§ xu. GENERAL REMARKS. 345 



from a similar cause when workmen have been employed 

 in the vicinity of hives ; these gentlemen, thoughtless of 

 the welfare of the bees, but most careful of their own 

 convenience, have placed a piece of wood across, or 

 otherwise stopped the entrances, to prevent the bees 

 coming out. In summer weather a very short time of 

 confinement in a close hive suffices to complete the work 

 of desolation ; but should the bee-keeper's attention be 

 drawn to such a state of things, he must immediately 

 raise the hive from the floor-board and let the poor bees, 

 have all the air possible, leaving them thus exposed for 

 the purpose of affording them a chance of revivaL 

 When bees are likely to incommode those whose duties 

 temporarily oblige them to be near the entrances, it is. 

 better to cover the hive over night with net in the 

 form of an inverted bag tied at the base, so that, 

 the bees may be able" to get air within the net and 

 not be too closely confined. The objection to this is 

 that you stop all labour, which of course harasses the 

 bees for the time, but there will be no other bad results. 

 The foregoing remarks more particularly apply to the: 

 summer season. In winter or in the spring, when the 

 weather is cool and the bees are not so numerous, hives- 

 may be shut up even for a day or so without much ven- 

 tilation, and but little harm will arise therefrom. 



Hive for Swarming Needful. 

 There is another little matter of detail that should be 



