or MANAGING BEES. 71 



he will thaw them out ; — in short, if they are apparently 

 dead, he will resuscitate and bring them to life and activity, 

 which may be done in all cases, (except when smothered,) 

 if attended to in season. In February, 1838, we had a 

 swarm that was starved by design. We resuscitated them 

 three times, without feeding, in three successive days, before 

 life was extinct. The life of bees many times is in a state 

 of suspension a considerable ■ time before their death, and 

 may be resuscitated by human aid, when otherwise life would 

 become extinct. We have resuscitated them repeatedly 

 under various circumstances for ourselves and neighbors. 

 Some of the best stocks we now own were once apparently 

 dead. A screen bottom board should be used so as to let 

 up the warm air into the hive, and at the same time enable 

 the apiarian to control and keep the bees in the hive during 

 the process of resuscitation. The feeder should be used in 

 every case, to give the bees exercise, and restore activity. 



A cellar made in the side of a dry hill, so covered as to 

 keep out water, is a good storage for wintering bees. There 

 should be two ventilators at the two most extreme parts of 

 the cellar — one near the bottom, and on its side, to admit 

 pure air — the other through the top or covering, to let the 

 bad air escape. 



It is found, by experiment, that two or more swarms 

 united in the fall, will not consume neaff as much honey 

 during the winter as when kept in separate hives. When it 

 is found, as it usually is, in large establishments of bees in 

 the fall, that some hives are too feeble or too few to winter 

 profitably, the apiarian will find it for his interest to unite 

 them with stronger swarms, which is very easily done by 

 fumigating them with tobacco-smoke, so as to sicken both 

 swarms a little. Now take the feeble swarm to the place 

 where the strong one stands, invert the hive, and set the one 



