216 
COMB FOUNDATION 
outcome of the tests it is known that queens 
lay in aluminum combs only when there 
are no natural wax combs at their disposal, 
it is also known that in many localities 
queens cease laying sooner after the honey 
flow than they do when they have wax 
combs. This is a serious objection, for if 
true it would result in older bees to go into 
winter • quarters with bees which probably 
would not winter as well as would younger 
bees. There is no question also but that 
there is much more danger of overheated 
and chilled brood in the aluminum combs, 
as aluminum itself is one of the best con¬ 
ductors of heat of any of the metals. -In 
England, where a somewhat different form 
of aluminum comb has been tried, the con¬ 
sensus of opinion is that the hives must 
be well insulated and also shaded if alumi¬ 
num combs are used. 
Some advocates of aluminum combs see 
a future for them for extracting purposes 
only; but since modern methods of ex- 
tracted-honey production contemplate more 
or less exchange of combs between ex- 
traeting-supers and brood-chambers and 
since the queen is usually allowed the run 
IMBEDDING THE WIRE. 
Various methods of imbedding the wire 
have been used; but one of the simplest 
is the spur wire-imbedder. 
Spur wire imbedder. 
A sheet of foundation is laid on a board 
of such size that it will just go inside of 
the frame. A frame with wires stretched 
across it is laid on top. The wide-toothed 
spur imbedder, after being heated by being 
placed over the top of a common lamp, is 
drawn over the wires, the operator exert¬ 
ing a slight pressure as he does so, causing 
the wires to be imbedded in the foundation. 
The hot teeth, as they pass over the wire, 
A. 0. Miller s soldering iron with the point grooved so that it may he used for imbedding wires. 
of the first and sometimes the second super 
of extracting-conibs during the fore part 
of the season, it is evident that an extraet- 
ing-comb must be a good brood-comb also. 
The aluminum comb should not be con¬ 
demned without a very thoro test; but so 
far as the experience of the authors is con¬ 
cerned and so far as they have collected re¬ 
ports from other beekeepers, this much 
can be said: Aluminum combs have not 
yet proved to be an unqualified success. 
They may serve in a limited capacity in 
one way or another, but the fact remains 
that, since many who have tried them have 
abandoned them, any one desiring to test 
them should not invest too much capital in 
them at the start. 
cause a little bridge of melted wax to form 
across a wire. The sheet is, therefore, tied 
at intervals between each of the teeth. 
Another tool that has found favor with 
quite a number, including A. C. Miller of 
Providence, R. I., and Dr. Burton N. 
Gates, apicultural instructor, Amherst, 
Mass., is a small soldering iron with a fine 
groove just wide enough to ride over a 28- 
gauge wire, such as is used for wiring the 
frames. This little tool, after heating over 
a common lamp, is drawn slowly over the 
wires, one by one. As it passes over, it 
heats the wire, causing it to imbed itself in 
the foundation as it cools. The tool is 
heated again, and applied to the other 
wires in like manner. 
