SPRING MANAGEMENT.—Chapter XIX. 
After cutting out the undesirable comb, that from which portions have 
been cut should be used as a pattern and placed over the worker comb which 
is to be used for patches. With a knife, the shape of the holes may be 
marked on the worker comb. Then removing the upper pattern the pieces 
may be cut out of the worker comb, after which they are inserted in the 
comb to be patched. If they are small and fit in tightly, it may not be 
necessary to fasten them. Otherwise, they can be held securely by means 
of wires wrapped around the frames; or, if honey is coming in, the patches 
may be tied in with strings, which will be removed by the bees as soon as 
they have attached the patches to the rest of the comb. 
Giving Room Below and Above. 
To move brood from the hive-body proper to a super above too early 
in the season would be attended with danger of chilling the brood, since so 
much of the heat of the lower story would rise to the upper one. But, as 
stated under the subhead, “Preceding the Honey Flow,” page 71, two 
or three weeks before the opening of the main honey flow, if the strongest 
colonies become crowded with brood and bees, a super should be given im- 
mediately above the lower story; and, if the crowded condition seems to 
warrant it, it may be advisable to place one or two frames of brood in the 
upper story, replacing these in the brood-chamber with frames of founda- 
tion or, preferably, combs, at the sides of the lower story. When some 
brood is thus kept‘in the second story, the bees become so accustomed to 
occupying the second story that, when the honey flow comes, they start to 
work in the super with energy. 
Increase—Prevented or Made. 
By tearing down queen-cells as fast as they appear, placing a few 
frames of brood, or all but one, above, and filling the remainder of the 
lower brood-chamber with drawn combs, it will doubtless be possible to 
prevent all increase during the early summer period. Or, if increase is de- 
sired, the above plan may be used, only inserting a queen-excluder between 
the two stories and tearing down all capped cells. About eight days later 
the upper story may be moved to a new location and its entrance contracted, 
to prevent the brood from chilling. (See Chapter XV on “Increase.”) 
When Spring Management Might Not be Necessary. 
As a final word about spring management, let it be said that there are 
high beekeeping authorities who say that there should be no necessity for 
any spring management; that if the colony goes into winter quarters strong, 
with many young bees, has good stores and plenty of protection, such a 
colony needs no attention in the spring. But this is an ideal condition—not 
the ordinary situation. 
A Final Word. 
The beginner, who has read this little book from cover to cover, has 
now completed the cycle of the beekeeping year, and has been told briefly 
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