114 THE APIARY. 



or artificial comb (hereafter described) will be found 

 excellent substitutes* 



When selecting guide-comb, avoid combs with drone- 

 cells; to fix these is setting the bees a bad pattern. 

 Honey stored in drone-combs has more wax, and is 

 coarser in appearance and taste. Having satisfied your- 

 self, by peeping in at the windows, and from symptoms 

 at the entrance, that the original boxes are well filled, 

 place your prepared honey-box on the top, draw a 

 slide at each side of the middle box to afford communi- 

 cation, and insert the little plugs. It is not so well to 

 withdraw the middle slides, because the queen is more 

 likely to ascend from the centre. When you notice that 

 the bees have fairly commenced work in the honey- 

 box and are likely to keep to it, the remaining box c 

 may be added below the stock, which will afford addi- 

 tional room and prevent swarming, exchanging the 

 entrance to the newly-furnished box and sliding in 

 pieces wood to close the aperture of that above. 



Should the bees begin making comb in the bottom 

 box, draw two more slides for freer access into the 

 super, as there will then be little risk of the queen ascend- 

 ing, having so much range for egg-laying in the three 

 lower boxes. 



In very fine weather, a good swarm or stock will fill a 

 honey-box in the space of two weeks ; but a much longer 

 time is usually occupied. 



* The body boxes may be prepared in a similar manner. 



