66 AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



cases of a few private bee-keepers, who make up their 

 own wax, none of the old style foundation is now 

 made. The cost of the patent together with the 

 machinery puts it out of the question to set up the 

 plant in New Zealand, especially since wax has 

 advanced so much in price, and is so difficult to get. 

 It really pays better to sell the wax raised and pur- 

 chase " Weed " foundation, than to bother with the 

 making of the old style article, for in addition to its 

 other advantages the former will go at least one-third 

 further than the latter. 



THE USE OF COMB-FOUNDATION. 



Beginners are apt to undervalue the use of full 

 sheets of comb-foundation, and place strips in the 

 frames instead, leaving the bees to do the rest. As I 

 went fully into this matter in my " Bulletin No. i8, on 

 Bee-Culture," issued by the New Zealand Department 

 of Agriculture, I cannot do better than quote the 

 article : — 



" The success of modern bee-culture hinges almost en- 

 tirely in the first place on securing complete control over the 

 breeding, and this can only be obtained by compelling the 

 bees to build whatever kind of comb is desired. Under 

 natural conditions, or when in hives and allowed freedom 

 to construct their combs, they invariably build a goodly 

 proportion of drone-comb, which is subsequently utilised for 

 breeding drones. This accounts for the large number of 

 drones to be seen in box hives, or where no attempt has been 

 made to control breeding. Drones, as most people are 

 aware, are non-producers — that is to say, they do not gather 

 honey, or even, so far as we know, do any work in the hives. 

 They are physically incapable, but they consume a large 

 quantity of food gathered by the workers, and where many 

 are present the yield of honey from that hive, and conse- 

 quently the profit, will be considerably curtailed. Some 

 drones are needed for the impregnation of young queens, 

 but it is found in practice that a sufficient iiumber for this 

 purpose will be bred, even when the breeding of them is 

 restricted as much as possible, by making the fullest use 

 of worker-comb foundation. 



The difference between worker and drone comb is in the 

 size of the cells, the former measuring slightly over five to 

 the inch, and the latter a little over four. The comb-founda- 



