70. Although it is universally conceded to be somewhat more difficult for the beginner beekeeper to produce section comb honey than it is extracted or bulk comb honey, in any event the production of section comb honey requires the purchase of much less expensive initial equipment. Where extracted honey is to be produced, after the hives and supers have been purchased, a honey extractor is, of course, an absolute necessity. This is a machine (see illustration 52) consisting of a tank drained from the bottom through a honey gate and containing metal baskets into which uncapped combs of honey may be placed and whirled around by the application of power through gears. In extracting honey, frames of sealed honey taken from the supers are uncapped by slicing off the thin cappings of honeycomb, leaving all of the cells open. These uncapped frames are then placed in the extractor which whirls them around in a circle and the force exerted by this whirling throws the honey out of the combs against the inside of the can. The combs may then be reversed so the honey may be thrown from both sides of the midrib of the comb and the empty combs may then be returned to the bees for filling up again if additional comb room is needed at that time. Extractors are rather expensive equipment for beekeepers to purchase where only a small number of colonies of bees are kept. We recommend the two-frame hand power extractor for anyone who is going to operate not more than 100 colonies of bees.

71. As the combs are uncapped some receptacle must be provided into which the cappings may fall and which will not only contain them until uncapping is over with, but will allow the honey cut with the cappings to drain off. Some find a simple homemade appliance such as half a barrel with a heavy reinforced wire screen for a bottom to be satisfactory. Some substitute an empty hive body with a screen bottom for the half barrel. A stick may be nailed across the top of the body or barrel to support the frame while uncapping. A factory made cappings melter is preferable when much extracting is to be done. This is a type of equipment where the cappings fall onto a surface heated by a water jacket below, thus immediately separating the honey and the cappings. These drain into a smaller container and the wax being lighter than honey will float to the top and will rapidly cool off into a cake which may then be removed by the beekeeper.

1. What is the most important gain in using "standard" equipment?

2. How many supers should be on hand to insure a maximum crop of extracted honey? Comb honey?

3. What type of equipment has the highest resale value?

4. Why should full sheets of bee comb foundation be used in the brood frames? In the comb honey sections?

5. What items of equipment are necessary for commercial extracted honey production that are not needed for comb honey?

6. Why should hives be painted when used outdoors?

7. The beeway section is most popular of all styles sold in this country.

Name three reasons.

8. What is the principal thing to avoid in nailing up hives and hive parts?

Is any particular style of nails best?

9. What style of supers are best adapted to the production of bulk comb honey?

10. Which style of supers are interchangeable with brood nest bodies?

11. What principal reason has caused certain types of hives to be called "standard" in this country?

12. Why is it important to eliminate drones in stimulating colonies to build up fast?

13. What is the principle of the honey extractor that causes it to empty uncapped combs of honey?

14. What are storage tanks used for in commercial extracted honey production ?

15. What are the necessary tools for handling bees?

16. What types of hives can be obtained most readily from all dealers in beekeeping supplies?

17. Name two reasons for using an extra hive body with each colony.

18. Why should thin super foundation be used in shallow frames intended for bulk comb honey production?

19. Name the parts of the hive that are of equal value in the production of comb or extracted honey.

20. What is the proper season of the year for the purchase and assembly of equipment ? Why?

Fig. 27-Colonies in standard hives should all be in 2-story hives not less than eight weeks previous to a honey flow. The two bodies furnish an ideal arrangement for food and egg-laying room.

Fig. 29-The queen going about her business of egg laying. Note tne nine worker bees with their heads pointed towards her. Such a scene is often observed with Italian bees when thev are handled carefully. Photo by Dadant.

Fig. 28-The best feeder in the world. Five full depth Hoffman frames of honey placed in a hive body and given to each colony in the spring is the best investment you can make. Photo from Lang-stroth on the Honey Bee.

Fig. 30-Handle the queen with care or the bees will kill her when she is released. Practice this on a few drones first. Photo by Dadant.

Fig. 31-The apiary of J. H. Paarman, Davenport, Iowa. No, it's not winter time, but after the soft maple trees were in bloom when these bees were set out of the cellar. The brood is in the top story of each hive where the tar paper and newspaper help the bees keep it warm.

Building Bees Up To Maximum Strength

1. Relation of fall work to spring management.

a. Much spring work indicates poor management the previous fall.

b. Conditions needed in spring can all be provided with reasonable accuracy the fall before.

c. Neglect to provide properly in fall can only be partially made up in spring work.

2. Colony requirements in spring.

d. Vigorous queen.

e. Three of four pounds of vigorous worker bees.

f. Abundance of stores remaining in the hive after winter, or stored where readily available.

g. Adequate worker comb room for egg laying of queen.

3. Cellar wintering and its effects on spring management.

h. Remove bees from cellar at opportune time for ideal weather conditions and avoid drifting and robbing.

i. Check colonies light in stores for immediate feeding and examination for queenlessness. j. Cellar-wintered colonies need additional hive body at time they are removed from cellar.

4. Management of outdoor-wintered colonies.

k. Avoid disturbing packing until settled weather.

1. Temporarily remove protection for examination and feeding of colonies not adequately provided for previous fall, m. Make sure outdoor-wintered colonies have adequate room for rapid expansion of brood nest.