Exercise 3 Comb Foundation Making Process +

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Exercise 3 Comb Foundation Making Process + EXERCISE 3 COMB FOUNDATION MAKING PROCESS Structure 3.0 Introduction Objectives 3.1 Procedure • Principle • Requirements • Steps 3.2 Observations and Result 3.3 Precautions 3.0 INTRODUCTION Embossed wax foundation is a thin sheet of beeswax with the pattern of hexagonal cell bases impression on each side of it. It is used in frame hive beekeeping to encourage bees to build comb in the way that is most convenient for the beekeeper. A narrow, deep container is used for melting the bee wax. Embossed comb Foundation provides following advantages: a) It encourages bees to build straight combs within wooden frames. This allows easy and rapid manipulation of honey bee colonies. b) It saves bees' resources and labour in the construction of combs thereby allowing increased honey production; c) It facilitates honey extraction since combs in frames can be strengthened by reinforcement with wire. Objectives After going through this exercise, you will be in a position to : • Prepare wax foundation, and • Use the artificial wax foundation for beekkeping. 3.1 PROCEDURE Principle The principle of this exercise is to have hands-on about the preparion of wax foundation for the beekeeping. Requirements • Bee wax • Mould c. • Heater- Required • 11 + Practical Manual Steps First a container is taken for the melting the wax. The length and depth of this container should be about 10-15 cm greater than the required size of brood frame or top-bar comb. Pieces of clean beeswax are put into the container and heated in a water bath to 68°-72°C. Beeswax is added to the container until it is filled to about 5.0 cm of the brim. A long glass/water proof ply board/ smooth piece of wood sheet of width a little narrower than the melting container is dipped into the molten wax for about three seconds and then lifted out to cool. Thin sheets of wax formed on each side of the glass are peeled off and placed on a flat surface to harden. This is soaked in water for 24 hours before use. To facilitate the removal of the wax sheets from glass or wood, a weak solution of liquid washing soap is applied before dipping in the wax. The sheets are passed one by one through a reeling mill which is hand /electric operated. The rollers press the sheets to a uniform size and thickness and embossed hexagonal impression. Separate rollers are used for making comb foundation for Apis cerana indica and A .mellifera 1) Tray-style foundation press This is a press into which molten beeswax is poured and moulded on each side with the pattern of foundation. These presses can be made of metal, plaster of Paris, or plastic, and tend to produce rather thick sheets of foundation. 2) Roller methods A flat sheet of wax is run through embossed rollers, resembling the clothes mangles used in laundries. Some commercial foundation manufacturers have sophisticated machines in which liquid beeswax is poured straight on to a water-cooled roller embossed with the hexagonal cell pattern. The wax is solidified and printed simultaneously. The sheets of embossed wax are then cut into the rectangular sizes needed for frame hive beekeeping. 3) Fixing of comb foundation on the frames. The embossed comb foundation sheet is trimmed and fitted into brood or super frames. For fixing the comb foundation sheet a narrow, deep groove (lengthwaysjin the middle of the underside of the top-bar is done. Than place the wax sheet into the groove and apply some molten wax to the line of attachment using a spoon. The wax sheet will be held in place when the molten wax has cooled. 3.2 OBSERVATIONS AND RESULT Aftyer doing this exercise, your will get a wax comb fixed 01;1 a robust foundation. 3.3 PRECAUTIONS Please adhere to the following precautions: • Get proper protective measures while performing this exercise • Do not intimidate the bees 12.
