BEE NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16049, 6 February 1918, Page 6

BEE NOTES.

(By “Talnm.* 1 ) Section honey is coming forward very slowly, though the JMioe is greater than at any time since beekeeping was commenced in the Dominion. Local shopkeepers are paying Bd. per section, and are willing td take any reasonable quantity. , It looks as if the public will have to pay a much heavier price for comb honey in the future. There has been great difficulty in getting the bees to work sections this year. A. lady beekeener showed nie several hives where she bad put sections in the centre and plain frames on the outside. The bees had filled the plain frames twice, but had not yet completed the sections. As she has 1 put nearly 500 sections on her colonics this year, it means a great loss to her, and I should not be surprised to hear that section honey had lost all its charm for her. The beekeeper will have to cut out all hives which tend to lower the cash balance at the end of the year. • I should like to give a note of warning to apiarists against extracting unripe honey. It has already been done, and I know of at least two samples which are spoilt through extracting unsealed honey. Unless a shallow tank is' available it is foolish to court fermentation. Fortunately, no one committed the error a second time; the punishment for the first er«or being too severe for the lesson to he forgotten. Another wrinkle for beginners; Do not put back the extracted combe into the hive till evening. This will prevent the bees getting excited and helps to prevent robbing. From now on to April you must be very careful not to give the hoes any chance of thieving; do not leave bits of comb or honey about, and when taking honey out of the hives he careful to cover the removed frames with a doth; .if wetted in a weak solution of carbolic, so much the hotter, it helps to keep the bees away. Be sure that the bees do not find their way into the extracting room or you will have trouble for a week or two. I know of a lady who in her zeal for fresh air opened the windows of ber husband’s honey-room one morning after he had left for work. Fortunately he returned about 10.30 a.m. .Hp soon cleared the boney-room._ But it is not safe to mention the subject to the lady. For over a week she could not open a door or window without being pestered by the. bees, who were still in hopes that she would let them into the honey. . ... r As the honey flow is rapidly falling, caution is absolutely necessary. No beekeeper wants a second lot of robbing in his apiary. So be careful not to. do anything to start it. CLEANLINESS. The department’s inspector, Mr. Earp, has a very strong note in the last volume of the Agricultural Journal on this subject. He says that the same care should be taken with honey as with the dairy. “It is by no means lan uncommon thing to come across cases where the beekeeper appears to. have lost sight of the fact that honey is a food, and, what is of more importance, a food which is eaten uncorked. . . . Too much stress cannot he laid on the fact that everything ip the honey-house should receive the sarnie attention as the dairy utensils.” Pleasure, Convenience, Saving Checking Baggage Through Us.—Once you’ve experienced the comfort of our baggage checking you don’t go back to the old style. We are sure of it. For look at the advantages!- We collect, check on, deliver on arrival. We also issue tickets, but if you have one please produce it.— The New Zealand Express Co., Ltd.