32 MAKING A START WITH BEES 



the hive at this season, to insure the safety of the colony. It 

 sometimes happens that a rainy season during the first days of 

 the main honey flow will result in the starvation of strong colonies, 

 with the hives full of brood. Five or six frames of brood consume 

 a surprising quantity of food, and a short period of time during 

 which nothing is coming from the field causes the bees to draw 

 heavily on their stores. If no stores are present the result will 

 be disastrous for the bees and for the owner as well. 



Transferring. — The old books on bee-keeping usually recom- 

 mend the cutting out of the combs containing brood and honey 

 and fitting them into the frames, tying them in with cotton 

 strings. The bees will shortly fasten the combs and remove the 

 string. While this plan is occasionally desirable, and the bee- 

 keeper will now and then find a case where he can profitably 

 bother with it, much cleaner and better methods are now generally 

 used. By transferring in this way one finds it to be a sticky and 

 very disagreeable job. The combs and bees are messed up ; the 

 queen is likely to be killed, and the colony lost as a result, and 

 stings are likely to be plentiful. 



It very frequently happens that the bee-keeper who wishes 

 to increase his stock by purchase will find it necessary to take 

 such colonies in such hives as are available, even though he would 

 prefer to pay a higher price to get them in good hives. It is 

 usually advisable to transfer early in the season, or at least with 

 a good honey flow ahead. If it is undertaken late in the fall, 

 there is danger that the bees will not be properly prepared for 

 winter, and will be lost before spring. 



If the work is done at the beginning of the season, when the 

 queen is active, it is an easy task to let the bees transfer them- 

 selves gradually. If the colony is in a box or keg, it should be 

 turned upside down with bottom removed. All combs not con- 

 taining brood which can easily be removed should be taken out. 

 A new hive containing drawn combs, if they be available, should 

 then be placed on top of the colony. If drawn combs are not to 

 be had, full sheets of foundation should be used. It is a good plan 



