246 SUMMER. 



her eggs on them, and the worms soon finish up the 

 whole. Yet the bees from the other stocks will gene- 

 rally first remove the honey. 



AGE OF BEES INDICATED. 



Hundreds of bee-keepers lose some of their stocks 

 in this way, and can assign no reasonable cause. 

 "Why,"' say they, " there wasn't twenty -bees in the 

 hive ; it was all fall of honey," or worms, as the case 

 may be. " Only a short time before, it was full of 

 bees ; I got three good swarms from it, and it always 

 had been first rate, but all at once the bees were 

 gone. I don't understand it !" Such bee-kefepera'fcan ■ 

 not understand how rapidly a family of bees diminish, 

 when there is no queen to replenish with young this 

 mortality of the old ones. I doubt whether the 

 largest and best family possibly could be made, to 

 exist six months, without aqueen for their renewal, 

 except, perhaps, through the winter. 



When standing close on one bench, -they are gonfe 

 sooner than if on separate stands, as they often join a 

 neighboring hive when they can walk to it. 



NECESSITY OF CARE. 



As this tumult cannot be seen but a few days at 

 most, it is well — yes, it is necessary — ^to make it a 

 djity to glance at the hives at this period after 

 swarming, every morning ; a glance is sufficient to tell 

 you of the fact. Eemember to reckon from the date 

 of the first issue ; this occurs when the first royal cells 

 are sealed over, and is the best eriterion as to when 



