WELLINGTON BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 7, 3 October 1941, Page 10

WELLINGTON BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION

Advice To Beginners At a reccut meeting of the Wellington Beekeepers' Association the chairman, Mr, J. M. Bodmin, gave hints for beginners on the wiring of frames, tilting of comb foundations, aud the division of strong colonies where an increase iu the number of hives was desired. Mr. Jarvis demonstrated an excellent idea in connexion with section frame separators. In place of the nailed-onzitic separators, he liad soldered two small strips of zinc to the top edge which, bent at right angles’, fitted (he top of the frame without any nailing. The zine separators were easily removed to facilitate the inspection and taking out of section honey, and could not fall off. Mr, Bodmin gave a practical demonstration of frame wiring and the electrical embedding of wiles in comb foundation. This embedding of . the wires could be done in two seconds, and obviated the necessity for fixing the comb foundation into the groove at the top of tlie frame wedge or molten wax. “It is advisable to divide only a strong colony." saiil Mr. Bodmin when speaking of the division of colonies. “Birst, find 'the queen, then place her with a frame and fair number of bees in a small nucleus hive. The main hive will immediately set to and raise a now queen. Place the frame with new queen being raised in a new hive with two or three frames of brood and other frames with drawn-out comb and foundation. Then replace the old queen first removed back in the old hive, and place the hive on a new site 10 to 20 feet away, first closing the entrance with a piece of perforated zinc and leaving it closed for one day. The new hive with queen being raised is now placed on the old site. When the zinc is removed from the old hive entrance, the matured field bees will -return to the now hive on old site, and the young bees will become adapted to the new location. “This method results in n fairly even balance in the number of bees in the two newly-formed colonies. Unless the season is favourable one cannot expect, a good honey crop the first season from two newly-formed colonies."