THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3595, 6 February 1923, Page 9

THE APIARY.

By

J. A.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. The week to January 27 was not quite as good as the previous week. We have, however, no right to complain. There w-ere four days on which no work was done; but Monday, Thursday, and Saturday were good days with 81b, 131 b. and 141 b respectively, this giving a total for the week of 361 b. On Saturday morning, as we were leaving the apiary for the week-end, we looked through the scale hive for tions of any intention to swarm. We cannot add room, and the colony is very strong for three storeys of 10 combs each; about 15 of the combs are occupied by the queen with brood. There was no sign of a queen ceil, and so we judged that it would be safe to leave them. This colony comes very near to our ideal of what every colony in the apiary should be. The beekeeper’s eye has been on it all the season, but it has never been touched in any way except to take off honey. EXTRACTING. ■ This has been going on somewhat slowly, lhe strong easterly gale made it almost impossible to take off honey. We do not believe in outside work in the apiary in unsuitable weather. It means Grosser bees, mote sting's, and g-enerally has a depressing e “® ct °n the beekeepers’ In a gale it is difficult to keep the smoker right, and it nas no permanent effect on the bees. Ex.acting with us is rather a slow operation in .any case, as we have only a two-frame extractor and only hand power. This we would not mind so much, but there are m the apiary 100 half-supers with halfsized combs, and the baskets of the extractor will take only two of these at a run thus really doubling the work. We confess to a slight feeling of envy as we watched Mr Gibb's big six-frame extractor handling.six combs at a go. and driven by a petrol engine with ample power We are, however, looking forward to help from tne Monowai m- the near future, and either a tour or six frame extractor. When that comes extracting will be comDarativelv easy. Our second round is nof completed lu T o been mu °h more satisfactory than the first round in this respect, that in 6 cliffy. 18 eXtTaCtlng fl ' eely and is bette1 ’ SWARMING. We nave had several days in which bh. lively. Our new stands cnfnniei an increase of 35 olonie-, and the swarms are beiim used the weaker colonies. It is ease oi just put one m wherever we can fs histTo f°u P !T haps tlle best method is just to follow up the policy of the earleir stand 11 ’ + them ba ° k 011 the okl sta id, in st taking away the old brood-nest and using that on other colonies. After the end of this month there should be very uttle swarnnng. - y THE HONEY FLOW. This is particularly, good at the time of willing Clover is very plentiful thistles are in bloom, and ragwort is beginning. Beekeepers could very well do without this latter plant. There is, however, a considerable quantity of it all over Southland this year From the kind of summer we have had—so much broken weather—we -mould not oe surprised to find more settled conditions during February, and, if so, there should be some very good crops. It is rather disconcerting to hear of floods further north; but it is just possible that Canterbury beekeepers may come out none the worse on that account. We have to admit being disappointed in that we can get no beekeepers to put on. a scale hive and give us the i ecords. It is too late to he any use for this year now, but perhaps someone might be good enough for next season.