BEE-KEEPING NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1934, Page 12

BEE-KEEPING NOTES

RE-QUEENING THE HIVES. i APIARY WORK IN DECEMBER. (By D. S. Robinson, Department of Agriculture). During December the beekeeper is well advised to keep a careful watch for any evidence of queen cells. If these are found and yet the bees have plenty of room, it will indicate that the queen is old and failing and the bees are preparing to supersede her. Break down the queen cells and if no young queens are on hand, send at once to a reliable queen breeder for one. Look through the hive again in another week if the queen does not arrive, and repeat the operation. When the queen arrives, kill the old queen and carefully examine the hive to see if any queen cells have been raised; if any are found, crush them. Place the cage containing the queen to be introduced on top of the frames, gauze side down. In this position the bees will know they have a queen. It is not a good practice to interfere with the hive during the period of introduction. If the bees are willing to accept the new queen they will start right away to remove the candy and make a passage to allow for the release of the queen from the cage. Some queen breeders place a small slip of cardboard over the candy. The cardboard should not be removed as the bees will gnaw through the cardboard and the candy and subsequently liberate the queen. Hives in good order should now be working at full speed, and the beekeeper should see that nothing happens to prevent the bees taking full advantage of the honey flow. Extra supers should be added when the top one is about threequarters full of honey. The added super, should be placed below the partially filled one on the hive. See that the bees have full entranced to provide for ample ventilation. If the bees are seen clustering on the alighting boards in hot weather small blocks of wood may be placed under the front of the brood chamber to enlarge the entrance.

Beekeepers raising section honey should remove the sections as soon as they are fully capped to prevent them becoming travel stained by the bees. Arrangements should be put in hand for re-queening in the autumn all hives that have old and failing queens. A careful watch should be made for the appearance of disease. All diseased hives should be either destroyed by fire or carefully treated by an approved method while conditions are favourable.

Honey with vegetables: Carrots, green or wax beans, beets, squash, turnips, potatoes, green peas and other vegetables important in the diet are better flavoured through the addition, of a small amount of honey. Use a teaspoon of honey. to each cup of vegetables when adding other seasonings. Honey Mayonnaise: 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoonful mustard, 6 teaspoons lemon juice, 1J cupsful salad oil, paprika, few grains cayenne and 6 teaspoonfuls honey vinegar. Into a conical shaped bowl break an egg and add the salt, honey, mustard, dash paprika, the cayenne and 1 tablespooriful honey vinegar. Beat thoroughly with a good egg beater and add the oil, 1 tablespoonful at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until half cupful is added and the dressing is thick. Then the oil can be added in larger quantities at a time. When one cupful has been added, dilute With the rest of the oiL • Use altogether li cupfuls of oil, beat vigorously all the time during the making. When finished, dressing should be smooth and thick.