THE APIARY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XVIII, Issue 4, 21 April 1919, Page 232

THE APIARY.

By

G. V. WESTBROOKE,

Apiary Instructor.

PREPARATIONS FOR WINTERING.

By the end of this month all necessary manipulation's of the hive should have been completed, leaving the bees in a proper condition for the coming winter. Supers containing combs that have been placed on the . hives should now be removed; all supers that are not occupied by the bees should also be taken off. During the cold weather the bees should be confined to as small a space as they require. When the brood is found in the super it is advisable to examine the bottom story, so as to ascertain if it has been discarded by the bees for the upper one. If such is the case, remove the bottom story, placing the one occupied by the bees on the bottom-board. In removing from the hives combs containing no honey do not take those with a plentiful supply of pollen. This is a valuable asset for the winter and early spring rearing of young . bees. In fact,' where the colder climate prevents the bees flying in the winter it is absolutely necessary for them to have a supply. Uniting Weak Colonies. Now is the time to unite all weak colonies. It is more profitable to winter one strong colony than risk trying to winter two weak ones. Perhaps the best and simplest method is to kill the poorer queen then, in the evening remove the cover and mat of the hive to which the weak one is to be united, place a double sheet .of newspaper in place of the mat, and carefully lift the weak colony

■on top of the other. Leave no outlet for the top colony ; the bees will then unite by gnawing • through the paper, and by the time this is accomplished they will have become friendly. . It may be advisable to make a few small nail-holes in the paper to give them a lead down.

Mats. — See . that all hives are supplied with good mats. In the ■colder parts of the Dominion it is advisable to have two or three on top of the frames. These should be cut so as to fit neatly inside the hive, covering the frames without protruding over the edges of the hive. Ordinary grain-sacks make very good mats. Excellent winter mats can be cut from old carpets, provided they are well cleaned before using. Where the winter is very severe it is an advantage to place two sticks across the centre of the frames about 2 in: apart, under the mat. This will allow the bees a warm passage to all- frames during extremely cold weather.

Watertight Covers. — It is of great importance to ensure that all covers are rainproof. Nothing is so detrimental to successful wintering as allowing the hives to become damp. The present excessive price of zinc will prevent the general use of this excellent material for covering the roofs. A good economical plan to cure a leaky roof is to give it a thick coat of paint, cover it with calico, cheesecloth, or similar material, and then apply another coat of paint over this.

HIVE RECORDS.

Every apiarist should keep a register for the purpose of recording the condition of each hive. . These records should be entered up each time the hive is opened. If this is done it will save endless time and worry in trying to recollect which hive requires attention. An excellent plan for colonies which require early attention is to use small pieces of coloured cardboardred for preference. To each of these is attached a small loop of string. A tack can be driven in the front or back of the hive, and the label hung on this. The cards' can be readily seen in the apiary, and are a constant reminder to the beekeeper that such colonies require "help. Notes may be pencilled on the card. For instance, a hive on the verge of starvation could be tagged “ S.O.S.” (short of supplies). This would be a distress signal, that no beekeeper could fail to respond to. Should the hive be queenless it could be marked “ — 0.” (minus queen), or “ D.L.” (drone-layer). Each apiarist could' mark according to his own ideas. Such tags, however, should only be used for urgent cases, otherwise the beekeeper, through familiarity, may get into the habit of neglecting the warning sign.