CHAPTER 11 

 Fall Management 



When the end of the crop is near, we find it advisable to 

 make sure that our bees are putting enough honey in their brood 

 combs for winter. 



With comb-honey production, it is often noticed that the 

 bees have crowded so much honey in the brood combs that they 

 have little room for breeding. The colony decreases in numbers, 

 especially if the crop lasts to a late date. 



With our management in the production of extracted honey, 

 large brood chambers and very free access to a niimber of supers, 

 it may happen, if we are not on the lookout, that our bees will 

 have a contrary experience, an insufficient quantity of honey 

 in the brood combs. We believe in a very large amount of stores 

 for winter and spring. The old way was to figure on 25 pounds. 

 We want 40 pounds at least to make sure that there will be no 

 shortage and no stint in the spring breeding. To obtain this, 

 we crowd the bees for room ; that is to say, we allow them a little 

 less super room and this forces them to put a sufficiency in the 

 brood combs. Better have 50 pounds than only 25. 



It is not advisable, however, to cramp them so that the 

 fall breeding will be neglected. A colony wintering on mainly 

 old bees and a limited number of young bees is not likely to 

 succeed as well as a colony that has bred freely till the late fall. 

 This question requires j udgment on the part of the apiarist. Even 

 a very experienced man will make mistakes in this matter. Much 

 also depends upon the conditions at the end of the crop. In 

 many seasons the amount of brood reared, before cool nights 

 come, depends upon the field conditions. 



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