METHODS USED IN REMOVING SURPLUS HONEY FROM HIVES

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 73, Issue 6, 16 December 1946, Page 554

METHODS USED IN REMOVING SURPLUS HONEY FROM HIVES

By

L. H. JOHNSON,

Apiary Instructor, Palmerston North,

THE main problem to be overcome when planning to take surplus honey from beehives is how to remove bees from the supers quickly without damaging the honey or unduly aggravating the bees. To facilitate the harvesting of the honey crop the beekeeper may choose either of the two methods described in this article. In practice these methods can be utilised to their full advantage only if colony management leading up to this period has been thorough and the hives used are not only sound but are standardised.

IN search of an effective and quick method of harvesting honey, some commercial beekeepers adopted the Phenol screen system, which gave promise of being a success. But later it became increasingly apparent that all honey extracted from supers which had been cleared of bees in this manner could not escape being unmistakably tainted, mildly or pronouncedly, by the carbolic acid fumes. Consequently this method cannot be recommended. Smoke should be used sparingly as honey is also susceptible to smoke taint.

Unsatisfactory Methods The practice of lifting off whole supers and shaking the bees out of them, in front of the'hives is laborious and unsatisfactory because too many bees cling to the combs and later become a nuisance when the supers are taken into the extracting house. The . method of plucking frames of honey singly (Fig. 1) and brushing the bees, off in front of the hive is comparatively slow,. and suspending heavy combs of i honey with , one hand and using the brush with the other soon becomes hard work. The bees become very irritated and aggressive, _ and numbers settle back on the comb. Brushing Bees

For a satisfactory method of . removing bees by brushing, first place an empty super on the .ground in front of the hive with one end resting on the floor-board. Smoke ..the bees at the entrance, ■ then under' the ■ hive cover and mat, before : their removal.. Prise the . supers apart with a hive tool and lift > the top super, of honey down on to the empty box in front of the hive. If there is a honey flow at the time, a super of empty combs should be added' to the hive. Then replace the

mat and cover to prevent disturbance of the bees inside. Remove one comb on the far side of the super, and with the brush sweep the bees off the side of the hive and one side of the comb (Fig. Holding the bee brush in one hand and the hive tool in the other, move the next frame over to the side of the hive,

and, with a sweeping motion from end to.end of the.frames, brush the bees off the . two , sides of the combs (Fig. 3). A quick sweep across the face of each comb, is usually sufficient to dislodge all adhering bees, which fall down in front of the hive inside the empty box, and are no further trouble. This manipulation. of the frames may be repeated right across the super until all the combs have .been brushed free of bees. The full super of honey is then lifted on to the. apiary barrow or truck and covered.: Give the empty super on the ground a good shake to dislodge the remaining' bees (Fig. 4) and move on to the next hive. With practice this system can be applied more speedily,, more easily, and with much less (disturbance of the bees than by other brushing methods.

Bee Escape Boards The use of escape boards is with-, out doubt the best system yet evolved for clearing supers of honey and taking them, off the hives quickly without disturbing the bees or damaging the honey.

The Porter bee escape is a small metal trap so designed that a bee may pass only one way between , two thin pieces of spring steel. It is fitted to a horizontal division board made of jin. thick timber with a Jin. by . Jin. margin strip fixed on one side and made 1 to the' outside dimensions (usually 20in. by 16in.) of the hives in use (Fig. 5). Before putting the . escape board on the hive it is advisable to examine every Porter bee escape. carefully, as often the metal' surface is,so smooth that a bee may have difficulty in obtaining sufficient foot-hold to push its

way between the springs. That may be overcome by scratching or roughening the surface of the metal. To place the board in position loosen the top. honey super, tilt it up on one . end, and slide in the escape board as far as. it will go; then lower the ’ super on to it and adjust . all in position on the super below. It is fl simple operation which does not take long, nor does it disturb the bees greatly/ As soon as the bees realise that they are imprisoned they search for an exit, , find 'the bee escape, and pass down through it until all are out of the super. Sound, neat-fitting hive material, is essential to prevent robber bees gaining access to the honey. * Usually about 24 hours pass before all the bees are out'of the honey super, but if two bee escapes are provided, quicker clearance of bees is effected and there is less danger of a blockage. If there has been no previous adjustment of the brood, and some has . been allowed to remain in the top supers, it will be found that a number -of bees, will remain above the escape board. However, no such trouble with the bees or losses of queens will occur where queen excluders are used; > k..'

Hodson Framed Screen

The Hodson ventilated screen (Fig. 6) is a modification of the former type, but it is made with wire gauze fixed

to a ..wooden frame, the object being to allow the colony warmth to rise, and maintain a normal hive temperature in the supers above. Though it may have this advantage, bees, usually are slower ,to leave the super because of the warmth and contact through the wire gauze with the bees below.

Out-apiary management mainly depends on skilful organisation, especially of transport, if extra trips are to be avoided. The escape boards should be put on the day before removal of the honey, and one apiary may be worked in conjunction with another to avoid duplicated running.