242 A Modern Bee-Farm 



On the other hand, in the absence of surplus combs or 

 space, the queens are crowded out, little or no brood rearing _, 

 can be carried on, and then with no young workers, we meet 

 the opposite extreme — the older workers must die off — ^this 

 time leaving a fully-stored hive, instead of empty combs. 



Under very favourable conditions, even with all possible 

 storage room, the brood nest cannot be extended sufficiently, 

 to make up for the wear and tear of bee-life. Thus we see 

 the reason why a district capable of producing 400 or 506 

 pounds of honey annually per colony, seldom gives as much 

 as 200, more frequently considerably less. 



Under these circumstances, nothing but a judicious system 

 of combined division and re-uniting-^-keeping up the brood 

 supply with the young bees and young queen — will ever give 

 results fully equal to the resources of the district. 



During a heavy flow bees will unite anyhow, therefore 

 'select any two colonies standing near together; unite the 

 whole of the bees and brood in one of the two, excepting such 

 as return to the empty hive with the queen. Fill this with 

 frames of foundation,, or having starters only attached to the 

 top bars. This new swarm will soon fill up with brood and 

 store. ^ 



But our object is to ensure that this new swarm rears a 

 continuous supply of brood and bees. Meanwhile, briiig it within a 

 foot or so of the hive, which has already received its combs 

 and adhering bees. After three weeks remove the new swarm 

 quite behind the other, and the latter will then receive all the 

 flying bees. After a day or two shift the new lot to the 

 opposite 5ide, always standing a little back, but facing the 

 same way as the larger stock. 