Recommended publications
  • Bee Well Honey Bee Supply 815 West Main Street Pickens SC 29671 (864) 898-5122 the Bee Well Honey Story
    Bee Well Honey Bee Supply 815 West Main Street Pickens SC 29671 (864) 898-5122 www.beewellhoneyfarm.com The Bee Well Honey Story SC Farmer of the Year 2016 Kerry Owen (Bee Well Honey) has been named SC Farmer of the Year for 2016 by Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern. Mr. Owen was introduced to honeybees as a child growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. He has transformed beekeeping from a family hobby into a thriving business. Along with many faithful employees and other beekeepers who share the same goals and passion for producing and supplying the highest quality products and services to their customers across the Southeast, Mr. Owen continues to give to the beekeeping community serving as a guest speaker at State Beekeeper meetings and many local associations. Bee Well Honey & Bee Supply 815 West Main Street Pickens SC Education Sign your group up for a one hour tour of Bee Well Honey. Visit our warehouse, bottling facility and beekeeping education Tours Beekeeping center. Learn how honey is collected from Classes the hives and prepared to be shipped to Mead Making stores all across the southeast. Classes Candle Making Registration is required. Classes Cost is $5 per person (864) 898-5122 Package Bees & Bulk Honey Bee Well Honey has been providing quality bee packages to area beekeepers for many years. Order early for best date selection. Package Bees Packages consist of approximately 3 pounds of bees. They arrive in a screen & wood cage for easy handling. The 10,000 bees inside (along with the included mated queen) is the ideal number of bees to start a new colony.
    [Show full text]
  • April 2020 Beelines
    BEE CLASSES at home! Ryan F. Quarles, Ed.D., Commissioner ● Tammy Potter, Ph.D. , State Apiarist ● Kentucky Department of Agriculture . See back page April 2020 This swarm was Readjustments necessary reported in Estill County on March in an inconvenient season 19, 2020, and was captured by Doug “April is ‘go time’ for bees, and, while the seasons roll on Potter, husband a natural schedule, to have so much in the human world stop of State Apiarist suddenly and indefinitely due to COVID-19 takes a beekeeper’s Tammy Potter. breath away,” State Apiarist Tammy Horn Potter said. David Hall, Doug’s honey marketing 2020 president installs KSBA officers associate, took the photo. The warm Irregularities with nominations at the fall 2019 KSBA winter has promoted meeting led to the forming of a nominations committee the chance of spring in 2020. The committee reviewed candidates on behalf of swarms, Tammy president Mike Mabry. Their recommendations were to be said. presented at the spring KSBA meeting, but it was cancelled. Swarm season begins Mabry has exercised his executive discretion to install the unopposed slate of officers, asking Tom Ballinger from Notes after catching the Butler County to serve as president-elect. 2020 officers are: first Potter swarm of 2020 President, Mike Mabry, Bullitt Co. B.A.; President-elect, Tom Ballinger, Butler Co. B.A.; By Tammy Horn Potter, State Apiarist Vice president, Joel Gonia, Oldham Co. B.A.; Secretary, Joe Chang, Hardin Co. B.A.; • Full disclosure: My husband, Doug, caught the swarm. Treasurer, Wes Henry, Capital City B.A.; • No swarm is worth more than $150, so don’t take safety Assistant Treasurer, Jan Rafert, Fort Harrod B.A.; shortcuts.
    [Show full text]
  • Geographical Distribution and Selection of European Honey Bees Resistant to Varroa Destructor
    insects Review Geographical Distribution and Selection of European Honey Bees Resistant to Varroa destructor Yves Le Conte 1,* , Marina D. Meixner 2, Annely Brandt 2, Norman L. Carreck 3,4 , Cecilia Costa 5, Fanny Mondet 1 and Ralph Büchler 2 1 INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, 84914 Avignon, France; [email protected] 2 Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen, Bee Institute, Erlenstrasse 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany; [email protected] (M.D.M.); [email protected] (A.B.); [email protected] (R.B.) 3 Carreck Consultancy Ltd., Woodside Cottage, Dragons Lane, Shipley RH13 8GD, West Sussex, UK; [email protected] 4 Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, East Sussex, UK 5 CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 15 October 2020; Accepted: 3 December 2020; Published: 8 December 2020 Simple Summary: The parasitic mite Varroa destructor is a major challenge to honey bee populations worldwide. Some honey bee populations are resistant to the mite, but most of the commercially used stocks are not and rely on chemical treatment. In this article, we describe known varroa-resistant populations and the mechanisms which have been identified as responsible for survival of colonies without beekeeper intervention to control the mite. We review traits that have potential in breeding programs, discuss the role played by V. destructor as a vector for virus infections, and the changes in mite and virus virulence which could play a role in colony resistance.
