58 • Texas Depaetment of Ageicultuee. 



causes, colonies may become materially depleted in numbers, and, 

 unless taken care of by the apiarist, perish. If this condition 

 prevails during the spring or summer, the introduction of a new 

 queen, if this is the cause of deterioration, will aid in building up to 

 strong colonies again. If, however, they already have a good queen, 

 the weak colony can be strengthened by furnishing them with a comb 

 or two of hatching brood. In the late fall and very early spring 

 this is not practicable, however, and two or more weak colonies should 

 be united. Unless the apiarist desires to select the best queen, this 

 selection may be left entirely to the united colonies. Frequently 

 individual colonies may become queenless at a time when it is not 

 practicable to give them a new queen and the best practice to follow 

 under those conditions is to unite them with a normal colony as soon 

 as discovered. 



As each colony has a distinct odor by which the bees recognize 

 their own members from those of other colonies, some precaution is 

 necessary in uniting two or more. A common practice with many bee- 

 keepers is to give each colony, to be united, a somewhat thorough 

 smoking, and then simply set one hive on top of the other and allow 

 them to mix at once. Sometimes they may engage in fighting and a 

 second smoking may be necessary. Another method is that known 

 as "the newspaper method" of uniting. A newspaper, through which 

 a two or three-inch hole has been torn in the center, is laid over the 

 top of the colony having the queen. The other colony is then set 

 on top of this, being careful not to leave any opening for the bees to 

 get out except through the entrance of the hive below. The bees 

 above will acquire the same scent as those in the lower hive and 

 unite without any fighting. After a week or two, in either ease, the 

 bees may all be put into the lower hive, and the upper one (with its 

 combs) removed, if it is necessary to do this at all. 



As bees ordinarily return to their old location when their hive is 

 moved to a new place in the apiary, some precautionary steps must 

 be taken to prevent this. Queenless bees will remain in a new place 

 much more readily. Therefore, the simplest procedure when uniting 

 bees is to de-queen the weak colonies. that are to be moved a few days 

 before they are to be united with colonies that have queens. "While 

 moving the queenless colonies, the bees should be shaken up and 

 bumped about considerably by handling the hives roughly, as the ex- 

 citement caused is an additional aid in keeping them where desired. 

 In spring and fall, uniting should always be done in cool weather, 

 if possible, when bees are not flying much or at all. If a few bees 

 should return to the old location, they would be, usually, old bees 

 that would not be worth very much on account of their age, and the 

 loss would be immaterial. 



LAYING WOEKEES. 



I 



To avoid vexatious trouble with laying workers, which is the re- 

 sult of prolonged queenlessness, care should be exercised not to leave 

 any colonies queenless too long. If a queen can not be supplied to 



