9.8 THE BEB keeper's MANUAL. 



' 9. It should allow every good piece of comb to be given 

 to the bees, instead of being melted into wax. (See Chap- 

 ter on Comb.) 



10. The construction of the hive should induce the bees 

 to build their combs with great regularity. 



A hive which contains a large proportion of irregalar 

 comb, can never be expected to prosper. Such comb is 

 only suitable for storing honey, or raising drones. This is 

 one reason why so many colonies never flourish. A glance 

 will often show that a hive contains so much drone comb, as 

 to be unfit for the purposes of a stock hive. 



11. It should furnish the means of procuring comb to be 

 used as a guide to the bees, in building regdar combs in 

 empty hives ; and to induce them more readily to take pos- 

 session of the surplus honey receptacles. 



It is well known that the presence of comb will induce 

 bees to begin work much more readily than they otherwise 

 would : this is especially the case in glass vessels. ■ 



12. It should allow the removal of drone combs from the 

 hive, to prevent the breeding of too many drones. (See re- 

 marks on Drones.) 



13. It should enable the Apiarian, when the combs be- 

 come too old, to remove them, and supply their place with 

 new ones. 



No hive can, in this respect, equal one in which, in a 

 few moments, any comb can be removed, and the part 

 which is too old, be cut off. The upper part of a comb, 

 which is generally used for storing honey, will last without, 

 renewal for many years. 



14. It ought to furnish the greatest possible security 

 against the ravages of the Bee-Moth. 



Neither before nor after it is occupied, ought there to be 

 any cracks or crevices in the interior. AH such place? will 



