BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
therefore are very little used. The principal objection to them is that one can not move the frames _can nosse_ or in groups, thus saving time in handling the broodest. The advantage of group handling is made more apparent under Frames, Manipulating.
## self-spacing frames--advantages
They give straight beautiful and regular combs; are practically free from burn-combs: can be hauled without any special preparation over the roughest roads, turned upside down, and rolled over without disturbing the combs. They permit, to a very great extent, the handling of hives instead of frames. Under Frames, Manipulating, is shown how they can be handled in pairs and trios--in fact, half a hive at a time. They can also be inverted, thus causing the combs to be built out solidly to the bottom-bar; and, when once completed, they can be restored to their normal upright condition. They can be handled as rapidly as the loose frame. Indeed, the late Mr. Julius Hoffman, of Canajoharie, N.Y., when owner of some 600 colonies on Hoffman frames, said he could work nearly double the number of colonies with his frame that he could with any frame not spaced or close-fitting, and he had used both styles of frames. But not every one will be able to do this; and very likely some people would handle them much more slowly than they could loose frames.
## self-spacing frames for small beekeepers
Whatever we may say regarding the adaptability of Hoffman frames for the expert, we feel sure that, in almost every instance, they are better for the beginner, average farmer bee-keeper, or any one who does not propose to make a specialty of the bee business, but desires to keep only a few colonies to supply himself and neighbors with honey. Such persons are apt to be a little careless, and, with ordinary loose unspaced frames, make bad spacing. It is seldom indeed that we have looked into the hives of this class of bee-keepers and found their loose frames properly spaced. In some instances the combs'ure so close together that opposite surfaces are gnawed down to give the bees sufficient space to pass between; and in others they are so far"apurt that small patches of comb are built between; because it is an invariable rule laid down in hive economy, on the part of the bees, not to leave more than proper bee-spaces. Now, then, whenever the Hoffman frame, or any standard self-spacing kind, is used, we always find the comb perfect; indeed, the self-spacing feature shows how far apart the combs should be placed.
## 6 Foul Brood
See Diseases of Bees.
## 7 Foundation
See Corn Foundation.
## 8 Frames
See Frames, Self-spacing, Reversing, and Hives.
Before we proceed to the general subject of handling frames, we will first consider the question of hive-seats and tools necessary for the work. First and all important is a smoker (see Smokers); next is some sort of hive-tool, which may be an ordinary screwdriver, a puty-knife with a stiff blade, or a special tool made for the purpose. The subjoined illustrations show a form of tool that has given general satisfaction among bee-keepers.
It is something that any blacksmith can make out of an old buggy-spring or any good piece of spring steel. It must not be tempered too hard or it will break. Each end should be flattened out while hot, and brought to an edge. One end is bent to a
palm in order that sufficient pressure may be exerted to shove the other or straight end between the two hive parts.
Either end of the tool may be used for separating Hoffman frames, or, in fact, any style of frame that one happens to use; but our men prefer the hook end. This is inserted between the frames to be separated; as shown in Fig. 2, when a side
Fig. 4 shows how the tool may be used for crowding all the frames over to one side in one block, as it were; or one can, if he prefers, use the plan shown in Fig. 2; but it will generally be found that the one shown in Fig. 4 is more convenient. In Fig. 5 the curved end is used to good advantage in lifting the division-board out of the hive. See also, in this connection, Fig. 9.
Some prefer a hive-tool having a narrowed end like a screwdriver; but the continuous use of a tool like this abrases the edges of the hives so that, after a time, it leaves hraise marks and cracks, inviting winds and storms, and robbers when they are proviling about. For separating two hives heavy with honey there is nothing better than a _veide thin blade_ made of good spring steel, tempered just hard enough to have the resillient qualities of a buggy-spring.
how to work over the hives.
Many yard men prefer to work with a sort of stool and hive box combined; others wish to have nothing to lay around except the bee-smoker and the hive-tool. As most hives are placed on or near the ground, one must either sit down on some object or kneel in
Figure 5: How the hook end is useful in fishing out frames and division-boards.
since. The illustration at the bottom of the page shows what we have used in our bee-yard for nearly thirty years. It was shown in one of the early editions of this work, but was dropped out because we thought it of hardly sufficient importance to occupy space. During all the years that have intervened, our apiarists have seemed to find it very handy. In fact, they seem to consider it almost indispensable; so if you come to any one of our yards you will find the men carrying one around as they go among the lives. The top is made of \(\sharp\) lumber, having two oblong holes in the center to provide a handle by which to carry the boys. The legs are also of \(\sharp\), while the sides, ends, and bottom are of \(\sharp\). The compartment in the side, reached by the oval hole, is very handy for holding broken section pieces for record work, and other small articles,while the two compartments on each end usually hold the smoker fuel, hive-tools, hammer, bee - brush, queen-cages, and other articles of like nature. The smoker has a hook on the beltlows so that it can be carried in the manner shown. With this whole outfit one has practically all the tools he needs, including smoker fuel, for a day's work. The exact dimensions of the seat are not important. The one we use is 13 inches high by \(pprox\) long, outside measurement.
