- 

 cape fitted in the center of the 

 wide board, and, as they can not 

 return, the supers are clear of 

 bees and can be lifted right off 

 the hives next morning. 



The honey is more rapidly re- 

 moved if the shallow supers are 



Bee brushes. 



Bee escapes. 



