The Production of Comb Honey 



Having now considered some of the most important points in modern 

 bee culture, such as locality, hives, supers, sections, increase, feeding, 

 varieties of bees, use of comb foundation, etc., let us begin at the opening 

 of the season, and go briefly over the ground, showing the relation of 

 these different features to one another, as they are employed in the 

 production of comb honey. 



We will suppose that the early spring has passed; that the bees 

 have received sufficient protection ; been supplied with ample stores ; and 

 that the hives are now teeming with life as we stand upon the threshold 

 of the main honey-flow. And right here let me say that unless the 

 colonies are strong and populous, simply overflowing with bees, it is 

 folly to expect a paying crop of comb honey. If there is any time 

 when weak colonies may be united to advantage, it is at the opening of 

 the main harvest, when comb honey is to be the product. Better gather 

 together, into one hive, three-fourths or even all of the bees and brood 

 from two, three, or even four hives, and thus have one rousing colony, 

 than to attempt to secure a crop of comb honey with weaklings. A 

 comb or two of brood and bees, and a queen, left in a hive at the begin- 

 ning of the harvest, will build up into a good colony by fall, and possibly 

 store some honey that may be extracted. No matter how it is accom- 

 plished, one thing is imperative ; and that is, that the brood-nest be 

 crowded with bees and brood at the opening of the honey harvest. 



This condition tends greatly to make the bees begin promptly to 

 store honey in the supers. And this is important, as, otherwise, the 

 bees are inclined to crowd the brood-nest with honey as the bees hatch 

 out, also to "loaf," and develop the "swarming f«ver." If bees can be 

 induced to begin working in the sections at the opening of the main 

 honey-flow, it relieves the "pressure," so to speak, upon the brood-nest, 

 which results in more brood, while the turning of the energies of the 

 colony into the storing of honey does much to keep down the swarming 

 fever. The greatest attraction that can be placed in the supers is that 

 of drawn comb. Unfinished sections saved over from the previous season 

 are excellent for this purpose. As has been explained in a previous 

 chapter, the honey must be extracted, and the bees allowed to clean up 

 the combs, when the latter must be packed away in supers where no 



