Spring Management 259 



with a strong one. If desired, the number can be restored 

 by subsequent division. This is one of the most important 

 points in spring management. 



Cleaning the hives. 



When the weather becomes settled, it is desirable, espe- 

 cially where comb-honey is produced, to subject the hive to a 

 spring house-cleaning. If the bottom board is cleaned of 

 de*bris and the propolis is scraped from the frames and 

 rabbets, it will not only facilitate future manipulations but, 

 when the sections are put on, there will be less propolis avail- 

 able to discolor them. Beekeepers, however, are not so 

 devoted to a spring house-cleaning as are housewives. While 

 Caucasian bees were kept in the apiary of the Bureau of 

 Entomology the removal of propolis in the spring was prac- 

 tically a necessity. This may be done quickly in the spring, 

 while the propolis is brittle. Dr. Miller uses a hoe to remove 

 propolis and burr combs from the top-bars of the brood 

 frames. 



Equalizing the colonies. 



Not all colonies increase in population equally fast, even 

 with the best of management. The differences may be due 

 to a variety of causes. If some colonies have more stores 

 than they need, thereby reducing the space available for 

 brood-rearing, combs of honey may be removed and given 

 to colonies that need more stores, returning to the rich 

 colonies empty combs removed from those to which honey is 

 given. Similarly, if some hives contain more brood than the 

 average, colonies may be equalized by taking combs of 

 emerging brood with the adhering workers away from those 

 abundantly supplied, giving them to weaker colonies, care 

 being exercised not to transfer the queen. The weakest 

 colonies in the apiary should be assisted in this way only 

 after all the others are equalized ; then they are given any 

 frames of brood still available, and are thus built up as rapidly 

 as possible. Another method of equalizing is to shake bees 



