§xn.] SUPPLYING NATURAL COMB. 261 



§ XII. SUPPLYING NATURAL COMB. 



We have spoken above (page 187) of the great value 

 of sheets or strips of wax for assisting the bees in the 

 building of their combs. But when, through another 

 hive having lost its bees at an early stage, the combs 

 themselves can be supplied them in good and plean con- 

 dition, the advantage is very much greater. Such combs 

 may be fixed in frame hives exactly in the same plan as 

 is adopted on transferring full honeycomb (page 224). 



Generally speaking the bee-keeper may be satisfied if 

 he can simply insert pure white guide-comb with which 

 to start the bees. Every bar, or if the comb is not 

 plentiful, every other bar, should have a piece fixed to it 

 in the following manner : Cut a piece of clean empty 

 comb of the required size, say two inches square, not 

 less ; heat a common flat iron, with which slightly warm 

 the bar ; then melt a little bees'-wax upon it ; draw the 

 comb quickly over the heated iron, hold it down on the 

 centre of the bar, giving a very slight movement back- 

 wards and forwards ; then leave the wax to grow cold, 

 and, if cleverly managed, the guide will be found firmly 

 attached. Care must be taken that the pitch or inclina- 

 tion of the comb is the same as it is in the hives — up- 

 wards from the centre of each comb. 



When a hive has been in use many years the combs 

 become very black, and every bee that is bred in a cell 

 leaves a film behind. It may be understood how. in this 

 way the cells become contracted, and the bees that are 



