and its Emncmic Management. 327 



given should it happen from any cause that the super* 

 are not removed in due time and the bees there kept 

 busy. Thus we have another step towards the production 

 of wax. When one desires 



To Produce Wax in Quantity, 



which can only be done when natural stores are plentiful, 

 a colony must b? run for extracted honey, and at suitable 

 intervals alternate the combs of brood or stores with 

 starters only in the frames. Between the stored combs 

 these would be built rather thin, but the sealed combs are 

 to be removed and the honey extracted as soon as the 

 new ones are built to about two-thirds of the frame capa- 

 city ; other empty frames take their place, and so on in 

 rotation. This process cannot be carried out to any 

 extent between brood combs, except as described for 

 spring work or when a young queen presides over the 

 colony, otherwise some drone comb will be built ; and the 

 production of useless drones shows a great defect in 

 management. 



Another plan, by which a large number of colonies can 

 be kept and much wax produced at little expense of 

 labour, is to place several chambers fitted up with starters 

 under the brood nest early in May. The bees will grad- 

 ually work down, and th^ production of brood will be 

 regulated in accordance with the amount of income, and 

 no trouble with swarming will be experienced. 



Crowded Nuclei for Comb Building. 



The most economical plan for producing even and use- 

 ful worker combs is that of arranging small colonies of 

 three and four combs with vigorous bees and queen. 

 Shift about occasionally, making nuclei on the old stand 

 to dispose of the older bees and so prevent the clogging 



