Elements of Beekeeping 11 



lifie queen, the bees will commence working as soon as the tree 

 buds swell. At this time the colony should be examined to see 

 whether the queen has survived the winter and whether a good 

 supply of food is on hand. When a colony is found to be queen- 

 less, it may be united with a normal one by setting the hive, 

 minus the bottom board, over the one with the queen, with a 

 sheet of newspaper between the two hives. In about twenty- 

 four hours the bees will have gnawed thru the paper and by 

 this time they will have become acquainted and no trouble will 

 follow. In case a queenless colony seems very strong it may be 

 left to raise its own queen, by adding to it a frame of 

 brood containing eggs and young larvae taken from the best col- 

 ony. 



Small colonies which have young, prolific queens may be 

 built up by transferring from the strong colonies frames of 

 brood with adhering bees. The young bees will remain, the 

 old bees will return to their former hives and the emerging brood 

 will help to replenish the colony. Very weak colonies are un- 

 desirable and should be united with strong colonies. Two weak 

 colonies should never ie united. 



In uniting colonies or transferring frames of brood with 

 adhering bees, an important fact should be considered. Every 

 colony has a distinctive odor and by this means bees of one 

 colony recognize the bees from another and usually resent them. 

 This can be easily overcome by smoking each colony before unit- 

 ing. 



All drone comb in the brood-chamber should be removed, as 

 it is a decided hindrance to rapid brood-rearing. Patches of 

 drone comb may be cut out and comb foundation the exact size 

 of the piece removed inserted in its place. 



Colonies that have come thru the winter with an insuffi- 

 cient amount of stores for brood-rearing in the spring, may be 

 fed a thin sugar syrup made in the proportion of one part of 

 sugar to two parts of water by volume. Feed a few pounds a day. 

 Supers of honey from the previous season may be placed' on top 

 of the brood-chamber to provide the necessary food for brood- 

 rearing. 



