CHAPTER VI. 



Management in Bar- frame Hives. — 'Spring Cleaning' of 

 Hives. — Artificial Swarming. — Prevention of Swarm- 

 ing. — Taking Honey. — Queen Rearing. — Uniting Weak 

 Stocks.— Feeding and Wintering Bees. — Packing and 

 Removing Bees. 



If it is fine and warm towards the end of March or 

 beginning of April, the bees should be overhauled in 

 the middle of a fine day. The first thing to do is to 

 see that the bees have enough stores to carry on 

 breeding, and if not, to give them some at once. 

 This should be given in small quantities, not for the 

 purpose of storing, but to keep up the population of 

 the hive at full working strength. Before putting on 

 the feeder, the tops of the frames should be scraped 

 with a scraper (fig. 30) to clean them of propolis, etc. 

 The entrances should also be cleared of dead bees. 

 But a better method of doing the ' Spring cleaning ' 

 is as follows : — During the winter make one or two 

 new hives if they are required — or likely to be — and 

 repaint and clean any empty hives. If this is done 

 some time before they are wanted, they will be clean 



