460 bee-keeper's calendar. 



bees ought to be supplied with water (p. 257) in their hives. 

 In April, if not before, the larvae of the bee- moth will begin 

 to make their appearance, and should be carefully destroyed, 

 (p. 367). 



May. — As the weather becomes more genial, the increase 

 of bees in the colonies is exceedingly rapid, and drones, if 

 they have not previously made their appearance, begin to 

 issue from the hives. In some locations the bees will now 

 gather much honey, and it will often be advisable to give 

 them access to the spare-honey receptacles ; but in some 

 seasons and locations, either from long and cold storms, or a 

 deficiency of forage, stocks that are not well supplied with 

 honey, will exhaust their stores and perish, unless they are 

 fed. In favorable seasons swarms may be expected in this 

 month, even in the Northern States. In Texas I have seen 

 them issue early in March, and in some of the Southern 

 States they are quite common in April. These May swarms 

 often issue near the close of the blossoming of fruit trees, 

 and just before the later supplies of forage, and will some- 

 times starve, if the weather becomes suddenly unfavorable, 

 unless they are fed. Even if there is no danger of this, 

 they ought to be fed when food is scarce, or they will make 

 so little progress in comb-building and breeding as to be sur- 

 passed by much later swarms. The Apiarian should have 

 hives in readiness to receive new swarms, however early 

 they may issue or be formed. If new colonies are to be 

 made by artificial processes, the proper methods should be 

 taken to secure a seasonable supply of queens, (p. 190.) 

 I ought previously to have stated that a qufeen nearly mature, 

 may be known by having the wax removed by the bees from 

 the extremity of her cell, so as to give it a very hrotcn ap- 

 pearance. 



June. — This is the great swarming month in all our 



