MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

58 DR. miller'sthese unfinished sections are massed together and given Ijack tothe bees to be finished. At one time, when I used wide frames tohold sections, my practice was to raise a brood-comb from thebrood-chamber and put it between two frames of sections in theupper story, so as to induce the bees to begin work promptly. Itwas very successful in getting the bees to darken the capping ofthe sections, for they would carry bits of dark old brood-combacross to use on the sections, making them dark before ever thecapping was finished. You will probably find that a thin top-barwill help to darken sections, because it allows them to be nearerthe brood-combs. On that account a top-bar seven-eighths of aninch thick is desirable. You may also find more trouble with shallowbrood-combs than the deeper ones.The above refers to the color of the cappings. The honey itselfmay have been dark, perhaps honey-dew. There is no knownprocess to change its coloi". As to bleaching the surface, somehave reported success by simply exposing it to the light. A southexposure, allowing direct rays of the sun to shine upon the sectionswill work iiidre rapidls' than a north exposure, but care mustbe taken with a southern exposure, for in a place too confined,and with sections to6 near the glass, the heat might be so greatas to melt the comb.Comb Honey, Producing.—Q. Give the best method of workingfor comb-honey where the principal, and you might say all thehoney-flow, comes between May 1 and 15. (Arkansas.)A. The onh- special thing in such a case is to do your best tohave all colonies strong early enough for the harvest. You willfind that early in the season some colonies will be much strongerthan others, and that the weaker colonies will be ver^' slow aboutbuilding up. Suppose you have some colonies with eight framesof brood, some with seven, some with six, some with five, somewith four and others weaker still. You can take brood from anycolony that has more than five frames, enough to reduce it to fiveframes of brood. Xow, don't bestow that brood indiscriminatelyto the weaker colonies, but let the weakest wait till the last. Givea frame to each colony that has only four, and when these areall supplied, then help those that have only three, and so on. Ifall cannot be brought up in time, let it be the weakest ones thatare neglected.Comb Honey, Removing.—Q. Do you leave your comb honeyall on the hive until the honey season is over, or do you take itoff as fast as finished?