56 DADANT SYSTEM OF BEEKEEPING 



to ascertain whether they have sufhcient stores to carry them 

 to fruit bloom, and to clean out the dead bees from deceased 

 colonies and close them, so that neither robbers nor moths may 

 enter. 



Queenless colonies are not looked for until the second 

 visit, shortly before fruit bloom. The weak, queenless colonies 

 are united with others, lifting their combs bodily, in a cool, 

 evening, to place them behind the division board of a queenright 

 but comparatively weak colony which does not occupy its entire 

 hive and will be benefited by the help. If both colonies have been 

 given a little light food, there is no fight. 



We have also found the newspaper plan of uniting bees, given 

 by Dr. Miller, a very good method. It is used quite generally. 

 During a cool night, place one of the colonies, to be united, 

 over the other, separating them with a newspaper and closing all 

 entrances except that of the lower hive. The bees gnaw the 

 paper slowly and generally unite peaceably. 



If the queenless colonies are not weak, as some timeshappers, 

 we give them a queen purchased from a reliable Southern 

 breeder. We used to rear our own supersedure queens and it is 

 a desirable thing to do. But we have been too busy, for years 

 past, to spend any time at this work, which requires special 

 conditions. Southern breeders, if they are active and honest, 

 and there are many such, can rear good queens by the time our 

 bees awaken from winter rest. 



As a breeder is not always able to supply queens on short 

 notice, we are in the habit of placing an approximate order, 

 for an approximate time, early enough to get a part at least, 

 of the queens we will need. 



Since we ha^e gone into the keeping of over 500 colonies 

 of bees, we have taken less pains to save a colony which comes 

 out of the winter queenless. Yet, taking it all in all, it is not a 

 bad idea to keep this colony going if we wish to a^oid having 

 empty spots in the apiary. We have often helped such a colony 

 with a comb of brood, early, then used it as we might use an 

 empty hive, in making a division, late in May. This is hardly 

 profitable, however. 