    [Show full text]
  • Scientific Papers, Mostly with Abstracts, Relating to Near-Natural Beekeeping
    Scientific papers, mostly with abstracts, relating to near-natural beekeeping Compiled by David Heaf and revised May 2020 david (at) dheaf.plus.com Since this compilation was created Peter Neumann and Tjeerd Blacquière have published a paper in Evolutionary Applications which succinctly covers many of the issues raised here. The authors point out that although several factors have been put forward as causes of the decline in honey bee health and colony numbers, the role of beekeeping practices in this decline has been largely ignored. Bibliographic data of this paper and a full abstract are presented at the head of the list of papers below. Many of the papers mentioned are available through open access on the Internet, especially those published in PLoS ONE. If a desired paper is not on the journal publisher's own web site it is sometimes downloadable from the web site of one of the authors, usually within a university department web site. Another useful source of downloadable publications is researchgate.net. Failing all else, most authors of papers are pleased to send a PDF copy to people who are interested in their work. Commonly, the corresponding author's email address is on the web page for the article on the journal publisher's web site. Failing that, a contact e-address usually can be found on the web site of the author or of one of the co-authors. These are traceable through the author affiliations given on the web page for the article on the journal publisher's web site. There is no topic below that is devoted specifically to natural comb.
    [Show full text]
  • Comb Management
    Comb Management Pictures courtesy of Wally Shaw Introduction Honey bees can successfully live in all sorts of different nest sites - a hole in a tree, a chimney pot or a bee-hive - but in all cases this is just a cavity in which to build their combs. Most of the different functions of the colony occur in or on the combs. The main exceptions being foraging, defence, swarming and queen mating. In fact, over 95% of a typical worker bee’s life is spent in the confines of the nest. Unlike most animals, bees do not collect nesting materials made by some other organism, they actually secrete the wax from which the combs are constructed from their bodies (the wax glands). In a sense, the combs are an extension of the bees that made them and it is bees and combs together that constitute the colony. Combs are used for many purposes:- a) To raise brood, b) To store honey and pollen, c) Thermoregulation - as insulation and structure on which to cluster, d) To send and receive chemical messages, e) As a sounding board - communication through vibrations, and f) They are also an essential part of colony hygiene. Invention of the Moveable Frame Hive Up until about 1850, bee colonies, whether wild or under human stewardship (it can hardly be described as management), built themselves a set of combs entirely according to their own design in whatever cavity they could find or was provided by the beekeeper. No restriction was placed on the way the colony used these combs to engage in their main activities of brood production and food storage.
    [Show full text]
  • Essential Equipment
    ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT © Brian P. Dennis. 2004. Plan for two colonies of bees - if one dies, the other will hopefully survive. However, try to cater eventually for more, for more there will be when the 'bug bites', especially when your bees swarm! Starting in a small way enables you to assess the suitability of your area, locate sites for out-apiaries and build up experience and equipment. If possible, decide on one type of hive so that your equipment is interchangeable - unfortunately, perhaps, there is no standard hive. There are several commercially available designs of hives in this country: the WBC, Modified National, Smith, Modified Commercial, Langstroth and Modified Dadant (it is interesting that designs have to be "modified"), the Langstroth hive being the most widely used hive in the world - but not in this country! The WBC is a double-walled hive, whilst all the others are single-walled. There is no evidence that a double-walled hive has any advantage over a single-walled hive. Bees can be kept successfully in any type of hive that provides sufficient space and protection from the weather. The most popular hive in this country is the Modified National. The earlier WBC hive (named after the designer, William Broughton Carr), is the type often associated with beekeeping and depicted in cottage garden pictures. It still has its adherents, but it is more costly and cumbersome in use, especially if you want to move your hives. There is no agreed Best Buy. More detailed information is to be found in Len Heath's book A Case of Hives.
