380 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



made one-fourth ineli thick. The projec- 

 tions of the top-bars are eight-penny wire 

 finishing nails. Frames made in this way 

 are more durable. The bees do not stick 

 them fast, and they cost less. The frames 

 run crosswise of the hive. I make the 

 hives so that there is one-half inch above 

 the frames, and a little more than an inch 

 below in the brood part. In the upper hives 

 there is V2 inch above the frames and % 

 inch below. The entrance is made in one 

 of the ends of the brood part. 



The comb-honey super has wide frames 

 the same size as the brood-frames, except 

 that they are two inches wide, and they are 

 made in the same way with two wooden 

 separators 5-16 inch thick and 4 inches 

 wide, nailed to one side of the wide frame. 



The sections are 1% inches wide on all 

 four sides. A wide frame will hold 6 one- 

 pound sections when well filled with honey. 

 The sections will be longer up and down 

 than they will be the other way. One super 

 will hold 10 wide frames with 60 sections, 

 or 12 extracting combs. 



As a rule I have used the hive three sto- 

 ries high, and have not had a swarm from 

 them in 25 years. During that time I have 

 had but one swarm from two-story hives. 



It is quite an easy matter to coax the 

 bees to work in the sections in this hive by 

 placing an extracting comb in the center 

 of the comb-honey super. Comb and ex- 

 tracted honey can be easily produced in a 

 hive of this kind at the same time. A sec- 

 tion of honey can be removed as soon as 

 sealed before the bees soil it by running 

 over it. I have often had the two upper 

 stories filled solid with sealed honey, and 

 yet the bees did not swarm. 



This hive should be ventilated at the bot- 

 tom, when the bees are out of the hive, 

 by putting a piece of thick lath under each 

 front corner of the hive. This will give 

 the bees a two-inch alighting-board on three 

 sides. Shade the hives if they stand in the 

 sun. 



BY INTRODUCING YOUNG QUEENS. 



In order to prevent swarming when small 

 hives are used, all that is necessary is to re- 

 move the old queens and introduce young 

 ones that have just commenced to lay. 

 These small hives can be packed with sealed 

 brood, and the bees will not swarm during 

 the whole season, whether running for comb 

 or extracted honey. These queens, too, as 

 a rule, lay better than older ones. I prefer 

 to raise the queens myself, and then I know 

 surely that they are young, as this makes 

 all the difference in the world. It is quite 

 an easy matter to have a lot of choice and 

 vigorous young queens reared by the time 

 the swarming season begins. If the bees 



have been properly wintered they should 

 with good spring management be strong 

 and vigorous in early spring, and the young 

 queens reared from such colonies will be 

 proUfic. I have never had a swarm when 

 I have used this plan. If the bees cluster 

 out on the front of the hive, raise the hive 

 and put a piece of thick lath under each 

 of the front corners, and give more surplus 

 room above, and shade from the sun. I 

 keep plenty of thick spruce lath in my 

 apiaries, and find it useful for many pur- 

 poses. 



Perhai^s some one may wonder what I do 

 with the old queens that are to be removed 

 from the colonies. If the queens are good 

 layers a place can be found for them. Tor 

 instance, the old queen and two of the 

 poorest combs of brood in the hive may be 

 removed, together with a few bees, and put 

 in another hive of the same color. The 

 queenless part can be moved to a new stand 

 some distance away. Put the hive contain- 

 ing the old queen and the two combs of 

 brood with a little honey in the two combs 

 on the old stand, and fill out with empty 

 worker combs or frames of full sheets of 

 worker foundation. All the field bees will 

 return here; and by buckwheat time this 

 part of the colony will be ready to gather 

 surplus from this source if the season is 

 a good one, provided they have been given 

 proper summer management. 



After two days, fill out the queenless part 

 with large combs of brood about ready to 

 hatch, and introduce a young queen that 

 has just begun to lay. She will be gladly 

 received by the bees. If honey is coming 

 in, put on the super for either comb or ex- 

 tracted honey. The colony will not swarm 

 that season ; but extra ventilation may be 

 necessary at the bottom. 



BY REPLACING COMBS OF BROOD V7ITH EMPTY 

 COMBS. 



At the swarming season, when the bees 

 are very strong and seem ready to swarm, 

 open the hives and remove from each four 

 or five of the best combs of brood almost 

 ready to hatch, and destroy all queen-cells 

 which are not needed elsewhere. Shake off 

 all the bees from the combs into the hives. 

 Care should be taken not to lose the queen. 

 Fill out the hives, fi'om which the brood 

 was taken, with empty worker comb or 

 frames of full sheets of worker comb foun- 

 dation, alternating until the hive is full. 

 Ventilate the hives at the bottom by put- 

 ting a thick piece of lath under each corner 

 at the front, and give plenty of surplus 

 room at the top. Any colonies treated in 

 this way will not be likely to swarm. Shade 

 the hives if they stand in the sun. 



The combs of brood taken can be given 



