THE EVOLUTION OF THE BEE-HIVE. 205 



There is no greater waste of profit than the destruction of 

 combs. With care they should last for years., especially in supers. 

 With the modern honey extractors, little or no comb need be 

 broken or destroyed. Brood comb, when too old, should be re- 

 placed with comb from the supers, care being taken to observe 

 that it is free from drone cells. 



10. It should induce bees to build regular combs. 



The bee-keeper is responsible for this. If the advice that I 

 have constantly given on this point be followed, bees will build 

 their combs as true as a railroad track. 



11. It should furnish empty comb, to induce bees to occupy 



more readily the surplus honey receptacles. 



Means to furnish empty combs should always be available ; 

 but the greatest inducement to bees to occupy surplus honey space 

 is a strong colony, and a good honey flow. 



12. It should prevent over-production of drones by per- 



mitting the removal of drone-comb from the hive. 



One of the best methods of preventing the over-production of 

 drone-comb is whole sheets of artificial comb and young queens. 

 Drone-comb should be permitted in the supers. Bees appear to 

 prefer drone cells for storage purposes. They are more readily 

 constructed, and it is a saving of material ; but in the brood 

 chamber a very limited number should be permitted, excepting 

 where a drone-breeding queen is kept for stock purposes. 



13. It should enable the apiarian, if too many drones have 



been raised, to trap and destroy them before they have 

 largely consumed the honey of the hive. 



To check the over-production, as mentioned above, comb 

 foundation is a great auxiliary ; but by systematically destroying 

 all queens over two years of age, drones will be greatly minimised. 

 To re-queen every hive every season is undoubtedly the best way. 

 This does not refer to queens that are kept as drone breeders for 

 stock purposes. 



14. It should enable the apiarian to remove all such combi 

 as are too old. (See remarks on Point 9.) 



15. It ought to furnish all needed security against the bee 

 moth. 



