11 



should be removed from the combs when the first swarm 

 issues; and if a second swarm issues, remove all queen cells, 

 and return the after swarm or cast to the parent stock on the 

 second or third evening after it issued (76) . 



The young queen in the parent stock does not lay until about 

 seventeen to twenty-one days after the top 

 14. Time when swarm has left, before which all the 

 young mated ftueen worker brood will be hatched out ; 

 will lay Eggs. so that if a hive is examined on the 

 twenty-first day after swarming, no 

 worker brood except possibly eggs will be found. It is impor- 

 tant that this should be borne in mind when driving bees from 

 skeps into frame hives, for if this is done on the twenty-first 

 day after the top swarm has left, no worker brood can be lost. 



Bees generally work within about a mile from the hive, but if 

 the supply of honey within that area is in- 



15. Range of Flight sufficient, they will go further, but rarely 



of Bees. beyond two miles from the hive. On return- 



ing they fly straight to the exact spot on 

 which their hive stood, and many would be unable to find or 

 recognise it if, during their absence, it had been removed even 

 the short distance of six feet ; this should be borne in mind when 

 for any purpose a hive is moved from its place (182). It should 

 only be moved when the bees have ceased flying for the day, and 

 by short stages of four feet when there is only one hive, or two 

 feet if there are other hives close by. The beekeeper can pro- 

 fitably take advantage of this habit of the bee when he wishes 

 to make artificial swarms (188) . 



When, in the early summer, the beekeeper observes that few 

 of the bees are carrying balls of yellow 



16. Signs of Honey pollen on their hind legs, while many are 



Flow. flying rapidly to and from the hive, he may 



conclude that ' ' the honey-flow ' ' has com- 

 menced. He should then make sure that plenty of empty comb 

 IS provided in the super (107) for the storage of the honey. 



kB gathered by the bees, honey contains certain gases and an 



excess of water, but after a short time the 



17. Bipening of warmth of the hive causes the gases and 



Honey. water to evaporate, and the honey becomes 



"matured" or "ripe." The time re- 



juired to bring about this change depends very much on the 



leat of the hive, and this is one of the reasons why it is desir- 



ible to keep hives warmer in summer than in winter. When 



;he honey is ripe, but not before, the bees will cover over the 



sells with a thin film of wax, which is called " capping," and 



;he beekeeper can thus easily distinguish ripe from unripe 



loney. 



