354 MONTHLY MANAGEMENT. 



When a hive has not a large amount of honey, 

 no combs should be removed till pasturage is abund- 

 ant, as it would endanger the existence of the hive. 



At the time of rearranging the combs, be care- 

 - ful to place the drone comb not yet occupied with 

 young on the sides ; and where there are young 

 drones found, let them be placed next a store comb 

 on one side, and then move all the worker brood up 

 to it, so that any new comb to be built will be adjoin- 

 ing worker comb, and more likely to be straight and 

 filled with worker brood. A portion of the honey in 

 the projecting or uneven combs should be uncapped.* 

 When a hive is found to be destitute of honey, or in 

 danger of becoming so, supply it at once with combs 

 from another hive. See Chapter xx, on Feeding. 



No hive should be condemned as queenless during 

 this month, although no brood is found, unless there 

 are other evidences, or a search proves it to be so. 

 Yet the absence of brood is a just cause of suspicion, 

 and the case should be watched, and a careful exam- 



*During the first warm days in the spring, bees sometimes 

 swarm out, deserting their hives entirely; this is occasioned by 

 disease, or a presentiment of starvation, either real or fanciful ; I 

 have known many instances f the latter. The cause seems to 

 be that their stores are all closely sealed up, and they are not 

 really aware that they have abundance, but become alarmed and 

 rush forth as above. When deserted from this cause, hives may 

 be known, either by their having but little honey, or plenty of 

 sealed honey, with but little in uncapped cells ; there is always 

 some brood found in the comb in such cases. The preventive is 

 to. feed, or uncap a portion of the honey as directed. 



