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A N I N (i S IN 



K K (' V IjT V H K 



367 





C 



TALKS TO 



By th 



g of this 

 m 11 1 li , if 

 our directions of 

 the last issue 

 have been fol- 

 lowed, \v(> ari" 

 now ill ])osses- 

 s i o 11 of good 

 strong colonies 



with clijiped <(ueeiis. There is the equivalent 

 of oiii' (>;• more solid eoiiibs of honey aii<l 

 seven to ten frames with brood in each hive, 

 and most of the colonies probably have at 

 least one shallow super of drawn combs. 

 If neces.-^ary, frames of foundation may be 

 given, tho combs are better if one is able 

 to obtain them, for bees always begin work 

 in them much more readily. 



Condition of Strongest Colonies. 



The strongest colonies already have brood 

 in two stories, and the queen access to both. 

 Also, those who desired increase have, when- 

 ever they found queen-cells started, jjlaced 

 on the old stand a hive containing the queen, 

 frames of comb or foundation, and one comb 

 •with eggs and young larvae. Above this they 

 have placed a queen-excluder and the hive 

 of brood with all the capped queen-cells 

 torn out, intending in eight days to move 

 this upper story of brood to a new location, 

 and, after contracting the entrance, to leave 

 them to raise their own queen or introduce 

 one. It may now be found that such colo- 

 nies, because of rainy weather, a scarcity 

 of nectar, or the extra super room given 

 them, have entirely given up their swarming 

 intentions. Possibly at the end of eight 

 days no queen-cells may be found in the hive, 

 or perhaps queen-cells may be found with a 

 hole torn in the side of each, showing that, 

 for the present at least, tli.e danger of 

 swarming is over. 



Advisability of Increase. 



If the bees can be kejit contented without 

 increasing, they will be able to store much 

 more honey than if divided. Therefore we 

 would direct our energies to the prevention 

 of all increase; but if some increase is de- 

 sired, then we would allow it only in ex- 

 treme cases. If one wishes to purchase new 

 swarms from some neighbor (as suggested 

 in our last lesson, page 303), now is the 

 time to supi)ly him with the new hives, for 

 the swarms obtained this month will be de- 

 cidedly worth while. Those obtained next 

 month may not gather enough to winter on. 

 Opening Hives too Often. 



There is always a stioiig temjitation for 

 the beginner to open his hives continually, 

 just for the fun of it, simply to watch the 

 little workers. This seriously interrupts the 

 work of the colony. Necessary work, of 

 course, must be done. 



Room and Ventilation. 



Doubtless the increased size of the colo- 

 nies has caused the removal of all packing 

 ere this. If not, it should now be removed 

 and the entrance-blocks also withdrawn in 



BEGINNERS 



Editor 



1 



r^^^^^^^^ 



u 



order to give suf- 

 ficient ventila- 

 tion. Whatever 

 manipulation we 

 described as 

 work for last 

 month, may still 

 be profitably em- 

 jiloyed whenever 

 t h e c c a s i o n 

 ;nises. Thruout tliis month, and until ail 

 danger of swarming is over, the colonies 

 should be examined every seven or eight 

 days in order to make certain that they re- 

 main normal and in a continued state of 

 progress. They should always be provided 

 with plenty of room in the supers and brood- 

 '•hambers. During a heavy honey liow the 

 honey comes in very rapidly. In fact, an 

 extra good colony might store as much as a 

 shallow super in three or four days. So one 

 should always leave more super room than 

 seems actually necessary. Toward the end 

 of the season they might be piled even five 

 or six high. We do not advise removing the 

 honey until after the season, because the 

 best honey is that which has been on the 

 hives until nice and thick, and thoroly ripen- 

 ed by the bees. 



Condition of the Queen. 



Whenever a queen begins to fail she 

 should be replaced by a good Italian queen 

 (see "Eequeening, " in May issue, page 

 .''05 K Still, before taking such action one 

 should be certain that her decreased egg- 

 laying is actually due to a defect in the 

 queen and not to unfavorable conditions 

 that surround her. It may be that the colo- 

 ny is so very prosperous, and the hive is so 

 crammed with honey and brood, that no cells 

 are left for the queen to lay in. Such being 

 the case, the colony usually starts queen- 

 cells, but not always. This congested con- 

 aition maj^ easily be relieved by placing part 

 of the brood above and replacing with emp- 

 ty combs from the upper super. On the 

 other hand, it sometimes happens that the 

 queen ceases laying, not from an excess, but 

 from a lack of stores. 



Lack of Stores. 



During brood-rearing, great quantities of 

 stores are consumed; and unless close watch 

 is kept the strongest colonies may easily, 

 within a few days, be reduced to actual 

 need. If one is so neglectful as to allow this 

 disgraceful condition to arise, the queen will 

 diminish, and perhajis entirely stop, egg- 

 laying. Many drones may, perhaps, be 

 found out in front of the hives where the 

 bees have driven them, for drones are always 

 sacrificed by the bees whenever the welfare 

 of the colony demands conservation of the 

 food supply. More than this, the unsealed 

 larva> may be starved and carried out at the 

 entrance, all of which will mean a daily les- 

 sening of a pint or more of bees at the time 

 of the honey flow. Should this take place, 

 the colony should be fed immediately and 



