PROVIDING BREEDING ROOM AND STORES IN THE SPRING.
After the main honey-flow is past it is usually desirable that each colony be kept in two hive bodies of full depth. Most producers of extracted honey do this, but too many producers of comb-honey are not adequately supplied with hive bodies and do not give the second body. These two hive bodies should be left with the bees at least until brood-rearing ceases, and at this time one of them should be removed if the bees are to be wintered in the cellar. As has been pointed out in other bulletins of the department, if the bees are wintered outdoors they will do better in the two hive bodies throughout the winter.
In the upper hive body will be found a considerable amount of the honey to be used by the bees up to the time of the next honey-flow. Usually there will be enough in the lower hive body for the bees while they are in the cellar, especially where comb-honey is produced, but if the lower hive body is not adequately supplied with winter stores (perhaps 15 to 20 pounds) the beekeeper should move some of the stores. It is also a good practice to winter the bees in the cellar in a hive containing the full stores, except that this makes it necessary to carry in hives weighing perhaps 80 pounds.
After the second hive bodies have been removed, if they contain honey they should be stored in a warm, dry place, where the honey will not be injured. If it is possible to place such hive bodies in the furnace room of the residence, this will be found to be ideal. If no such place is available, the beekeeper may keep these in a dry cellar or other location where the honey will not be exposed to rapid changes in temperature. For this purpose a place suitable for the storage of comb-honey is desirable. It should be pointed out that the honey in these combs should not be extracted. It will be needed for the building up of the colonies the next spring, and to remove it is simply to reduce the crop of the next season.
Some time within two weeks after the bees have been taken from the cellar, depending on the weather, each colony should be provided with its second hive body. Preferably, this should be placed underneath the hive body in which the bees were wintered in order that the propolis at the top of the hive may not be broken. At this time an examination of the colonies may be made from below to see whether any of them are queenless or require immediate attention for other reasons, but at this season there is little that the beekeeper can do that will help the bees other than to provide them with room for the brood and with adequate supplies of stores. Queens should not be clipped at this time, and usually not until settled weather has arrived. Further spring manipulation is not necessary and the bees are better off if the beekeeper lets them alone.