These must now be gently prised up from front to rear; this may be done with a small screw-driver or other stout instrument with a wedged end to go into the notches. They fit loosely so as to permit of a slight movement from back to front; a lateral or sideway movement might kill the queen, or, if not so fatal as that, might crush some of the bees and injure the brood combs, which must be carefully avoided. Of course much depends upon the nature of the operation that has to be performed, whether or no all the frames should be thus loosened. If it be for making artificial swarms, or for any purpose that requires an interview with her majesty, the whole of them must be loosened, because it may happen that all the combs have to be examined, sometimes twice over, before she can be discovered. Bees are very apt to build their combs in a slightly waving form, and in extracting one it will be needful to make room both for the comb and bees upon it to pass without scraping the next comb, and there will be a difficulty if the apiarian attempts to draw out one comb whilst the other frames are located in their appropriate places. Where a dummy frame is provided the operation becomes simple; but if there is none, let the operator gently proceed to lift, say, the third frame slightly nearer to the fourth frame (allowing it to lodge on the little block that divides the notches),[30] and the second nearer the third, so as to admit of sufficient space to lift out the end one. Very carefully and slowly he should lift the frame by taking hold, with thumb and finger, of the projecting shoulders that rest in the notch; and he must not let it touch or scrape the next frame or the sides of the hive, so as to crush, or irritate any bees.
[30] Many hives are now made without notches, so that it is necessary only to slide the frames.
After the end comb is thus removed it will be easy to extract the others, as there will now be plenty of room for drawing them out. If the bar-frame holder ([page 192]) is not at hand an empty hive of the same size will serve; and care should be taken that each comb occupies the same relative position that it did in the hive so that the same order may be afterwards retained when they are replaced.
In handling the frames it should be borne in mind that they are to be held perpendicularly. To gain a view of both sides of the comb when searching for the queen, or for any purpose requiring full inspection, the reverse side may, with a little dexterity in twirling the frame round, be brought to face the operator, without letting the comb break away by its own weight and so fall out of the frame, which it may do if allowed to deviate from its upright or downright position. If the beginner could see an experienced person perform the operation he would quickly understand how combs may thus be handled without any risk of a smash.
The bee-keeper should be on his guard not to tempt the avarice of bees by exposing honey, either in the comb or liquid, and also to be very tardy of opening frame hives in the spring or autumn. If needful to do so, soon after sunrise is the safest, because there will be few bees about, and the hive should be taken, if convenient, to a quiet corner of the garden, many yards away from the other hives, and what is requisite done speedily, so as not to expose the honey to the scent of a host of robbers, who will most unceremoniously pillage and cause a terrible commotion.
When replacing frames in the hive, care must be taken not to crush a bee, and on no account must the frame be let down with a jerk, or the insects will become exceedingly fierce; it should be so slowly deposited in its place that a bee on feeling the slightest pressure may be able to escape unhurt. The crown-board should be replaced by first resting its front edge along the back, and then sliding it forward, so that any bee upon it is pushed away instead of being crushed. Should the hive have its super on, the same directions may be followed. The super with its honey-board may be bodily taken away, and so placed and confined for a time that robber bees cannot find an entrance, and also be far enough from the apiarian to be out of danger of being broken or overturned by him.
It will be sometimes found, in cases in which the bees have not had sufficient storage-room, that they have carried their building operations outside and above the frames, or across from comb to comb. Such cells must be severed and the materials melted down for wax. There are also cases in which fine white combs of honey can be taken from the end frames of the stock hive; but probably not more than one comb could be removed in a season without impoverishing the bees.
§ XVI. EXTRACTING HONEY.
Those of our readers who prefer eating "run honey" to honey in the comb may be glad of some instruction as to the best method of separating the two. Beyond all question they will find this in the use of the honey-extractor ([page 193]), but in default of such, and for extracting honey from combs made in supers, the following should be the course pursued:—
Take a sharp knife, and slice the combs on both sides, keeping the knife parallel with the partition wall, so that every cell may be laid open. Place these broken combs in a sieve, or on a piece of muslin stretched across and tied round the opening of a pan or large-mouthed jar. Allow the honey to flow out of the combs spontaneously, and reserve the squeezing process for a separate jar, so that the honey of the first-drained jar may be perfectly pure, both in appearance and flavour. That which has pressure put on it will be waxy in flavour and thick. Some persons recommend that the opened combs be placed in the sun, as the heat will cause the honey to run more freely. The great disadvantage of this is the temptation the honey offers to bees, who will be eager to gain a share. Honey, whilst in the combs, keeps remarkably well when left in the supers; if cut out, the combs should be folded in writing paper, and sealed up, so as to effectually prevent the free entrance of air; they should then be placed in a warm dry closet.