Texas Bhekbeping. 55 



or two of their empty combs should be filled with sugar syrup and 

 given toward evening of a warm day. 



Several weeks later a second examination should be made. Spring 

 weather will now be well advanced and the colonies getting stronger 

 in bees. Any colonies that need more stores should be helped as be- 

 fore. At this time all the hives, and especially the bottom boards, 

 should be freed of dead bees and other debris. By setting the first 

 hive on an extra bottom to replace the one to be cleaned, it in turn 

 can be used in the same way on the next hive, and so on through 

 the apiary, saving much time and lifting. The inside hive walls 

 and frames should be scraped clean of burr combs and propolis to 

 facilitate easy manipulation, being sure the combs are replaced the 

 same way in which they were. All drone comb should be removed 

 and replaced with pieces of worker comb or foundation at this time. 

 A close lookout should be kept for any colonies that may be queen- 

 less, and such either supplied with a new queen, or, if too weak, united 

 with another colony. 



Since strong colonies in the spring are the ones which produce the 

 surplus honey later, it should be the aim to have all colonies in the 

 best condition possible. Very little other attention need be given 

 them for several weeks, once they are in proper shape, except a third 

 examination, during which rearranging the brood combs slightly, 

 with care and understanding, will stimulate brood rearing and result 

 in stronger colonies. But the beginner should proceed very slowly 

 with this, or he will run the risk of doing far more harm than good. 

 The queen commences egg laying in the middle of the cluster of 

 bees, depositing only a few eggs very early in the spring, and grad- 

 ually increases the number as the season advances. The eggs are 

 laid in regular order in the cells and in circles around those laid 

 before. From the first comb, this order of egg laying is extended to 

 the others as the bees are able to care for them. 



BUILDING UP COLONIES. 



Unlike the general practice of building the weak colonies up by 

 taking both brood and honey from the strong ones, the process should 

 be reversed. As the strongest colonies are the ones that yield the 

 surplus, they should receive the best attention, and, if necessary, 

 be helped at the expense of the weak by taking brood from these, 

 as may be required. Weak colonies do not give good results, and those 

 of medium size never yield as large returns as good, strong colonies. 

 Strengthening the weak, at the expense of the strong, produces all 

 medium size colonies, and none of them may be in condition to pro- 

 duce much surplus. This is especially important in localities where 

 honey flows come early, and the time in which to get the strongest pos- 

 sible colonies is short. Therefore, reversing the above procedure 

 produces extra strong colonies that will give results that can not be 

 obtained otherwise, while the weak colonies will take care of them- 

 selves. 



Combs of honey, may, of course, be taken from strong colonies 

 having an oversupply at any time, care being observed to leave a suffi- 



