NADIRS. 1 1 9 



CHAPTER XXV. 



NADIRS. 



Xadirs are the opposites of supers. Nadirs go beneath 

 bee-hives, and supers above them. Most bee-keepers know 

 something of supering, but very few of them know any- 

 thing of nadiiing. If a hive which -we -wish to keep for 

 stock becomes heavy in June or July, we place a nadir 

 beneath it — that is to say, we lift it off its board, place 

 a hive with cross-sticks and a large crown-hole on the 

 board, then place the fuU hive on the empty one, pin the 

 two together with strong nails, and cement the junction. 

 The bees are soon found hanging in a large cluster, like a 

 swarm, through the crown-hole of the nadir. New combs 

 are speedily built from the upper hive, through the hole, 

 down to the board ; and in process of time the nadir is 

 filled with combs and brood, almost aU the honey going 

 to the upper story. At the end of the season the top one 

 is taken off for honey, and its bees driven into the bottom 

 or nadir hive, which is kept for stock. Last year our 

 earliest swarm was taken off about the 10th of May. By 

 the end of four weeks it was full, and nearly ready for 

 swarming. Instead of taking off a virgin swarm, we placed 

 it on a nadir. At the end of the season we found that 

 it weighed 70 lb. All the bees were driven below, and 

 the top one removed. It weighed 50 lb. and the nadir 

 20 lb. "We thus got nearly 30 lb. of honey and a stock- 



