4 
On Rational Bee-Keeping, 
matter of doubt whether it is advisable to remove 
them ; so that thus, owing to the construction 
of the old hives, the operation is delayed until 
the evil is past remedy. 
In the case of a hive like ours, with move- 
able bars, if there be no fresh comb in good 
condition to replace that which is spoilt, that 
fit for breeding purposes may be replaced in the 
middle of the hive, and the defective comb at 
the sides, together with the drone comb, until 
the bees are in full work, at which time it can 
be removed without the possibility of harm 
being done to the colony.* Now, it is extremely 
difficult, not to say impossible, to perform this 
operation with the old-fashioned hives. 
If we wish to make sure that a hive on the 
old principle contains a queen, or if we want to 
introduce a new queen, it is necessary to have 
recourse to temporary suffocation, and often to 
spend much time in searching for the queen 
amongst thousands of motionless bees ; whilst 
by taking up our moveable bars in succession, 
beginning with those on which there are most 
bees, the queen is immediately at our disposal. 
The drone comb may also be used for the storing of honey. 
