THE APIARY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5, 21 May 1928, Page 363

THE APIARY.

PREPARATIONS FOR WINTER. ■' ' ■ •iii { As the oft' season is approached, and before the weather breaks for winter, it is essential to make the hives as snug as possible. ' New Zealand has its season which corresponds with the winter months in colder climates, when breeding almost ceases' and food 'is scarce or entirety absent in the fields. Every effort should therefore be made to conserve the natural warmth of the bees. As indicated last month, mats are essential, and each hive should have at least two, and two spare ones, as occasionally dry mats are needed in exchange for damp ones. Good clean corn-sacks make the best mats. Cut the mats so that they exactly cover the frames, and on no account allow them to extend beyond the walls of the hive, ,or they will become wet and cause dampness, thus endangering the health of the bees. REMOVAL OF SPARE SUPERS. All supers not occupied by the bees should be removed preparatory to making the hives as snug as possible. A strong colony with a good queen at this time will need its brood-chamber and at least, a super, and these will be fairly crowded with bees, most of them bred since the close of the working season. These are the colonies which one should strive to have at this season of the year, as they will come out strong in the spring and give the best returns when the main honey-flow sets in. As robber bees are likely to become troublesome when removing the supers, the best and safest plan is to use bee-escapes, for it will be found that quite a lot of bees must be got rid of before the supers can be removed. By placing the escapes'on the hives in the evening the

supers will be clear of bees in the morning, providing' there is no brood in the combs: If escapes are not used''all hive-manipulations should be.carried 1 out expeditiously and 1 as early in the day l as ds convenient. •

SPARE' COMBS.

In the absence of a proper comb-room, or any' convenient place tostore the combs to keep them clean from the wax-moth and. vermin, they, with the supers, may be placed on the hives after confining the bees below with close-fitting mats. As a temporary means of protecting combs this plan serves the purpose. However, it is not a good one- for preserving the combs for any length of time touring the winter months, as there is a danger of the combs becoming mouldy. f ' This will occur sooner or later in supers from which ; the : bees 1 are entirely -shut out? to

ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

The annual conference of the National Beekeepers’ Association' is tobe held at Hawera on 29th and 30th June. The organizer of the South Taranaki Winter Show, which is to be held at the same time, is collaborating with the executive of the National to make the beekeepers’ stay at Hawera enjoyable. Papers will be given by commercial beekeepers on subjects of interest. A comprehensive display of honey is being arranged at the winter show. *■

E. A. Earp,

Senior Apiary Instructor, Wellington.