SPRING DWINDLING 
Another trouble sometimes met by the beekeeper is called spring 
dwindling. The colony at that time in the late spring when it nor- 
mally should be rapidly increasing in strength declines in numerical 
force. There is a mortality of the adult bees greater than is made 
up by the emerging bees, and the colony may be reduced in strength 
to such a degree that it becomes unprofitable if it does not succumb 
entirely. 
This is believed to be evidence of poor wintering. The adult 
bees, because of the intense activity in raising the cluster temperature. 
become exhausted of vitality unduly early in the season and die be- 
fore young bees can be reared to take their places. The remedy, 
better wintering practice, is obvious. 
TRANSFERRING BEES 
Unfortunately there are still a few bees in box hives in New Jersey. 
and occasionally. there is a colony with immovable combs because no 
foundation has been used in the frames. It is highly desirable that 
all bees be on movable combs in order that the manipulations necessary 
in modern beekeeping may be readily accomplished and that bee 
diseases be detected and controlled. 
The method of transferring the movable comb hives known as 
the Heddon short method has much to recommend it, the chief 
advantage being the fact that there is less likelihood of the person 
with small experience meeting failure. Transferring by this method 
is best accomplished at fruit-blossoming time. No extra apparatus 
is needed in transferring from a movable frame hive with crooked 
combs, and in transferring from a box there is needed only another 
box of the same width and length as the open end of the box hive 
and about twelve inches deep. 
First, vigorously smoke the box hive to be operated on, then turn 
it bottom up and place the prepared box on it with the two open 
ends together. Should there be cracks or holes where bees may 
escape they should be stopped. Then pound vigorously on the 
sides of the old hive for about ten minutes. The greater part of 
the bees and the queen will run up and cluster in the upper box. 
They should then be dumped in front of a hive prepared for a swarm, 
placed where the box hive stood and’ the box hive placed ten feet 
away from its former location. 
If the colony to be transferred is on crooked combs in a regular 
size hive, the prepared hive may be placed as the second story and 
the bees drummed up into it. The top story should then be put on 
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