DETAILS CONCERNING HONEY 107 



of the brood-chambers, a harvest which is lost to the 

 producer of comb-honey. 



For the production of comb-honey it is necessary 

 that the colony winter in excellent condition and 

 develop much well-fed brood early in the season, 

 so that there shall be a great number of active young 

 workers in the hive just before the chief honey- 

 harvest of the summer begins. In New York State 

 we have two large honey harvests, that of the bass- 

 wood in July and the buckwheat in August, so our 

 colonies are made strong and ready by the last of 

 June. In order to have the bees ready to work, the 

 swarming fever must be subdued or controlled before 

 this period of honey-flow. The colonies are carefully 

 watched early in the season, and if after the first 

 pollen-gathering occurs there is no honey coming in, 

 the bees are fed so that the brood may be developed. 

 We rarely have to feed at this season of the year as 

 the fruit bloom gives our bees plenty of honey for 

 rearing their brood, and we never expect any sur- 

 plus before the basswood season. 



The supers are put on when there is plenty of 

 brood and plenty of honey to feed to it in the hive; 

 and under such conditions our bees, though Italians, 

 usually push up into the sections at once. We 

 prepare the sections with mere strips of wax found- 

 ation for starters. (Plate XIV.) 



Supers thus equipped put on at this time and under 

 such conditions seem to take away all desire to 

 swarm on the part of the bees, if the queen cells have 

 been previously removed. 



