26 



Ainother method is to smoke iboth colonies gently, then set 

 the weaker colony over the other with two thicknesses of news- 

 paper between, througih which a small hole may be punched 

 the size of a pencil. There should be no way of exit except 

 through the lower hive if one queen is to be destroyed. In a 

 few days, or more, proceed as in the first case except that less 

 smoke need to be used. If one wishes, after forty-eight hours, 

 the upper colony may be provided with a separate entrance and 

 allowed to keep their queen until the opening of the surplus 

 flow when the two colonies may be united and the extra brood 

 given to the weaker colonies. A weak colony will build up 

 much faster when placed over a stronger one. This should be 

 done at a time when no bees are flying or many may be lost, 

 and care should be used that they mark the new location. Bees 

 will hang around the old location when a colony has been care- 

 lessly moved until many or all perish. 



Oosing the hive for twenty-four hours or a less time, if a 

 board or small obstruction is placed in front of entrance at an 

 angle, will cause them to mark the new lo'cation and return 

 though some may fly about the old one for a few days. 



Each colony is supposed to have its own colony odor by wdiich 

 they are enabled to distinguish their own members from others, 

 or to quickly tell their own queen from another. The odor of 

 queens is apparently stronger than that of the workers. 



If bees are to be united late in the fall, I prefer to leave them 

 until they are put in che cellar when I place the colony having 

 the least stores of honey at the bottom and the heavier ones on 

 top with only a sheet of paper between having a small hole in 

 the center perhaps one inch in diameter. Iin spring all can be 

 shook into one hive and treated as one colony. If queens are 

 of equal value, I do not trouble to look for either but let the 

 bees decide for themselves which shall live. 



Spring Management 



When bees are moved from cellar to summer stands, care 

 should be taken to move them as quietly as possible and assist 

 them in housecleaning by removing the bottom board (which 

 should be looise) and brushing out all dead bees and other waste 