Figure 8: A higher seat is better when one wishes to place his weight against the frame to be -shoved over.
How to open a Hive.
Having considered the necessary tools and appliances for working with bees as well as the manner of sitting or standing over the hives we will now turn our attention directly to the method of handling the frames themselves. Approach the hive that is to be opened and blow a little smoke into the entrance. This latter procedure is not always necessary, but it will be found to be a very wise precaution on the part of a beginner. After he learns the individual temperament of his different colonies, and also discovers that on certain days and certain times of days, the bees can be handled much better than others, he will of course use his judgment in the matter. If he has reason to believe that a colony would be irritable he should send two or three whiffs of smoke in the entrance. He will now push the screwdriver, or special hive-tool already shown, under the cover. He should do this very gently, working the thin edge of the blade between the two hive parts until the cover is raised about the thickness of the blade, but not wide enough to allow any bees to escape. Through the gap thus made he will blow three or four whiffs of smoke. He then shoves the tool a little further, increasing the gap, following it up with some more smoke. He now lifts or lowers the hand holding the tool so that the cover is raised an inch above the hive. The smoker is next set down upon the ground, when the cover is gently lifted off. Sometimes much more smoke will be required than others. If the atmosphere is a little chilly, or if it be immediately after a rain during a honey, much more smoke will be needed than on a warm balmy day when bees are at work in the fields. If they are at all nervous the smoker should be brought into play again ; indeed, at such times we would advise putting it between the knees, as shown in the illustration at the top of the next page.
This nervousness may not immediately be recognized by a novice, but for his special benefit we may say that when bees are subduced and require no more smoke they will be down between the frames almost out of sight; but if they are inclined to "reset the intrusion," dozens and dozens of them will have their heads sticking up, and as the ajarist proceeds to lift out a frame, he may
Figure 9: Method of inserting the hive-tool under the cover ; blowing smcke in the gap thus made.
If a colony is not populous it may be advisable to go over the frames once more : but very often it is better to close the hive and wait an hour or two, after which we can go back and search the frames as before. By this time the colony will have recovered itself, and the queen, in all probability, have shifted her position from the bottom or sides of the hive to one of the combs. Nine times out of ten she will be found at the second going-over of the frames, without any trouble. When the queen can not be found the first time going over, as a rule we would not advise hunting longer, because one is liable to waste a good deal of valuable time; and it is, therefore, better to wait till the queen comes out of her hiding-place back to the brood-frames themselves.
In the case of black colonies, especially where very populous, it is sometimes necessary to lift the hive off the stand and put it down at one side. On the old stand place an empty hive, affixing an entrance-guard. See Drones. Now take the frames one by one out of the old hive, and shake them in front at the entrance of the empty hive on the old stand. Black bees fall off very readily; and as they crawl toward the hive the queen can be very easily seen; but if she eludes scrutiny she will be barred by the perforated zinc, so she may be very readily discovered trying to make her way through. After all the frames are shaken, if she can not be found, take the old hive, now empty, and dump it, causing the bees to be thrown before the zinc. She will soon be seen trying to pass the guard.
We have told how to find the queen; but do not imagine that it is going to be as difficult as this every time. She is usually to be found on the center frames; and especially with Italians, she will likely be found on the first or second frame handled.
When we put back loose frames we must space them carefully, 1# in, from center to center. We fail to do it exactly, but try it the best we can. With loose frames we shall be obliged to space each one in position individually. If we do not space our frames carefully we will have some combs bulged, and some thinned down; and, again, between others bees will be likely to build spurs of comb. All this nuisance may be avoided by the use of fixed frames or the Hoffman, which we now tell how to handle.
How to manipulate Hoffman frames.
The manner of opening hives containing the Hoffman or any other self-spacing frame is precisely the same as that for hives of loose unspaced frames already described; but the manner of handling the combs is somewhat different.
With the hive-tool we try apart the first pair or trio of frames, if the combs are not too heavy, and lean them against one corner of the hive as shown below. In so doing we pretty nearly handle the brood-nest by halves and quarters.
We shall discover that these frames are held together by propolis, and that the bees on the two inside surfaces are hardly disturbed. Loose frames, on the contrary, when out of the hive, must be leaned on one or two corners of the hives, against each other--in fact, be scattered all around, inviting the depredations of robbers. This is quite a point in favor of the Hoffman frame. If we do not find the queen on one of the combs, we next pyf the outside frame of the trio leaning against the corner of the hive. If she does not appear on that one, we pyf off the next, and so on.
