AMONG THE BEES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 October 1931, Page 3

AMONG THE BEES.

, APIARY NOTES FOR OCTOBER. (By D‘. S. Robinson, Apiary Instructor, department of- Agriculture, Palmerston North). October is usually a very busy month for the beekeeper, as. during that month ' swarming may ibe expected. At is time of the year there should be large patches of brood in the hives. Hives not containing brood indicate that the hive is queenless or has a weak, failing queen. Colonies in this state should be united to queen-right colonies. This can be done by placing a sheet of newspaper over a strong colony ana plaeing-the weak colony on top. In two days they may be examined, and if the bees have not started to gnaw through the paper, small holes should .be punctured through it with a nail or pencilj they should then > readily unite. Those who intend to requeen their colonies should place their orders early, as most queen breeders send out their orders in strict rotation, and it is the early queens that are likely to give the big crops.

Hive stands be put in order. These should be so arranged to give a cant of about one inch to the front to prevent water running into the hive, and bottom boards should ibe scraped clean —a good plan is to have a spare bottom board. Lift the hive bodily on to this, clean the old one and true up the stand if necessary, then replace hive, remove top supers (if these have not already been taken off); see that combs are in good order and easily removable. Section 6 of the Apiaries Act states: , “In any ease in which it is found by an Inspector that the bee combs in any hive containing frames cannot without cutting be separately and readily removed from' the hive for examination, he may direct the beekeeper to transfer the bees to an approved frame hive within a specified time.” Good combs can only be obtained by using full sheets of founnolbtained by using full sheets of" foundation fitted into frames which have -perviously been wired, these wires being embedded into the,wax foundation to prevent the wax sagging and distorting the shape of -the cells. When wiring a frame 28-gauge annealed tinned wire should be used, with ,fhree, wires running lengthwise of the frame, but unless the wires are stretched tight they are practically useless. A frame wiring device should be purchased from any firm stocking beekeeping equipment, or one can be constructed by the beekeeper as follows: A board 1 inch thick measuring 10 inches by 22 inches is first obtained and on one end is screwed a shaped strip of wood i inch thick, 9 inches long, one side straight, this side being kept flush with the . outer edge of the' board, but the opposite edge should be curved measuring li‘ inches each end and If in the middle. On the opposite end 18 inches away is placed a flat lever with.a rounded head. This is held by a large screw acting as a pivot, the screw being placed slightly out of the centre of the head, so that when the lever is pressed against the frame, pressure is thus brought against the two end bars. The wire should then be threaded through the holes provided in the frame and drawn tight, and while the end bars are still under pressure, each end of the wire made fast to small tacks driven into the broad sides of the ’end bars. When the lever is released the bars will spring out to their natural position and the wire will be found to be tight.

This wiring board may be made considerably more useful by screwing to the board midway between the lever and the shaped strip another board measuring 16£ inches by 7| inches by § of an inch thick. This is for use when embedding the wires into the wax allowing the wax to Tie leyel with the groove in the top bar. Embedding wires in wax foundation is usually performed by one of the following methods either by a “Spur ■Wire Embedder.” This is a spur wheel tool, which is heated .and passed over the wires pressing them into the wax. The wheel being hot, each tooth melts a small • amount of wax and cements it to the wire. Another method is by passing a ; small current of electricity through the wires, which heats, them, and in this state they are pressed into the wax. ■

Small transformers " for • breaking down the electrical current from the niains may be obtained for a few shillings. The method, of embedding the wires by. electricity, certainly makes the best job.

y Fuller details and sketches of the wiring board and electric embedder may be obtained on application to the writer of this article. Feeding should still be continued to the bees where required lm'd' J Tn r *early warm districts

swarming may be expected at the end of the month from strong hives. HONEY RECIPES. Honey Gingerbread— Ingredients. —1 teacup honey, J lb. blitter, 1 teacup milk, 1 teacup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoonful ground ginger, cinnamon, 1 dessertspoonful leipon juice, 1 teaspoonful carbonate soda, - 2 breakfastcups flour. Method. —Warm milk and honey and butter, very slowly to melt butter, not to use more than warm. 'Add soda melted, add mixture to sifted flour, and beaten egg. Bake in greased papered shallow tin in moderate oven (1 hour). Honey and Cinnamon Toast — Something nice for . afternoon tea. Spread honey on lightly buttered toast, sprinkle with cinnamon, cut in. fingers and serve warm. ...