§ XIII. APPLYING SUPERS.
Supposing the hive to be a stock ([page 81]), the super should be applied at the early part of the season, say, if fine and warm, at the latter end of April or beginning of May; but if the weather is then unfavourable it is better to delay doing so until a more genial temperature. If the colony is a swarm of the present year, two or three weeks should be allowed to elapse from the time of tenanting a hive before putting on the super; this delay is necessary to give the bees the opportunity of building combs in their new domicile, and of getting a store of honey for themselves before working for their master. The exact time[28] will, however, depend much upon the weather, and the same applies to the subsequent time occupied by the bees in filling the super. They will be the more incited to commence their work, and having commenced to continue it, if some warm covering is placed over the glass; at night, when much comb-building goes on, it is important to wrap it in flannel or worsted, or some warm material (a baize bag is convenient for bell glasses). A further inducement will be offered by the fixing of a piece of comb to the bars or ventilating tube, as the case may be. The cells on the outside or by the window are always the last to be filled, so that when these are sealed over it is safe to conclude that the rest are also complete.
[28] There is the nick of time before bees make their internal arrangements for swarming, but the difficulty is to know precisely when this is.
When it is wished to use a super with a frame hive, the crown-board or roof of the stock hive must be taken away, the thin adapting or honey board, or perforated zinc adapter, taking its place—excepting of course where the crown-board is provided with openings for the purpose. The two long slits at the sides are to give admission to the super. The bees will begin sooner, and work faster, if the bars are each furnished with guide-comb (as described in the previous section). Combs that have been left unfilled may be fixed to the bars, but these must be white and clean, as dark comb should not be used for super hives.