516 ske-keeper's calendar. 



seasons, colonies which have hitherto amassed but little 

 honey, become heavy, and even yield a surplus to their 

 owner. Bees are quite reluctant to 'build comb so late in 

 the season, even if supplies are very abundant ; but if empty 

 combs are provided, they will fill them with astonishing 

 celerity (763). 



As soon as the first frost takes place, or whenever the 

 crop is at end, the entire surplus must be removed, whether 

 it be comb or extracted honey. If our method of extract- 

 ing(781)is resorted to, the supers that have been returned 

 to the bees, for cleaning, after the honey is extracted, may 

 be left on the hives till October, as they are safer from the 

 moths, when in care of the bees. 



If no Fall supplies abound, and any colonies are too light 

 to winter with safety, then, in the Northern States, the latter 

 part of this month is the proper time for feeding (608) 

 them. We have already stated, that it is impossible to tell 

 how much food a colony will require (623), to carry it 

 safely through the Winter ; it will be found, however, very 

 unsafe to trust to a bare supply, for, even if there is food 

 enough, it may not always be reudil}- accessible (631) to 

 the bees. Great caution will still be necessary to guard 

 against robbing ; but if there are no feeble, queenless or 

 impoverished colonies, the bees, unless tempted by impro- 

 per management, will not rob each other (664). 



888. October. — Foraje is now almost entirely ex- 

 hausted in most localities, and colonies which are too light 

 should either be fed, or have surplus honey from other hives 

 given to them, early this month. 



The extracting cases (781) should be removed previous to 

 co'd weather, as some bees may cluster in them and starve. 

 These cases must be piled up carefully in the coldest room 

 (810) of the honey house, safe from mice (816). The 

 exact condition of every hive should be known now, at the 



