ENEMIES OF BEES. 243 



Early in the Spring, before the stocks become populous, 

 the bees should be driven up among their combs by 

 smoke, and the bottom-boards cleansed (p. 221). It toa 

 frequently happens that, in the common hives, nothing can 

 be effectually done, even when the bee-keeper is aware of 

 the plague within. "With movable frames, however, the 

 combs, and all parts of the hives, may be carefully 

 cleansed, and if a stock is weak or queenless, the proper 

 remedies may be easUy applied. If a feeble stock cannot 

 be strengthened so as to protect its empty combs, they 

 may be taken away until the bees are numerous enough 

 to need them. 



If the bee-moth were so constituted as to require but a 

 small amount of heat for its full development, it would 

 become exceedingly numerous early in the Spring, and 

 might eajsily enter the hives and deposit its eggs where it 

 pleases ; for at this season, not only is there no guard 

 maintained by the bees at night, but large portions of 

 their comb are quite unprotected. How does every fact 

 in the history of the bee, when properly investigated, 

 point with unerring certainty to the wisdom of Him who 

 made it ! 



Combs having no brood, may be smoked with the fames 

 of burning sulphur, to kill the eggs or worms of the 

 moth. If kept from the bees, they should be carefully 

 protected, in a dry place, from the moth, and examined 

 occasionally, to be smoked again if any worms are 

 found. 



Directions have been given on page 140 for preventing 

 common hives from swarming so often that they cannot 

 protect then- empty combs. If not prevented from 

 over-swarming, in the movable-comb hives, by methods 

 which have been so ftiUy described, some of the combs 

 of the mother-stock may be given to the after-swarms, 



