BEE-KEEPING

Grey River Argus, 21 December 1920, Page 3

BEE-KEEPING

(By Bcclv-ccper.) We arc now about to get the honey flow: therefore it will- bo necessary to get the ■extractor, uncapping can or box, etc., ready. Those in a small way will need to elevato the extractor, by p\itting it on an empty hive body, or box, or something that will elevate it. so -that the honey jars will be higher than an empty # pail, or sixty lb can. Both the box and extractor will need to be securely fastened to the floor, and when the honey fills tip to near the level of the lower end- of the baskota, it will be necessary, to remove some' or all. If a fair amount is loft in +ho extractor, whilo in ns«- it h^iis to keep, it steady. In putting the »nmT><? in the basket it is very ncces-' sary flint both combs of i^riey pfcoyTlrt be nearly the snrrb . wc'»<?ht'. Some bpoirpTtors use a Inr^o f>l-ir>r>«« pWfc csif>V ; -fl'n«if.;iiflr Jr; .'Vn ff»T>7f. on J>«t In pni-s>li «t>V T > lT J !"/Xos Of V-'fi'*- OV P, r *'' v>^"». ../.„• T* ~r< «.♦.•—;-,.- 4<- «.-« flirt above mentioned and fine grains of pollen soon rise to th"c surface, and can then be skimmfed off. Beekeepers in a largo way in level country use an oil engine for power to extract, and pump the honey up into tanks. Those in hilly 'country build their extracting* housfc on tho edge of a hill, the tanks being on a lower level than. the ext.ractintr flonr. The writer. is in level country fuuihns his extractor on *a bench, so that the honey gate is above a tin tank, that sits on the floor. Under the tank gate there is a trap door in the floor, so that sixty pound cans can be filled on platform scales. A useful thing in extracting is what is called an uncapping box, which is about two feet deep, and whatever lengbh the beckoepoi*. thinks will suit him,- according to the number of colonies he has. The top should be wide enough to take a frame, as it hangs in- the hive. The idea of having the box in width' the right length of a frame, is in order to ■be able to store 'any surplus combs for the time being. A piece of wood is fixed across the top of the box, with a nail driven a little way through from underneath, in order that tho point will stand up aboiit half an inch above the wood. This is to stand the frame on when uncapping. When one s^do is uncapped, tlft frame^ is turned round, and the- other side done. This mail, holds the frame " nice and steady. The bottom of the box has a screen, so as to let the honey drain jut of the cappings. Below the screen s iron or tin, to convey the honey into a vessel. Tho uncapping knife is ndispensible, the Bingham being the :avdurite. To do a quantity of combs \m\ do fast work, two knives are required, as it is necessary to iiave the knife nice i and hot. wick oil stove, having on top of it * pan of hot water that will hold two knives. A knife should not be used many seconds, as it soon goes cold, and it should then be put back in the pan and the other used. To uncap the comb, it should be .held by one end, a-nd the other end stood o-n the nail point in the cross bar, on top of the uncapping box. The knife should have a razor edge, and be> worked backwards and forwards, saw fashion; aaid as the knife is moved upwards, tho capping will fail away from the frame and the blade. When the knife reaches, the top the whole sheet will drop down into the uncapping box, -or can. At this time of the year, strong colonies will need extra ventilation. This is easily given by prising up the fron* of the 'hive with a long chisel, or any 3 ther suitable tool, and putting in a small block of wood at each side near blie front The supply dealers adve?bise what they call "reversable bottom boards" one entrance for summer and the other for winter; but these are a great nuisance when the l^iey-tlow stops, and the hives have reversal 'supers" on that require changing the bottom boards over for winter use- as the bees at that time of the ,ear' begin to rob and are vary cro£ ro do so means a very lively time or the beekeeper. .. ■..