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A YEAR AMONG TIIE BEES. 
dark in the evening as convenient. I have put them in as 
late as 9 o’clock, using a lantern. 
Generally, I put two frames of feed at a time in each hive, 
outside the division-board, being sure that there is a passage 
for the bees to get to it. The large size of my hives comes 
very convenient now, for there is plenty of space to easily 
put in the frames even in the dark, there being only four or 
live frames occupied by the bees. Of course I have pre- 
viously made an estimate as to how many frames of feed 
each colony will need, by looking them over. Some may need 
none, and some be entirely destitute. These latter will get 
about four frames of feed (given on two different evenings), 
and others in proportion. There is little danger of giving 
too much. In the double hives the colonies are not large 
where two are in a hive, and three combs is all they need for 
the winter. There is room for but one frame of feed at a 
time, outside the dummy ; and this frame is the first one 
reached by any bee coming in at the entrance. This makes 
it less secure against robbing, but I want the two nuclei to 
be in the middle of the hive for warmth, and they are not to 
be disturbed again before winter. As the feeding is done 
in the evening, I have had no difficulty from robbing. 
The same set of combs is used over and over again— there 
is no trouble in taking out the empty combs in a day or two 
by daylight — and when all feeding is done these combs are 
put away in supers in the shop, securely covered up from 
mice. I know of no way in which mice can more rapidly do 
a bee-keeper damage, than by getting at empty combs, 
especially those in which brood lias been reared. 
SHAKING BEES OFF COMBS. 
Speaking of taking the empty combs out of the hive, 
reminds me of a little device worth knowing, in getting bees 
off combs that are not too heavy. Hold the frame in the 
left hand, by one end of the top-bar, and with the closed fist 
of the right hand pound on the back of the left hand. A very 
few strokes will take off the last bee. Let the strokes be 
