SO THE COTTAGE AND FARM BEE KEEPER. 



sufficiently advanced,] than our little favorites sally forth in quest of 

 nourishment for their young, many of whom, it may be, are already 

 hatched in the hive. Warned by their drony hum, (for it has a pecu- 

 liar sound at this season of the year,) the bee master should pay an 

 early visit to his apiary, taking with him a clean and dry bottom board. 

 The process of board-cleansing is another rarely-considered duty of 

 the apiarian, but not the less important on that account. To the ne- 

 glect of this precaution is to be attributed the ruin of not a few hives 

 by the wax moth, and the impoverishment of many more, annually. 

 These insects are on the alert sometimes as early as March, if the 

 weather is mild, and may be seen at morn and eve hovering busily around 

 the hives. They lay a good deal in the interstices between the hive and 

 the board, on that side where the latter is most thickly covered with 

 the dibris of comb, (for they quickly scent it out,) if this is not 

 removed. Where the hive is well glued by propolis to the board, 

 it is a question if the larvre, when the eggs are hatched, can get in, 

 on which account it may seem a dubious good to break up the hives 

 from their boards. If, however, these latter are frequently cleansed — 

 and the oftener the better — no danger on this score need be appre- 

 hended , besides, the bees will be spared much labor. The best way 

 to conduct this operation, is to substitute a fresh board for that of one 

 of the hives, which may be cleansed and dried effectually ere it be 

 substituted the following day for the board of the second hive, and so 

 on throughout the apiary, where more than two hives are kept. The 

 last removed board, after being thoroughly cleansed, may be laid by 

 for future use. 



While the above operation is being performed, a good opportunity 

 presents for examining the condition of the comb in the old hives. 

 Let these, therefore, be turned up, and any old, black, or mouldy comb 

 that may be visible, removed, taking care not to cut too deep into the 

 hive, so as to injure the brood comb actually occupied. 



The next thing to be attended to is the weight of each hive, in which 

 should there chance to be any deficiency, let a proper supply of food 

 be given to the bees. This ought to have been effectually guarded 

 against some months before ; but if such attention was not paid to 

 it, about half a pound of diluted honey or beer and sugar, (see Chap- 

 ter XI.,) per week should be supplied to them, until honey is known 

 to abound. 



