PUTTING ON AND TAKING OFF BOXES. 139 



it as warm as below. The queen often goes up with the bees, 

 and finding it warm, and convenient, deposits her eggs, 

 hence young brood as well as honey is found there. We 

 should then be obliged to leave the box on the hive un- 

 til they hatched, which would make the combs dark, etc. 

 Boxes set directly on the frames of movable comb hives, 

 will be more speedily filled than when the bees go through 

 the holes, and were it not for the brood, it would always 

 be preferable to put them on in this way, and thus secure 

 the greatest amount of honey. 



A BETTEE WAT. 



Very much may be done to prevent the queen from go- 

 ing into the boxes, by laying on the cross-bars or frames, 

 strips of wood one-fourth inch square, upon which the 

 boxes may be set. They wUl then be very close to the 

 hive, and the bees will readily find their way into them. 

 If a piece of comb is stuck fast to the bottom of the box, 

 as well as at the top, the bees will commence work a little 

 sooner. Every inducement should be offered to get them 

 into the boxes as soon as possible after the hive is full. 

 Whenever, for want of room, they are compelled to go into 

 another apartment, they will hesitate and lose a little time. 



If the honey stored in the frames of the movable comb 

 hive were only in a marketable form, we could get much 

 more in quantity by making our hives large enough to 

 contain a few more frames than would be required to hold 

 winter stores. 



ADVANTAGE OF GLASS BOXES. 



This advantage attends glass boxes : while being filled, 

 the progress can be watched till they are finished. They 

 should then be taken off to preserve the purity of the combs. 

 Every day that the bees are allowed to pass over them 

 needlessly, renders them darker. Consequently, when 



