MONTHLY MANAGEMr' 



185 



than the increasing bees can fully cover the combs. The ventilation 

 from above, should now be stopped and the quilts kept tightly packed, 

 so as to retain the heat of the hive for rapid development. When there is 

 abundant honey in sealed comb, bees are stimulated to use it by clip- 

 ping off the caps and putting it in the broodnest. If there is sufficient 

 honey in the combs no other feeding should be done at all, unless it is 

 to be kept up regularly until the first blossoms appear. Guard carefully 

 against robbing, by leaving no syrup or comb exposed, and by contract- 

 ing the entrances, especially of weak stocks. If any hive is found 

 queenless, it should be promptly united with some weak colony, and 

 the combs preserved for use in the summer. It is a loosing businass to 

 attempt to keep a queenless colony. Before they can rear a queen they 

 will almost certainly be lost from dwindling, robbing, or worms. But 

 if united with a weak one, it makes it strong, and almost doubles its 

 value. In the far North rye meal should be continued until flowers 

 appear, but when wintered indoors we advise always to keep them in 

 until the last of April or the first of May. If such colonies become un- 

 easy, take them to their summer stands, (being careful to place each 

 upon the site occupied the year before, to prevent confusion when they 

 take their flight) and return them until the cold weather seems to be well 

 over. Colonies wintered in the cellar are not prepared to stand the 

 changes to which they are subject, if set out too early, and the result is 

 great loss by "Spring Dwindling." Some bee-keepers advise setting 

 such on their summer stands about the middle of this month and begin 

 to feed artificial pollen. If stores are plentiful and sweet, such hives 

 will go forward gradually with breeding in the cellar, and when warm 

 weather begins to stir them, they are in much better condition than if 

 set out earlier. 



March or April is a good time to buy bees in old hives for transfering. 