Where combs are heavy with honey, we may lift out only one frame. Having seen the surfaces of two or three combs, the practiced eye will get a very fair idea of the condition of the colony and what the queen is doing. When we see eggs and larvae in all stages, including sealed brood, we do not usually stop to hunt up the queen: accordingly we put back the second pair removed, and return the trio, as shown. We do not generally crowd these frames together at once, but blow a little smoke down between the end-bars, and then with a quick shove we close them all up again.
There is no cut-and-try spacing as with loose fumps--no big and little fingers to get the distances at wide and narrow spaces. There is no need to instruct the beginner just how far to space combs, and there is no finding the apiary afterward, with any of the combs spaced so far apart that spans of comb are built where they ought not to be. With the regular Hoffman frames the spaces must necessarily be exact, so the combs may have a fixed and uniform thickness; and we do not hesitate to say that one can alternate them just as well as or better than he can many of the loose or unspaced frames. We will explain. Space the loose frames during the honey-harvest, any where from 11 to 11 or even 11 inches from center to center, and then, after the honey-harvest, try to alternate them with other frames spaced a little closer, and see where you are. You may say you can space frames near enough right. Although we have visited many large apiaries, we seldom see a loose-frame apiary spaceed correctly.
To go back, we will replace the follower, and crowd the frames tight together. If there are any bees on the tops of the frames, a whiff of smoke will usually drive them down and then the cover is replaced with a sliding motion, which we have already explained.
Perhaps from the description about manipulating the hive with Hoffman frames, it may appearlike a long operation; it is a very short one. Mr, Hoffman said he could handle nearly double the number of colonies on his frame that he could on any loose frame; and we will add right here that he used loose frames for years, until necessity, the mother of invention, caused him to bring out this style.
There is another good feature; namely, by removing two or three frames in a trio, the rest of the combs in the hive need not be lifted out. They can be slipped back and forth, and each surface examined; but if the tin tablet is covered with pieces of proplis, this lateral sliding is not easily accomplished.
There are some localities where propolis is very much worse than in others. In such places the Hoffman frame is not as satisfactorily used as the staple-spaced shown in Frames, Self-spacing. With perhaps one exception this can be handled like the Hoffman ; and that exception is that it can not be handled in pairs or trios. Each comb must be manipulated individually. In this respect it is quite a little behind the Hoffman.
## How to handle Danzenbaker frames.
As shown under Hives, the frames are pivoted in the center, and rest on hangerleats in the ends of the hive. When opening up for inspection, keep the frames together in one solid body, without any spaces between them. It is not advisable to loosen all the frames with a screwdriver at the start. Break the propolis connections only on the frame or frames to be handled, leaving the rest glued together so they can be lifted out in blocks of two, three, or four, as it top page 29. If it is desired to examine the comb surface of one frame, break the propoils connections on each side of it, as before explained, and pull it out as in cuts here shown. Usually the examination of the brood in one frame will suffice to give to the practiced eye some idea of the laying capacity of the queen, of the amount of brood in the hive, and the amount of stores. If it is necessary to examine another frame, set the one first taken out down by the side of the hive ; loosen another frame, and remove that. In this way all the frames in the hive can be exam'nel; but when the frames are reinserted, if the end-bars are covered with bees they should be slipped back into place by sliding the edge of one end-bar against another.
Figure 10: A Dazzenbaker frame down between two others.
\(r\), beginning at the top, and working downward. By so doing the bees are pushed or showed out of the way without crushing or pinching. With a little practice and experience this can be done without killing a single bee. When all the frames are in place except the last one, there will be a space just wide enough to admit it. Slide it into position, pushing the bees off the end-bars on both edges at once.
Be careful not to get the frames loosened up so that they will tumble over against each other in a bad mix-up. If it's are separated about two or three inches apart they are so nearly on a balance they will topple one way and the other. The bees will naturally crawl between the upright edges of the end-bars; and now to crowd the frames all together with a sham would smash the bees by the scores. and at the same time anger them into -tinging fury. _Bear in mind that Danzchakker frames must be kept together in groups of twos and twos. Never let one frame ling by itself on the pin supports._ It is important to remember also that when they are all in place they must be shoved up together tight without any spaces between them.
For many manipulations like giving brood to another hive, or for the purpose of extracting, it becomes necessary to dislodge the bees from the frames. This can be done by brushing then off as shown under Extracting, or they can be bounded off with a blow of the fist on the back of the hand, grasping the end-bar as shown.
Or one may grasp the end-bars of the frame solidly, and with a quick downward jerk remove all or nearly all of the bees. When more convenient one can swing the frame, pendulum fashion, with one arm, letting the corner drop violently against the ground while the other end is held in the thumb. See the two illustrations at the top of page 220. See Hives.
