BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
Much wax extracting can be done with a simple milk strainer and a saucepan. The strainer should be about 8 in. in diameter and have a wire netting bottom and sloping sides. The lower part of the strainer should fit into the saucepan, the upper part being supported clear of it. Put water in the saucepan, affix the strainer, put the combs in the latter, and put a cover (that of the saucepan if it fits) over the top of the strainer. The whole is then put on the range, where the water is brought to the boil; the steam will rise through the strainer, and melt the wax, which passes through to the water underneath, leaving any dirt or refuse in the strainer. When all the wax is extracted, the water is poured into a basin, and the wax, when cool, will be found in a cake on top.
This is very simple and inexpensive, and is on the same principle as the Gerster extractor, except that the wax does not there come into contact with boiling water.
The solar extractor produces the best quality of wax. It can be used only in the summer when the sun is hot, but then it works of itself, and costs nothing. It is a well-known physical fact that glass is a trap for heat--that is, apparently it lets it in, but will not let it out again. To be more exact, it permits of the passage of luminous rays of heat, but not of opaque. The direct raysof the sun are luminous, but those which are radiated from a comparatively dull substance are opaque. For instance, in a greenhouse the heat is found to be very much more oppressive than in the hottest place outside. This principle is utilised in the solar extractor (Fig. 125). The appliance consists of a box formed with a sloping top like a desk, the top being glazed with a double thickness of glass as shown by Fig. 126. The dimensions may vary considerably, but those given in Fig. 125 will make a very useful and practicable size, namely, length, 20 in. ; breadth, 12 in. ; height at back, 12 in. ; at front, 6 in.
It should be made of very sound and dry stuff, preferably yellow pine, and it would be well to dovetail it together at the corners. The bottom should be grooved and tongued at the joint, or else made of one piece of wood. It would be a great improvement to line the whole structure with tinplate, which would ensure its being wax-tight. The top consists of a frame of 2 in. by 1 in. stuff mortised together at the corners, and rebated to take the glass, the rebate being \(\frac{3}{4}\) in. by 1 in. The glass is to be placed in a slight bedding of soft putty, and then a strip \(\frac{3}{4}\) in. by \(\frac{1}{4}\) in. is to be tacked to the frame close up to the glass ; the other glass is then to be put in a similar bedding of putty,
Figure 125: Solar Wax Extractor.
and another strip tacked on over all. The object is to have the glass air-tight in the frame, and this can easily be secured by a judicious use of putty or white lead. The frame may now be attached to the box by means of a couple of hinges at the back, and two hooks in front will keep it down close.
A tinplate shelf or tray is now to be made, the length of the inside, and approaching within an inch or so of the front.
Three sides of this shelf are to be turned up for 1 in., as also the corners, to get a touch of solder. Tray supports are now to be affixed to the inside. If the box is lined with tinplate, these supports would take the form of pieces of tinplate soldered to the ends, and turned up at right angles, like L iron. If, however, the extractor is not lined, strips of wood tacked against the ends would do. The tray is to slope slightly forward so that the wax will run into the receptacle placed in front for it. The strips which support it will be placed about half-way up the ends.
136_Beehips and Bee KEEpers' Appliances_.
Over the tray there is a sieve of tinned wire netting, bound with tin, on which the combs to be converted into wax are placed. This sieve is 4 in. from the tray, supported with tinplate strips standing edgeways across it. The tinned edges should be turned up for 1 in. to catch the comb and prevent it from slipping off.
The box to catch the wax underneath is as long as will fit between the tray supports, and may be as wide as the extractor, or any less width. It is made of tinplate with a wired top, and is, of course, water- and wax-tight. Care should be taken that the fluid wax will all flow into the receptacle placed for it, and not flow over its ends where it is not wanted.
A convenient stand for the solar extractor is shown by Fig. 127. To make it, get two pieces of wood 2 ft. long by 2 in. square, and halve them together in the middle. Now get another piece 15 in. long by 3 in. square, and round the upper end for a distance of about 3 in. to in. in diameter; then cut the lower part to fit over the junction of the cross pieces, and fix it to them with one long spike driven from underneath, and some smaller nails at the sides, having it at right angles to the cross pieces.
