Winter Work for the Domestic Beekeeper

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 98, Issue 4, 15 April 1959, Page 363

Winter Work for the Domestic Beekeeper

By

D. A. BRISCOE,

Apiary Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Tauranga

/“\NCE all outside work in the apiary is finished the domestic beekeeper should repair and renovate equipment in preparation for the next honey season. To ensure long service from. supers they should be well painted and properly stored to protect them from wind and rain. Equipment left lying round the apiary not only looks untidy but deteriorates very rapidly. With the increasing use of exotic timbers for beekeeping woodware beekeepers should be aware of the need to use a suitable timber preservative, and for this they are advised .to use only good lead and oil paint. QUITE often domestic beekeepers use creosote or other 'Similar tar derivatives to preserve supers and hive parts. This practice is not recommended because fumes from creosote during hot weather can be absorbed by the honey within the hives. When this occurs the honey becomes tainted and objectionable for human consumption. Fumes from creosote can also distress the bees and in some instances will drive them from the hive. Checking of Bee Combs All bee combs should be checked, and damaged ones or combs containing a lot of drone cells should be rendered down and the beeswax salvaged. This is done by breaking the combs into fairly small pieces and dropping, them into a tin or bucket of water kept simmering over a small fire or stove. Care should be taken that the material does not boil too vigorously, as it tends to boil over very easily. This material should be kept well agitated while it is boiling. After being allowed to boil for some time it can be left to cool, or if desired, the wax can be poured into a small mould while it is still hot. Examination of Extracting Equipment It is also advisable during winter to examine all extracting equipment. Honey extractors can deteriorate very quickly if they are not thoroughly cleaned and dried after use. Once rust starts, especially in the baskets of the machine, it is difficult to arrest and this sometimes can prove very costly. Honey tanks should be cleaned, dried, and then left turned upside down while not in use to prevent them accumulating dust and dampness. The honey knife and strainers should also be examined and put away carefully.

Increasing Hives If an increase in the number of hives is contemplated for the coming year, now is the time to prepare additional equipment. Every endeavour should be made to have four supers complete with frames and foundation for each hive. This material is usually bought in the “flat” or unassembled. Though the assembling of such material is straightforward enough, care should be taken to ensure that the supers fit neatly and squarely when placed together. The frames should be check nailed with one nail through the top bar and into the end bar and the second nail through the end bar and into the end of the top bar (see illustration on page 363). This is a very satisfactory way of nailing a frame and ensures a joint that will not readily pull apart. , At this stage the frames could be wired, but it would be advisable to leave fitting of the comb foundation and embedding of the wire until the weather becomes warmer and the wax becomes more pliable. Loss of foundation through breakages is then kept to a minimum. Building Standard Equipment Though good standard hive equipment is available from different firms, some beekeepers prefer to make their own hive parts.

It cannot be too strongly stressed that all equipment manufactured by the beekeeper should be built to standard specifications. Home-made appliances often do not 'fit neatly or are not square and are very difficult to use. The resale value of such material is also affected, as few beekeepers will tolerate material of this kind. Correct measurements for all types of apiary woodware can be obtained from the local Apiary Instructor. Making a Solar Wax Extractor A useful and inexpensive device for extracting wax on a comparatively small scale is the solar wax extractor, which utilises the sun’s heat to melt the wax. It consists fundamentally of a box with the top covered with glass. The woodwork should be substantial and well made so that it will withstand and retain the sun’s heat. The box should be about 5 ft 3 in. long and 2 ft 8 in. wide. The depth should not exceed about 4| in. A sheet of flat iron is placed on the floor of the box and turned up at the sides. For the top a sash is made and fitted with two sheets of glass with a 1 in. space between them. At one end of the box a trough about 8 in. wide and 3 in. deeper than the floor of the box is fitted into which' the melted wax can run and be allowed to accumulate. Alternatively a small round opening can be made in the end of the box to

allow the wax to run from the tray out into a small receptacle or mould placed on the outside of the extractor. This method is quite satisfactory provided a cover of some sort is placed over the melted wax, as this hot wax attracts searching or robbing bees. Siting of Extractor The extractor should be placed in a well sheltered and sunny position and tilted at an angle of about 30 degrees toward the sun so that it will receive the maximum sunshine. A piece of clean sacking is placed on the flat iron and the comb or wax to be melted is laid on the sacking. As the wax melts it will run down into the trough (or out into a mould if this method is used), and the propolis or other rubbish commonly called “slumgum” will be left behind on the sacking. When a solar wax extractor is used, it is seldom necessary to refine the wax further, as usually all foreign, matter is left on the sacking within the extractor. If a fair amount of wax is to be handled in this way, a supply of good sacking will be necessary and frequent changes are advised.