34 Bfi -I'ei pi III/ III I'irfiin'ii. 



and witlioiit iiny break in (he eonibs in a vertical direction, and are 

 inerefore disinclined to \\ork at comb-bnilding in such comparatively 

 small clusters as the ] lb. sections necessarily create. Further, the 

 sections are, in many instances, supplied with very small starters of 

 foundation, leaving a distance of 3 inches from the brood-combs to the 

 lowest ]ioint of the starter in the section. Bees invariably store their 

 honey just al)ove the brood; and, instead of eomnjeuciug comb-building 

 on the small starters in the section so far away froui the brood and 

 separated from it by empty space and the woodwork of the section, they 

 frequently store the honey they gather into the cells from which young 

 bees emerge. This restricts brood-rearing and causes the crowding of 

 bees in the brood cliambei', which is such a fruitful source of excessive 

 swarming. 



This difficulty may be overcome by inducing the bees to enter the 

 section, or by compelling them. Bees may be induced to enter the 

 section super by putting on one or more sections already partly built 

 and containing some honey amongst the empty ones in the super. These 

 partly filled sections are known as bait sections. AVhen none are avail- 

 able, the bees may be compelled by first putting a super of full-sized 

 frames of empty combs; or, failing this, of full sheets of foitndation on 

 the brood-chamber. If there is sealed honey along the top bar of the 

 brood comljs, the cappings of the honey may be lightly scratched with 

 a fork, which will induce the bees to remove it and the rpieen to deposit 

 eggs therein, thus bringing the brood right up to the top bar. AVhen 

 this stage has been reached, the bees may be brushed off the combs of 

 the upper story and a section super put in its place. As there is now 

 brood in the combs of the hive right up to the top bar of the frames, 

 and as the bees want to place honey above this brood, they will, as a 

 rule, at once commence work in the section, provided that honey is 

 coming in. 



The upper story removed from the hive may be used on another 

 hive for a similar purpose, or as an extracting super. If it contained 

 brood at the time of removal, the largest sheets of it may be put into 

 the brood-chamber. Eemoving from the latter any comlDs containing 

 little or no brood, the ob.ject being to crowd into the lower story of the 

 section hive as much brood as possible so as to leave no room for honey. 

 Keep the colony strong, and compel the bees to build comb and store 

 honey in the sections. Any brood left over may be given to weaker 

 colonies, but only as much as can be taken care of by each. 



As October is the principal swarming month, a watchful eye should 

 be kept on the hives from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on fine days, unless the 

 condition of the colonies in regard to the swarming tendency is known, 

 from a record of tlie ages of the queens and systematic periodical ex- 

 aminations to see whether s\varming preparations are in progress. 



Wliile it prevents the absconding of prime or first swarms, the 

 clipping of queens often causes trouble through the queens getting 

 lost. The swarm returns to the hive, only to issue again, a week or 

 so later with a virgin cpieen and a greater number of bees. As a virgin 

 queen is light and has greater powers of flight, such swarms will 

 usually settle high up in inaccessible places or abscond without cluster- 

 ing. It is, therefore, not advisable to clip queens, unless the hives 



