THE IIONEY-BEE IN NEW ZEALAND. 
43 
you may know by tlie cells being of a larger size;. lor 
there is no lack of these non-producers, but terrible 
consumers, in every large apiary, during the breeding 
season; but keep them to feed up young chickens_or 
turkeys, who relish them highly. Returning a box with 
some brood comb in it to its own position has this good 
effect, that it induces the bees to take immediate posses¬ 
sion of the box so returned. They cluster upon the brood 
comb, and straightway proceed to fill the vacant space 
with honey comb. Even if there is no brood to return, 
X generally tempt the bees to re-enter the top box by 
placing in it a piece ot honey comb. And here is the 
great advantage of having all your boxes made to the 
same guage; the bars will then fit all your hives 
indifferently, and you may transfer one with a piece of 
comb attached to it, from a full hive to an empty box 
whicli you wish tho bees to occupy. 
After the breeding season is over, that is about the 
end of February or March, the bees will fill the empty 
brood comb with honey, and when the cells are all 
sealed over, will often almost entirely desert the richly 
stored box, which may then be taken with very little 
trouble. During the breeding season, the loss, ot the 
queen, should any accident happen to her duiing the 
operation, is easily supplied. There will 
young queen grubs ready to take her place; 01 it there 
happens to be none in the hive, the common egg .may 
have its prospects in life changed from that ot a maid ot 
all work to a reigning queen. After the breeding season 
of course this cannot be done ; and the loss of the 
is necessarily followed by the gradual extinction ot the 
whole hive. 
The season of the year at which the greatest quantity 
of honey may be taken will vary of course in the different 
parts of these islands, as they extend o.vei so many 
degrees of latitude. In the northern districts they work 
during the entire winter (though in the English sense 
this is not an appropriate word.) The queen rests from 
her maternal toils, though the workers make no pause 
in their honey gathering ; so the x 01 x purest honey may 
be taken during the winter months. 
