AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 129 



autumn management of the apiary. On having plenty 

 of young bees in the hives when fixing the colonies up 

 for the winter, depends the success of the apiary in 

 spring, and to ensure this breeding must be kept up 

 till late autumn. Young robust queens and plenty of 

 food are the two principal factors in this matter. Queens 

 past their prime cease breeding very soon after the end 

 of the honey season, independent of the quantity of food 

 in the hives. Where no attention has been paid to the 

 superseding of aged queens, some will be found in the 

 apiary that have ceased breeding in March, while others 

 keep on till well into May. Those that cease breeding 

 early almost invariably die during the winter, or early 

 the following spring, which, in either case, means the 

 loss of their colonies. February, as I have previously 

 stated, is, I consider, the best month for superseding 

 queens. 



UNITING. 



No attempt should be made to carry weak colonies 

 through the winter except by experienced apiarists, and 

 only then when there is some special object in view, as 

 they always constitute a danger by affording oppor- 

 tunities for robbers. It is best to unite them with others 

 in the manner given under " Spring Management," and 

 the earlier in the autumn it is done the better. 



ROBBING. 



Immediately after the close of the main part of the 

 honey season when the bulk of the field bees are practi- 

 cally idle is the time to beware of robbing, and the less 

 the hives are opened then the better. If it is necessary 

 to open any, it should be done as early in the forenoon 

 as possible, as there are more robbers about after mid- 

 day. Robbers dart into a hive as soon as it is opened, 

 therefore the work should be got through as rapidly as 

 one can do it. They may be dodged a bit by quickly 

 changing from one part of the apiary to another the 

 farthest away, but they soon follow up. Robbing never 

 occurs while there is sufficient nectar to be gathered to 



