DR. MILLER'S PLAN 



155 



hive. As soon as any colonies are strong enough to fill the eight 

 frames he adds another story — a full sized hive body full of 

 empty brood combs. Instead of putting this empty story on top 

 he raises the hive and places it underneath. In this manner the 

 heat of the colony is fully conserved. At the same time the bees 

 will work down as fast as they need the room. White clover is 

 the chief source of his surplus, and he endeavors to keep the bees 

 occupied with breeding until the beginning of the clover flow. 

 When conditions are right for putting on the supers he again 

 reduces the colony to eight frames. If there is less than eight 

 frames of brood he places it all in a single hive body and places 

 the super on top to provide the room formerly given by the extra 

 hive body. If there are more than eight frames of brood the 

 extra frames are given to colonies with less than eight frames. 

 If, as sometimes happens, he has some frames of brood left after 

 all colonies are provided with eight frames in single hive bodies, 

 the rest is used to make increase, or to form nuclei or is even 

 placed in hive bodies which are piled one on top of another to 

 permit the brood to hatch, and latter be used where needed. If 

 there is no other use for it a queen is given or else one is raised 

 from young larva in the hive and a strong colony is the result. 

 Concerning additional super room Dr. Miller says: 



During the early part of the harvest, so long as there is a reasonable 

 expectation that each additional super will be "needed, the empty super 

 IS put under the others, next to the brood chamber. Work will commence 

 m It more promptly than when an empty super is placed on top, and that 

 ^eater promptness in occupying the new super may be the straw to turn 

 the scale on the side of keeping down the desire fo/ swarming. But when 



W^S'/%P"^ """ ^^r'? *^' '^"'^ "^ *^^ ^^^«°"' "«*^ because it seems really 

 heeded but as a sort of safety-valve in case it might be needed I do not 

 wish to do anything to coax the bees into it, so it is put on top and ?he 



sSrir IZ ''T P'fr^ f^"' ^"*^^>"^ ''■ '' '' *-- that 7;n empt; 

 !w.! fi ^l^"^ ""'''''" *''^ °*''^'' ^t ^ ^'"^^ ^^en the harvest is nearing its 



and ke'en'S 111^' fu " '"'"^ I" ''' '".* ™^^^'>^ ^« "P ^"^ down th^Jugh 

 It and keep to work in the super above. But it is not so well to have them 

 working so far from the brood nest with empty space benrath. ^ 



even when L pl^nf '" ^"*° *^^ ^^^'^ °^ ^'^'"^ ^" ^"^P^^ ^^Per on top, 

 even when an empty super is put under. The empty super on top gives 



No mat[e7h:l f^^M "^ '"^"y. ^^'P " '''''' ^^^^^ preve'nting swa'r^ ^g 

 PNo matter how full or empty the lower super may be, this top super serves 



