AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 167 



February. — Unless the weather is hot and dry. as it 

 occasionally is this month, a considerable quantity of honey 

 is gathered during the first half, but care should be taken 

 not to deprive the hives too closely in case the honey season 

 suddenly closes, when the bees would be left short of food. 

 Beware of robber bees as soon as the honey flow ceases, and 

 don't give them an opportunity to pillage, otherwise there 

 will be trouble. Return any swarms that issue. Supersede 

 old and defective queens. 



March. — Robbers will still be troublesome where they 

 have the least chance to carry on their work of plundering. 

 Keep a good look-out for them. See that each colonv has a 

 plentiful supply of food, so that brood-rearing may be kept 

 up. The honey-season practically closes at the early part 

 of this month. All hives, etc., as they drop out of use 

 should be disinfected with a solution of carbolic acid, or 

 other good disinfectant, before being stored away for the 

 winter. Now is a good time to paint hives and repair 

 covers. 



April. — It is important that brood-rearing should be kept 

 up all through the autumn, so that there may be plenty of 

 young bees to go into winter quarters; to this end there 

 should be plenty of food in the hives. AH weak and queen- 

 less colonies should now be united with others. Symptoms 

 of foul-brood are more distinct at this time and in the spring 

 of the year, and should be dealt with accordingly. 



May. — All colonies should be overhauled and be prepared 

 for winter as early as possible this month. Unite weak and 

 queenless colonies overlooked last month, see that there is 

 plenty of food in each hive, and that there are no leaky 

 covers. 



June. — This should be a quiet month in the apiary if the 

 previous instructions have been carried out. The less bees 

 are meddled with during winter the better. 



July. — Look out for leaky covers and damp mats, remove 

 and repair defective covers, and give dry mats where re- 

 quired. Remove all surplus boxes that are now on the 

 hives, and put on one or two extra mats, as breeding will 

 commence towards the end of the month. 



August. — All hives should be well overhauled on the first 

 fine days of this month and the condition of each noted. 

 See to the food supply, and feed where short, as a larger 

 quantity will now be required for feeding the brood. Clean 



