312 



THE APIARY. 



not of a very "spiritual" character, produce, nevertheless, a 

 decided effect upon the bees. Their first impulse, if no smoke 

 were used, would be to sally out, and wreak their vengeance 

 on those who thus rudely assail their honied dome; but as 

 soon as they inhale its fumes, and feel the terrible concussion 

 of their once stable abode, a sudden fear, that they are to be 

 dri-\-en from their treasures, takes possession of them. De- 

 termined to prepare for this unceremonious writ of ejection, 

 by carrying off what they can, each bee oegins to lay in a 

 supply, and in about five minutes, all are filled to their utmost 

 capacity. A prodigious humming is now heard, as they begin 

 to mount into the npper box; and in about fifteen minutes 

 from the time the rapping began — if it has been continued 

 with but slight intermissions — the mass of bees, with their 

 queen, will hang clustered in the forcing-box, like any natural 

 swarm, and may, at the proper time, be readily shaken out on 

 a sheet, in front of their intended hive. 



Now put the forcing box on their old stand, and carry the 

 parent-hive to some place where you cannot be annoyed by 

 other bees. 



577. It is important to make sure that the queen is re- 

 moved, as she might be injured in the transfer of comb. 

 Her pi'esence among the driven bees can be ascertained in 

 a few minutes, by the quietness of their behavior, or by the 

 eggs which she drops on the bottom-board, and which can 

 easily be seen if a black cloth is spread under the forcing 

 box (155). 



If the queen is not with the bees, a few will come out and 

 run about, as if anxiously searching for something they have 

 lost. The alarm is i-apidly communicated to the whole colony ; 

 the explorers are reinforced, the ventilators suspend theiv 

 operations, and soon the air is filled with bees. If they can- 

 not find the queen, they return to their old stand, and if no 

 hive is there, will soon enter one of the adjoining colonies. 

 If their queen is restored to them soon after they miss her, 

 those running out of the hive ivill make a half-circle, and 



