and its Economic Management. 99 



syrup on the first fine day, thereby also inducing the bees 

 to take a general flight. If the combs are very badly 

 smeared they should be removed and clean substituted. 



Dysentery is very readily induced by any exciting cause 

 after the bees have been a long time without a cleansing 

 flight. Thus, a stock, apparently in the best possible 

 condition, may from some quite avoidable occurrence have 

 its entrance choked by dead bees, and then the more 

 prosperous the colony, the more disastrous will be the 

 result. 



By far the greater number of cases may be put down as 

 being directly caused by starvation. A small lot of bees 

 unable to reach stores situated away from the cluster, will 

 generally perish without excitement during a too-long 

 spell of cold, the cluster remaining unbroken just as the 

 bees rested upon the combs. But take the case of a 

 strong stock, particularly where a patch or two of brood 

 has been started, and instead of continued cold compelling 

 them to remain and die where they sit upon their combs, 

 their very strength is the cause of their own destruction. 

 They generate too much heat to remain quietly clustering 

 where all the store within reach is at last exhausted. 

 Though too cold yet for individuals to reach the more 

 distant, but still plenteous store, the bees fully aware of 

 their critical position, soon arrive at an excited condition, 

 the temperature goes up rapidly, the cluster expands, and 

 the lately unapproachable stores are within reach. But 

 the instinct of self-preservation does not allow them to 

 count the cost — the 'tremendous discount thus made upon 

 their vital energies ; neither can they avoid the fouling of 

 their once clean, Sweet smelling home. 



Should a warm day soon follow this untoward excite- 

 ment, the after effects are to a certain extent modified, as 

 a good cleansing flight can be taken ; but when the cold 