The revolving top to the stand (see Fig. 128) may next be taken in hand; it may be any convenient size, and about 3 in. thick. The most important item in its construction is the boring of the hole, which is in. in diameter, and should be exactly at right angles to the upper surface. It is countersunk on top, so that the washer and
is given in Fig. 130, consists of four parts : (1) the boiler ; (2) the steamer ; (3) the comb basket ; (4) the cover, or lid. It is hard to dish the covers to a nice curve without special tools and blocks ; and, consequently, it is better to buy a saucepan cover for a few pence and make the other parts of any piece of apparatus to suit the cover. Supposing that the cover is 10 in. in diameter, the boiler and steamer can be made the same size.
The boiler can be taken in hand first. It is advisable to make it of copper, as it is then far more lasting. If, however, tinplate is used, on no account should acid be employed as a flux for the solder, as it would soon eat its way through the plates. The boiler may vary much in height, but 5 in., as shown in Fig. 130, is suitable.
The pipe a allows the height of the water in the boiler to be seen without taking off the steamer, which would be an awkward thing to do often. This pipe is about 1 in. in diameter, and has a cork or metal cap to cover the top. Instead of it a **U**-shaped piece of tin could be soldered over the hole in the boiler, and would be equally efficacious.
The steamer is of the same external diameter as the boiler. The bottom is in the form of a cone, of which a pattern is given by Fig. 131, and a rim of doubled tinplate is affixed to the lower edge, small enough to fit into the boiler. It is made just in the same manner as an ordinary vegetable steamer, which will be a good guide in its manufacture. The apex of the coned bottom has a hole cut in it, the edge is slightly turned up, and a 14-in. tinplate tube, 6 in. long, is soldered firmly to it. Another tube n is soldered into the side, as low down as possible, so that it will drain out all the contents of the steamer.
The comb basket is made of perforated tinplate, one hundred holes to the inch. The cylindrical part, 91 in. in diameter and 7 in. high, can first be made. It may be necessary to give a rule for cutting out the material for making hollow cylinders such as this : Multiply the diameter by 31, and add what is required to make the joint. If a plain overlapping joint is used, add the amount of lap ; but if a hooked joint is used, three times the length of the turned over parts should be added, usually about \(\sharp\) in. In the present case, a strip of perforated tinplate, 29\(\sharp\) in. by 7\(\lx@sectionsign\) in., will form the cylinder, the extra width being \(\lx@sectionsign\) in. for the wiring on top, and \(\ddagger\) in. to make the joint at the bottom.
The conical bottom of the basket has the same slope as that of the steamer ; the same pattern will do for both, except that the radius of the basket pattern may be \(\lx@sectionsign\) in. less. A perforated tinplate tube, similar to that in the steamer, but \(\ddagger\) in. larger, is fixed in the centre of the comb basket ; but, while the tube in the steamer is open
Figure 131: Pattern for Cylindrical Top of Boiler.
at both ends, that in the basket is closed on top with a piece of plain tinplate--the cover of a coffee canister does capitally.
Three legs of doubled tinplate are soldered, equidistant from each other, to the lower edges of the comb basket so as to keep the bottom 1'in. from that of the steamer. In Fig. 130 the three parts as drawn are separated from each other, but they would fit down into place in actual use.
To use the Gerster extractor, water is placed in the boiler, which is then put over a fire; the combs are smashed up and put in the comb basket, which is put into place, and the cover fits over all, and keeps in the steam. Presently, when the water begins to boil, the steam passes up through the centre tube of the steamer, hits against the closed top of the basket tube, and is disseminated through the combs, which it soon reduces to a fluid state. The wax and condensed steam run through the tube d into a vessel placed for their reception, while the dirt and refuse remain in the comb basket. In Fig. 130, a and d indicate the pipes; B the boiler; c the comb basket; and s the steamer.
The basket can be cleaned by a liberal application of hot water in which washing soda has been dissolved, and the point of a brush will take out any stubborn pieces of dirt.
All pieces of apparatus should be kept scrupulously clean.
**bee keepers' miscellaneous**.
This, the concluding chapter, will concern itself with a number of appliances more or less indispensable to the bee keeper.
A bee feeder which has two wooden floats is shown in plan by Fig. 132, and in vertical section
by Fig. 133. First make a wooden box of any size up to 14 in. long by 8 in. wide by 4 in. deep. At a distance of \({{a}\over{1\cdot{\xi}}}\) in. from the top, run round the sides and one end a groove as shown at a (Figs. 133 and 134), into which the glass cover will slide freely ; then at one end fix a partition c with 1-in. clearance at the bottom b (Fig. 133) and up to the glass at the top. At d (Figs. 132 and 133) cut a
Figure 132: Plan of Float Bee Feeder. Figs. 133 and 134. Sections of Bee Feeder.
