38 



brood-spreading carried on with care, and accompanied 

 by judicious feeding, may advantageously be practised, pro- 

 vided that plenty of covering is suppUed to assist bees to keep 

 up the temperature of the brood nest, which must then be 

 maintained at a much higher temperature than would suffice 

 in winter. It is also necessary to practise brood-spreading 

 when it is desired to strengthen a stock which has been hived 

 from a swarm (76) , or trans.f erred from a skep (86) (87) . To 

 ascertain when brood-spreading is desirable, gently turn up 

 the back of the quilt so as to expose the top bars of the dummy 

 and back frame to view ; if the space between them is crowded 

 with bees, brood-spreading is necessary. 



Brood-spreading is carried out as follows : — After subduing the 

 bees (63), leave the carbolic cloth on the 

 90. Method of frames, then draw back or lift out the 

 Brood-spreading, dummy, next identify the shoulders of the 

 centre frame by following the top bar with 

 the fingers of both hands over the carbolic cloth, grip both 

 shoulders of this frame and press it and the frames behind it 

 gently back, so as to leave a space of about three inches between 

 the frames in the centre ; then remove the carbolic cloth, turn- 

 ing it back from the front of the hive sufficiently to expose the 

 space in the centre, into which lower the frame which is to be 

 introduced, having first marked the date on the top bar, and 

 smeared the shoulders with petroleum jelly ; then press the 

 dummy and frames tightly to the front, and replace covers. In 

 ordinary conditions during summer, from seven to ten days 

 may be allowed to pass before examining the hive again for 

 brood-spreading ; when the bees are crowded between the back 

 frame and dummy, a frame of foundation shouldbe given. It 

 is perhaps well to repeat here the caution already given^ that 

 all unnecessary examination of an open hive is objectionable, 

 and that the beekeeper should therefore endeavour to combine 

 the operation of brood-spreading with any other operation 

 which may necessitate the opening of the hive. When the 

 body-box is full of frames, the introduction of more frames of 

 foundation may be continued, if there is necessity to do so for 

 the purpose of replacing old or badly-shaped comb, or to get 

 rid of frames containing an undue .amount of drone cells. 

 Generally speaking it will suffice to give five new frames of 

 foundation annually to a ten-frame stock. If any frames are 

 found to contain an excess of drone comb, they should be 

 removed, unless they contain worker brood, in which case the 

 portion containing drone cells should be cut out, and the frame 

 should then be placed next the dummy, to be removed when 

 the brood has been hatched out. 



XI.— NATUEAL SWAEMING. 

 .Natural swarming and its cause has been shortly referred to 



(11). The subject will now be dealt with 

 91. Natural Swarming, in its relation to profitable bee-keeping. 



Except when the bee-keeper desires to in- 

 crease his stocks or to provide swarms for sale, swarming 



