pe BEES. 
damage, as moths usually soon destroy them and they may be left in 
the cavity and the old entrance carefully closed to prevent another 
swarm from taking up quarters there. 
In transferring bees from a hollow tree the method will depend on 
the accessibility of the cavity. Usually it is difficult to drum out the 
bees and the combs can be cut out after subduing the colony with 
smoke. 
UNITING. 
Frequently colonies become queenless when it is not practicable to 
give them a new queen, and the best practice under such conditions 
is to unite the queenless bees to a normal colony. If any colonies are 
weak in the fall, even if they have a queen, safe wintering is better 
insured if two or more weak colonies are united, keeping the best 
queen. Under various other conditions which may arise the bee 
keeper may find it desirable to unite bees from different colonies. 
Some fundamental facts in bee behavior must be thoroughly under- 
stood to make this a success. 
Every colony of bees has a distinctive colony odor and by this 
means bees recognize the entering of their hive by bees from other 
colonies and usually resent it. If, however, a bee comes heavily 
laden from the field and flies directly into the wrong hive without 
hesitation it is rarely molested. In uniting colonies, the separate 
colony odors must be hidden, and this is done by smoking each colony 
vigorously. It may at times be desirable to use tobacco smoke, 
which not only covers the colony odor but stupefies the bees some- 
what. Care should be taken not to use too much tobacco, as it will 
completely overcome the bees. The queen to be saved should be 
caged for a day or two to prevent the strange bees from killing her in 
the first excitement. 
Another fact which must be considered is that the bees of a colony 
carefully mark the location of their own hive and remember that loca- 
tion for some time after they are removed. If, therefore, two colonies 
in the apiary which are not close together are to be united, they should 
be moved gradually nearer, not more than a foot at a time, until 
they are side by side, so that the bees will not return to their original 
locations and be lost. As the hives are moved gradually the slight 
changes are noted and no such loss occurs. As a further precaution, 
a board should be placed in front of the entrance in a slanting position, 
or brush and weeds may be thrown down so that when the bees fly 
out they recognize the fact that there has been a change and accustom 
themselves to the new place. If uniting can be done during a honey 
flow, there is less danger of loss of bees by fighting, or if done in cool 
weather, when the bees are not actively rearing brood, the colony 
odors are diminished and the danger is reduced. 
