WINTERING BEES. 335 



'• But how did you know about the dead brood?" 



" Because old stocks are thus often reduced and 

 lost." 



" What were the indications of its being filled with 

 honey ?" 



" Combs are seldom attached to the side of the hive 

 farther down than they are filled with honey. In this 

 hive the combs had been attached to the bottom, con- 

 sequently must have been full. Another thing, unless 

 the family is very much reduced, the hive is generally 

 well stored, even when diseased." 



" Why did you suppose it was near spring before I 

 discovered it?" 



" I took the chances of guessing. The majority of 

 bee-keepers, you know, are rather careless, and when 

 they have fixed their bees for winter, seldom give 

 them much more attention, till they begin to fly out 

 in the spring." 



" But what should I have done had I discovered 

 the bees coming out ?" 



" As it was aflPected with dead brood, it was but 

 little use to do anything; you would have lost it 

 eventually. But if it had been a stock otherwise 

 healthy, and was affected in this way only because it 

 was a small family, or the severity, of the weather, 

 you could have taken it to a warm room, and turned 

 it bottom up; the animal heat would then convert 

 the most of the water contained^in their food into 

 vapor ; that would rise from the hive, and the bees 

 could retain the excrementitious portion without diffi- 

 culty till spring." 



