Fig. 41.—Fastening starter of comb foundation in frame. (Original.)
It is particularly important that the sheets of foundation be well fastened, for if one edge breaks loose with the weight of the bees it will crumple down in such a way as not only to ruin that comb, or rather to prevent the building of a good comb in the frame in question, but also very likely in the adjoining frames if they have not been previously built out; and in this case damage will probably result to them. To prevent bulging of the comb it is also essential that the sheets of foundation, if not wired, be narrower than the inside depth of the frame and shorter than its inside length. A full inch of space should be allowed between the bottom bar and the sheet of foundation, and a half inch at each end for two-thirds of the way up.
Fig. 42.—Spur wire-embedder. (From Gleanings.)
With these precautions swarms may even be hived on full sheets of foundation without wiring the frames: but the practice will probably continue of using starters, chiefly in the case of swarms, and, when full sheets are employed, of alternating them with combs already built out. Some prefer to wire the frames even though it is considerable trouble, for the combs require less attention while in process of construction and are firmer for shipping, for use in the extractor, or for any other manipulation. Three or four horizontal wires will suffice. No. 30 annealed tinned wire is the preferable size and quality. The end bars of the frame are pierced by four holes, the first 1 inch below the top bar. A small tack secures the end of the wire, which is then passed back and forth and drawn up so as to leave no slack. The four horizontal wires, 2 inches apart, will be sufficient to render combs quite secure. After fastening the foundation to the top bar in the usual way the wires are embedded in the wax by a spur embedder, which is a small wheel with grooved teeth ([fig. 42]). Where large numbers of frames are to be wired a current of electricity from a small battery will do the work more neatly and quickly than the spur embedder.
The disadvantages of wiring frames are, first, its expense, caused chiefly by the time employed in doing it; and second, the fact that wherever the wire does not get embedded into the midrib of the foundation, as is sure to happen in many cases, the rearing of brood is interfered with, and also, under the methods employed by the majority in wintering, moisture is very likely to cause the combs to cleave from the wires, whereupon the bees are disposed to gnaw the combs away from the wires in spots and not rebuild them.
These disadvantages, except that of expense, are overcome by incorporating fine wire in the sheets of foundation when they are rolled. The sheets are trimmed with wooden shears, which leave the ends of the wires projecting. These are then glued to the bars of the frame. The added expense is again the main objection, except to those who wish to ship colonies or nuclei, or transport them from place to place for pasturage.
COMB-FOUNDATION MACHINES.
The first attempts to give bees outlines of cells as a basis for comb building were made in Germany. The top bars of the frames were coated on the underside with beeswax, and a strip of wood having the outlines of bees' cells cut on it was then pressed against this wax so as to form a guide which should lead the bees to build their combs within the frames. This was only a comb guide, but was succeeded by small strips of wax having the outlines of bees' cells pressed on them by hand, a block of wood being engraved for this purpose. The general use of comb foundation, especially of the full sheets, was only made possible through the improved means of manufacturing it developed in the United States. The slow process of hand stamping was succeeded by its rapid production on machines, the essential feature of which is two engraved cylinders between which the warm sheet of wax is made to pass ([fig. 43]).
