130 MONTHLY DUTIES. 
the cap, and also take off the ventilator. The space 
over the comb frames not covered with the feeder, cover 
with a small honey board. Let the packing remain at 
the sides until you have put on the side boxes, or until 
some time in May, as it keeps the brood chamber warm, 
which is essential in forwarding breeding. Open a small 
portion of the upper entrance (about one-third) and 
keep the passage open at the bottom, the same as during 
the winter. 
APRIL. 
Early in April—the first warm, sunny day—examine 
your stocks, and see if they have fertile, laying queens. 
If the queen is all right, there will be eggs and brood in 
the brood cells. Don’t keep the hives open any longer 
than is necessary, as the cold air might chill the brood. 
At this time, if some stocks have a large amount of 
honey in the combs of the brood section, exchange such 
with some stock that has but little; as it is a disadvan- 
tage to have too much sealed honey in the brood combs 
in the spring. It sometimes happens that all the brood 
combs will be filled with sealed honey nearly down to 
the bottom, leaving but a very small place on two or three 
combs near the bottom for breeding purposes. In such 
cases, take out two or three combs, and exchange with 
other stocks having empty combs, leaving in each such 
as have brood and eggs, in every stock. Don’t take out 
any bees. In this manner equalize your stocks, and all 
will be benefited. If any stocks are found queenless, or 
with diseased or worthless queens, take means to fur- 
eas 
