APPENDIX. 107 



thick, higi-standing pellets of pollen, the one under observation takes 

 but a small number of halt sized ones. If tlie hives have movable 

 combs the queen should be looked for ; if it be a skep, search for brood, 

 as explained page 28. Should no queen exist, it is generally best policy 

 to unite the bees to another weak stock having a queen : (see page 62.) 

 Water must not be overlooked : (see page 61.) 



Ventilation through the top of the hive may now be discontinued : (see 

 page 98.) 



Old Hives needing repairs should have their bees, combs, and frames 

 removed to others. 



Uniting is the best course with weak and queenless stocks (see above). 

 One strong lot is worth a dozen weak ones. 



Transferring combs from skeps to frame hives may now be undertaken : 

 (see page 75.) 



Robbing, if commenced, must be met by the plans given at page 56. 

 King says, " Should a weak stock be nearly overcome by robbers, sprinkle 

 flour upon them ; and if they are found to belong to a strong stock, it 

 may exchange places with the weak one.*' 



Exchange of statioTis is in this case allowable, but a caution had better 

 here be given with respect to it, as it is fr^ely recommended in more 

 books than one as a means of equalising stocks. Never venture upon it 

 without caging the queens of both hives, unless honey is coming in 

 abundantly, or an encasement (see page 83), if nothing worse, is almost 

 sure to f oUow. 



lAgurianising, — If it is intended to use the nucleus plan for Ligurianis- 

 ing, preliminary steps must be taken this month : (see page 81.) 



Weeds. — Spread spent tan around the hives to prevent the growth of 

 weeds : (see page 91.) 



Supers of glass should be got ready at once, and provided with guide 

 combs and jackets : (see pages 64 and 65.) 



Gmdes should be put into hives (see page 53), and into frame supers : 

 (see page 55.) Our swarms supplied with midribs to within lialf an inch 

 of the bottom in each frame, fill their hives in a wonderfully short time 

 with combs as fiat as a table, and without a drone cell. Some drone 

 comb in an outside frame is desirable. 



MAT. ; 



Good colonies are now ripe for swarming, or approaching that condition, 

 and the work of the apiary really commences. If at the beginning of the 

 month a colony with a goodly number of bees be found queenless, give it 

 the queen (see page 83) from the stock you like best (see principle 6, page 

 46), so that it may raise queen cells (see page 43) for the colonies to be 

 swarmed artificially in ten or eleven days : (see page 46.) Care must be 

 taken that principle 1 (page 46) is not violated. 



