Ch.XLV.] ON BEES. 563 



is only in very favourable seasons that a cast can collect honey enough to 

 carrv the colony through the winter without feeding. 



Swarms should always be housed in neio hives. The insects are easily 

 offended by the musty scent of the old hive ; and it costs them much labour 

 to close all the crevices of an old or badly made hive, which is one of their 

 first duties on taking possession of a new house. 



When bees are about to swarm, they require some watching, lest they fly 

 away. The first indication of this emigration is that of large numbers of 

 the supernumerary bees clustering together on the outside near the entrance 

 of the hive, and hanging under the threshold. If they so appear for seve- 

 ral consecutive days, it is very probable that, on some fine, calm, warm 

 morning, with bright sunshine, the emigrating colony will take its depar- 

 ture from the old hive. Some swarms rise high in the air, and fly to a 

 great distance before they settle, and sometimes in places where they can- 

 not be recovered. The only means that can be used to prevent a distant 

 flight, is to throw handfuls of dust among them, or by causing a violent 

 vibration in the air by the continued beating of some loud-sounding metal 

 vessel — a fryingpan, or the like. The dust, or agitation of the air, alarms 

 the leaders of the throng, and causes them to settle on the nearest tree or 

 bush, or sometimes on the surface of the ground. 



Whether the young queen leads her followers, or some of these lead her, 

 is not, perhaps, well understood ; certain it is, however, that though the 

 generality of swarms seem to alight anywhere by chance, yet on some 

 occasions a resting-place is previously chosen, and taken possession of by 

 the new swarm. This circumstance is mentioned in order to induce bee- 

 masters to try to find out a lure for vagrant swarms. They do sometimes 

 adopt a prepared hive set conveniently for them, and they may be induced 

 to do this more frequently. 



When a swarm has settled, it should be hived as soon as possible, for 

 they very soon begin to work, even on a branch of a tree. The hive is 

 prepared by having an entrance cut, and two clean peeled willow rods, stuck 

 firmly crosswise from front to back, and from side to side of the hive ; the 

 inside is rubbed with a bunch of elder-leaves dipped in sugared beer. If the 

 swarm has settled upon a branch of a low bush, the branch may be bent 

 down by a hook to the ground — the hive put over, and partly covered with 

 a mat or cloth ; and after dark the hive, if the bees have gone up,carried to 

 the bench. If they settle on the branch of a tree, the branch may be cut 

 off and brought down to the ground ; or, if this cannot be done, the hive 

 may be held under, and the bees shook or gently brushed into it. At these 

 times the bees are in a stupor, and not irritable unless they are hurt. It 

 is well, however, to have a crape over the face in hiving bees. 



When set on the bench, it will be seen next day whether all is right. If 

 the bees keep to the hive and begin to work, it is a favourable sign ; but if 

 many appear restless, flying backwards and forwards between the hive and 

 the place they swarmed to, it is a sign that they have lost their queen, and 

 very likely she may be found surrounded by a party in some intermediate 

 place ; to this place the hive must be brought and placed over, when the 

 whole will soon get together. 



Some writers advise honey-bearing flowers to be sown or planted near the 

 bee-house, but this is unnecessary ; the wild flowers on the heath or com- 

 mon afford the finest honey. Mr. Cobbett has made a great mistake in 

 recommending the flowers of buckwheat for bees. They are certainly fond 

 of them ; but the fact is, these flowers yield the very worst honey — being 

 so dark-coloured as scarcelv to be saleable, and containing so much of the 



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