54 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
to get out, it was decided to put the super 
box on a hollow box. The old man, who had 
done a great deal in his time with bees, was 
deputed to remove the box ; this he did 
carefully, with about twenty bees fastened to 
him, singing out “ I shall be stung to death !” 
The owner of the bees — who had been looking 
on — sings out, “ Run in amongst the bushes ! ” 
at the same time commencing to run himself, 
having received an intimation that his presence 
was too close to his bees. The dog was next 
noticed to be in a great hurry to get away 
from the spot, two or three small sparks of 
hot iron having touched him. We then gave 
the job up till night, when every cell was 
found empty of honey, having been unsealed 
during the day— much to the disappointment 
of all concerned. I don’t think myself a 
coward ; but must admit the bees are rather 
too much for me, in this case at any rate. 
What did I do wrong P 
22nd April, 1886. AV. J. 
[Our correspondent, W. J., has certainly 
learnt a capital lesson in removing supers. 
Taking stores from a strong stock of bees is 
often attended with a little “ excitement,” but 
a little experience enables one to do all that 
is required without any “ red hot sparks.” 
Supers should not be removed at night, but in 
the middle of a fine day, when the large 
numbers of bees are away from the hive. 
Always give the bees some smoke, a few puffs 
in at the entrance first, and after about thirty 
seconds lift the hive cover and give a good 
cloud of smoke which will drive down a good 
many bees into the brood chamber. If the 
super is full, remove it bodily and cover it up 
at once (we always have a box which will shut 
close to put the supers in, for if carried exposed 
it attracts bees from all parts and induces 
fighting and wholesale stinging of the opera- 
tors,) and take it away from the vicinity of 
the hive and place it in a room with a window 
or in a box that will close. If in a room, 
uncover the super, and the bees, after filling 
themselves, wall all go to the window which, 
towards evening, should be opened, when all 
the bees will fly home, leaving your honey- 
boxes clear. If the super has been put in a 
box, it should be taken and put in the shade 
some distance from the hive, and after an hour 
or so the lid opened just enough for the bees 
to get out, and although some honey may be 
stolen, they will be all clear before evening. 
To prevent the bees carrying off the honey 
several contrivances have been invented, the 
object being to let the bees out and to prevent 
them getting in again. Shutting them up in 
the super in a room or box till towards evening 
is best, as it leaves but little daylight for 
carrying back their stores. 
The same course should be pursued if only 
a few section boxes are removed, which can 
be cleared at once with the smoker. 
As super-frames and racks are often fastened 
down by the bees and require considerable 
force to separate them, a good deal of shaking 
and jarring of the hive is inevitable ; a 
pretty free use of the smoker to begin with 
and during the operation is therefore de.-ir- 
able. 
AVe advise W. J. to give up night-work 
with bees, as it is always bad for the bees 
themselves, and often for the operator too. 
Some apiculturists advocate after sunset as the 
time for many manipulations with bees, but 
we think that experience as well as the 
majority of beekeepers are against it. — E d ] 
( To the Editors of the Australian Beekeepers’ 
Journal.) 
Gentlemen, — I am very much pleased, in 
the last number of the Journal, with the 
article written by T Mr. Guilfoyle on poisonous 
honey. It interests me very much to read 
anything of the kind, having nmelf been 
reading a great deal on that subject, yet I 
have never been able to meet with one single 
instance where fatal results, supposed to have 
occurred from the use of honey, could be 
traced to the honey exclusively. There are 
places in the Southern States of America 
where “ Gelseminum sempervirens” grows veiy 
luxuriantly; at the season when it flowers the 
honey may be injurious But we have nothing 
of this to fear in A/ictoria; the very few 
poisonous plants cultivated by amateurs are 
counteracted by' the immense amount of honey 
gathered from our Eucalypti. As the papers 
record instances where people have been 
poisoned with honey', the mind of the people 
is prepared to receive untruths for truth. 
One case came under my own observation 
very recently’. A gentleman had purchased 
a hive of bees from me, and gave some of the 
sections of honeycomb to a friend. The 
latter, glad of his gift, ate some of it, and 
suddenly' was taken ill and sent for the doctor, 
for he supposed he was poisoned with eating 
honey. As I was also consulted on the 
subject, I inquired how he ate the honey’, and 
I learned that he devoured it (as a half-starved 
beggar would a morsel of bread,) honey, wax, 
and all. — -1 remain, yours, &c. 
H. NAVEAU. 
Hamilton, 30th April, 1886. 
