OF MANAGING BEES. 23 



Bees are very tenacious to preserve the lives of their 

 sovereigns, particularly those of their own raising ; and 

 when they find they have more than one in the hive, 

 they will guard each so strongly as to prevent, if possible, 

 their coming within reach of each other. Their being thus 

 strongly guarded to prevent the fight, is unquestionably 

 the cause of their giving the alarm, as described a page or 

 two bade. The knowledge of the existence of another 

 queen in the same hive inspires them with the greatest 

 uneasiness and rage ; and when the oldest one finds herself 

 defeated in gaining access to her competitor, she sallies forth 

 with as many as see fit to follow her, and seeks a new 

 habitation. 



In order to facilitate and hasten the departure of the first 

 swarm in a season, the ventilator should be kept closed, un- 

 less the weather is extremely hot, until the hive is well re- 

 plenished with bees again, after the swarming season closfes. 

 [See Kg. 4, Appendix.] By opening the ventilator and sus- 

 pending the bottom board any considerable distance below 

 the hive, its whole interior soon becomes cooled so far below 

 swarming temperature, that the organization of the new 

 colony is retarded, and may come forth too late in the sea 

 son to take the best advantage of the honey season, which is 

 usually shojt in northern climates ; and bees that are well 

 stocked with numbers, generally swarm earliest, and when* 

 honey can be collected in the greatest abundance. If the 

 ventilator is kept open during the moth season, the bees are 

 compelled to keep an extra guard to protect the hive from 

 the entrance of millers ; and, as the opening or closing it has 

 no efieot in swarming, after the first gwarm has left the hive, 

 we reconjmend keeping it closed through the summer season, 

 except in extreme hot weather, and for other purposes, which 

 will be explained in the proper chapter. 



