64 PLEASUBABLE BEE-KEEPING. 



foundation of over 3 inches. The building of drone 

 comb in this space from the bottom edges of the foun- 

 dation will be prevented, should the honey-flow be at 

 its height, first by the giving of a super, but in 

 addition and effectually by a board, or two inch-boards 

 clamped together, to cover the bottom of the hive 

 except for about half an inch in the front. This block, 

 or false bottom, will have the effect of crowding the 

 bees upon the sheets of foundation thus accelerating 

 the work of comb-building so much that the first super 

 might be given on the evening following that on which 

 the swarm was hived. The queen will by that time be 

 busy depositing eggs in the newly worked-out combs, 

 and be less likely to go into the super with the rush of 

 worker bees. But all fear of the queen leaving her 

 own compartment may be avoided by using a sheet of 

 queen-excluding zinc (Fig. 34) upon the bars of the 

 brood-chamber. 



As soon as the super becomes warm, by the heat 

 ascending from the brood-nest, the bees will commence 

 work in it, and in a few days, when they are working 

 well, the hive might be lifted gently off the floor-board 

 to allow of the false bottom being removed. As the 

 bees will then be busily carrying their surplus stores 

 into the super, brood-rearing wiU be continued below, 

 and combs of worker cells will be extended downwards 

 nearly to the floor-board. This may be confidently 

 expected if the queen is a young one. A second super 

 will, in all probability, be required even with a swarm, 

 and if strong and hived early in the season, there is no 

 reason why, with fine weather and abundant forage 

 close at hand, it should not give three supers or 75 lbs. 



