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memory of the home site seems to be subordinated. These are occasions of great 

 excitement, as in swarming or of long confinement, as in winter. In neither of 

 these cases is the memory of the old home site entirely lost; but when first taken 

 out of the cellar they usually orient themselves, as in their first flight as young 

 bees. The impulse to guard the hive against strange bees is also subordinated on 

 both of these occasions. 



An additional factor in the return of bees to the hive on such occasions is the 

 "homing call." Each worker is provided with a small gland located just above 

 the tip of the abdomen. Under the excitement of a first flight or swarming, bees 

 alighting on the entrance of a hive raise the tip of the abdomen, exposing this 

 gland, and fanning with their wings to drive off a scent which attracts others. 

 They also utter a peculiar hum, which has been called the " homing' call." Whether 

 it is the scent or the sound which attracts other bees we need not discuss here; 

 but this call causes numbers of bees to alight near the callers and enter the hive, 

 even though it is not their own. When conditions in the apiary are favorable 

 with warm sunshine, still air and not much excitement of the bees, the call from 

 the various entrances is about the same, and no confusion results. The bees, in 

 flying out, have taken note of the location of their hive, much as on the occasion 

 of their first flight as young bees, and return mostly to their own hives; but where 

 the excitement is great they do not orient themselves well on going out, and if 

 a strong wind strikes up it drives the " homing call " across the yard, so that bees 

 are called to the windward side and drift in large numbers up against the wind 

 to the hives on the far side. The result of this drifting is a large number of weak 

 colonies, and a few colonies which have more bees than they should have at this 

 season. Under the excitement colonies sometimes swarm out and leave their 

 hives entirely. 



That bees do not entirely forget the old location of their hives is indicated 

 by the following observation reported by different beekeepers with variations. On 

 the first fiight of bees after the hives are removed from the cellar, it has been 

 noted that numbers of bees sometimes hover about stands which were occupied 

 in the fall, but are now vacant. These are believed to be workers from hives which 

 formerly stood here and now stand elsewhere. It is inferred from this that a 

 general interchange of bees occurs where all stands are reoccupied, but not by 

 their former hives. If this occurs to any extent, and the evidence that it does 

 is fairly conclusive, several dangers are incurred by not getting each hive back 

 on its former stand. An infectious disease existing in a few hives of the apiary 

 is liable to be spread to other hives, queens may possibly be killed by strange bees, 

 and the defence of each hive against robber bees may be reduced by the confusion! 

 It seems important, then, that hives should be carefully returned to their original 

 stands, even though many successful beekeepers do not consider the advantao-e 

 worth the extra trouble. ^ 



Another matter of importance is the robbing 'impulse which must be guarded 

 against until nectar is gathered regularly from flowers. The impulse to defend 

 the entrance is at a low ebb during the first general flight and there is danger that 

 bees from hives which have been wintered out of doors, or have been set out pre- 

 viously, wiU rob the ones which have just been brought out. As far as possible all 

 the hives of one a'piary should be carried out on the same day. 



A few days before setting out it is good practice to go through the cellar and 

 mark the hives where bees are restless, or where many dead bees are accumulated 

 on the bottom board. As the hives are carried out all light ones should also be 



