The bees in the top of the hive will not have been warned of your approach and will not have their honey stomach filled with honey. After removing the outer cover, puff a little smoke into the hole in the inner cover.

By all means, a bee smoker must be on hand before any operations around the colony are attempted. The smoke causes the bees to fear that the colony is going to be destroyed by fire and they rush into their hive to gorge themselves with honey preparatory to flight. Bees, like men, are much more docile with a full stomach than an empty one.

Taking off outer cover

Prying up inner cover

Removing the super

Prying apart and removing comb

A puff or two of full rich smoke at the entrance, followed by similar puffs over the frames of the hive as top or supers are removed, is a great aid in keeping bees gentle and facilitates handling the colony without getting stung. But use a minimum of smoke, just enough to subdue the colony; with an occasional puff or two over the tops of the frames as you proceed with the examination.

Many beginners find tools like the smoker and the hive tool in the way when not in use. Notice in this picture how the hive tool is held in the hand yet still leaves the fingers free for manipulation of the brood frames. Holding the hive tool in this manner keeps it handy and ready to use and does away with groping around in the grass trying to find the hive tool when you want it.

If there is a super on your colony of bees, puff smoke on the frames in the super after removing the inner cover. Always remember that a little smoke will go a long way.

After removing the super you are down to the brood nest of the colony. Smoke the top of the brood frames and put your smoker where it is handy. You are now ready to work the colony.

Too much smoke or too hot a blast is apt to make the colony "run" even to the point of all congregating on the front of the hive and in the air around it.

Rolled corrugated paper, clean burlap sacks or partly rotted wood make good smoker fuel. They ignite easily and give a comparatively heavy, cool smoke.

Other Equipment

For a single colony or two of bees, perhaps no removal equipment is needed, though an inner cover between the top of the frames and the cover is desirable. It has a hole in its center into which can be fitted a bee escape, thus serving as an escape board to be placed between the full supers of honey and the hive body itself when honey is to be removed. The bees run down through the escape into the body of the hive and cannot return to the super.

For the producer of extracted honey, an uncapping knife for cutting away the capping surface of the comb is necessary. These knives are made in various styles, either plain or steam or electrically heated. Likewise honey extractors for whirling the honey from the comb after it has been uncapped may be had in a wide range of sizes.