210 A Modern Bee-Farm 



bees work well in the supers'. It is not even that the bees are 

 aware that the season is drawing to a close, as many consider; 

 but if we would go to the very starting point of the trouble, 

 we shall find that 



The whole question centres upon the Queen, 



as every bee-keeper may prove for himself, and as he will 

 admit as he follows my statements. 



Now, what is the condition of the colony which goes first 

 into the supers in early summer ? Have I not already shewn 

 that the hive must be full of bees, and have every stock comb 

 literally crammed with brood, when the honey must go- into the, 

 sections ? Well, go and do likewise for your heather crop ! . 

 Imagine that you have another year, a new season coming in, 

 instead of a late season in the same year ; and then you will 

 have your honey where you want it. 



But, you say the bees will not breed to any extent late in 

 the year. True, the same queen that you have used all the 

 summer will be of no use to you in this emergency, and just 

 here is the point. You are, then, to 



Use a Young Queen,* 



and the best way to have one in readiness for every hive is to 

 follow my plan of using every tenth colony for nuclei as 

 already shewn. Your first harvest closes towards the latter 

 part of July, and as soon as the supers^an be removed, de- 

 throne the old queen and unite the stocly^ahd nucleus. You 

 now have a stronger colony and a young queen who will take 

 good care that her domains are not crowded with honey. Her 

 first season is just coming, and the bees will act accordingly.;"^ - 

 This is a special case and special treatment is requijp|L,as 

 the honey nearly always comes in so freely that, by th^^d 

 method, the already exhausted queens are soon crowded 'oiit 



* See also Simmins' Non-Swarming Pamphlet (Feb., 1886). 



