168 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



they are moved; for in moving them ty cart or railway, 

 all natural ventilation is stopped. Ply-proof wire on the 

 doors and crowns of hives wiU give the ventilation neces- 

 sary. If the combs of hives be not fastened to cross- 

 sticks, it is exceedingly difficult to remove them in hot 

 weather without shaking the combs down. 



If the weather be favourable for honey-gathering while 

 the bees are on the heather, it is often necessary to en- 

 large hives even in August. We have had supers of 30 

 lb. each filled by swarms while on the heather. The ac- 

 cumulations of honey is often so rapid in hives on the 

 moors, that they hang outside in clusters soon after they 

 are placed there. 



As bees do not sit on honeycomb, it wiU be under- 

 stood that the more honey a hive contains, the less room 

 it has for bees. Eking and supering may have to be 

 continued till the end of this month. 



When honey-gathering ends, hives lose in weight very 

 fast. But the honey the bees eat then is generally in the 

 brood-combs ; and for some days after outdoor work ends, 

 the bees remove some honey from centre combs to other 

 parts of the hive. The bee-farmer will not sustain much 

 loss by letting his hives remain a week on the moors 

 after the honey has gone from the heather. The hives 

 cool and their combs harden by being left for a time be- 

 fore they are brought home. 



Before hives are taken to the moors they should be 

 examined with a view to select and mark those to be 

 kept for stock. If too heavy for keeping, 10 or 20 lb. 

 of honeycomb may be cut from each of them. Those 

 marked for honey should be supered or eked before they 

 go- 



September. — In apiculture this is the month of general 



