Using A Fume Board
Fume boards are sold by many
bee supply firms. A fume board is a simple wooden frame the same
size as a super, the same thickness as a super, and 2" to 4" high.
Tack a cloth tight across the frame. Over that, tack a sheet metal
cover. This need not be a single piece, roofing tin works fine.
Fume boards work best when warm, so paint the top black. To clear
your supers:
-
Attach the pump-spray cap
and place your fume board in the sun, metal side up, to warm it.
-
Smoke the hive entrance, and
spray Bee-Quick onto the cloth of the fume board, using a zigzag pattern.
-
Be sure to go to the edges of
the cloth. Spray evenly over the entire surface of the cloth. Don't
spray too much.
-
Remove outer and inner covers.
Smoke bees on top bars. Place the fume board on the top super, avoiding
large gaps.
-
The super should be clear in
from 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat for each super, only spraying more Bee-Quick
when you notice that the fumes have subsided. If many bees exit the hive,
you have used far too much Bee-Quick. Remove the fume board more quickly
. Use less next time.
-
If you want to harvest your
honey on a very cloudy day, you may want to try a breeze
board.