274 SBLECXING COLONIES FOE WINTBH. 



little caution, and tried to find admittance on the back 

 side, and other places. They even attempted to enter one 

 or two other hives, on either side, perhaps thinking they 

 were mistaken in the hive, but these being strong, re- 

 pulsed them, and they finally gave it up. 



HOW BEES WERE WINTERED APTER A SCARCITr OP HONET. 



One season, some years ago, when I was anxious to in- 

 crease the number of my stocks to the utmost, I had none 

 but early swarms, with sufiicient honey for winter. Twen- 

 ty-five pounds is required for winter stores in this section. 

 I had over thirty young swarms with less than that quan- 

 tity. 



There was a large number of old colonies with diseased 

 brood, and but/ew bees, but suflScient honey. Such honey 

 is not deleterious to the old bees, hence I transferred the 

 bees of these new swarms, by paralyzing, to the old stocks 

 containing black comb and diseased brood. The bees 

 were thus wintered on honey of but little account, and all 

 the honey that was in the healthy hives was saved. These 

 new hives were set in a cold dry place during winter, 

 right end up, to prevent the honey from dripping out of 

 the cells. Some wiU leak then, but not as much as when 

 the hive is bottom up. Honey that runs out, when the 

 hive is bottom up, will soak into the wood at the base of 

 the combs, and has a tendency to loosen them, and render 

 them liable to fall, etc. The bees should be returned to 

 the new hives the following March. For the method of 

 transferring see Chap. xix. 



ADVANTAGE OP TRANSPERRINS. 



When a good-sized family is put in a hive containing 

 fifteen or twenty pounds of honey, and nearly half full of 

 clean new comb, they are about as sure to fill up and cast 

 a swarm, as one that is full, and has wintered a colony. 



