FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 207 



BLOCKING UP SUPERS OF SECTIONS. 



The piles of finished sections are 22 supers high, the 

 piles being about 6 inches from each other and from 

 the wall. Four blocks % of an inch thick are placed 

 under the corners of the first super in the pile, and four 

 are put on the corners of each super before the next 

 super is placed over it. This for ventilation (Fig. 79). 

 The sun has a fair chance to make this room a pretty 

 warm place, and screened doors and windows allow free 

 passage for the air. 



FUMIGATING SECTIONS. 



Years ago it was very important to fumigate these 

 sections, or else a good many of the larva; of the bee- 

 moth would disfigure them. The trouble gradually 

 faded away until for several years I have done no fumi- 

 gating whatever, and no harm has come from the omis- 

 sion. I do not know why there should be so much 

 change except a change in the character of the bees that 

 stored the honey. Years ago black blood was present in 

 my bees to a larger extent than now. The weeding out 

 of bees too lazy to fight away the wax-moths may have 

 much to do with it. 



"go-backs." 



The unfinished sections that were taken out are to 

 be disposed of. They are filled into supers and returned 

 to the bees to be finished up, and these supers of sec- 

 tions that are to go hack to the bees for finishing are 

 called "go-backs," for short. In filling up these supers 

 of "go-backs," no very great care is taken as to assorting 

 them, although it is desirable so far as convenient to have 

 all in the same super at nearly the same stage toward 

 completion. 



