36 MANAGEMENT OF OUT-APIARIES 



colony from which I had just taken the four combS having no brood in 

 them,' while the four reserve combs which had been left out of the upper 

 story were put in the now weaker colony to take the place of the brood 

 taken out. These four combs were placed each side of the two combs left 

 having brood in them, rather than in the center between them, so that the 

 /(ueenin laying, which she will now do rapidly, will work out from these 

 two frames of brood, and in this way no brood will be lost during such cool 

 or cold weather, as would be the case were these four combs placed in the 

 center, or from where we took the brood. By working thus, this now 

 weaker colony will get into the right condition to receive a hive of beeless 

 brood when the time of shaking arrives, as will soon be given. 



A queen-excluder is now placed on top of the hive we have just filled 

 with brood, and the hive full of combs, four of which have just been taken 

 from below, is now set over the excluder, when they are left till our next 

 \isit at the opening of the clover bloom. HJives which have seven combs of 

 brood have their three broodless combs taken away and three frames of 

 brood from another colony given them, and so on, until all which the yard 

 will furnish, that are strong enough, are fixed in the same way. In this way 

 these colonies which are given brood arrive in nearly as good condition for 

 shaking, when the season for so doing arrives, as do those which are of our 

 best in a good year, so that they are ready to take advantage of the clover 

 and basswood bloom when the same arrives, while none would be, did we 

 not have an "eye" to the existing state of affairs. Of course, we can not se- 

 cure as large a crop of honey from the part which can be gotten ready in 

 tliis way as we could were all strong; but we can secure quite a crop of 

 section honey, even in the poorest season, as against none, or very nearly ' 

 that, did we not have an eye to the season. Then, to carry out this plan so 

 as to make the colonies from which we took the brood do their part in the 

 matter, at time of shaking, the combs of beeless brood are given to these 

 colonies, one hive to each, in such a way that we do not lose as much as we 

 Avould naturally think, while gaining a whole lot by getting the others strong 

 in time to take advantage of the first honey flow of the season. Lest any may 

 think that this way of working is the rule rather than the exception, allow 

 me to say that, nine years out of ten, we do not need to resort to anything 

 of this kind, for we are more often met with the conditions of the colonies 

 building up in advance of the season, when we are taxed the other way to 

 keep down the swarming instinct till the time of shaking arrives. 



At the time of shaking the strong colonies a queen-excluder is placed 

 over the weaker colonies from which we took the brood at our visit the last 

 time we A\-ere at the out-apiai-y before; and after the bees are shaken off the 

 brood from the strong colonies, their beeless brood is set on top of the ex- 

 cluder, where it remains for from four to six days in accord with the 

 weather, or our necessary work at some other place, when the out-apiary is 

 visited again and a super of sections having baits placed on top of the ex- 

 cluder, and on top of tliis the hive of brood we have removed to give room 

 for the super of sections, which is now virtually between the brood in both 

 hives, this giving the colony so much room that it does not think of swarm- 

 ing, even with the great increase the maturing brood in both hives gives 

 in the number of bees. To overcome the difficulty of stained sections 

 and cappings to the combs in the sections, a sheet of enameled cloth, or a 

 sheet of tin (the latter being preferred) is placed so it will cover their tops 

 and all the openings between the sections at the top, except those in the 



