THE APIARY,

Otago Witness, Issue 3298, 30 May 1917, Page 7

THE APIARY,

By J. A. WINTER WORK IN THE APIARY. Wo aro now very nearly ut midwinter, and up to the time of writing there has been very little winter, and no frosts have occurred to (.heck vegetation. It has been an unusually mild season. We do not regard such a season as altogether favourable tor beekeeping'. There is usually more activity in the hives, and a consequent rapid using of stores, i have not yet looked into the hives in my own apiary further than just a glance at one or two of them; but I expect to find them lighter than they were at the end of the extracting season, and, perhaps, many of them too light for safety. 'lhere is this consolation, however, that for the next three months the consumption of stores will bo very light, and with even a very light colony no anxiety need be felt until brood-rearing commences in the spring. 'ihen all such must be attended to, or their growth will be slow, and will be in exact ratio to the amount of stores they have to draw from. Winter work in the apiary is limited to improving the location, making it tidy, and removing any grass and weeds from round the hives. Sometimes changes in the location in the hives arc required, and where such is the case now_ is the time that this work can bo done with very little loss. If done when the bees are active a great many of them when out for a fly go back to the old location, and arc lost. When clone in the winter time very little loss in that way takes place. It pays to make and keep the apiary like a welltrimmed garden. The beekeeper has to spend a lot of his time there in summer time, and it adds very much to the pleasure of his work if the surroundings are neat and well laid off. In this connection it is also a good thing to plan to save labour as much as possible in the going out and coming in from the honey-house. An arrangement which means wheeling the empties downhill and the full supers uphill we have found to our sorrow a very unsatisfactory one; and wo arc often reminded of the saying of an old friend that it is a good thing to make the head save the legs as much as possible. After the experience of last summer some changes that would save labour and time may have suggested themselves, and, if so, now is the time to carry them out. After the grass has been neatly cut as close to the ground as possible, it will add to the beekeeper's satisfaction to water round the hives with Pharos or some other weed-killer. This will prevent trouble in the spring, and make the weeds easier dealt with right through next summer. Then the macrocarpa or other hedge which surrounds the apiary should be trimmed. Very high trees "are" apt to be a nuisance near the apiary in swarming-time, as swarms ai-3 apt to seek a very high resting-place, and to give no end of trouble; so we advise topping any that are not particularly wanted. In regard to the hives themselves, the two things that we are most careful about is to have the bottoms clear of the ground and the roofs water-tight. A glance at-,the mat will just now detect every leaky roof, and those showing a leak had better bo changed. Winter work in the honey-houso is generally more abundant than outside. > Not much can bo done until last season's crop is delivered; but as soon as that is done then it is in order to begin preparation for next season. If work is planned, such as preparing new frames and other supplies, then there aro often wet days when outside work cannot be done, and when inside work is welcome. About this work we shall have more to sav some other time; but wo arc strong on this point: that it is worth while to have a plan and to get to work on it as early as possible. NATIONAL CONFERENCE. June 6,7, and 8 are the conference days. It is always held in Wellington. For one thing it is central, p.nd it is within reach of the authorities wo wish to influence in the wav of improving our industry. It is worth while to go to it, because there we meet beekeepers from one end of New Zealand to the other, and new and valuable friendships arc formed, while wo both give and get a stimulus that is helpful. It is worth while to go to it, because President Rentoul will be in charge, and all the big guns will bo there, and quite a number of papers from selected men on selected subjects will bo given, and we cannot fail but to learn something, and very probably that something will amply repay us for time and expense. It is worth while to go to it because the New Zealand Honey-producers' Co-operative will be holding its adjourned annual meeting on one of the days, and no beekeeper can afford to miss it. Come along and let us have a good and profitable time together.