BEE CALENDAR. 311 



hundred yards if she can help it from home. As soon as it is 

 noticed that the swarm is issuing from the hive, watch the entrance, 

 and pick up the queen as soon as she is outside. If vou fail to 

 find her, look for her in the flying swarm ; a pregnant queen never 

 flies very high. If caught place her in a queen cage, and hang 

 her up in a convenient place. As soon as the swarm commences 

 to cluster around her shake a handful or two into a box and liberate 

 her amongst them; it saves a lot of trouble. 



If it is intended to re-queen, do not be later than this month. 

 Procure laying and tested queens; it saves a lot of. time. Be sure 

 to get them from a healthy apiary. It is a safe rule, whatever 

 goes wrong with your bees, to say it is the queen's fault. Of course 

 there are exceptions. 



The principal work in apiaries now is attending to swarming, 

 re-queeuing where necessary, and queen-raising. 



November. 



The most necessary traits in the character of all bee-keepers 

 to ensure success are kindness and gentleness, and these powers will 

 require full exercise this month. Physically a bee-keeper requires 

 a pair of good eyes that have been trained to keen obsei-vation, 

 and a pair of sensitive ears that are quick to detect the various 

 changes in the sounds that are emitted by bees. They readily in- 

 form us of their likes and dislikes. They have a language that 

 is easily translated by bee-keepers of experience, who act according 

 to the requirements indicated. "Watch and listen" is a motto 

 to be kept constantly in view by all engaged in the bee industry. 



This month "from the centre all around to the sea,'' bees will 

 seize every favourable day to swarm if so prepared. Spring food 

 has been fairly abundant all over the Colony so far, and the pros- 

 pects for a large honey flow are very encouraging. Act upon the 

 principle of strong swarms and quick returns. Where it is not 

 desii'able to increase the apiary, check all swarming. Thei-e are 

 several ways of so doing. Examining the frames of brood about 

 evei-y fourteen days, and removing all queen cells is one of the 

 best. If the swarms come out, kill one of the queens; of course, 

 keep the best. Search the hive the swarm issued from, and com- 

 pare the queen left behind with the one on the wing. The former 

 may not have emerged from the cell, or she may not have mated, 

 and in other ways may not be a "tested queen.'" On the other 



