46 



in some sneiierea spot to which the bees have ready access ; 

 if no such suitable spot exists , an artificial shelter can be 

 erected for the purpose near the hives ; or a little pea flour 

 may be dredged over flowers. If the district is one in which 

 little honey is gathered before July, stimulative feeding should 

 not be resorted to until April. If it is desired to stimulate 

 breeding, scrape away the capping from about 2 to 3 square 

 inches of comb, using a carbolised feather between the frames 

 to move the bees off the comb surface which is to be thus 

 treated. The frame should be drawn back, not lifted up, for 

 this operation. Repeat this process as necessity arises, increas- 

 ing or decreasing the area of comb treated as may appear to be 

 advisable. It would usually be sufficient to scrape the comb 

 about once a week, but care should be taken at all times to 

 leave a fair amount of sealed store untouched, say IJ to 2 in. 

 in depth of sealed store on each of four frames. If there is 

 not sufficient sealed store to permit of utilising it as above 

 recommended, and in any case when the above treatment has 

 started breeding fairly well, stimulative feeding by means of 

 spring syrup (178), given by a feeder, should be commenced. 

 The syrup should be given warm every evening, one hole of 

 the feeder only being opened, and the supply should be shut 

 off in the morning. The actual amount required will vary 

 greatly ; it should usually suffice to commence with about a 

 quarter of a gill, and gradually to increase the quantity as 

 required, taking care never to give so much that the bees will 

 store it, and not to give syrup when the bees can collect enough 

 food from flowers. Any honey which has been held over 

 during winter in frames may advantageously be used for spring 

 stimulative feeding, placing the frame at the back of the brood 

 nest, and removing any empty frames not required. When 

 spring feeding is being carried on, a half -inch wide opening only 

 should be left between the hive doors, as a preventive against 

 robbing (140). 



XIII.— PRODUCTION OF SURPLUS HONEY FOR SALE 

 OR CONSUMPTION. 



The production of surplus honey in bar-frame hives is carried 

 on in two ways : — 



107. Methods of (a.) By producing comb honey in sec- 

 Producing Honey tions : 



for Bale. (5.) By extracting liquid honey from 



combs. 



A strong stock would usually be ready for supering in early 

 honey districts in Ireland , about the middle 

 108. Time for of May. To ascertain if a stock is ready 

 Supering. for a super, peel off the quilt (65) suffi- 



ciently to expose about half of each frame 

 to view ; if on examining the frames from above it is noticed 

 that on ten frames the bees are crowded , and that they have 



