288 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



sand, as much fuel or even more will be required, to warm 

 the small number as the large one. 



If the- stocks which are to be wintered, are in the com- 

 mon hives, the condemned ones must be drummed out of 

 their old encampment, sprinkled with sugar-water scented 

 with peppermint, or some other pleasant odor, and added to 

 the others, (see p. 212.) The colonies which are to be 

 united ought if possible, to stand side by side, some time 

 before this process is attempted. This can almost always 

 be effected by a little management, for while it would not 

 be safe to move a colony all at once, even a few yards to 

 to the right or left of the line of flight in which the bees 

 sally out to the fields, (especially if other hives are near,) 

 they may be moved a slight distance one day, and a little 

 more the next, and so on, until we have them at last in the 

 desired place. 



As persons rnay sometimes be obliged to move their 

 Apiaries, during the working season, I will here describe 

 the way by which I was able to accomplish such a removal, 

 so as to benefit, instead of injuring my bees. Selecting a 

 pleasant day, I moved, early in the morning, a portion of 

 my very best stocks. A considerable number of bees from 

 these colonies, returned in the course of the day to the 

 familiar spot ; after flying about for some time, in search of 

 their hives, (if the weather had been chilly many of them 

 would have perished,) they at length entered those standing 

 next to their old homes. More of the strongest were remov- 

 ed, on the next pleasant day : and this process was repeat- 

 ed, until at last only one hive was left in the old Apiary. 

 This was then removed, and only a few bees returned to the 

 old spot.' I thus lost no more bees, in moving a number of 

 hives, than I should have lost in moving one : and I con- 

 ducted the process in such a way, as to strengthen some of 



