MAY 1, 1913 



291 



in March. On this round, all very strong 

 colonies are elevated from their bottom- 

 boards by means of two yg-ii^ch strips cut 

 20 inches long, one placed under each side. 

 This gives good ventilation from end to 

 end, and allows the bees a good clustering- 

 place about the bottom of the frames, which 

 will protect the brood during cool nights, 

 and allow plenty of ventilation during sul- 

 try nights, at which time they will most • 

 likely acquire the swarming impulse. 



My brood-chamber consists of one eight- j 

 frame hive-body and a shallow extracting-! 

 super on top containing ready-built combs i 

 which are left on over winter, and which 

 contain more or less honey; and if the 

 queen is occupying this super of combs, 

 another super is set on top, which gives the 

 queen additional room. This super can be 

 taken from some Aveaker colony, or there are 

 usually some extra ones left on in the fall 

 at each ajDiary for this purpose. 



The third and fourth weeks in March 

 another tour of inspection is made, and 

 more strong colonies are treated in the same 

 manner, and the weaker ones left for atten- 

 tion on the next round. The first ones thus 

 treated are given a storing super; for by 

 this time the eve of the honey-flow is at 

 hand. 



My third round is made during the first 

 and second weeks in April, and at this time 

 all colonies are treated like the first strong- 

 ones. By this time a little nectar is coming 

 in. and the strongest ones are examined in 

 order lo see whether they have started 

 queen-cells. This examination is made by 

 tipping up the supers next to the hive-body 

 enough to see well over the combs and also 

 down through the combs below; and if any 

 queen-cells are started they are torn out ; 

 but if not, the super is let back in position. 

 If any work has been done in the storing 

 super, another one is put on. 



The fourth round is made the tliird week 

 in April, and all colonies are examined for 

 queen-cells as was done on the previous 

 visit. By this time the honey-flow is in 

 progress; and wherever a colony has started 

 work in the storing supers, another super 

 is added. Instead of placing it on top it is 

 put under the other storing supers next to 

 the brood-nest. 



The fifth trip is made the fourth week in 

 Ai^ril, when all colonies are again looked 

 over for queen-cells, as on previous visits, 

 and storing room is added as may be nec- 

 essaiy, allowing no honey to be finished 

 next to the brood. By this time the bees 

 are working in several supers, and there is 

 little if any finished honey. 



Another round is made a week later, or 

 /the first week in May, and all apiaries are 

 I worked as on the previous visit. The honey- 

 flow is now at its best, and there is some 

 j finished honey which can be removed, and 

 the packers started to work. About two 

 ' weeks hence the honey-flow will decrease. 

 The second week in May another trip is 

 made, and a few of the colonies in each 

 apiai-y which have made the greatest effort 

 to swarm are looked over; and if no sign of 

 swarming appears we do not give the apia- 

 ries a general working, but add more stor- 

 ing room where it is needed. Then no more 

 manijiulation is necessary, for the bees have 

 lost all desire to swarm, and will finish fill- 

 ing the supers. 



~"~~-^ INCREASE. 



I malve as much increase at the home 

 apiaries as possible, for it is more conveni- 

 ent there, but a lot more of general increase 

 is made at the out-apiaries. This increase 

 is usually made at the time of our second or 

 third round, and it requires but little extra 

 time when every thing is in readiness. 



In early spring, when we find a colony 

 building queen-cells it is divided into two 

 equal parts, and the queenless half is left 

 on the old stand (if we happen to find the 

 queen; and if not, both divisions are given 

 combs containing queen-cells). Then the 

 open space in the hive-bodies and supers is 

 fitted in with ready-built combs, or frames 

 containing full sheets of foundation. On 

 our next rounds the divisions are examined, 

 and the weaker ones are replenished with 

 frames of sealed brood from colonies that 

 can best spare it, and are given storing 

 room as they need it. Tliis cures such colo- 

 nies of the swarming fever for the season; 

 and as the divisions were made early, these 

 colonies will store considerable surplus hon- 

 ey before the end of the spring honey-flow. 

 Then more general increase is made neax 

 the close of the summer or fall honey-flow ; 

 but at this time there is no natural inclina- 

 tion to swarm, and nine or ten days after 

 the divisions are made (which is done as in 

 spring) we make a special round and see 

 that all queenless divisions have at least 

 one good queen-cell. At the close of the 

 season, when we put the bees up for win- 

 ter, if any colony is queenless we unite it 

 with a Aveaker colony. Only the strongest 

 colonies are divided, and those that are 

 heaviest in stores, so that no feeding will 

 be necesary. Thus our general increase 

 is made from our very best stock. The in- 

 crease at the home yards is made in like 

 manner by dividing up the strongest colo- 

 nies from time to time throughout the sea- 

 son ; but here we give the queenless divi- 



