60 



coverings ; or, a still better plan is to make a bag of cheap mate- 

 rial, of such shape and dimensions that when partially filled 

 with cork-dust or chaff, it may be laid as a cushion of about two 

 inches thick entirely covering the frames and fitting closely 

 to the body-box. Such a covering is admirably adapted for the 

 purpose, as it retains the warmth in the hive, while permit- 

 ting excess of moisture to escape readily. 



To secure a hive for winter, the lift should be inverted and 

 . -J. g . slipped down over the body-box, the porch, 



Hivefor"*^ if movable, being transferred to the lift. 

 Winter "^^^ doors should be closed to about two to 



three inches apart ; the floor-board ventila- 

 tor should be kept open, except during very cold weather. 

 Hives in very exposed positions should be so secured by wire or 

 rope as to prevent their being blown over (69). The less a 

 hive is disturbed during the winter the better. If the roof 

 leaks, it should be covered with Willesden paper, zinc, or corru- 

 gated iron. On a fine day in February, the doors should be 

 opened widely, and the front part of the floor-board should be 

 cleared of dead bees, &c., with a piece of bent wire, care being 

 exercised not to touch the frames ; the doors should be closed 

 to about two to three inches apart before evening. 



XVII.— UNITING. 



Strong stocks are always more profitable than weak stocks ; 

 the bee-keeper should therefore at all times 



131. Beasons for endeavour to maintain stocks as strong 

 Uniting. as possible. Hence it will sometimes be 



necessary to unite two swarms, or two 

 weak stocks, or to unite a weak stock to a stronger one. Unit- 

 ing is also practised when it is desired to unite a queenless 

 stock (145) to one that has a queen, and when in the autumn it 

 is desired to reduce the number of stocks in the apiary. All 

 uniting operations should be performed when bees have ceased 

 flying for the day. 



To unite two swarms on the day on which they issued, or the day 



132. Uniting Two f|*f,^' /"'^Pf \^ -^^^1 ^^^, their reception 

 SwaiTDM ^ ' ' P^^°® ^'^^ hivmg-board m position (76) , 



remove the queen from one swarm, and 

 place her (151) with a few bees in an empty match box or other 

 suitable small box, to be kept thus in case of accident befalling 

 the other queen ; dust the bees in each skep or swarm-box with 

 flour ; this may be conveniently done by placing the flour in a 

 very small bag of coarse canvas and lightly dusting the bees 

 while turning the skep or swarm-box about so as to expose 

 them all to the falling flour; then throw the contents of 

 each skep or swarm-box together on the floor-board, and 

 the bees will pass into the hive. If the operation is per- 

 formed by one person, it is best after flouring the bees 



