56 DEFECTIVE COMBS. 



REMOVING DEFECTIVE COMBS. 



Certain persons would have us deprive our bees of their cornba 

 every two or three years, and compel them to build anew. This 

 wc consider a useless waste of the time and material of the bees, 

 for although every litter of brood leaves a cocoon or thin lining 

 in each cell, the cells were large at first, and the cocoons ,are so 

 thin that after the lapse of ten years no perceptible difference 

 can be seen in the size of the bees, the combs meanwhile be- 

 coming warmer and safer for the swarm in winter. The above 

 practice is universally condemned by our best practical apiarians. 

 One of them, while advocating the removal of worthless or de- 

 tective combs, says : 



"What old bee-keeper has not had abundant proof that stocks 

 tight or ten years old, or even older, are often among the very 

 best in his whole apiary." Stocke says he saw a colony which 

 he was assured had " swarmed annually for forty-six years." 



The common practice of some bee-keepers, of breaking out the 

 lower combs from common hives, if the combs happen to be 

 dark colored, is to be discouraged, for when done in early spring 

 the stock that year will often fail to be productive either of 

 swarms or surplus honey. Yet when movable frames are 

 used, if healthy stocks and early and vigorous swarms are de- 

 sired, we should make a general examination as soon as spring 

 lias fairly opened, and place every stock upon a fair footing for 

 the work of the season. Portions of the comb are liable to be- 

 come useless from various causes. If the hive was not properly 

 ventilated, the lower edges of combs mav be mouldy. The 



