1901 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



lOS 



as many triplets of sections as the bees will 

 utilize. Let the swarm rnn in and set 

 it a foot or two from the parent stocli: 

 or, preferably, if more swarms issue, 

 exchange location with them. In three 

 or four (lays the new swarm should be 

 examined. If the queen deposits eggs 

 in the surplus boxes, or if they are half, 

 or more than half filled with comb, they 

 should be removed and empty ones 

 inserted in their place. 



A swarm can be returned to a parent 

 stock in four days, cured of the swarm- 

 ing fever, though I often retain them 

 six days or even longer, according to the 

 amount of work done in the boxes, or to 

 suit my opportunity. I unite a swarm 

 from one of those temporary hives with 

 a parent stock as follows : Smoke both 

 colonies well : dislodge the bees pro- 

 miscuously in front of the parent hive ; 

 cutoff ail (lueen-cells. The two brood- 

 combs from the temporary hive may be 

 removed and used as desired. I now 

 give plenty of surplus room above, as the 

 bees take immediate possession of those 

 newly constructed combs in the surplus 

 boxes taken from the temporary hive. 

 Where the queen has deposited eggs in 

 surplus boxes, they should be retained 

 for four days or more till they become 

 sterile. These boxes serve an excellent 

 purpose as bait combs. 



Middaghs, Pa., May .5, lUOl. 



Summer now comes on apace. 



The hum of bees cloth fill the place. 



A harbinger of full treasury. 



—A. C. Miller. 



N 



UNITING BEES. 



BY W. T. STBPHEXSOX. 



NO PLAN for uniting bees has yet 

 been given that has been success- 

 ful with every one. nor will there 

 be, owing to the carelessness of the prac- 

 titioners. Most all of the plans, it 

 seems to me, are faulty inasmuch as 

 I they employ too much moving of hives, 

 etc. The plan I shall give is so simple 

 that anybody can succeed with it. 



First decide which of the queens is most 

 desirable, removing the condemned one. 

 In making this decision the past record 

 of the queen should be consulted. It 

 would be poor policy to condemn a 

 queen that has a good record simply 

 because she does not happen to have her 

 colony as populous as another at this 

 season; her past record should decide her 

 destiny. Having made one of the 

 colonies queenless, sprinkle both colo- 

 nies with a strong solution of peppermint 

 and water. Take all of the brood from 

 the queenless bees and give it to the 

 other hive. Cage the queen for safety. 

 Leave them thus until the queenless 

 colony discovers its loss, signifying the 

 same by running over the front of the 

 hive in a confused manner, flying a short 

 distance and returning. Now, take the 

 hive-body containing the queenless colo- 

 ny and set it on the hive to which it is to 

 be united, and the work is done. Move 

 everything away fropi the old stand so 

 that it will not look like home to them. 

 I do not have any trouble with the 

 bees that I get in the hive returning to 

 the old stand. Being in such a perilous 

 condition— hopeless queenlessness — and 

 then being suddenly ushered into a normal 

 colony, they seem to make themselves at 

 home. 



After a half-hour I set a hive body 

 with a comb in it to catch the flying 

 bees. When they have all clustered on 

 the comb, t^iey are shaken into the other 

 hive. 



In case the bees do not know how t(t 

 treat their visitors, but go to wrestling 

 with them (which is hardly ever the case 

 if enough peppermint is given) give 

 them a good, sound smoking, dropping 

 a little tobocco in the smoker, to teach 

 them better manners. 



In two days remove the cage contain- 

 ing the queen ; tack a piece of wrapping 

 paper over the hole in end of the cage. 

 Punch in the paper several pin-holes. 

 The bees, in their effort to get at the 

 queen, will soon tear the paper off and 

 liberate her. 



New Columbia, 111., March 4, 1901. 



