44 
be resorted to until April. If it is desired to stimulate breeding, 
scrape away the capping from about 2 to 3 square inches of 
comb, using a subduing feather between the frames to move 
the bees off the comb surface which is to be thus treated. The 
frame should be drawn back, not lifted up, for this operation. 
Repeat this process as necessity arises, increasing or decreasing 
the area of comb treated as may appear to be advisable. It 
would usually be sufficient to scrape the comb about once a week, 
but care should be taken at all times to leave a fair amount of 
sealed store untouched, say 14 to 2 in. in depth of sealed store on 
each of four frames. If there is not sufficient sealed store to 
permit of utilising it as above recommended, and in any case 
when the above treatment has started breeding fairly well, 
stimulative feeding by means of spring syrup (178), given by a 
feeder, should be commenced. The syrup should be given warm 
every evening, one hole of the feeder only being opened (88), 
and the supply should be shut off in the morning. The actual 
amount required will vary greatly ; it should usually suffice to 
commence with about a quarter of a gill, and gradually to increase 
the quantity as required, taking care never to give so much that 
the bees will store it, and not to give syrup when the bees can 
collect enough food from flowers. Any honey which has been 
held over during winter in frames may advantageously be used 
for spring stimulative feeding, placing the frame at the back of 
the brood nest, and removing any empty frames not required. 
When spring feeding is being carried on, a half-inch wide opening 
only should be left between the hive doors, as a preventive 
against robbing (140). 
XIII. PRODUCTION OF SURPLUS HONEY FOR SALE 
OR CONSUMPTION. 
The production of surplus honey in bar-frame hives is carried 
on in two ways :— 
107. Methods of (a.) By producing comb honey in sec- 
Producing Honey tions ; 
for Sale. (b.) By extracting liquid honey from 
combs. 
A strong stock would usually be ready for supering in early 
honey districts in Ireland, about the middle 
408. Time for of May: in exceptionally early seasons 
Supering. they may be ready towards the end 
of April. To ascertain if a stock is ready 
for a super, peel off the quilt (65) sufficiently to expose about 
half of each frame to to view; if on examining the frames 
from above it is noticed that on ten frames the bees are 
crowded, and that they have added new white comb to the 
old comb to a depth of about }-inch on each side of the top 
bars in order to provide increased storage space for honey, a 
super may be put on. 
