30 



.■o,„|,l;,,„t nf ,,,vat srai.'ilv .if pollen at this time. ]u siirh localities a substitute, in the 

 fnnu nf snn.e ki.Hl uf ll.iur, shoul.l I.e i,n,vi,led, as .lesmlie.l in the chapter on feeding. 

 Knnt-l.hHinis aie a gieat help in tlie latter pai't of the uiunth. 



Tlie e„,l of April is a most imp.atant period in the deveh.p.nent of the hive in most 

 r.^ioMs, heeans,. the hees that Mall work on the honey-IIow wdl he hatehed from e-gs 

 that are hein- laid now. They ^vill hee.ane field-wea'kers ahont .Inne 4tli, at which date 

 winte .■lover, snowheiay, and rhannnis (easeara plant) arc in blossom, the nectar in a 

 favonrahle season secreting freely about ten days later. 



Jlrood-raisingal the end of Apiil must thercfoie he cnc.mraged Should nei'tar 

 fail, fce.ling may he necessary ; on the other hand, it may have come in so freely that 

 the c.ndis bee,,nie lioney-el.iggeil, thus preventing the ipicen from laying. When this 



occur,s il is a g 1 plan to take from such a, hive a frame of honey and exchange it for an 



empty one from aiu.ther colony. The full comb should bo placed next the side of the 

 hive, but tlie empty frame right in the centre of the bro(.d-nest, so that the (jueen can 

 proceed to till it at mice. Dronedjrood will probably be started this moiLtli. 



Scrape accunnilations of wax and propoli.s from the top and end bars of the 

 frames. 



JlAV. 



Colonies that are in good condition bo(aii along this month at a great pace. Any 

 hive that on the 1st of ilay shows hees occupying six spaces between frames is in fine 

 condition. Early in the month one must attenil to weak colonies if p.rssible. If the 

 lack of numbei's is due to a failing queen, the bees may cndcav.jur to supersede her 

 during fruit-bltjom, or she may disappear from the hi\'e. (,>ueens raised in a \veak colony 

 at this time are of \-e]'y little value, and are almost sure to be supplanted again in June 

 or July, jjrovideil they live that long. There is also great risk that they will fail to 

 mate on account of the cool weather. The writer has had ijueens hatehed out in the 

 end of April and do all right, but the instance is rather unusual. Most bee-keepers 

 have little use for a queen that is not raised during the normal swarming season, or in 

 the time of the htmej'-rtow. 



As fruitdilossoms cease there is often a dearth of nectar the last week of the month ; 

 in fact, up until the honej'-ilow starts, and unless feeding be resorted to, the colonies 

 AviU dwindle rather than increase. Where broom grows there is no lack of pollen. The 

 dry belt seems to be fortunate enough to have no break once nectar liegins to come in. 



By the end of the third week of the month a good (pieen will have brood in every 

 frame, and is anxiously looking for moi'e room. JIany, on seeing the hive fidl of bees, 

 expect sur]jlus honey right away and put cju a super ; if it be of the extracting variety 

 it will hii\e a ipieen-excluder below it. Now, as a matter of fact, the honey-tiow is not 

 due for several weeks, so the real aim at this date should be to get more bees. The 

 extracting super should gcj on, but the (jueeii must not l^e kept out. When given free 

 range she will occupy the new frames at once. The eggs she lays now will pro\-ide a 

 magnificent army of workers that will be ready for field-work right in the middle of 

 the honey-flow. 



Swarming often starts at the end of May, but this suljject deserves a chapter all 

 by itself. 



JrxE. 



This is the great SM-arming month. Very strong colonies may send out a swarm in 

 the early part of the month, but most will start near the commencement of the- honey- 

 flow. The new colony has to liuild a set of combs, raise thousamls of bees and provide 

 stores for the winter; hence the best time to start housekeeping in a new locality is 

 when nectar is coming in freely. 



