No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 3G7 



crowdiug leads to swaruiing, wliicli is likely to interfere with the 

 honey crop. The bees may be baited into the supers by having iu 

 the center of the super something more attractive to them than the 

 bare foundation. Excellent for this purpose are the sections that 

 were partly filled the previous year, emptied of their honey, and 

 left over. If at first you have none of these, you may put a piece 

 of honey-comb in a section. Still more sure to attract the bees will 

 be a piece of comb containing brood. A section containing a piece 

 of brood may not be so nice when finished, but it will be most effective 

 as a bait, and you can easily alTord to have a section in a super 

 less presentable for the sake of getting the bees to begin work 

 promptly in the supers. 



But remember that unless the nectar is in the flowers, you need 

 expect nothing in tlie supers. In a poor season you may have the 

 bait section filled with honey and sealed, while every other section 

 in the super is left untouched. 



GIVING ADDITIONAL, SUPERS. 



Very likely your super will not contain more than twenty-four to 

 twentj-eiglit pounds of hone,y, and in a good season this will not 

 be enough room to suit the ambition of a strong colony. . If you 

 wait until this first super is entirely finii^hed and ready to take off, 

 much time will be lost, for it will take some time for the bees to 

 finish sealing the sections after they are filled with honey. 



Instead of waiting until the first super is finished, if the bees seem 

 to be storing vigorously, give them a second super when the first 

 is about. half filled. Do no put this second super on the top of the 

 first one, but under. If 3'ou have not a special hive tool, you may 

 use a screw driver to pry up the first super, giving the bees a little 

 smoke as it is raised up. Lift off the super, put the empty one on 

 the hive, and on this the one vou have taken off. No bait will be 

 needed in this second euper, for the bees will be obliged to go through 

 it to reach the combs of honey upon which they have previously been 

 working, and if they are in need of additional room you may be sure 

 the}' will promptly begin work in the second super. 



Even this second super may not be enough. Before the first super 

 is ready to take off, three or more supers may be on the hive. 'So long 

 as the bees keep busily at work, and you have reason to believe 

 the harvest will continue, jmt an additional super on the hive, under 

 the last one put on, whenever this last one is half filled. If you 

 think the season may be near its close, and ai-e uncertain whether 

 to give another super or not, put it on the to]) of the others. It 

 will do no harm there, and the bees will not use it if they do not 

 need it. lAt best there will be some guessing in the case, for some- 



