48 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



whatever to swarm, jnst as the flozv 

 starts, put next the bottom board the 

 section having the least brood in it (no 

 matter if it has honey, especially un- 

 sealed, if sealed stores, better to break 

 the capping-s on most of it), on this the 

 one having the next least amount of 

 brood, and have the queen with these 

 two. On these put the queen excluder, 

 and next a super (or two of them if the 

 number of bees, weather, temperature 

 and strength of flow demand it), then 

 on top of all put the third chamber con- 

 taining the most brood. If the queen 

 is not found, put a queen excluder also 

 on top of the supers, then, at the next 

 visit, you can quickly tell where she 

 is without seeing her. If she is in the 

 one chamber on top, she has not done 

 much laying, as they will crowd her 

 out of business. You may find queen 

 cells in both top and bottom; if so, take 

 all cells from the two lower chambers 

 and put the queen in them, and, if the 

 supers are being worked, take the top 

 brood chamber to a new stand; you 

 cannot possibly find anything better to 

 make a. first -class nucleus. If the queen 

 is below and no cells there, if there is 

 still empty brood comb in the bottom 

 section, leave them as they are below, 

 but take oflf the section above the su- 

 pers to be used for nuclei, for strength- 

 ening weak colonies, or in any of a 

 number of ways they ma^y be easily 

 utilized. But if the two lower bodies 

 are well filled with brood, put under 

 all a set of dry combs or of full sheets 

 of foundation. 



Here are some facts to remember: A 

 sectional brood chamber hive, used as 

 before described, always keeping empty 

 comb below, will get as much and as 

 well finished section honey in a 12- to 

 16-frame brood chamber capacity, as 

 can be done otherwise with an 8-frame 

 chamber brood nest. The reason is 

 simple and natural; it is empty comb 

 below, brood and honey next, and 

 honey stored above the brood. If per- 

 chance the flow is very free, and the 



empty comb below (next the floor and 

 entrance) should be filled with honey, 

 the very first lull in business it is 

 moved up; and such a condition is a 

 blessing, for the super-room does not 

 need to be kept so large in anticipa- 

 tion, so less unfinished honey, and the 

 moving up goes on after the flow has 

 ceased. 



GETTING COMB HONEY FROM A WEAK 

 COLONY. 



I have taken weak colonies that, at 

 the beginning of the harvest, did not 

 occupy two sections of this hive (8 L 

 frame capacity), put the queen in the 

 bottom one, on mostly empty comb, 

 over her an excluder, and on this a 

 super of sections, then, above all, the 

 other brood section. Enough bees 

 stay below with the queen (she should 

 have a little brood with her, if none in 

 her chamber, put in some comb) to 

 keep her in business, the super is oc- 

 cupied and worked, and there is not 

 the least danger of swarming. In a 

 few days, when more bees have hatched 

 and super-work has started, take the 

 brood from above and place it below 

 the super. Such colonies would not 

 otherwise have worked a super, but 

 would most likely have swarmed a 

 little late. This heads ofl" swarming, 

 gets super honey, and leaves the col- 

 ony in prime condition. If they seem 

 to increase fast, and there is danger of 

 swarming, put beneath a set of dry 

 combs to occupy the queen's attention; 

 it won't stop super-work but will pre- 

 vent swarming if the fever is not on 

 alreadj' and cells started. 



In all these manipulations an ex- 

 cluder is important. You must be 

 master. Where 3'ou put a queen there 

 she must stay. When you do not know 

 where she is, and no cells are present, 

 use the excluder, and, the next trip, 

 you can know very quickly where she 

 is. 



Clip every queen earl3', before the 

 bees get too numerous; then, if, per- 

 chance, you do make a slip or miscal- 



