232 BEE MANIPULATION. [Ch. v. 



both hives are fumigated, and whilst .under the influence 

 of smoke are well mixed together upon the sheet or board. 

 Such course can be adopted if preferred, and no further 

 instructions will be needed than what are here given ; but 

 we will suppose as before that only one is thus operated 

 upon. The hive containing the non-stupefied bees mu,st 

 now be placed on the top of the inverted one, just as the 

 hive was from which the bees in the latter have come. 

 A wet cloth must be fastened round the two hives, so as 

 to prevent any of the bees from escaping. The hives in 

 this position must be placed where they are not likely to 

 be knocked down or meddled with. The fresh bees in 

 the upper hive, attracted by the scent of the bees be- 

 smeared with honey, go down and commence licking off 

 the sweets from the sleepy ones. The latter gradually 

 revive, when all get mingled together and ascend in 

 company to the upper hive, where they live as if they 

 had not been separate families. The two hives should 

 be left undisturbed for twenty-four hours, when the upper 

 hive may be removed and placed immediately on the 

 spot from whence it was brought. 



The removed queen should be kept alive and fed as 

 long as she will live, in case any harm should befall the 

 sovereign of the other community. If three hives are to 

 be incorporated in two, the only difference will be that 

 the stupefied colony upon the sheet is divided into two 

 empty skeps, the one being covered securely over till the 

 other is adjusted. 



