Bee-keeping in Victoria. 29 



Transferring Bees and Combs. 



Any one who understands bees well, and has sufficient experience 

 in disease to enable him to detect tlie very first trace of it, can transfer 

 box hive bees to frames at any time during the active season by cutting 

 out any of the combs of brood in the box liive which are straight 

 enough and fitting tliem into frames. The pieces of comb are held in 

 position either hy means of string tied over the frame and comb, or 

 thin splints of wood tacked to the frame. These temporary supports 

 iDay be removed as soon as the bees have fastened the combs to the 

 frame. It is seldom that more than two or three frames can be filled 

 with brood from a box hive ; the rest of the frames are supplied with 

 starters or full sheets of foundation. As the bees become established 

 nn newly-built combs the frames of transferred combs are gradually 

 worked to the outside of the cluster of bees, or put into the upper 

 story over a queen-excluding honey board, and when all the brood is 

 hatched out of them they are best withdrawn from the hive and 

 melted for wax. 



^^'hile this method saves most of the brood and transfers everything 

 in one operation, it is a very messy one. There is always a risk of 

 transferring disease to the new hive along with the brood or comb, and 

 the transference of brood and comb should, therefore, not be under- 

 taken by any one not possessed of the requisite knowledge and skill. 



Note. — Price list of hires, frames, appliances, &o., may be obtained from W. J. 

 and F, Barnes, 550 Swan-street, Burnley, or The Beekeepers Supply Company, 459 

 Swanston-street, Melbourne. 



VII. — Spring Management of Bees, 



During the first or second week of September, all hives should be ex- 

 amined for the purpose of seeing whether each one has sufficient food, a 

 laying queen, and enough bees to enable it to work up into a profitable 

 colony. 



This examination should be made only on fine mild days, otherwise 

 harm will be done to weak stocks, by letting the warmth escape when 

 opening the hive and by causing the bees to fly and become chilled. 

 Having lighted the smoker, blow one or two whiffs of smoke in at the 

 entrance, lift the cover at one end, and blow a few puffs of smoke over 

 the top of the frames. When ciuilts are used between covers and frames, 

 hives can be opened with less disturbance, less smoke is needed, and it 

 is consecjuently easier to find the queens. 



The amount of stores is the first consideration of this time of year, 

 but no hard and fast rule can be laid down as to the actual weight of 

 honey required to maintain and develop the colony. The cjuantity de- 

 pends upon the number of bees in the hive, the length of time which 

 may elapse before they can find sufficient new nectar in the blossoms 

 of the immediately surrounding country, and the weather conditions 

 prevailing during the following four or five weeks. In no case, how- 

 ever, even under the most favorable circumstances, should there be less 

 than 5 lbs. of honey (equal to one well filled Langstruth comb) in the 

 hive. Bees build up in spring on their winter stores, excepting in speci- 

 ally favoured localities with a mild climate and an early flowering flora. 



