37 



rdbou,.^, ^^v..„v.v.r zinc? and packing should be replaced. If 

 I examination it is found that the bees have deserted the 

 ood chamber and gone up into the skep without having pre- 

 jusly drawn out the foundation, it indicates that the news- 

 per was damped too much, in which event the operations 

 ast be repeated, damping the newspaper less ; or, if the paper 

 very thin, not damping it at all. If the bees have gone down 

 intended, the skep should not be removed for twenty-one 

 jar days, so as to allow all worker brood in it to be hatched 

 t. If the skep contains new comb, it should be left on for 

 out another week or longer, in order that it may be filled 

 th sealed honey before removal. On removing the skep, 

 Lve all the bees out, andreiurn them to the frame-hive by the 

 trance ; then pla/ce one frame of stock foundation in the 

 ntre of the brood chamber, and put on a crate of sections 

 10), if the conditions permit of doing so. Brood-sprea.ding 

 0) must now be attended to until the stock occupies ten 

 imes. 



X.— BEOOD-SPEEADING. 



ood-spreading signifies artificially expanding the area occu- 

 pied by the brood nest, by placing a frame 

 88. BeaBons for of foundation or empty comb in the centre 

 Brood-spreading. of the brood chamber for the queen to lay 

 in. By providing empty cells in the centre 

 the brood chamber, the queen is induced to lay more rapidly 

 in she otherwise would ; it also lessens the tendency to 

 arm, by providing space for the queen to lay in when there 

 3 few vacant cells available for that purpose. In the early 

 ring, the brood nest in a bar-frame hive occupies a somewhat 

 cular space in the centre of the middle frame and a few 

 imes on either side ; the area thus occupied is gradually 

 tended as the season advances, provided that the conditions 

 • breeding are favourable. The area of comb occupied by 

 5od in each frame diminishes the further the frame is from 

 } centre of the brood nest ; in a strong, well-managed hive, 

 )od would in early summer occupy part of the eight or nine 

 itral frames, whereas a weak stock might have brood in only 

 ■ee or four frames, because the queen will limit the number 

 eggs laid in accordance with the capacity of the stock to 

 )vide nurses. At times every frame in a strong stock may be 

 ire or less occupied by brood. 



3od-spreading should not be practised unless there is a suffi- 

 cient supply of food, nor in chilly, incle- 

 K Time for Brood- ment weather. If necessary, artificial feed- 

 spreading, ing (103) should be resorted to, otherwise 

 brood-spreading will cause more harm than 

 d. In districts in which the honey flow commences in May 

 early in June, it is most important that the stocks 

 uld be brought up to full strength before that period 

 early feeding (106) and brood-spreading; in such cases 



