44 



apiary -management. It is wellnigh impossible to conduct an apiary 

 on commercial lines unless the beekeeper takes notes at each examina- 

 tion. Working in the dark with respect to the age of queens, sur- 

 plus, &c., is poor policy. In the absence of books the hive-cover may 

 be used for writing notes on. A book may be mislaid, but records 

 made inside the cover are more in the nature of a permanent handy 

 reference. If advisable, these rough notes may be copied in the bee- 

 keeper's spare time into a complete record-book. 



Enlarging the Hive. 



A little judgment is required as to the proper time to put on 

 the supers. This may be done when the brood-chamber is getting 

 full of bees, and during mild weather. As soon as there is a fair flow 

 of nectar the operation should not be delayed, as the bees are liable 

 to be cramped for room. In cases where the beekeeper has plenty 

 of drawn-out combs no trouble will be experienced in getting the bees 

 to go up into the supers. However, where sheets of foundation are 

 used the bees will not readily take to these, and it may be necessary 

 to encourage them. Do not place a queen-excluder between the 

 brood-chamber and the super when the latter is fitted with foundation. 

 Much time is lost and very little honey wiU be gathered, as the bees 

 will rarely work foundation in the supers when excluders are used. 

 Should the bees not start work in the supers they may be induced to 

 go up by elevating one or two frames of honey from the brood- 

 chambers, at the same time inserting in their place sheets of foundation 

 from the super. On no account break up the brood by transferring 

 it to the super. Until settled weather is experienced this practice 

 cannot be too strongly condemned. 



When the season has advanced and the bees require additional 

 room for honey-storing purposes the beekeeper may add supers from 

 time to time as they are required. Do not wait until the previous 

 super added is completely full of honey, but when the bees have started 

 to cap the middle frames this may be taken as an indication that an 

 enlargement of the hive is necessary. 



Removing Honey from the Hive. 



The usual practice followed when the time for extracting is at 

 hand is to remove the frames one by one. If excluders are used 

 much time wiU be saved in picking over the combs. As the combs 

 are taken from the hive shake the bees in front of the hive, brush off 

 the remaining bees, and place the combs in a super for removal to the 

 honey-house. The combs should be covered with a cloth which has 

 been previously placed in water containing a small percentage of 

 carboHc acid. When the season is at its height very Uttle trouble will 

 be experienced from robbers, but in case of a stoppage in the flow the 

 above precaution is necessary. At all times the beekeeper should 

 study his working-equipment, and this is higlily important when 

 removing the honey. It will be found convenient to provide a good 

 barrow or truck for carrying at least two full supers. Much time and 

 labour will be saved, and the tedious work of removing the honey will 

 be facilitated. 



