JUXE, 1<)22 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



399 



Tliird sujier is ]ilaced 



adjacent to broodcham- 



lier and first super just 



above it. 



strong there may be 

 from two to five extra 

 combs of brood. In 

 such cases, these ex- 

 tra combs of brood, 

 together with the ad- 

 liering bees, should 

 •be put into another 

 hive together witli 

 the combs which con- 

 tain no brood, being 

 sure that the queen is' 

 left in the main col- 

 ony on the old stand. 

 Wlien making in- 

 crease in this way, 

 combs of emerging 

 brood should be tak- 

 en instead of combs 



of unsealed brood, in order to enable the lit- 

 tle colony to build up without losing any un- 

 developed brood by chilling. The entrance 

 should be closed with grass to confine the 

 bees in this little colony the first day, so 

 that too many of them will not go back to 

 their old home. 



While this little colony can raise a queen, 

 if some of the brood-combs contain recently 

 hatched larvae or eggs from which to raise 

 her, queens reared in small colonies usually 

 are not as good as those reared in larger 

 colonies; so it may be better to purchase a 

 queen for this little colony. 



Just when to give the second comb-honey 

 super depends upon the strength of the col- 

 ony and the rapidity of the honey flow. If 

 the bees enter the first super promptly and 

 begin working in most of the sections at 

 about the same time, the second super should 

 be given within a week if the bees continue 

 working well, even though the first super 

 is less than half full. If things look favor- 

 able for a continuation of the honey flow 

 this second super should be placed below 

 the first super adjacent to the brood-cham- 

 ber. If the honey flow is slow or the colony 

 is not strong, so that the bees begin work 

 in onh'' a part of the sections in the middle 

 of the super and work outward, it is better 

 to put tlie new super on top until the bees 

 begin to work in it there, when it can be 

 placed below and another empty one placed 

 on top, if needed. No comb-honey super 

 should be raised up and an empty one placed 

 under it until the bees have drawn out the 

 foundation and started to build out the cells 

 in every section. Placing the empty super 

 under the partly filled one causes the bees 

 to expand their super work more rapidly 

 than when it is placed above. This is high- 

 ly desirable when the honey flow is heavy 

 and the colonies are strong; but, if the 

 work in the supers is expanded too fast, 

 the sections will not be so well filled and at 

 the close of the season there will be too 

 rfiany unfinished sections. 



In order to encourage the bees to finish 

 the first super promptly, some beekeepers 

 prefer keeping it in position as second super 



until it is finally finished. When more than 

 two supers are given, those which are partly 

 filled are each in turn transferred to a new 

 position above the one nearest completion, 

 as shown in the accompanying illustrations, 

 thus keeping the first super near enough to 

 the brood-cliamber to cause the bees to fin- 

 ish it promptly if the colony is strong and 

 the lioney flow is good. 



Keeping Colonies Comfortable Reduces 

 Swarming. 



During hot weather the bees should be 

 kept as comfortable as possible. It is well 

 for the beginner to keep in mind that if 

 the bees are always comfortable and have 

 plenty of room there is much less tendency 

 to swarm than when conditions are less fa- 

 vorable. The hives should be shaded by 

 means of shade boards whieli project beyond 

 the edges of the hive if single-walled hives 

 are used, and tlie entrance should be opened 

 to full size, giving an entrance % inch deep 

 by tlie full widtli of the hive. 



While there is 

 plenty of nectar to 

 be h a d t h e b e e s 

 should not be per- 

 mitted to cluster on 

 the outside of the 

 hive. This indicates 

 that the colony 

 iieeds more room or 

 more ventilation. 

 Of course, after the 

 honey flow has pass- 

 ed it is entirely nor- 

 mal for the bees to 

 cluster on the out- 

 side of the hive 

 during hot weather, 

 but during the hon- 

 ey flow they should 

 all be at work. 



If any colonies 



^ 



S 



First super left in same 

 position until finished. 



swarm in the midst of the honey flow the 

 swarm should he hived as described last 

 month, so that the working force of the col- 

 ony shall not be divided during tjio precious 

 hours of the honey flow. 



When swarming occurs in the midst of 

 the honey flow, the swarm sliould not be 

 given a new location, for this divides the 

 working force of the colony so that neither 

 the swarm nor the parent colony is able to 

 do much work in the supers. But when the 

 swarm is hived in a new hive, placed on the 

 old stand as described last month, and the 

 supers are transferred from the old hive to 

 the new one, the newly hived swarm will 

 have all of the field bees, so that work in 

 the supers sh.ould continue without inter- 

 ruption. The parent colony being moved to 

 one side loses its field bees because they 

 enter the new hive on the old stand as they 

 return from the fields. A week after the 

 ])rime swarm issued, the parent colony is 

 again moved to a new location, this time 

 some distance away to prevent after-swarm- 

 ing, which again strengthens the new colony. 



