SPRING DWINDLING. 353 
utterly deserted. The comb was empty, and the only symptom 
of life was the poor queen herself, ‘unfriended, melancholy, 
slow,’ crawling over the honeyless cells, a sad spectacle of the 
fall of bee-greatness. Marius among the ruins of Carthage— 
Napoleon at Fontainebleau—was nothing to this.” 
Several such instances, caused by Spring dwindling, with 
subsequent robbing of the honey, were observed by us. 
Colonies are thus destroyed as late as April and May. 
660. In some instances, the enlarged abdomen of the 
bees will show that they are suffering from constipation— 
or inability to discharge their faeces, even though they may 
have voided their abdomen since their long confinement. 
Probably their intestines are in an unhealthy condition. In 
the worst cases of Spring dwindling, sometimes, even the 
queens show signs of failing, and eventually disappear. 
This may occur also with colonics that were wintered in 
the cellar, if they have suffered from diarrhea, or have been 
removed too early. 
There is another sort of Spring dwindling caused by the 
loss of working bees in cold Springs, while in search of 
water (271), or pollen (263), for the brood. 
661. To avoid losses, or to check them as far as possible, 
after a hard Winter, it is indispensable that the following 
be observed : 
Ist. The hives should be located in a warm, sunny, well- 
sheltered place. All Apiaries that are placed in exposed 
windy situations, or facing North, suffer most from Spring 
dwindling. 
2d. The number of combs in the hive should be reduced 
inearly Spring, with the division-board or contractor, to suit 
the size of the cluster (849). This helps the bees to keep 
warm and raise brood. ‘The space must again be enlarged 
gradually, when the colony begins to recruit. 
We consider this contraction of the hive as altogether 
indispensable. Let us suppose that, in early Spring, we 
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