518 



arrange the brood-nest to their liking, and 

 they will not do so well on combs entirely 

 nlled and capped over. 



As soon as the bees have been found to 

 have plenty of honey the covers are not 

 disturbed again, but are left to be sealed 

 doAvn. Colonies so an-anged are in good 

 condition for winter; and with a good pro- 

 lihc queen, plenty of young bees, and more 

 tJian enough honey, everything is ready for 

 a maximum crop of honey in 1918 provid- 

 ed there is nectar in the flowere 



During the winter the bees go to the 

 upper story where most of the honey should 

 be, and where it is much warmer than in 

 the lower story with its entrance. The 

 cold winds do not blow directly on the 

 bees as m one-story hives. Furthermore, 

 the weather has to be pretty warm for 

 the bees to come out of two-story hives, as 

 they cluster some distance away from the 

 direct sunshine. In single-story hives the 

 sun draws them out while the air away from 

 the hive is so chilly that many fall and 

 never return, thus weakening the colony 

 i have never used any extra winter pro- 

 tection as yet, but expect to tiy some sort 

 o± winter case in addition to the two 

 stories. 



About the last of October or first of 

 November it is well to go over all the 

 hives and reduce the entrances to three 

 inches by one-quarter inch, using a strip 

 nailed oxer the opening. I use floors made 

 o± /s-inch lumber with a space under the 

 hives of % inch also. 



EARLY SPRING WORK. 



In tlie spring, as soon as the weather is 

 warm enough to open the hives, which is 

 usually March 1 to 15 in this locality, it 

 IS necessary to go thni the colonies to see 

 i± any are queenless. If any are weak it 

 IS better to unite them at once, for it does 

 not pay to ti-y to pull a weak colony thru 

 it IS far better to unite, even if a division 

 later on is necessary. At this time, if the 

 winter has not been too severe, three to 

 lour combs will be found nearly full of 

 brood with perhaps a little in the middle of 

 two others. If the colony is very strono- 

 and there is plenty of brood, it is well to 

 ]mt a drawn comb, or, better still, one with 

 a pound or so of honey, in the middle of the 

 brood-nest. However, it is never safe to try 

 to spread the brood too much. 



In this locality we have plenty of pollen 

 and some honey from soft maple as earl v 

 as March 10. This starts the bees to 

 breeding vei-y rapidly, especially if they 

 have abundant stores in the hive to keep 

 them going as there are days when it is 

 too cold and windy for the bees to venture 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



JULV, 1917 



out. Moreover, the maples are quite apt 

 to get frozen when they blossom so early. 

 Of com-se, there are others later, as they do 

 not all blossom at once. 



About the first of April all hives should 

 be examined; and if the upper story is 

 well filled with brood the two brood-cham- 

 bers should be reversed, the empty ones 

 be ow put on top, and those with the brood 

 below The queen can be hurried along 

 with her laying if two combs of unsealed 

 brood are put in the upper story 



Some might ask why it would not be a 

 good plan to let the bees themselves work 

 down into the lower story. This could be 

 done with much less labor; but heat always 

 goes to he top, so if the empty combs are 

 placed there and the sealed brood below it 



The supers are often stacked up six high. 



mates it more comfortable for the queen 

 and young larvae above, and the queen will 

 start laying at once in the upper stoiT, 

 especially if unsealed brood is placed there 

 By April 15 to 25, the fruit-blossoms are 

 out and the bees do a land-office business, 

 provided the weather is not so cold and 

 stormy that they cannot fly. This is the 

 ime that plenty of stores kft over from 

 tne fall before come in handy, for the 

 queen does not have to stop her layino- 

 because no honey is coming in. '^ 



About three weeks after the two brood- 

 cliambers have been reversed they should 

 be exannned again; and if the queen is not 

 using both stories the empty one should 