Figure 133: First make a wooden box of any size up to 14 in. long by 8 in. wide by 4 in. deep. At a distance of \({{a}\over{1\cdot{\xi}}}\) in. from the top, run round the sides and one end a groove as shown at a (Figs. 133 and 134), into which the glass cover will slide freely ; then at one end fix a partition c with 1-in. clearance at the bottom b (Fig. 133) and up to the glass at the top. At d (Figs. 132 and 133) cut a
turned to the section shown in Fig. 137. It may be 6 or 7 in, across, and 1\(\frac{1}{2}\) in. high. The recess in the top is made to fit the 2 lb. screw-top bottles, which can be bought from all dealers in bee appliances. The top of the dome is turned to about \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. thick, a circle marked round while in the lathe with the corner of the chisel, and the slot \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. wide, cut out with a narrow chisel and penk knife.
The slot is to be no more than half a circle. The feeding bottle is then laid in place and holes pricked through its cap through the slot of the stand, with a darning-needle or fine awl.
These holes may be about a dozen in number, as may be inferred from Fig. 136. A tinplate pointer must be soldered to the cap, and numbers stamped on the stand corresponding to the number of holes open.
When the bottle is inverted, the syrup will not run out of the holes, owing to the air pressure and capillary attraction, but the bees can easily suck the syrup through them. The dome can be lined with cloth or chamois leather to keep it snug, but this is not an essential.
When a stand is required at a moment's notice, use a piece of pine 5 in. square, and tack a slip 1 in. wide and \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. thick'all round, as in Fig. 138.
Then cut a hole right through the top large enough to take a tin canister cover of the correct size, and then flange this over and secure it in place with a couple of tacks. Cut the slot in the tin and make the holes in the bottle cap as before, and the work is done. A pointer, of course, will be needed as before.
The Hone dummy feeder is shown in section by Fig. 139. A slit is cut in the dummy a to enable the bees to take the syrup, which is contained in an oblong tin box b with perforated edge placed at the back. The slot in the dummy is 6 in. long, and the tin box 8 in. by 5 in. by 2 in. ; twelve holes c are made along the lower edge opposite the slit, and a screw plug d and leather washer keep the hole through which the tin is filled perfectly tight. The
Figure 139.Section of Hone Dummy Feeder.
\(B_{EE}\)\(K_{EEPERS}\)\(M_{ISCELLANEOUS}\)\(Appliances.\) 145 tin is kept in place by two pieces of wood 2 in. by 5 in. by 4 in., nailed edgeways to the dummy, and two other pieces 5 in. by 1 in. by 1 in., nailed to the backs of these, so that 4 in. embraces the back of the tin. The whole works like the female portion of a slide. A small strip E underneath prevents the tin from going too low. If the screw cap is an objection, it could be replaced by a tube and good cork, an indiarubber stopper being still better. For spring feeding, when only a small quantity of syrup is required to be given at a time, some of the holes in this feeder may be plugged up with wax.
The principal objection to the feeders shown by Figs. 135, 138, and 139 is that they must be frequently attended to, on account of the small quantity of syrup which they contain. This defect has been overcome in the American rapid feeders, of which there are many in the market. The float feeder, the first appliance described in this chapter, is also free from this defect.
Fig. 140 is a general view and Fig. 141 a cross section of one of these American rapid feeders. It consists of a trough holding about 10 lbs. of syrup. This is supported over the brood nest by the ends and a pair of supplementary sides, which allow the bees free access to the top of the trough without permitting them to escape, a thin board acting as a cover. The vertical lines in Fig. 141 in
Figure 140: Rapid Bee Feeder.
dicate a sort of ladder made of very thin wood, its object being to prevent the bees being drowned in the trough.
