68 DADAXT SYSTEM OF BEEKEEPING 



clustering bees, and perhaps on the inside above the brood- 

 combs there may be some partitions, queen-excluders, separators, 

 honey-boards, etc., all in the way of ventilation. We raise our 

 hives from the bottom, in front, from one to two inches, v hen 

 there is a likelihood of the bees being unable to ventilate other- 

 wise. We have even set the supers back a half inch or so, during 

 the hottest days, to secure a current of air through the brood- 

 chamber in very hot weather. But this must not be continued 

 too long, for it might interfere with the storing of honey in the 

 forward part of the supers if the weather changed. The bottom 

 ventilation, however, must be ample, ample enough in fact to 

 allow all the bees to work, so that none will remain clustering 

 on the outside during the continuation of the honey crop. 



4. As help to ventilation and comfort by decreasing the 

 heat, a good roof is needed when the hives are exposed to the 

 sun. We use coarse roofs on our hives, as stated before, even 

 when they are located in the shade of trees. Our roofs are made 

 very cheaply of large discarded dry goods boxes and are flat. 

 They are cleated with 2x2 inch scantling on the rear underside 

 and a 1x2 inch strip under the front end. This secures a slope 

 of an inch, which may be turned the other way to shed water 

 in rear. The roofs are much wider than the hive and shelter 

 the top from the effects of the weather. 



5. The queen must be young. Some beekeepers believe 

 in requeening every season after the honey crop. We do not 

 believe in so radical a measure. In fact, we would not feel cap- 

 able of killing a first-class queen after only one season of use. 

 But we do believe in keeping only prolific queens and if the queen 

 has proven under grade she should be replaced. Old queens that 

 are losing their fertility are a frequent source of swarming. The 

 workers prepare to supersede them, by rearing queen-cells, just 

 as soon as they notice their reduced laying. The old queen in 

 a pique leaves with a swarm. So we must replace our old queens 

 every fall or late summer. 



6. A large number of drones is an incentive to swarming. 

 Some of the old-time beekeepers thought the drones were bene- 

 ficial because the colonies having many drones swarm readily. 



