Seasonal Work for Beekeepers

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 68, Issue 5, 15 May 1944, Page 382

Seasonal Work for Beekeepers

Section Honey Production

JUST prior to the opening of the main honey flow colony entrances should be enlarged. Bottom ventilation plays an important part in the control of swarming when hives are worked for section honey. Colonies which have given no indication of any desire to swarm will lack any encouragement to. do so if bottom . ventilation is ample and those exhibiting definite signs ‘ of wanting to swarm will very often abandon their preparations. By placing a one-inch block under each of the four corners of the brood nests the hives are thus raised completely above the bottom boards. Swarm Control An effective method of swarm control, but . one that results in less sections being produced, requires the use of -supers of extracting combs and also involves the application of queenexcluders for part of the season. As soon as colonies are reduced to a single , brood-chamber the sectionhoney supers are put on and immediately the honey flow starts supers , of extracting combs are added above the section supers. As the flow begins to taper off queen-excluders are placed over the brood nests and half-supers of extracting combs added as required. By supplying the first extracting super at the beginning of the honey flow the bees are readily induced into the supers, thereby . stimulating the colony and encouraging the bees to commence work in the sections without delay. Although fewer in number the sections produced by this method are usually well finished. In conjunction with any methods adopted to . reduce or control swarming the laborious routine of examining colonies every eight days must not be neglected. The first inspection of the brood-nest made eight days after the hives have been ■ reduced to a single brood-cham-ber will disclose some hives as having made no preparation to swarm whilst others may have started queen cells. These cells will contain eggs, or larvae, only a few days old, the swarming impulse at this stage not having yet reached its height; consequently it will pay to break them down. Those colonies which make no effort to swarm usually produce the most honey. The next examination should disclose those colonies which are unlikely to swarm during the season and also should give a definite indication as to

which are likely to insist on swarming. The latter colonies will have built more queen cells which will contain larvae up to five days old. As these colonies are obviously going to swarm or loaf, a worthwhile crop cannot be expected from them unless drastic swarm-control measures are adopted. Brood Removal Where the hives preparing to swarm are strong and are headed by good queens they should have their brood removed in the following manner: The hive is lifted to one side and a fresh bottom board . and super containing frames with full sheets of foundation put. in its place. The colony is then quickly run through to locate the queen, which is transferred to a frame of brood. This frame, with adhering bees, is placed in . the centre of the hew hive. With the exception of a single bee-covered brood -comb the whole of the inmates of the hive are shaken before the entrance to the new hive, care being taken that the . bees are not unduly smeared with the thin nectar that will be contained in the comb ■ at this time of the year. The section supers on the "original colony are placed on the new hive. The removed brood may be used for making increase or stacked with other brood taken from colonies similarly treated. Colonies formed with such brood soon become strong and are capable of harvesting considerable honey under favourable conditions. Even after treat- - ment some colonies will persist in their attempts to swarm and where the honey flow is long-drawn-out colonies that have not attempted to swarm before may begin to do so now. In these circumstances three or four frames of brood removed and replaced with drawn comb or foundation will act as a deterrent. Supersedure Under stress - of heavy egg-laying there will.inevitably be a few queens that will break down and show signs of failing at a critical period of the season and the bees often display a desire to replace them by building queen cells. It . would be useless to remove the brood of such colonies, the remedy being the replacement of the queens. The hives should be dequeened and all the cells (usually one or two only) that have been started broken down. After 10 days the colonies should again be examined and any further cells dealt with in a simi-

lar manner and young laying queens introduced. During seasons when the honey flow is prolonged little loss of crop would be experienced, as in colonies where the work us well under way in the sections before dequeening takes place the bees appear to be little affected. If, however, any slackening ' is noticed, the supers of sections on these hives should be exchanged with those of colonies which have completed most of their sections. ' Less drastic measures are necessary . as the flow draws to a close. It should be sufficient to break down any cells started in the few colonies that will still be trying to swarm. Preparation for Market Sections should be removed from the hives as soon as they are completely capped. The exposed outer surfaces of the sections should be scraped to remove propolis and all foreign material. The sections can be effectively cleaned by scraping with a sharp knife or rubbing with fine sand-paper. The knife is preferable when the weather is very : hot as the propolis is inclined to soften. When A using sand-paper care must be taken that the fine dust created does not mar the appearance of the comb. Sections should be graded into three classes, only those of full weight and finished appearance being included as Grade 1. ■ ' . If sections have some kind of wrapping they are more hygienic as they do not come in contact with dust or other contamination. Containers for both comb - honey and sections are made of heavy paper material suitably labelled. : Some section cartons have cellophane windows which enable the prospective purchaser to see what he is buying. An attractive effect is obtained by wrapping the sections in coloured, cellophane, but plain will do just as well. Storing Comb Honey ■ Section honey should be stored at a reasonably steady temperature between 65 deg. and 85 deg. Fahrenheit. Fluctuating temperatures, and more particularly low temperatures, tend to hasten granulation of section honey. The honey should be stored where the atmosphere is dry.

- R. S. WALSH,

Apiary

Instructor, Auckland. (To be continued.)