THE BEE. 95 



TO TAKE THE HONEY N/VITHOUT 

 DESTROYING THE BEES. 



In the dusk of the evening, when the bees are quietly lodged, 

 silently approach the hive and turn it gently over. Having 

 steadily placed it on the ground, with its bottom upward, 

 cover it with a clean new hive which has been properly pre- 

 pared with a few sticks across the inside of it, and rubbed 

 with aromatic herbs. Having carefully adjusted the mouths of 

 the hives to each other, so that no aperture remains between 

 them, take a small stick and beat gently round the sides of 

 the lower hive for about fifteen minutes, in which time the 

 bees will leave their cells in the lower hive, and ascend and 

 adhere to the upper one. Then gently lift the new hive, and 

 place it on the stand from which the other hive was taken. 

 This should be done by the loth of July, that the bees may have 

 time, before the summer-flowers are faded, to lay in a new 

 stock of honey, which they will not fail to do for their suste- 

 nance through the winter. 



TO DESTROY THE B EE- M I LLER. 



To a pint of water sweetened with honey or sugar, add ^ a 

 gill of vinegar, and set it in an open white vessel (as anything 

 white attracts their attention), on the top or by the side of the 

 hive. When the miller comes in the night, he will fly into 

 the mixture and be drowned. 



PRESERVING OLD HIVES. 



When bees die, the hive should be thoroughly cleared of its 

 contents, the sides well scraped out and rubbed with a cloth 

 wet in cold water, and be kept in a dry place until wanted for 

 use. Old hives thus prepared, are far better than new ones, 

 from the fact that the arduous and difficult task of attaching 

 the comb to the walls of the hive has been accomplished by the 

 previous swarm. 



NA^INTER MANAGEMENT. 



When autumn approaches, it is highly important to know 

 the exact condition of the bees, in regard to their supply of 

 food for the winter, and if all the hives be made of the same 

 size and weight, after a little practice the quantity of honey 

 contained in each can be readily ascertained by gently weigh- 

 ing It. There should be found 15 or 20 pounds of honey in 

 every hive, of the usual quantity of bees, to carry them safely 

 through the winter. When the quantity of honey is insuffi 

 cient, the bees can be fed as before described. Southern honey 

 that costs from 4 to 6 cents per pound, will answer the pur- 

 pose. Where honey can not be obtained, brown sugar can be 

 used. Dissolve the sugar with a sufficient quantity of water 



