S6 SOUTHERN BEE CULTURE 



are running for extracted honey you can use the ready-built combs in the top 

 stories, and have another set built next season. The prepared hives should be 

 set on top of the strong colonies, or the ones you desire to divide, as soon as 

 they are completed; for you might have an unexpected honey-flow and 

 they would start to work drawing out the foundation. There is apt to be 

 enough honey coming in to start the strongest colonies at this work any way. 



After this has been done, turn your attention to queen-rearing; and by 

 the time the summer honey-flow from cotton, sumac, and other summer 

 honey-plants is coming to a close, have a batch of young prolific queens laying, 

 or one for each increase you wish to make, and a few extra ones. Of course, 

 the queens are raised during the long slow honey-flow, and should be as 

 good as can be raised ; and during this flow the strong colonies will be build- 

 ing a set of combs in these extra top stories and filling them with honey, 

 which is generally of a poor grade, and to turn it into bees is the best thing 

 that can be done with it. 



At the close of the flow, when there is yet a little honey coming in, 

 remove the top stories and set them on the bottom beside the same hive, and 

 divide the comb, brood, old bees, and honey up between them, and give the 

 colony which has no queen one of the young laying queens you have raised 

 for this purpose, giving her to the bees in a cage, and letting them release her. 

 Do not molest the bees any more for three days; then go through them 

 again, and if the old bees are not equally divided up give the weakest colony 

 the most of the brood from the stronger colony, or change the hives; and if 

 any of them have not accepted their queen give them another one of the 

 extra ones you had on hand. In a few days more make an inspecting- 

 tour again and see that all have queens. Examine them later; and, if any 

 of them are short of bees, give them another frame of brood or change the 

 hives again. During this time there is a slow honey-flow on from fall 

 flowers, and bees will not consume much honey, but will go into winter 

 quarters in good condition. It is a well-known fact that bees will store 

 more honey when they are kept together than when they are divided ; so it is 

 best to leave them together until at the close of the flow in order that they 

 may have as much" honey as possible when they are put up for winter. 



The same results can be obtained in localities where the main honey- 

 flow comes during summer and fall by starting early in the spring to raising 

 a batch of queens and having a set of combs built over each strong colony 

 during the flow which will come along some time in the spring; then you will 

 have time to get the bees in a good condition for the approaching summer or 

 fall flow. 



Of course, if the apiary is operated for extracted honey you have the 

 advantage of having the combs ready built. 



I have torn up many colonies of bees in various ways and at different 

 times of the season, and fed many pounds of sugar ; and I have fallen upon 

 the method I have outlined, and I make a lot of valuable increase in this 

 way each year. 



Strong colonies should not be divided more than once, and the weak ones 

 not at all, for they are already struggling. 



