§xni.] APPLYING SUPERS. 265 



three weeks should be allowed to elapse from the time 

 of tenanting a hive before putting on the super ; this 

 delay is necessary to give the bees the opportunity of 

 building combs in their new domicile, and of getting a 

 store of honey for themselves before working for their 

 master. The exact time * will, however, depend much 

 upon the weather, and the same applies to the subse- 

 quent time occupied by the bees in filling the super. 

 They will be the more incited to commence their work, 

 and having commenced to continue it, if some warm 

 covering is placed over the glass ; at night, when much 

 comb-building goes on, it is important to wrap it in 

 flannel or worsted, or some warm material (a baize bag 

 is convenient for bell glasses). A further inducement 

 will be offered by the fixing of a piece of comb to the 

 ' bars or ventilating tube, as the case may be. The cells 

 on the outside or by the window are always the last to 

 be filled, so that when these are sealed over it is safe 

 to conclude that the rest are also complete. 



When it is wished to use a super with a frame hive, 

 the crown-board or roof of the stock hive must be taken 

 away, the thin adapting or honey board, or perforated zinc 

 adapter, taking its place — excepting of course where the 

 crown-board is provided with openings for the purpose. 

 The two long slits at the sides are to give admission to 



* There is the nick of time before bees make their internal ar- 

 rangements for swarming, but the difficulty is to know precisely 

 when this is. 