To make this feeder, two pieces of clean pine 1012 in. by \(4^{3}_{4}\) in. by 1 in. are prepared for the ends. Rebates 18 in. wide by \(\lx@sectionsign\) in. deep are then cut round three sides of each. Two pieces 14 in. by \(3^{1}_{4}\) in., and one 14 in. by \(9^{3}_{4}\) in. by \(\lx@sectionsign\) in., are got for the sides and bottom of the trough. This may be now completed by nailing the sides and bottom to the rebated parts of the ends forming a trough 81 in. wide and \(3^{1}_{4}\) in. deep, and with the ends projecting \(\frac{3}{8}\) in. beyond the sides and bottom. The outer sides, which are \(14^{3}_{4}\) in. by \(4^{3}_{4}\) in. by \(\lx@sectionsign\) in., are now nailed to the projecting parts of the ends, which will leave a space of \(\lx@sectionsign\) in. between the sides of the trough and these outer sides. If the whole structure be now laid upon a table, it will be found that the bottom of the trough is \(\lx@sectionsign\) in. from the surface of the table. A partition is now placed 1 in. from the end of the trough to form a filling space. This partition is pierced with \(\lx@sectionsign\) in. holes, so that when the syrup is poured into the smaller compartment, it will run into the larger, which can thus be filled without removing its cover. The cover is made of \(\lx@sectionsign\) in. stuff of such a size as to cover the larger compartment, that is, \(10^{1}_{2}\) in. by 13 in., and two little cleats are put on to prevent it from warping.
If an examination is now made, it will be found that the bees can crawl up between the inner and outer sides of the feeder and over the side of the trough into the food. A careful examination at this stage will show the course the bees will take ; and if any passage is less than \(\lx@sectionsign\) in., it should be enlarged. The top edge of the trough will evidently be \(\lx@sectionsign\) in. lower than the sides of the feeders and the under surface of the cover. The bees could at this stage find their way into the smaller or filling compartment through small
side dividers will, when in place, be \(\sharp\) in. from the sides of the trough, being kept so far away by similar blocks. To prevent the ladder from floating in the syrup, a couple of little wooden buttons attached to the sides of the trough can be turned over it, while two strips \(\sharp\) in. thick are tacked to the bottom of the trough on the inside to enable the syrup to flow freely to every part. This is an excellent feeder. It takes the place of the section crate, but of course is only suitable for use in the autumn, when stocks have to be fed up rapidly before the winter.
A self-hiver for conducting a surplus swarm from its old quarters to a new hive is of the greatest advantage. That shown by Fig. 142 is known as the Bennett, and its position with reference to the hives must first be understood. One of the hives shown contains the stock of bees which is expected to swarm, while the other is the empty hive containing frames, foundation, quilts, and possibly comb and honey, into which it is desired to lead the swarm. The inventor has described as follows how this useful appliance is made :- First get a thin board of \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. stuff 2 ft. long and 6 in. wide (any size can be adopted at the dis
Figure 142: Bennett's Self-hiver.
cretion of the maker). Obtain also a piece of queen excluder zinc, same length as the board, and 9 in. wide, and bend 13 in. on each side, along the whole length of the zinc, and tack the bottoms of the bent sides along the edges of the board.
Nail along each of these sides a thin strip of wood 4 in. wide, so forming a sort of square tunnel--2 ft. long, 6 in. wide, and 14 in. deep, with both ends open, and a sort of miniature alighting board along its sides. Place an empty hive in front of the one expected to swarm, draw apart the slides to form an entrance 6 in. wide, and put the cage
or tunnel on the entrance board of each hive, the open ends of the cage being in front of the entrances of both hives.
With regard to the practical working of the Bennett self-hiver, one bee keeper reports that it did splendidly, the swarm settling down quietly in its new home. In another case the swarm went off, leaving the queen in the tunnel vainly trying to follow. When she found that she could not leave, she returned to the parent hive, and the swarm joined her there. When the same swarm issued again, and the queen tried to get through the excluder zinc, the owner removed the empty hive and tunnel, and stopped up the open end of
Figure 143: Alley's Self-hiver.
the latter with paper, so that the queen had per-force to enter the empty hive. The swarm soon joined her there, and took to their new quarters readily.
Alley's self-hiver (Fig. 143) is on the same principle, the only difference being that the tunnel leads to another hive at the side of the swarming one, instead of in front.
It does not promise, however, as well as Bennett's, there being so many corners and angles in it.
A swarm catcher for a beehive is shown in front view by Fig. 144, and in section by Fig. 145, in which a is the beehive, the swarm catcher being attached to it by means of two iron plates with screws at c. B is the alighting board of the hive. The swarm catcher p consists of a box made to
Figure 144: Front View of Swarm Catcher.
\(\hat{B}_{EE}\)\(K_{EEPEERS}\)\({}^{\dagger}\)\(M_{NSCELLANEOUS}\). 151 take three standard frames E (Fig. 145), which are fitted with full sheets of brood foundation.
