242 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



September 



From Bee-KeepeTs' Record, (Br) 



ABOUT B££S AND B£i'-EE£PING. 



ARTIFICIAL INCREASE. 



Seeing that only a few weeks back 

 I advised bee-keepers to unite or join 

 up all weak stocks, it may seem some- 

 what paradoxical for me now to be 

 writing upon the division of strong 

 ones. Circumstances, however, alter 

 cases, and judging from the columns 

 of our bee journals, it is evident that 

 many are desirous of increasing the 

 number of their stocks before going 

 into winter quarters. In view of this 

 desire, and seeing that in all, save 

 heather districts, the honeyflow is over, 

 it is clear that if stocks are to be in- 

 creased at all this year, there is no 

 time to be lost in making a start, so 

 far as 1895 is concerned. Dividing 

 stocks — although one of the most sim- 

 ple bee operations — is yet one that may 

 easily result in failure, unless we go 

 the right way to work. My advice, 

 therefore, is, don't attempt too much. 

 In other words, don't try to increase 

 by a dozen stocks and fail, simply 

 from only having enough material on 

 hand for safely making an additional 

 two or three. Remember August is 

 not April, and that the honey season 

 is now past and not to come. To make 

 one strong stock into two can at this 

 season be safely done, with some as- 

 sistance in the way of a frame of 

 brood or two, a young laying queen 

 and a little attention to feeding, and 

 it is not too much to say that two good 



stocks will be ensured for future use. 

 Or three can be obtained from two 

 fairly strong ones, but to endeavor to 

 increase in a more rapid ratio than 

 this at the present season of the year 

 is a proceeding I cannot recommend. 

 The best course to pursue in the work 

 referred to above is undoubtedly that 

 set forth in the " Guide Book," and in 

 making two stocks of one, I add, be 

 sure that the stock is a strong one. 



Choosing the middle of a fine day, 

 move the liive to be divided on to a 

 new stand, placing a fresh hive on the 

 old one, having first placed in the lat- 

 ter six or seven ready-built combs or 

 otherwise frames fitted with full sheets 

 of foundation. Personally I prefer to 

 get the combs drawn out for this pur- 

 pose and partly filled with honey ear- 

 lier in the season. The flying bees 

 will seek the old stand and enter the 

 hive placed thereon. Take from the 

 old hive two frames of brood and 

 bees, including among the latter the 

 queen, and place them in the center 

 of the new hive. Close up the frames 

 of brood nest of the new queenless 

 stock towards the center and substi- 

 tute frames of comb (one on each 

 side) for those removed. If drones 

 are still plentiful in the neighborhood 

 the bees may be left to re-queen them- 

 selves, provided all cells raised from 

 old larvre are cutout. The great point 

 is to make sure that the queen which 

 is eventually to preside over the new 

 stock is raised from a young larva. 

 Time and risk of failure will, of 

 course, be saved if a young laying 

 queen is available, as henceforth to 

 the end of summer every week is of 

 importance. But do not give them 

 the new (jueen in less than twenty- 

 four hours after removal of old one. 