    [Show full text]
  • Jim Tew's Backyard
    EBR Catch The Buzz™ ® Bee 2020 SP Culture BeeThe Magazine OfCulture American Beekeeping www.BeeCulture.com OOP 4.99 Strengthen the vitality of your hives with our Pro Health feeding supplement! Pro Health promotes bee wellness with the use of premium ingredients, like essential oils. Plus, it’s made in the USA! Give your bees the best, give them Pro Health. • Promotes digestive health • Aids in overall health of bees • Helps prevent syrup fermentation • Stimulates bees • Promotes strong and healthy hives Contains No • Natural calming effect when sprayed Sodium Lauryl Sulfate on bees Pint - Makes up to 25 gallons 5 Gallon - Makes up to 1000 gallons $28.95 $399.95 Pro Health Pro Gallon - Makes up to 200 gallons 55 Gallon - Makes up to 11,000 gallons $119.95 $3519.00 800-880-7694 www.mannlakeltd.com Hackensack, MN • Wilkes-Barre, PA • Woodland, CA • Marshall, TX • Winter Haven, FL *Free shipping applies to most orders over $100 sent standard ground service within the lower 48 states. Prices are subject to change without notice. The Natural Solution for Varroa Mite Control ,ŽƉ'ƵĂƌĚΠ ŝƐ ƐĐŝĞŶƟĮĐĂůůLJ ƉƌŽǀĞŶ ĂƐ Ă ŚŝŐŚůLJ ĞīĞĐƟǀĞ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů sĂƌƌŽĂ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů ƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘dŚŝƐƵŶŝƋƵĞŵŝƟĐŝĚĞŝƐĚĞƌŝǀĞĚĨƌŽŵŚŽƉĐŽŵƉŽƵŶĚƐ͕ĂŶĚƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐĂƐĂĨĞ ĂŶĚĞĂƐLJͲƚŽͲƵƐĞĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞƚŽƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂůŚĂƌƐŚĐŚĞŵŝĐĂůƐ͘ĨŽŽĚͲŐƌĂĚĞƉƌŽĚƵĐƚ͕ ,ŽƉ'ƵĂƌĚΠŝƐƐĂĨĞĨŽƌďĞĞƐ͕ƐĂĨĞĨŽƌŚŽŶĞLJĂŶĚƐĂĨĞĨŽƌƚŚĞĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ͘ • Increased efficacy • Better dispensability • Controlled release over days • Easier to use • Naturally derived from hops • No chemical residues • Safe during the honey flow ĂĐŚ ,ŽƉ'ƵĂƌĚΠ Ŭŝƚ ĐŽŶƚĂŝŶƐ ƐƚƌŝƉƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĂƌĞ ƌĞĂĚLJ ƚŽ ƵƐĞ͘ ĂLJƟŵĞƚĞŵƉĞƌĂƚƵƌĞƐƐŚŽƵůĚďĞ ĂďŽǀĞϱϬΣ&;ϭϬΣͿƚŽĂǀŽŝĚĐŚŝůůŝŶŐ Treatments strips ƚŚĞ ďĞĞƐ ĂŶĚ ďƌŽŽĚ͘ hƐĞ ƚǁŽ 1 - 9 packs ............................................. ,ŽƉ'ƵĂƌĚΠƐƚƌŝƉƐƉĞƌϭϬĨƌĂŵĞƐ 10 ........................................................ ŽĨďĞĞƐ͕ŚĂŶŐŝŶŐƚŚĞŵďĞƚǁĞĞŶ Treatments strips ďƌŽŽĚ ĨƌĂŵĞƐ͘ WůĞĂƐĞ ƌĞĨĞƌ ƚŽ 1 - 9 packs ............................................. ƉĂĐŬĂŐĞůĂďĞůĨŽƌĨƵůůŝŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶƐ͘ 10 .......................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Module 1 Study Notes.Pdf
    Module 1 Honeybee Management Introduction This document is an updated reference used as part of Mid Bucks Beekeepers Association study group preparation for the BBKA Module 1 examination. When studying please do not use this document as the only reference source as the intention is that the contents be used as an aide memoir. As we all know if you ask 6 Beekeepers the same question you will get 6 differing answers all of which will be right so do not blindly trust what written here. The information included in the document has been drawn from a multitude of sources. The sources include: Guide to Bees and Honey Ted Hooper The Honeybee Around and About Celia F Davies BBKA News Beecraft MidBucks Beekeepers Association Study Group Internet britishbee.org.uk dave-cushman.net thorne.co.uk en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beekeeping google The contents of the document follow the syllabus of Module 1 as defined by BBKA. 1/11/2018 Page 1 Module 1 Honeybee Management Contents The Candidate shall be able to give a detailed account of:- Contents .............................................................................................................................. 2 1.1 the types of hives and frames used by beekeepers in the United Kingdom,including comparative knowledge of the following hives, National, WBC, Smith, National Deep, Commercial, Langstroth and Dadant. (details of exact frame sizes will not be required); .... 4 1.2 the principles which govern the design of hives and frames, including the concept of bee space, and the main features of their construction; ...................................................... 8 1.3 the use of wax foundation; ........................................................................................... 10 1.4 Methods of fitting frames with wired and unwired wax foundation; .............................
