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At the start of the main nectar flow, when the first sainfoin flowers appear in countries where it is
cultivated, all the bees are made to go down into empty boxes with starter strips. All the brood is
destroyed and the honey and wax is harvested. If during the following three days the bees are not at all
able to go out, it is necessary to feed them. That is the risk of the method, a very low risk. Without this
mischance, the bees, like stalwart reapers and without offspring, will obtain a more substantial harvest.
Of course it will be necessary to provide this colony with as many boxes with starter strips as one
has removed of built comb.
Supplement to 'Beekeeping For All', 12
th
edition –
benefits of beekeeping (continued)
Note
My observations allow me to tell you that the pioneering method discussed below may yield a
honey harvest three or four times larger.
In the current circumstances, using this method is, without doubt, going to be necessary to assure
profit.
Pioneering method (continued)
Pioneering method procedure
All the colonies chosen for applying the pioneering method receive three boxes at the time of the
spring enlargement.
When the time for dealing with these hives has arrived, i.e. when the first sainfoin flowers appear,
or when the first natural swarms have been noticed in the region, we proceed with the final
arrangement.
It will be wise to give each hive a perforated entrance piece so that the queen cannot escape
during the operation. Then the bees are driven down from the top two boxes, where they have spent
the winter, and the same is done for the first box following that, if the bees have already occupied it.
The honey is harvested from these boxes, the brood destroyed and the wax rendered. One must
then cover the hive, then smoke the hive entrance to clear the bees and finally the entrance piece is
removed.
When the bees have all gone back into the hive, a little later, or the next day if necessary, two or
three boxes are placed below those already left, such that the hive has five boxes.
During the nectar flow, if it is abundant, a further box may also be necessary, but it is probable
that the top box will be sufficiently capped to be harvested, and then given back to the hive by placing
under the others.
Note
The pioneering method can be applied to all colonies, even the weakest.
The increase in the harvest will be greater but in proportion to the strength of colony, although the
work, about half an hour, will be more or less the same for all colonies, weak or average.