6i8 journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [i i Sept.. 191 r 



frame. As bees generally, and (]ueens in particular, run to the li(>ttom of 

 the frame when it is lifted out of the hive, it often becomes necessary to 

 turn the frame upside down when looking for the queen. In Fig. i is 

 shown the first ])Osition ; to turn the frame upside down without damaging 

 the comb the top bar of the frame is brought into a \ertical position as . 

 shown in Fig. 2 ; and by swinging the frame halfway round (like a door 

 on its hinges), and then bringing the top bar into a horizontal line, the 

 frame is completely reversed as shown in Fig. 3. As the bees again travel 

 downwards, the queen, if she is on the particular comb, will be noticed. 

 To return the comb to the hive the same movements are again gone through, 

 but in the reverse order of 3, 2, i. 



If, in the course of the first examination, one or more colonies are 

 found with unfertile queens, the hives should be marked and left alone till 

 the overhaul of all of the colonies is completed. Amongst a number of 

 stocks of bees there are generally, at this period of the season, some which 

 are weak in bees, though possessing a fertile queen. These queens may 

 with advantage be used to replace unfertile ones in colonies with more bees. 

 To transfer a queen, it is first of all necessary to find and remove the one 

 which is to be replaced. The following day, preferably towards evening, 

 the small stock with the fertile queen is placed alongside. Both lots are 

 gently smoked and the combs with brood and bees from both put into one 

 hive, so that each comb from one is between two from the other hi\e. 

 The outside combs of both are put into the other hi\e body which is placed 

 on top of the first, the bees brushed off the combs, and the latter and the 

 hive body removed. If uniting is done later in the season, the second 

 body and combs may be left on as a super. 



When no small stock with a laying queen is a\ailable, a colony with 

 an unfertile queen may be kept going by giving it a comb of eggs, or 

 young larvae from a normal colony, once or twice a week, according to the 

 number of bees. At the same time, remove one of the combs of drone 

 lar\3e and substitute it for the comb removed from the normal colony which 

 will usually throw out this useless brood. In this way, a colony may 

 even be gradually built u\) : and. when young queens are available from 

 swarmed stocks, the valueless queen can be replaced. 



It is often very difficult to get a colony with laying workers to accept 

 a queen, all the loees being old ; but. if treated as described, there will soon 

 l)e a sufficient number of young bees and the introduction of a queen may 

 then be safely accomplished. Colonies found queenless, and without even 

 laying workers, should be dealt with in the same way. if still sufficiently 

 strong enough to be worth saving. 



A mistake, often made by beginners, and even by established bee- 

 keepers, is the spreading of brood with the idea of hurrying brood-rearing. 

 This practice of putting empty combs, or even partly filled ones, between 

 the brood combs, more often results in loss than in gain. It is recom- 

 mended in some of the text books written for countries in which the suddt-n 

 changes of temperature experienced here do not occur. During September 

 and October, colonies haw all the bnx^d they can cover on a cold day, 

 and spreading the combs by putting a vacant one in the middle results in 

 the brood in some of the outside combs perishing from chill. If it appears 

 necessary to give room for brood, the combs should be placed, one at a 

 time, alongside, and not between, tiie brood. 



(To be continued.) 



