MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

60 DR. MILLER SDrone-comb is made up of cells that measure four to the inch.Generally you will find where the change is made from one kind tothe other there will be a few irregular cells, called transition cells,Then there is also the queen-cell, still larger than either of theother kinds, measuring three to the inch. More nearly correct itis to say that a queen-cell is a third of an inch in diameter, foryou never find a piece of comb made up entirely of queen-cells.Generally each queen-cell is by itself; and even if you find severalqueen-cells apparently close in a group, you will not find threesuch cells in the compass of an inch.Combs Breaking.—Q. My bees are doing nicely now, but Ihave trouble with combs of honey breaking and dropping down,caused by the heat. I have covers on all the hives, but the sunstrikes the hive front. Is there any remedy for this?A. The probability is that two things were responsible for thetrouble. One was that the entrance of the hive was too small,giving the bees too little chance for ventilation. The other wasthat there was too little chance for circulation of air about thehive ; buildings, trees, or bushes preventing a free movement ofair. Years ago I had combs melt down in a hive—I think I neverhad them melt down in any other case—and the sun never shoneon the front of the hive, nor any other part of the hive. Thehive stood in a very dense shade, a thicket of bushes on one side,and tall corn on the other. The entrance was not very large, butI think the combs would not have melted if the hive had stoodout in the sun all day long, provided there had been full chancefor the breeze.Combs, Preserving.—Q. (a) Does it injure empty extractingcombs to keep them where the temperature goes below freezing?(b) If not, would it be safe to stack then up in the yard witha sheet of heavy tarred paper between each super?A. (a) The combs may be slightly cracked with very hardfreezing, but that is a small matter compared with the advantagethat freezing kills all the beemoth, their larvae, and even theireggs. I should, certainly prefer to have the combs exposed tofreezing all winter.(b) That will be all right.Combs, Moldy.—Q. If empty drawn combs remain in the hivesall summer, and the hives are clean, is there danger of the combsbecoming moldy? If such hives were not used, would you closeup the entrances to keep out moths?A. No danger of mold unless you keep the combs in a cellar