Maintenance of Hive Equipment

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 90, Issue 4, 15 April 1955, Page 411

Maintenance of Hive Equipment

Seasonal Notes for the Domestic Beekeeper

DURING spring, summer, and autumn beekeepers busy with colony development, harvesting of honey, and preparation for wintering may lack time to provide the care and attention necessary to maintain equipment in first-class order. At present high costs hive equipment represents a far greater outlay than the bees, and time spent on maintaining it in good condition is well spent. In this article D. Roberts, Apiary Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Auckland, discusses ways of keeping hive equipment in sound order indefinitely.

CARE and maintenance of hive equipment tend to be overlooked by beekeepers during periods when outdoor activities are greatest. ‘ In most parts of New Zealand the bees , of a hive can be replaced much more cheaply than the equipment needed to house them. Proper care and protedtion of hive bodies, floors, and roofs pay handsome dividends to the beekeeper, particularly in these days when all such equipment is mainly manufactured from exotic softwoods,

New Zealand climatic conditions of comparatively high average rainfall and correspondingly high relative humidity tend to cause rapid deterioration of exposed softwoods unless they are protected by the application of wood preservatives or a good paint. All exposed hive material in contact with or near the ground should be treated with a good wood preservative followed by a coat of priming paint and a second coat of a good finishing paint. The preservative and paints are most effective if applied when the material is being made up, as they can

then be applied to all joints and overlapping surfaces. The repair and painting of equipment can best be done in the winter evenings or week- ' To enable. equipment in use to be repaired at convenient times it is advantageous to have a supply of spare supers, roofs, and floors on hand so that if during hive manipulations a part is found to need repair or paint - ing,. it can be replaced immediately and put aside for attention later. In

this way the hives can be continuously maintained in a sound, watertight condition and the necessity for disturbing the colony at unsuitable times is avoided. Preserving Supers All supers should be renailed if they are not firm. Galvanised nails 2|in. to 3in. are best for this work, as they hold better than plain wire nails and do not rust. Cracks should be filled with putty or plastic wood before repainting and any holes plugged or covered.

’’ Wood preservatives containing creosote or other coal tar derivatives should not be used. These substances in certain circumstances ; will possibly cause an undesirable taint in the honey produced in hives treated with them. Where it is necessary to use a wood preservative on honey supers a copper naphthanate solution is preferable. In most circumstances proper painting of honey supers with a good primer followed by one or two coats of goodquality paint will provide ample protection. Brood Chambers and Bottom Boards Brood chambers and bottom boards deteriorate much faster than other hive parts, .especially when set on the ground. Bottom boards even when

raised on stands are subject to moisture and insect damage. Their life can be greatly extended if, when they are made up, they are thoroughly soaked in a wood preservative and then given one or two coats of a good bituminous base paint before use. Brood chambers should be given a dressing of wood preservative before painting. Hive lids and covers should be checked for leaks and these repaired when found. Metal covers and any exposed woodwork should be well painted to prevent rust and rot. If tarred roofing material is used for covering lids, it should be closely examined for cracking. If cracking is only slight, a heavy dressing with a good bituminous paint will often give extended life, but if cracking is extensive, the material will be almost impossible to make leakproof and it should be replaced.

When lids are being covered with tarred roofing material care should be taken to see that it is warmed sufficiently to be pliable before application. Exposing the material in a warm, sunny spot or placing it in a hot-water cupboard for a day or so is generally sufficient to soften it to a point where it can be attached to the lid without cracking. Care in this regard is most important if a reasonable life is to be expected of the cover. Even if cracking is not apparent when the material is first put in place, cracks will soon develop if the material is cold; and stiff when applied.

Care of Stored Combs

Most beekeepers, particularly those working for extracted honey, will find that they have a surplus of empty combs to store through the winter. These empty combs are the most valuable part of a beekeeper’s hive equipment, and if they are to be maintained in good order from season to season,’ strict precautions ; against possible damage by mice and wax moth must taken.

Wax moths of which there are two species in New Zealand, the larger wax moth (.Galleria mellonella) and the lesser wax moth (Achroia grissella), are responsible for much of the loss of stored combs. Combs allowed to become infested .with the larvae of these moths will be reduced to a useless heap of discoloured -residue.

Wax moth on combs in storage can best be controlled by the use of fumigants which will kill the moths and larvae or will repel the adult moths so that eggs are not laid on or near the stored combs.... Fumigants such as calcium cyanide and carbon disulphide meet all requirements, but they are extremely poisonous to humans and should not be used for "wax moth control except by those fully- experienced in their use and who have the necessary facilities of airtight rooms and respirators.

In addition to being poisonous carbon disulphide is also highly inflammable and the vapour it gives off is explosive when mixed with air.

For general use in the small home apiary para-dichlorobenzene (or more commonly P.D.8.) is quite effective for destroying adult moths ; and larvae. It will not destroy the eggs and therefore 1 ;: stored combs treated with it should be inspected every 3 to 4 weeks when moths are active and the fumigant renewed where necessary. Para-dichlorobenzene is . a white crystalline substance which changes slowly into a heavier-than-air gas. The gas is not unpleasant to smell and is not injurious to humans at the concentrations obtained when it is used as directed. To obtain the best results with this ' fumigant the combs to be stored should be placed in good, sound supers free from holes or cracks and the: supers stacked as tightly as possible, the cracks between being covered -with gummed paper strips. Method of Using P.D.B. Because the gas given off by paradichlorobenzene is heavier than*' air, the crystals should be placed on . the top of the frames of the top super. Two to 3 tablespoons . of the • crystals placed on a piece of cardboard or paper to prevent contact with the combs will be sufficient for up to 6 supers of combs. The lid should fit closely and the bottom super should rest on several layers of newspaper or

sacking so that the gas cannot escape easily. It the supers are stacked where mice are prevalent, queen excluders placed at the top and bottom of the stack will prevent mice from gaining entry at these points. ■ Since the gas given off by para-dichlorobenzene is non-poisonous, the combs can be stored and treated in any available storage space without risk of fire or harm to the beekeeper. ' -- ■ - The crystals volatise much more rapidly and are much more effective at temperatures of 70 degrees F. and over than at lower temperatures. Stored combs should be inspected at intervals of not more than 2 to 3 weeks and where the crystals have evaporated fresh supplies of the fumigant should be placed in position. Careless handling or excessive use of this chemical in the treatment of bee combs for control of wax moth may cause serious contamination of honey subsequently stored in them. The combs should be thoroughly dry and free of all traces of honey when stored under fumigation. They should not be returned to the bees until they have been thoroughly aired by being stood outside in the open for at least 3 days.