How to ascertain the condition of the hive without handling frames.
A good many, in working for extracted honey, operate on the tier-up principle, leaving the supers all on the hives until the sea s m is over. By that time it is important that robbers be given no opportunity to help themselves to sweets, when the honey is taken off; but before doing so the condition of the supers should be determined in advance. In order to keep ahead of the bees it is necessary to make an examination from time to time. Toward the early part of the season it is customary to place the empty snpers under those partly filled. As the season began to draw toward its close, the process is reversed\(-\)that is to say, the empties were put on top of those partly filled.
In order to determine the amount of honey in any super, it is not necessary to take off the cover and pull the hive apart. If it is tered up four and five stories high, it involves a large amount of labor and considerable lifting to pull the supers off one by one, inviting the attention of robbers in the operation. If one is supplied with a good strong steel hive-tool and a smoker, he can get a fair idea of the filling of any super, without even removing the cover from the hive. In the series of snap-shots shown herewith, the reader will be able to gather, almost at a glance, the exact method to be used in determining what the bees are doing.
Let us take an example. We will start with the hive shown in Fig. 5, opposite page. It has three supers. The middle one is the one on which the bees began work first, and at the time of this examination it should be completely filled. The bottom super was placed under after the middle one was about half filled. The third super was put on top because there would probably not be more than a week more of honey-flow.
At this time we desire to know what the bees have actually done; so, without removing the telescope cover on top nor the super cover directly beneath, we extend the thin blade of the hive-tool, broad end, between the two lower supers _at the back end of the _hire_: for one should always endeavor to keep out of the flight of the bees. This is gradually shoved in until the blade has been pushed in anywhere from \(\ddagger\) to a full inch. A gap is now formed, of approximately \(\ddagger\) ineh just wide enough so that a little smoke will drive back the bees. A slight pressure downward separates the two upper supers about an inch at the back end, when more smoke is blown in. The tool is pushed down a little further, making the gap a little wider. See Fig. 6, p. 23). But we are not quite satisfied as to the condition of the supers, so we push the tool and supers upward, as shown in Fig. 7, until we have the hive-tool in position as shown in Fig. 8. Here it acts as a prop, when, with the intelligent use of the smoker, we can drive back the bees enough so that we can see the condition of the two supers, or enough to determine whether the bees need more room.
But suppose we are not quite satisfied. We turn to the position as shown in Fig. 9, disregard the hive-tool, and lift the two supers higher, the hive-tool falling on the ground. When doing this we slide the two supers about an inch forward so that the back end will fultram on a safe bearing. If the super is slipped back, as shown in Fig. 7, it can readily be seen that it can not be tilted up very high without sliding off back. See Figs. 9, 10, 11.
Usually an examination of this sort is quite sufficient. If the supers are not filled they are quietly let back into place, using sufficient smoke to drive the bees away so they will not be crushed as the hive parts come together again. The operation as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, is then repeated with other hives, taking from 50 to 60 seconds per hive. At no time have we lifted only a part of the dead weight. When the supers are held at an angle the load is on the fulcrum point of contact, while the hand sustains only a small part of the weight.
Fig. 12 shows the method employed when supers are apparently well filled and ready to come off. The top super is removed and leaned up against the leg of the operator. The middle super that has been filled can now be taken off; but before doing so a second examination is made as shown. It is set off, when the bottom super may also be removed if ready. If not, the top super is put back, the idea being to confine the bees to as small a super capacity as possible.
Figure 14:siaxking bees out of a super.
as the season draws to a close, in order to make the bees finish their work.
Fig. 18 shows a slightly diff-rent 1 case from that indicated in Fig. 8. While the position of the operator is somewhat cramped, it is true, yet it is much easier than tearing down the hive, super by super, and replacing the same.
In Fig. 14, page 203, we have a case where the season is closing abruptly. The bees have only partially begun work in the top super. To leave it on would mean that all the supers would have hon-ary in, and none of them quite completed. Accordingly we shake the bees out of the top super, place a
by super, place the escape on the brood-nest or on a super partly filled, then one by one put back the supers. If no honey is coming in, this will probably mean that robbers will get started.
There is no need of removing any super, nor a cover, for that matter. All that is necessary is to apply the principles illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. See also illustration under Comp Honey on page 115.
In the northern portions of the United States, where much fruit is grown, especially apples, pears, and peaches, there will be an occasional spring when quite a little honey is gathered from the blossons. Nearly every sea son fruit - trees yield a little honey, if not too cold, just when it is most needed to stimulate to brood - rearing : and although the bees may not store much, they will gather enough to give the whole apiary a new impetus. so that, where fruit is grown extensively bee-keepers often receive considerable benefit.