To glass and crate this honey for market cost us considerable trouble and we concluded to try separators. The 25 cases we had prepared and used the next season at our honey apiary proved to be a success; the honey was “just splendid;” the sections in shape, thickness and weight were as near perfect as could be desired, and we decided at once to produce honey in no other way. However, we were not entirely satisfied; we knew separators were objected to by some bee-keepers on account of a smaller yield. Mr. Heddon says, on page 33 of the JOURNAL, “These separators cost me too great a portion of my surplus crop.”
To satisfy ourselves on this point we used the following season about 100 cases, rigged as the first 25, with separators, which we scattered in our different apiaries side by side with open ones. The result was that we noticed very little difference, if any, in the amount of honey stored, and the editor’s opinion, on page 59, was exactly our experience.
Again, Mr. Heddon claims the first cost and trouble of manipulating to be objectionable. We admit separators are an expense, but they need not be very costly. We use basswood, costing us less than a cent each, and even at twice that cost, would it not be economy then to expend a comparative small amount if we can thereby produce honey in much more attractive shape? Besides we claim separators lessen the trouble of manipulating instead of increasing it. The reason we use wood is because it is cheaper than metal and we believe better adapted, on account of its being the most natural material for bee-habitations.
Since we introduced separators the percentage of unfinished honey is greatly reduced. At the end of the honey season we formerly found open cases almost filled with comb and honey and not one single finished section among them. This is not so much the case since we use separators; when the flow of honey begins to diminish, we have noticed our bees to be at work in a portion of the sections, whilst the remainder would not be occupied at all; we have also taken off cases at the end of a honey flow, which were entirely empty, except 2 or 3 sections, and these were finished and marketable. To be sure these are extremes, but it shows the benefit of separators.