160 



FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



wintering. But when I did I simply 

 removed the enamel cloth, spread 

 gunny sack or carpet over the frames, 

 and stacked the hives up as high as 

 I cared to lift them, and then left them 

 until I thought spring had come. 



When I removed the bees from the 

 cellar, I did it in the evening or just 

 at dark, thus keeping the bees from y 

 flying, and they would quietyaowfl_Jb«^ 

 ^ fore morning. ^—^ 



As the next day warmed up the bees 

 would come out gradually, thus giving 

 some colonies their flight before others 

 started. 



On taking them out, mark all light 

 colonies and give them immediate at- 

 tention, that is if the weather will per- 

 mit. If any are short of stores they 

 should be given enough to last them 

 over a possible two weeks of bad 

 weather. 



Then again examine them to see if- 

 they have plenty, and about the first 

 week in May all colonies should again 

 be examined, and, if they are not 

 breeding properly, break the cappings 

 of the sealed stores. This will cause 

 them to remove the honey from the 

 broken cells, or the colonies may be 

 stimulated by feeding. 



At this time all colonies showing 

 good strength should be given a shal- 

 low super of drawn combs, or a full 

 c'epth story as the case demands, al- 

 lowing the queen free access to all. 



This is done to prevent the early 

 swarming, which in my locality begins 

 the middle of May if not thus treated. 



When the flow starts the extra 

 brood chambers should be taken off 

 and supers of sections put in their 

 place, being careful to give them as 

 njuch room as you take from them. 



The first supers should have about 

 four sections of drawn combs, or a 

 shallow drawn comb in the middle of 

 the super. 



Sometimes it is even advisable to 

 use two drawn combs, one on each side 

 of the super. 



This method seems to satisfy the 

 bees better than to give them empty 

 sections when removing the extra 

 brood chamber. 



Ap , the flow advances and the col- 

 onies are working in all the sections 

 of the- super, I raise it up, placing an- 

 other super of sections underneath, 

 and so on as long as the flow will 

 warrant, at the same time I am watch- 



ing the fields that I may know about 

 how long the flow will last. 



When I believe the flow is begin- 

 ning to slacken, I am cautious about 

 adding new supers. This is where 

 your judgment will be taxed to know 

 just what to do, whether to put any 

 more supers on at the bottom, or on 

 top. 



It might be well to follow Dr. Mil- 

 ler's plan, "keep an empty super on 

 top," putting this one below when 

 needed and the empty one on top 

 again. This will reduce 'the number of 

 unfinished sections. 



All comb honey producers are con- 

 fronted with the swarming problem. 

 I have no ironclad rule to follow, pre- 

 ferring to use my judgment for each 

 colony. 



I have practiced, cutting queen cells, 

 but do not like it. If a colony is bent 

 on swarming the quicker I can get it 

 to swarm the better it suits me. 



I then place the swarm on the old 

 stand, and immediately shake all the 

 remaining bees from the old colony, 

 or put the old colony by the side of 

 the new swarm for five or six days, 

 when it may be shaken and the re- 

 maining brood given to some weaker 

 colonies, or several of these old col- 

 onies that have swarmed may be 

 tiered up and run for extracted honey, 

 or you can, if your colonies swarm in 

 the early part of the fiow, stack three 

 or four of the brood chambers up, and 

 in about six or eight days shake all top 

 stories into the lower one, and put on 

 your super of sections. 



If the season is a fair one this col- 



A 



ony will give a good account of itself. 



Before this last shake examine to 

 see if any queens have hatched. If 

 one has hatched all well and good; if 

 not, select a comb that has a good 

 looking cell and place it in the lower 

 hive body, then shake all bees off the 

 remaining combs, and use these combs 

 as your judgment directs. 



The secret of getting ready for the 

 crop is in beginning early to get bees 

 in good shape, be vigilant about 

 swarming, and have your supplies 

 ready when needed. 



Mr. Hawkins — I would like to ask 

 Mr. Kildow if he has had as good re- 

 sults putting the empty super on top 

 as underneath. 



Mr. Kildow — Dr. Miller's plan, I be- 

 lieve. And it seems to work "very 



