Published Monthly by the W. T. Talcoiier Manfg Co. 



Vol. vm. 



DECEMBER, J898. 



No. t2. 



Uniting Small Colonies. 



Written for the American Bee- Keeper. 



BY G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



^f|^ CORRESPONDENT wishes me 

 JClMf^' to tell the readers of The Amer- 

 ^^'■'' lean Bee-Keeper how I unite 

 bees by the box plan, which I spoke of 

 in an article some time ago, and which 

 I have used for years with success. 



Previous to my using the plan about 

 to be described, my worst trouble had 

 been that by all of the ordinary modes 

 of uniting bees, too many of them 

 would return to the old location, there- 

 by causing quite a loss of bees, while 

 with the box plan no such loss will oc- 

 cur, providing the bees are caused to 

 fill themselves with honey, as does a 

 swarm before it issues from the parent 

 colony. Also in uniting in this way, 

 whether the colonies have so few bees 

 that we think they will winter better 

 from a doubling of their numbers, or 

 whether stronger colonies have an in- 

 sufBcient amount of stores for winter- 

 ing separately, the bees never quarrel, 

 no matter whether it is a time of 

 scarcity or of plenty, regarding the 

 honey secretion. 



I first make a box without sides, 

 large enough to hold the desired quan- 

 tity of bees. For two or three small 

 colonies this box should hold about 

 twelve quarts, while for uniting larger 



colonies it should hold at least twenty 

 quarts, as the bees must not be so 

 crowded that a lack of ventilation is 

 caused. This box is to have each side 

 covered with wire-cloth, one of which 

 is nailed permanently to the box, and 

 the other is to be made removable by 

 tacking the wire-cloth to a light frame 

 which can be easily put on and taken 

 off of the box. In the top of the box a 

 suitable hole is cut, into which a large 

 funnel can be inserted, such as is used 

 in putting up bees by the pound, and 

 which can be instantly covered with a 

 slide or wide button when the funnel is 

 removed, after the bees are in. 



Having all in readiness, proceed to 

 the colonies which are to be united and 

 blow a little smoke into the entrance 

 of the first, after which give the hive 

 several smart raps or blows upon its 

 top with the doubled-up hand, when 

 you will proceed to the next and treat 

 that in the same way, and the third and 

 fourth also, if you intend to put that 

 many into one colony. This is done so 

 as to cause all of the bees to fi.ll them- 

 selves with honey, for unless thorough- 

 ly filled some will return. In about five 

 minutes from the time the first one was 

 smoked all of the bees will be filled, if 

 we have gone to one and the others 

 right along, smoking and rapping on 

 them; when we proceed to open the 

 first hive and shake the bees into the 