    [Show full text]
  • Frequently Asked Questions About CNG's Apiary Certification Standards
    Frequently Asked Questions about CNG’s Apiary Certification Standards • Why does CNG recommend screened bottom boards? • Why is any foundation that contains wax allowed? I heard that it contains chemicals that can harm my bees. • Why is plastic foundation allowed? Isn’t plastic harmful for the bees? • What about plastic comb substitutes (Permacomb and Honey Super Cell)? • Why isn’t more aggressive pollen collection allowed? • Why isn’t High Fructose Corn Syrup feeding allowed? • Why can’t I use soy flour, Brewer’s yeast, dried milk, potato flakes, corn meal, other flours, egg yolks, or vegetable oils in my home‐made pollen substitute or grease patty? • Why must commercial pollen patties be irradiated? • I’m very concerned about Nosema. Why doesn’t CNG allow Fumagillin? • Why does CNG allow Bee Quick but not Bee Go or Honey Robber in fume boards? Why does CNG recommend screened bottom boards? Screened bottom boards have been studied a lot in regards to Varroa mites. Although some studies have shown no benefit, most studies have shown them to be beneficial in regards to Varroa mites, although the benefit is small (screened bottom boards alone are not adequate against Varroa). Colonies on screened bottom boards do require more honey stores to survive the winter than those on solid bottom boards, but again the effect is small (about 10 – 15 pounds more). Colonies drop their cluster’s temperature and eat less honey in early winter when there isn’t brood present. It is only when the brood nest is re‐established (by the queen laying eggs) that honey consumption and brood nest temperature increases.
    [Show full text]
  • The Basics of Beekeeping
    The Basics of Beekeeping by Members of Dunblane and Stirling Beekeepers' Association 2018 edition Contents 1 Introduction 6 1.1 Development of methods of beekeeping . 6 1.2 The beekeeper . 8 1.2.1 Stings . 9 1.3 The place of the honey bee in nature . 11 1.4 Significant bee forage plants in our Association area . 13 2 Beekeeping Equipment 14 2.1 Beehives and their accessories . 14 2.1.1 Introduction . 14 2.1.2 The National hive and its accessories . 15 2.2 Protective clothing . 18 2.3 Tools for working with bees . 18 2.4 Harvesting tools . 18 2.5 Miscellaneous and specialist items . 19 2.6 Appendix | other hive designs . 19 2.6.1 Introduction . 19 2.6.2 The (Unmodified) National hive and the Wormit Commercial hive . 19 2.6.3 The Smith hive . 20 2.6.4 The WBC hive . 20 2.6.5 Some more unusual hive designs . 20 3 Basic Honey Bee Biology 23 3.1 What is a honey bee? . 23 3.2 The anatomy of a honey bee . 23 3.2.1 The Head . 24 3.2.2 The Thorax . 24 3.2.3 The abdomen . 25 3.3 The Colony . 26 3.3.1 The queen bee . 27 3.3.2 Drones . 28 3.3.3 Workers . 29 3.4 Honey bee communication. 31 3.4.1 The importance of pheromones in honey bee communication . 31 3.4.2 Trophallaxis (Food sharing) . 31 3.4.3 Bee dances . 32 3 4 Handling: Spring and Summer Management 33 4.1 Beekeeping | basic handling skills .
