hee-L-eepinfi in Vicforia. 



33 



occur. During September and October, colonies have all the brood 

 thej' can cover on a cold day, and spreading the combs by putting a 

 vacant one in the middle, results in the brood in some of" the outside 

 combs perishing from chill. If it appears necessary to give room for 

 brood, the combs should be placed, one at a time, alongside, and not 

 between, the brood. 



Under normal conditions, a colony of bees increases rapidly in 

 strength during September and October. As soon as all the combs of 

 the brood chamber are occupied by bees, and before they are actually 

 crowded, the second or upper story should be put on and the bees in- 

 duced to commence work in it. This is done by taking a comb con- 

 taining honey from the brood chamber and putting it into the second 

 story and directly over the brood combs, while the frame from the 





Swarm Returned after Losing the Queen. 



upper story is placed into the brood chamber. AVhen a colonj^ of bees 

 has become crowded before the super is put on, it will quite likely be 

 inclined to swarm, and no amount of manipulation will cure it of that 

 tendency till the swarming season is over. When bees are worked for 

 extracted honey there is much less swarming than when comb-honey 

 is produced. 



If a maximum profit from the number of colonies kept is aimed at, 

 the raising of comb-honey in 1 lb. sections should not be attempted in 

 any locality which has not at least a fair honey flow. Many owners 

 of bees find it very difficult to induce bees to work in the section supers. 

 There are various reasons for this disinclination of the bees to enter 

 sections. Bees at anj^ time prefer to work together in large numbers 



770. — B 



