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AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



be very few, if any, to hold over ; should there be a few 

 they will do for " bait " sections the following spring. 



BEE ESCAPES. 



Those known as the " Porter " bee escapes, Fig. 78, 

 are most useful appliances at times, especially when 

 robbers are about, as by their aid supers may be 

 automatically emptied of bees with- 

 out any trouble whatever. They 

 are very useful at all times to those 

 keeping a few colonies as a hobby, 

 as the surplus honey may be re- 

 moved with little or no risk of being 

 stung. 



If the removal of the last of the 

 surplus honey has been delayed, 

 robbers may be avoided by the use 

 of escapes. The escape shown is 

 made of tin, and this is let into a 

 board the size of the top of a hive; 

 when to be used, the super with 

 bees is raised up, and the escape 

 board with the round hole of the 

 escape uppermost, is placed under- 

 neath, using no more smoke during 

 the operation than is necessary. 

 If put on in the late afternoon, 

 and there is no brood or queen in the super, the bees 

 will be all cleared out by the morning — a few young wax 

 workers may remain but will give no trouble. 



Care should be taken to see that the board fits well 

 so that the bees after passing through the escape cannot 

 return ; it is impossible for them to return through the 

 escape. If put on during the day, shade the hive from 

 the hot sun by laying a folded sack over the cover, and 

 give plenty of ventilation from below. 



AUTUMN BREEDING. 



This is, as I have already intimated under " Spring 

 Management," a most important consideration in the 



Fig. 78 PORTER 



BEE ESCAPE. 



