516 BEZ-KEEPER’S CALENDAR. 
seasons, colonies which have hitherto amassed but little 
honey, become heavy, and even yield a surplus to their 
owner. Bees are quite reluctant to build comb so late in 
the season, evenif supplies are very abundant ; but if empty 
combs are provided, they will fill them with astonishing 
celerity (763). : 
As soon as the first frost takes place, or whenever the 
crop is at end, the entire surplus must be removed, whether 
it be comb or extracted honey. If our method of extract- 
ing (781) is resorted to, the supers that have been returned 
to the bees, for cleaning, after the honey is extracted, may 
be left on the hives till October, as they are safer from the 
moths, when in care of the bees. 
If no Fall supplies abound, and any colonies are too light 
to winter with safety, then, in the Northern States, the latter 
part of this month is the proper time for feeding (6U8) 
them. We have already stated, that it is impossible to tell 
how much food a colony will require (623), to carry it 
safely through the Winter; it will be found, however, very 
unsafe to trust to a bare supply, for, even if there is food 
enough, it may not always be readily accessible (631) to 
the bees. Great caution will still be necessary to guard 
against robbing; butif there are no feeble, queenless or 
impoverished colonies, the bees, unless tempted by impro- 
per management, will not rob each other (664). 
888. Octoprr. — Forage is now almost entirely ex- 
hausted in most localities, and colonies which are too light 
should either be fed, or have surplus honey from other hives 
given to them, early this month. 
The extracting cases (781) should be removed previous to 
cold weather, as some bees may cluster in them and starve. 
‘These cases must be piled up carefully in the coldest room 
(810) of the honey house, safe from mice (816). The 
exact condition of every hive should be known now, at the 
