MANIPULATING. 8l 



128. Tiering-np. — This is a system applied to the manipu- 

 lation of supers or sectional racks upon the hive, and is without 

 doubt the most effectual method whereby swarming can be 

 retarded to a great extent, or almost entirely prevented. The idea 

 of using supers in this manner is that a sort of telescopic power 

 can be given the hive, and it is this power that forms the 

 fundamental principle whereby non-swarming results are obtained. 

 It must be the apiarist's chief aim in supering upon these lines 

 that just a trifle more room is allowed in the hive than the 

 then present necessities of the bees require ; hence, their natural 

 aptitude for entirely filling their hive with combs, honey, and 

 brood before swarming, is allowed to absorb their attentions 

 instead of swarming. Presuming that a hive has one rack of 

 sections on, and this almost full, the bees, on account of there 

 being little or no more work to do, would swarm ; but if 

 just before this event takes place — that is, when the rack is 

 about three-quarters full — it is removed, bees and all, a fresh 

 rack put on in its place, and the removed one placed on top, 

 a space is given the bees to fill, and they start work in the 

 lower, at the same time completing that in the upper, rack. 

 By this arrangement, removing the top storey when full, rais- 

 ing the lower one when three-quarters full, and placing an 

 empty one underneath, the hive is kept just too large for 

 the bees' requirements, and the work progresses at a rapid rate. 

 When the honey season is at its highest, on the enlargement 

 taking place the bees will build comb and store it with almost 

 the vigour that characterises a new swarm. In some cases three 

 and even four racks can be piled one on top of the other — we 

 have on some occasions had as many as five — thus giving 

 sufficient room for large quantities of freshly-gathered honey to 

 be evaporated at the same time ; if this storage space was not 

 provided by the apiarist, the bees would most likely swarm, but 

 upon their being thus provided for all ideas of an exodus will 

 be given up. 



129. Doubling and Storifying. — The first is a plan for 

 obtaining extracted honey, and is a very effectual means of 

 obtaining an apparently large return from a single colony ; but 

 two colonies are used in order to carry out this system. The 

 hive to be doubled is one that has a sufficient capacity, or 

 can be so enlarged that it will accommodate two or more rows 

 of frames on top of each other. This hive having been brought 

 to a very populous condition is, just before the honey flow sets 

 in, provided with an upper storey. Another hive in as equally 

 a prolific condition is deprived of its brood ; the frames being taken 

 out, the bees are shaken off back into their hive, and afterwards 

 provided with sheets of foundation, or other combs, and treated 

 exactly as a swarm. The removed brood is then placed in the upper 



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