THE APIARY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 1, 20 July 1916, Page 70

THE APIARY.

E. A. EARP,

Apiary Instructor.

EARLY SPRING WORK.

August is one of the most critical months in the year, as the bees have awakened from their semi-dormant condition, and the incessant demand of the young brood for food will deplete the stores in a way to astonish even the seasoned beekeeper.

'Advantage may be taken of the mild weather occasionally obtaining in August to give the hives their first - inspection of the season. This is very necessary where sufficient stores have not been left to carry the bees through the first stages of broodrearing, which in the milder parts of the Dominion will have commenced in earnest. It is not wise to delay this work till breeding is well advanced, as it may lead to losses through a shortage of stores. The examination is made for the purpose of determining the amount of food in each colony, to note the

queenless hives, and to ensure that the bees are in a suitable condition to carry on brood-rearing until the appearance of the early spring flowers. In making the examination it is necessary to carry- out the work expeditiously, choosing the warmest, hours of the mildest days.

' In cases where the supers' have been left on the hives these should be removed, as advised previously. Have the smoker in readiness. After, removing the mat, take out one of the end frames. This will facilitate the examination of the centre combs. Under normal conditions ' the centre combs will contain varyingsized patches of brood according to the strength of the colonies. This will at once denote whether the colony has a laying queen or not. However, it is not wise' to conclude at once that the colony is queenless if brood is not visible, so much depending on the locality and the weather preceding the examination. If the colony is strong and contented it is as well to shelve the question of • its queenlessness until a later date, when , a further examination may be carried out.

If each hive is to be left for the next few weeks undisturbed it should contain at least 18 lb. to 20 lb. of honey; failing this amount, preparation should be made for feeding. For this the best feeder to use at this season of the year is the division-board feeder, which may be obtained at any of the hive-dealers, and advantage may be taken of this examination to put them in the hives. Feed only within the hives, for any other method will surely produce trouble. Place the feeders on the warm side of the hive and as close as possible to the cluster. It must be remembered that artificial feeding is invariably stimulating— it induces an increase in brood-rearing, and once begun it .must be continued until the natural flow from the field sets in. In feeding use only the best white sugar. On no account use honey, as it is impossible to be certain of its source. Many beekeepers, tempted by the cheap price of ■ inferior honey, have in the past fed their bees with this in the spring, only to awaken later on in the season to the fact that they have infected all their colonies with foul-brood. A syrup compounded of 2. parts water to . 1 of sugar, fed slightly warm, is the best artificial food- for bees in the spring. Full particulars in regard to feeding are given in the Department’s New Series Bulletin No. 39, which may be obtained free on application.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE SEASON.

By the end of August the beekeeper should, have his preparations for the season’s work well in hand. Hive and frame making, also the overhaul of all defective supers, roofs, and

bottom boards, should be undertaken in earnest. It is not wise to postpone the mechanical part of the work in the apiary until the bees themselves require the major portion of the beekeeper's time. If increase is desirable, and more especially where the apiary is being enlarged, make ample provision for it. Nothing is more tantalizing than to leave a swarm hanging .on a tree while a hive has to be hastily put together.

Where the beekeeper does not make his own hives he should now order in sufficient stocks to see him through the coming season. In the majority of cases it does not pay the beekeeper to make his appliances. Hive-manufacturing in the Dominion ' has been brought to a high standard, and unless the beekeeper has ample capital to purchase machinery to turn out good hives he will find the home-made article too costly in the long-run. Whether the beekeeper is working on a small or large scale he should aim .at uniformity, and in building up an apiary decide at the beginning on the style of hive and frame he is going to use, and continue on these lines. Non-fitting supers and frames mean extra labour, and lead to endless trouble in the long-run. The hives principally in use in the Dominion are the tenand twelve - frame Langstroth, and experience of his district will enable the beekeeper to decide as to the the best one to adopt. Make careful inquiries from beekeepers of long standing in the district as to the best style of hive to use. ’

THE HIVE-CRAMP.

One of the most useful appliances in the apiary is the hivecramp, and where many hives have to be made it is almost an absolute necessity. It enables the beekeeper to save much time and to carry out the work of hive-making quickly. In nailing hives together it is necessary that the parts should be held together firmly; moreover, hives which are subjected to rough handling' will, when properly put together, be thereby prevented from getting out of . the square. The jaws of the cramp hold the parts of the hive, while the platform of the Cramp forms a good solid base to nail on. A good cramp will pay for itself the first season in the amount of time and labour saved. Hive-cramps may be purchased at a small cost from any of the dealers in bee appliances.

FRAME-MAKING AND WIRING.

Frame-making should receive every consideration, and proper nailing must be strictly attended. to. There are no short-cut methods to the proper nailing of frames, and neglect in this direction will undoubtedly cause a great deal of worry when the

frames are in use, more especially in districts where the bees, bring in a great deal of propolis. It is well to take every precaution that there is no danger of the top bar leaving thesides of the frame when manipulating heavy combs.

Strict attention must be given to wiring the frames. Many good combs are broken at ’ the time of extracting through neglect to wire properly, and good wiring will allow .the beekeeper tohandle the combs freely without fear of the brood and honeyfalling out of the frame. The end bars usually contain threeholes through which to thread wires. Cut the wire in lengths of about 60 in., and ■ thread through the holes, draw tight, and fasten each end with a small -tack. Some beekeepers advocatesingle wires in case the long wire gets broken, but if good wireis . used the former method will 1 prove satisfactory. . .

FITTING FOUNDATION IN FRAMES.

When fitting the foundation in the frames care must be taken, to see that' the sheets are properly sunk into the groove provided. Slip the sheet of foundation' through the wires so that the centreone is on one side and the top .. and bottom one on the other.. Put the foundation in the wide . groove and the wedge, which, should be broken in two pieces at least, in the narrow one. Sink the wedge, thus forcing over the tongue against the foundation, which will - then be in the centre of the frame. This is a most important matter, as the correct position of the foundation alone. ensures even combs. In order to . make the foundation more secure a simple operation may be performed by the useof the spur - embedder. This small appliance forces the wires firmly into the foundation. It may be purchased for a few pence at any of the hive-dealers.. , A good method of securingthe wires is to bring into use melted beeswax. The wax when molten may be. applied to the wires by means of an ordinary-paint-brush. The latter method is quicker, and prevents anydanger of the wire cutting the foundation, as sometimes happens when the embedder is used with too. much force.