108 APPENDIX. 



Imported qiieens, or other fertile ones, may be given to driven hives 

 hiiniediately after the swarm has been taken — twenty-four hours caging 

 will be sufficient. 



Ripe Queen cells should be carefully inserted into all hives soon after 

 natural swarming or forcing : (see page 42.) 



Nuclei may be started as soon as queen cells are at command : (see 

 page 81.) 



Supers may be put on stocks, all of whose combs are well covered by 

 bees if the weather be favourable, swarming being thus possibly pro- 

 vented ; or, if not, something will probably be stored before the swarm 

 issues. Bees may be enticed into these by pouring syrup into the guide 

 comb, or on to the midribs. They will object to our untidy storinf and in 

 putting all right often adopt the super and fill it. 



Food is still important in prolonged unfavourable weather : (see last 

 month.) 



/Swarms, if purchased, should, if possible, bo obtained this month. 

 Premature, or vagabond swarms, as they are termed — i.e., colonies bodily 

 deserting their hives through disgust caused by want of, or some defect in 

 the queen — sometimes come off early in May ; they should be joined to 

 some other stock if they 4° not perform this ofSce for themselves, which 

 is not uncommon. 



Drone comis, if found in the outside frames, may be removed ana run 

 through the extractor, and a new frame filled with a worker midrib 

 placed in the centre of the hive : (see page 55.) It will speedily be pro- 

 vided with eggs. 



PhaceUa may be sown and meUUot clover sown or planted oat, but the 

 advantage arising is not great enough to warrant occupying any but 

 otherwise idle ground in this way. 



JUNE. 

 Artificial swarmimg, with a view to profit, may be continued through 

 the earlier part of this month, but until much later, if increase of stock 

 be the object, but food may then be required before wintering. 



Feed swarms with regularity : (see page 47.) If the food be supplied 

 too quickly, excessive quantities of drone comb is likely to be built. If 

 our midribs (see page 53) or Long's foundation have been given, this will 

 be impossible. 



Regulating comis. — Combs of swarms will require some attention in the 

 way of regulation (see page 50), if guides only have been supplied. 



Swarms well supplied with food and midribs should fill large hives 

 with brood and store in from a fortnight to three weeks. As soon as the 

 stock box is really full a super may be placed on ; but it is usually wise, 

 unless honey is very abundant, to wait until brood has been hatching out 

 three or four days. 



