BEES, BEE-HIVES, AND BEE CULTURE. 75 



for although when a swarm leaves a hive almost every bee composing 

 it fills itself with honey, we have known not a few instances in case of 

 very wet weather, in which the whole swarm has been starved for 

 the want of this little timely help. Of course, the first work of the 

 bees is to build themselves combs, and these combs being produced 

 by the secretion of wax from honey, a great drain upon their resources 

 immediately begins, and any little outlay at this juncture is abundantly 

 compensated by its enabling these industrious emigrants the more 

 quickly to push forward the furnishing of their new home. Clean 

 combs from hives that may have lost their bees are readily accepted, 

 and cause a great saving in time and material to the bees ; these 

 combs may easily be fixed by cutting them the proper size to fit 

 within the frames, and making them firm by tieing with tape or 

 fixing them with pliable wire. Artificial comb (see page 70) is often 

 used, and has this advantage, that the combs are certain to be 

 straight and regular, besides the saving in material to the bees. 



These preparations must be made prior to the bees being hived, 

 so that when "a hive is so prepared, a swarm may begin to adapt 

 whatever advantages they find ready for them; and it is truly 

 marvellous what a swarm will do when thus furnished with combs in 

 their new habitation. In these the queen can immediately begin to 

 deposit her eggs, and the workers to store their honey, without 

 having to wait for the construction of combs, which is a laborious 

 occupation for the bees. 



In some cases, fine white combs may be taken from the stock 

 hive; the end frames are always the most free from brood. Care 

 must be exercised not to rob this part of the hive too much ; one 

 comb may perhaps be removed in the course of the season without 

 impoverishing the bees, but it is not wise to take more. 



Putting on Supek Hive. — A colony established a year or 

 more is called a " stock," by way of distinction from a swarm of the 

 present year. Supposing the hive to be a stock, the super should be 

 given them at the early part of the season, say, if fine and warm, at 

 the latter end of April or beginning of May; if the weather be then 

 unfavourable, it is better to delay doing so until a more genial 

 temperature. If the colony be a swarm of the present year, two 

 weeks should be allowed to elapse from the time of tenanting a hive, 

 before putting on the super ; this delay is necessary to give the bees 

 the opportunity of buUding combs in their new domicile, and of 



