COMBS 
249 
ticularly how combs are built by the use of 
artificial aids; under Manipulation of 
Colonies, how combs or frames are han¬ 
dled ; and under this head will be dis¬ 
cussed the economic and comparative value 
of good and poor combs when used in 
brood-frames. 
In the olden days, before foundation was 
known, there was a mudh larger proportion 
of inferior and bad combs than there is 
today when, in a well-regulated apiary, 
they are built almost entirely from full 
sheets of foundation. (See Comb Foun¬ 
dation.) By the use of foundation and 
self-spacing frames, it is possible to have 
every comb in the hive a good one—all of 
them uniform, with little or no drone 
comb, and as flat as a board, containing 
very few drone-cells. 
The beekeeper who has modern hives 
well painted, and yet who has the average 
natural-built or poor combs, will lose a 
large part of the value of his investment. 
The rearing of drones means a big waste 
to the colony; and while it is possible, as 
will be explained further on, to ipake the 
bees build all-worker combs without any 
artificial aids, the problem is far easier to 
use full sheets of foundation well wired, 
or better yet use wood base foundation, 
as explained and illustrated in Comb Foun¬ 
dation,’ subhead wiring frames. 
There is not a better asset in the bee- 
yard than a full quota of good combs. 
If the extracted-honey producer has only 
enough to fill the hives at the approach of 
the honey flow, he will lose a large amount 
of honey by not having an extra supply 
on hand. Inserting frames containing full 
sheets of foundation will help out some in 
an emergency. While the bees may draw 
them out, it absorbs a large force of bees 
that might otherwise be occupied in the 
field gathering honey. Nor is this all. The 
beekeeper who has a large stock of good 
straight combs on hand can control swarm¬ 
ing to a great extent as well as secure a 
larger crop of honey. (See Swarming.) 
In the production of extracted honey there 
should be at least two extra supers of 
drawn combs in reserve. These should be 
kept, carefully stored in empty supers or 
hive-bodies bee and moth tight, awaiting 
the harvest. 
Some years ago, when the author was op¬ 
erating outyards for extracted honey, we 
managed without any swarming until we 
ran out of drawn combs. The only thing we 
could give the bees was full sheets of foun¬ 
dation in brood-frames. As soon as we 
supplied them with these, swarming com¬ 
menced. They acted as if they were dis¬ 
gusted because they had to stop and build 
combs, and then they proceeded to swarm. 
While we could have extracted the filled 
combs already on the hives and returned 
them, such combs were only partly sealed, 
and, of course, the honey was not thoroly 
ripened. As explained under Extracted 
Honey, the quality of the honey is very 
greatly improved by leaving it on the hives 
until every cell is sealed. By leaving it on 
the hives two or three weeks longer in 
warm weather the honey will acquire a 
certain mellowness and richness that are 
delicious. 
The novice will see, then, the importance 
of having a large stock of empty combs on 
hand. If one does not have the combs, how 
can he get them? They can be secured by 
giving the bees frames of foundation in 
the fall, when they are gathering an in¬ 
ferior honey. They may then be extracted 
and held in reserve until the following sea¬ 
son, until the main crop of white table 
honey comes on. Of course, one can have 
the combs drawn out during the main 
honey flow; but that will probably mean 
some swarming and a decrease in the crop. 
The swarming nuisance can be materially 
reduced by alternating the frames con¬ 
taining brood with frames of full sheets 
of foundation. Bees will quickly draw 
out the combs, and the queen will enter 
them. This will usually check swarming; 
but it may mean increasing the force of 
bees that will come on at a time of year 
when they will be of little use to the col¬ 
ony but will simply be consumers. 
the economic waste from the use of 
POOR COMBS. 
At the outset mention was made of the 
economic difference between good and 
poor combs. The accompanying illustra¬ 
tion will give an idea of what constitutes a 
good comb, a medium one, and a poor one. 
First of all, the combs should be well 
wired to stand rapid handling, moving full 
colonies from one yard to another, and 
