MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

THOUSAND ANSWERS 233allow a quarter-inch space for ventilation at the back rnd. WhenI don't want that ventilation I tack on the super at the back enda strip as long as the width of the hive, or the super, and aboutseven-eighths by one-half. That makes the super long enough soit covers entirely the opening at the top of the hive. The superbeing made just as wide as the hive, of course it will be widerfor a 10-frame hive than for an 8-frame hive.Q. Do you use springs with the "T" super? If so, how many,what kind, and how?A. I use a single spring in each super, crowded in between thefollower and the side of the super. It is the common superspringsold by supply dealers, in shape something like the ellipticof a buggy.Q. I think you spoke of driving the bent staples in level withthe wood. If I understand it rightly, the T-tins are supported justthe thickness of the staples above the bottom of the super. Am Iright?A. The idea is to get the bottoms of the sections as nearly aspossible on a level with the bottom of the super, but in actualpractice that will vary, for in bending over and driving down thestaple it will be sometimes embedded in the wood.Q. Are the thin strips of wood better than an extra set oftins at top of the sections? I was under the impression that thetins were better.A. The wood strips leave propolis only at the corners of thesections, while "T" tins on top would invite lines of propolis atsome distance from the corners. The wood is probably easier toput in place, and it holds the sections square, while a "T" tin ontop would allow a little variation. Yet these differences do notamount to so very much.Super, Turned Over.—Q. Why wouldn't it be a good plan tohave the super so that you could turn it over? Wouldn't we getbetter filled sections?A. Supers have been ma'de to use in that way, but have nevercome into general use; perhaps because the advantage did not payfor the extra trouble.Supersedure.—Q. Is there any way to tell a supersedurequeen-cell from a swarming cell, during the swarming season?A. There is no difference between a supersedure-cell and aswarraing-cell, either in appearance or any other way. It may