We now need a barrel, set on end, on which we place a board fifteen to
twenty inches square, covered with several thicknesses of cloth. Some
apiarists think the cloth useless, but it serves, I think, to prevent
injury to comb, brood or honey. We now place a comb on this cloth, and
a frame on the comb, and cut out the comb the size of the inside of the
frame, taking pains to save all the brood. Now crowd the frame over
the comb, so that the latter will be in the same position that it was
when in the old hive; that is, so the honey will be above--the position
is not very important--then fasten the comb in the frame, by winding
about all one or two small wires or pieces of wrapping twine. To raise
the frame and comb before fastening, raise the board beneath till the
frame is vertical. Set this frame in the new hive, and proceed with
the others in the same way till we have all the worker-comb--that with
small cells--fastened in. To secure the pieces, which we shall find
abundant at the end, take thin pieces of wood, one-half inch wide and a
trifle longer than the frame is deep, place these in pairs either side
the comb, extending up and down, and enough to hold the pieces secure
till the bees shall fasten them, and secure the strips by winding with
small wire, just above and below the frame, or else tack them to the
frame with small tacks.
Captain Hetherington has invented and practices a very neat method of
fastening comb into frames. In constructing his frames, he bores small
holes through the top, side, and bottom-bars of his frames, about two
inches apart; these holes are just large enough to permit the passage
of the long spines of the hawthorn. Now, in transferring comb, he has
but to stick these thorns through into the comb to hold it securely.
He can also use all the pieces, and still make a neat and secure frame
of comb. He finds this arrangement convenient, too, in strengthening
insecure combs. In answer to my inquiry, this gentleman said it paid
well to bore such holes in all his frames, which are eleven by sixteen
inches, inside measure. I discarded such frames because of the
liability of the comb to fall out.
Mr. Baldridge makes wads of comb, or comb-cappings, which he finds
good, and by pressing these against the edges of the comb he wishes to
fasten, he fastens them to the frames, quickly and securely.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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