§v.] UNITING COLONIES. 231 



by means of ekes or nadirs ; this is usually carried out 

 in the evening, when the quietude appears efficacious 

 in settling all differences without the necessity of any 

 other precautions. A fourth is as follows; At dusk, 

 dislodge the bees on to a cloth, sprinkle them with 

 sweet syrup scented with essence of peppermint (as a 

 means of bribing their new hosts to receive them), and 

 place the hive to which it is intended to join them over 

 the mass ; they will gradually ascend into the hive placed 

 for them, and early next morning the hive, with its 

 slender stock thus augmented, may be removed to its 

 stand. Should the operator not have been successful in 

 gaining possession of the queen, he may leave it to the 

 bees themselves to decide which queen they will have. 



Many persons feel more secure from stinging if they 

 first stupefy the bees by fumigation. These should 

 proceed as follows : Having used the fumigator upon 

 the bees in one hive, as described under that article , 

 (page 207), place a sheet on the ground and spread the 

 bees on it ; then, with a feather, sort them over, in order 

 to pick out the queen. As soon as she is found, pour 

 the rest of the lethargic swarm from off the sheet back 

 into the inverted hive again. The stupefied bees must 

 now be sprinkled freely with a syrup made of honey and 

 water, or sugar and ale boiled together. Some apiarians 

 recommend a few drops of peppermint to be mixed with 

 the syrup, in order to drown the peculiar odour which is 

 special to each hive of bees ; this is more necessary when 



