182 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



do •well to cleave to the common way of drumming bees 

 out of heavy Mves till his own experience gives him 

 courage and adroitness to enable him to achieve more 

 difficult operations. 



The art of uniting swarms is a very valuable one, and 

 easily learned. The hive to receive the bees, or additional 

 swarm, is turned up, some sugar-and-water, strongly 

 scented with mint, is poured over the bees, when the 

 other swarm (temporarily driven into the empty hive) is 

 shaken over and amongst the bees, combs, and sugar, and 

 some more syrup sprinkled over them. The hive is now 

 placed on the board, and the work is done. This minted 

 syrup prevents the bees from discovering which are 

 strangers, and therefore prevents fighting. On the Con- 

 tinent the bee-keepers have begun to use nutmeg grated 

 in the syrup, which they give to bees when uniting them. 

 It is the same idea and same practice. If the nutmeg 

 smells stronger than the miat it is better for the purpose. 

 "We could unite a hundred swarms successfully without 

 the use of either mint or nutmeg; but these strongly- 

 scented articles used in the marriage-feast of two swarms 

 tie the knot at once, and cement a union lasting as life. 

 When the swarms are united about sunset, and plenty of 

 imminted syrup is given to the bees, they rarely ever kill 

 each other. When they do, the work has not been well 

 done. 



Observing parents and teachers of children do not fail 

 to notice the immediate effects of placing sweets in the 

 months of young people. A kind of intoxication or hilar- 

 ity comes over their minds ; and when this takes place 

 it is rather a difficult matter to make them angry and 

 cross-tempered. All this kind of thing happens in a 

 hive if the bees are well fed with sugar ; it is therefore 

 wise to give them enough about fifteen minutes before the 



