SUPERING, 



25 



make room for the removal of the first frame, which is then 

 caught between the finger and thumb at each end of the top 

 bar, and lifted out. Probably, it will be found that the 

 foundation has not been worked out c r touched by the bees 

 since hiving. This is an indication that the swarm was too 

 small to cover all the frames, and it will be well to put 

 this and other frames, if any, on which the bees are not 

 working, outside the division-board, at the same time moving 

 the latter up so as to contract the hive, as bees invariably 

 work better when there is no unoccupied space in the hive. 

 Other frames are taken out and examined, and it will be 

 noticed that those near the middle of the hive have the 

 foundation worked out into perfect combs. On looking 

 closely into the cells, tiny white eggs, about the size of a 

 comma (,) will be seen, and this is a proof that the queen 

 is present in the hive. During the examination care must 

 be taken not to expose the tender combs to the wind, lest it 

 blow them out of the frames. A few weeks later they will 

 be able to bear tolerably rough usage without injury. If 

 the bees are inclined to be troublesome during the examina- 

 tion, an occasional pufF of smoke will keep them in sub- 

 jection. Before closing the hive care must be taken to have 

 the frames close together; the bottom layer of the quilt 

 must then be placed in position, and a minute or two 

 allowed for stray bees to get from under it, after which the 

 rest of the quilt can be replaced,- and the hive closed. If 

 the swarm has been a good one, of about four pounds of 

 bees, and has issued a few days before the end of May, it 

 should have the hive filled with combs and brood by the 

 middle of June, when the white clover, the queen of honey- 

 yielding plants, comes into full bloom, and this, subject to 

 the special circumstances of each stock, is the proper time 

 to place the sections on the frames. This operation, called 

 supering, is one that should be performed at the right time 

 to ensure success. If the sections are put on too soon, or 

 when the weather is cold, the interior of the hive is cooled, 

 and the stock is thrown back. If it is delayed too long, not 

 only will part of the gathering season have passed over, but 

 the bees, becoming overcrowded, will have made prepara- 

 tions for swarming by raising queen cells ; and swarm they 



