Seasonal Work for Beekeepers

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 66, Issue 1, 15 January 1943, Page 47

Seasonal Work for Beekeepers

Honey Production and Harvesting

WHILE honey may be divided into groups or grades according to the floral sources, an important consideration is its physical form for marketing 'purposes. Honey is marketed in the original comb in which it is produced, and as such is known as section comb honey and also in a liquid or granulated form known as extracted honey. In whatever form the beekeeper desires to market this product, the bees must first store the honey in a comb entirely of their own making, or in a comb built on a wax base comb foundation. To secure a good surplus of honey as indicated in last month’s notes, it is necessary , to establish in each hive a strong colony with a population of seventy thousand or more bees, and keep them working without swarming. Because of the tendency to swarm under certain conditions, the majority of beekeepers throughout the Dominion prefer to produce extracted honey when swarming can be controlled by giving the bees plenty of room, whereas to produce sections successfully, more or less cramped conditions are necessary. Section Comb Honey In section comb honey production, a good quality product is dependent upon a well-finished comb which is not easy to obtain under the varying conditions in which the bees may have to work. The beekeeper is also faced with the problem of enticing the bees into the small compartments known as sections, in the centre of which is fixed a piece of thin super comb foundation. These sections are usually 4| in. x 4| in. or may be 4 in. x 5 in. and the bees often refuse to. work in them owing to the restricted space, and very often because conditions are

not right for wax secretion where only small clusters of bees can congregate. Consequently, the brood nest becomes overcrowded, and swarming eventually results, which means a loss in honey production. There is also the problem of knowing exactly how much room each colony requires, so that all sections of honey are well filled and completely capped over with 1 wax at the close of the honey flow. Early Removal For the best results, and to prevent travel stains, sections should be removed from the hive immediately the combs are completely capped over by the bees. These may be replaced with empties so long as honey flow continues. The wood work of each section should be scraped clean of all propolis and stains, and sections should be wrapped in cellophane or some suitable paper to keep them free from dust, and avoid the absorption of moisture. Travel-stained combs or sections with a soiled appearance do not sell well in any circumstances. Extracted Honey In the production of honey for extraction from the bee combs the beekeeper must follow a somewhat different procedure after the main honey flow begins. Plenty of . room should be provided by supplying each colony, slightly ahead of requirements, with supers containing full depth drawn combs or frames fitted with comb foundations, the size of which ’ resemble closely natural combs built by bees in a wild state.

When drawn combs from the previous season are supplied to the bees there is less work and larger crops on the average are produced. Also when a medium or poor season is experienced some surplus honey is secured,

whereas no section comb honey could be properly finished by the bees under these conditions. In all locations therefore where seasons vary considerably and medium crops only are secured the beekeeper should concentrate on the production of , extracted honey. Harvesting Beekeepers in many parts of New Zealand will now be busy harvesting early surplus crops of honey, and will require to use the most economical and labour-saving methods for the removal of full combs of honey from the hives. While several methods are used, including brushing and shaking the combs free of bees, the most popular and economical method is by means of an escape board fitted with a double exit “Porter” bee-escape. This appliance, which can be readily made by the beekeeper, is especially valuable during the late summer and autumn months, and will be illustrated in next month’s issue. The main points to observe when harvesting crops of honey are:— Do not remove supers from the hives during the main honey, flow - until the combs of honey are at least 90 per cent, capped over by the bees. Do not remove honey during' wet weather and avoid extracting or storing honey in open tanks under damp conditions. Securely cover all combs in transit from the hives to the extracting room. To obtain best results — extract all honey as soon as possible after removal from the hives. Cleanse well with boiling water and thoroughly dry all honey house appliances before use. —T. S. WINTER, Senior Apiary Instructor, Wellington.

Lucerne

is a . forage crop of such outstanding merits over a wide range of conditions that it should be used more freely in New Zealand farming than is the present case. Write to the Department of Agriculture for a copy of bulletin 155, “Lucerne on the Farm.”