    [Show full text]
  • Bee Supply Catalog
    SIMPSON’S BEE SUPPLY 2021 SIMPSON’S BEE SUPPLY 2021 Muth 8 oz. $11.00 10+ $10.00 Muth 4 oz. Case of 36 $29.75 10+ $29.25 Pallet Price call - 100 Shrink Bands $6.00 - Pallet Price call !! see our website for candle molds and custom labels !! May 23, Celebrating 2021 33 Years Edition 1988 -2021 15642 Tiger Valley Road Danville, Ohio 43014 (740) 599-7914 or (740) 393-2111 E-Mail [email protected] http://www.simpsonsbeesupply.com See online catalog for Candle Molds PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE Call or E-Mail [email protected] PLEASE CALL BEFORE COMING CLOSED SUNDAY We Deliver Call We Ship UPS Parcel & Truck Freight SIMPSON’S BEE SUPPLY 2021 Add $1.00 for Select EMPTY SUPERS Commercial Pine 1 - 9 Add 6.00 / Deep super for Cypress 6.00 for Medium & Shallow no discount beyond 25 KD = KNOCKED DOWN ASSEMBLED EMPTY Deep 9-1/2" .................................… $16.00 Deep ...............…...........…..... $18.00 Medium 6-5/8"................................... 12.00 Medium ..……..…..........…..… 14.00 Shallow 5-11/16"............................... 11.75 Shallow ......…...................….... 13.75 Comb Honey 4-3/4"…...................... 11.00 Comb Honey …........................ 13.00 We have 8 Frame Equipment (Ask) Zinc Plated #6 x 2” Square Drive Screws 3.50/ lb. or 7-D Box 2 1/8” 3.75/ lb, Add $1.00 for Select BULK WOODENWARE Commercial & Budget Add $6.00 for Cypress 1-9 10 -24 25 -99 100 -249 250+ 1000+ Hive Body 9-1/2" Com Super 16.00 15.75 15.50 15.25 15.00 14.50 Hive Body9 -1/2"Budget Super 14.00 13.75 13.50 13.25 13.00 12.50 Add $6.00 for Cypress 1-9 10 -24 25 -99 100 -300 301 -900 901 -1200 Ill.(Med) 6 -5/8" Com.
    [Show full text]
  • Beekeeping Equipment
    Chapter 2 Beekeeping Equipment In this chapter I shall not try to explain all the possible uses of all the types of equipment available, but will try to deal with just those which are the essential everyday tools of the beekeeper and to explain how they work. Apart from one diagram, all that these notes contain are verbal descriptions. Try to ensure that you have the opportunity to see and handle as much equipment as possible before you are dealing with bees as well. The equipment dealt with here in detail is grouped under three separate headings:{ (1) beehives and their accessories, (2) protective clothing to prevent stings, (3) tools used in opening, inspecting, manipulating and transporting hives. These are all that a beginner needs to start with. Two further groups, namely (4) equipment used in handling the crops of honey and beeswax, and (5) miscellaneous and specialist items will only be briefly dealt with. Very little of this is needed by a beginner, and so it is well to wait a while before deciding how much of this more specialised equipment you need if you do decide to become a beekeeper. 2.1 Beehives and their accessories 2.1.1 Introduction Most modern beehives follow more or less closely the pattern of the original Langstroth hive as it has been simplified by commercial beekeepers. This simplified Langstroth pattern itself is in very widespread use throughout the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the UK however a different size of wooden frame in which the bees build their combs has become the British Standard, and the great majority of hives in use in Britain are designed round this frame size.
    [Show full text]