The bottom of the catcher is extended about 3 in. in advance of the front, as shown at F (Fig. 145), to form an alighting board for the swarm. A hole
\(\hat{\alpha}\) about 6 in. by 4 in. is cut in the front of the catcher, and is covered
Figure 146: Hive Entrance with Flexible Springs.
Figure 145: Section of Swarm Catcher.
and a slot, 7 in. long by $ in. wide, is cut in the bottom at n. Two triangular pieces i (Fig. 145) are cut to the shape shown, and nailed to the bottom of the catcher on each side at j (Fig. 144), and the space between them is covered with ex-cluder zinc k (Figs. 144 and 145). A lid l is fitted to the top of the catcher to keep in the swarm and to keep the bees dry in case of rain.
The method of working this catcher is as follows:--When the swarm issues through the flight hole m, the workers pass through the ex-cluder zinc k, but as the queen cannot pass this,
she walks up k and passes through n into the catcher, where the bees forming the swarm join her. In the evening the parent hive is moved about a yard away, and the combs in the catcher are put into a new hive with the swarm, together with four more combs, one of which should, if possible, contain brood.
In some swarm catchers the bottom slots of the excluder zinc n (Figs. 144 to 140) are cut away, and a number of very flexible brass springs are fixed across the entrance, to enable the workers to enter the hive without hindrance when returning home loaded with pollen. The arrangement of these will be clear from Fig. 146, in which m
Figure 147: Pipe-cover Queen Bee Cage.
indicates the entrance to the hive, x the excluder zinc, b the alighting board, o the springs, and N the entrance under the excluder zinc.
. Queen cages are often a necessity ; the simplest of them is, perhaps, the pipe-cover queen cage, shown by Fig. 147. It can be made as follows :-- Get a strip of tinplate 6\({}^{1}_{2}\) in. long and 1 in. wide ; make it into a ring and solder the ends together.
Obtain a circular piece of wire gauze or perforated tinplate, 2 in in diameter, and solder it on as a top, and the cage is complete.
A disadvantage of this cage is that the bees must be disturbed in releasing the queen. This difficulty is overcome in the cage shown by Fig. 148. It consists of a rectangular cage, formed of perforated tinplate or wire gauze. Its dimensions are : Length, 4 in. or 5 in. ; width, 1\({}^{1}_{2}\) in. ; thickness, 1\({}^{1}_{2}\) in. A piece of metal, 3\({}^{1}_{2}\) in. wide and as long as the cage, bent over a piece of wood 1\({}^{1}_{2}\) in. by 1\({}^{1}_{2}\) in., will just make it. A flange is then made
Figure 148: Another Type of Queen Cage.
of plain tinplate for the top. This may be about 21\(\!\!\) in. by 11\(\!\!\) in., having a hole 11\(\!\!\) in. by 1\(\!\!\) in. in its centre, into which the cage fits and is soldered, leaving a little bit projecting at the back, which is turned over a pin and acts as a hinge for the top door. This may now be made of tinplate 11\(\!\!\) in. by 3\(\!\!\) in.--a hinge formed at the back by turning up the tinplate over a fine piece of wire or a pin, and fitted to the part of the cage projecting above the flange.
A door for the bottom can be made of wire, bent into the form of Fig. 149, the two wires being 1\(\!\!\) in. apart, and the distance being 11\(\!\!\) in. from centre to centre of the loops, that is, from the single loop at the left to the line joining
the pair of loops to the right. This door may now be fastened to the cage by passing a pin through the lower right-hand corner of the cage, so as also to pass through the two loops of the door. Some provision should be made, either by washers or a couple of twists of fine wire, to keep the door in the centre of the cage; otherwise it might move against the side, and allow the bees to have access to the imprisoned queen. A light wire hooked on to the front loop, and passing with slight friction through a hole in the flange, completes the cage. The queen is released by pressing down this wire, which projects about an inch above the flange,and ends in a loop.
Driving irons are shown by Figs 150 and 151. It would be advisable to make a great number of sets, as they are easily lost. They are made of wire nearly 1\(\frac{1}{4}\) in. thick ; the loops in Fig. 150 are 9 in. apart, and the ends about 1\(\frac{1}{2}\) in. long, roughly pointed with a file. About 20 in. of wire are required for the form shown by Fig. 150, and two