OF MANAGING BEES. 57 



their ravages, and at the same time enable the cultivator to 

 take advantage of the known instincts of the bees, in order 

 to promote their prosperity, and advance his own interests, 

 we constructed the hive now called the Vermont Hive, differ- 

 ing materially from the old box, in which we commenced a 

 series of observations and experiments, which have been 

 highly satisfactory, and prove that its structure is adapted 

 to the nature of its occupants. 



Large hives that never swarm are never destroyed by the 

 moth, unless they lose their queen, melt down, or meet 

 ■with some casualty, out of the ordinary course of managing 

 them. They are not often in the least annoyed by them, 

 unless there are bad joints, cracks, or shakes, so as to afford 

 some lurking-places for the worms. The reason for their 

 prosperous condition is obvious. The stock of bees is so 

 numerous that their comb is all kept well guarded during the 

 moth season, so that no m.Uler can enter and deposit her eggs. 



Hives made so small as to swarm, are liable to reduce 

 their colonies so small as to leave comb unguarded, especially 

 when they swarm three or four times the same season. All 

 swarms, after the first, sally forth to avoid the battle of the 

 queens ; constantly making a greater draft, in proportion to 

 the number left, until the comb is partially exposed, which 

 gives the miller free access to their edges. The seeds of 

 rapine and plunder are thus quickly sown, and soon vege- 

 tate, and fortify themselves by their silken fortress, before 

 the bees are aware that their frontiers are invaded. While 

 the moths are thus engaged in establishing their posts on the 

 frontiers of the bees, the latter are constantly and indefati- 

 gably engaged in providing themselves with another queen, 

 to supply the place of the old one, which has departed with • 

 a swarm, and raising young bees to replenish their reduced 

 colony. Now, as the moths have got possession of the 



