UNITINO 



Uniting. 



G33. A queenless colony, in the Fall, should always be 

 united to some othor hive. 



If two or more colonies, which are to be united in the 

 Fall, are not close together, their hives must be gradually 

 drawn nearer, and the bees may then, with proper precau- 

 tions, be put into the same hive. For this purpose, it is 

 well to kill the poorest queen (if both have queens) and 

 keep the best. This may be dispensed with, but the pru- 

 dent bee-keeper will never neglect an opportunity to im- 

 prove his stock. On a cool November day, the combs of 

 the weaker colony that bear the cluster, should be lifted 

 all together, and inserted in the other hive, after the bees 

 of the latter have been thoroughly frightened with smoke. 

 (382.) 



634. If, when two colonies are put together, the bees in 

 the one on the old stand are not gorged with honey, they 

 will often attack the others, and speedily sting them to 

 death, in spite of all their attempts to purchase immunity, 

 by offering their honey. The late Wm. W. Gary, of Cole- 

 raine, Massachusetts, who has long been an accurate 

 observer of the habit < of bees, united colonies very success- 

 fully, by alarming those that were on the old stand ; as soon 

 as they showed by their notes, that they were subdued, he 

 gave them the new-comers. The alarm which causes them 

 to gorge themselves with honey, puts them, doubtless, upon 

 their good behavior, long enough to give the others a fair 

 chance. 



They can also be made to unite peaceably, by sprinkling a 

 little sweet-scented water on them (485). It is well to put 

 a slanting board in front of the entrance (603 bis) to show 

 the moved bees that their location is changed. The empty 

 hive should be removed from its place to prevent the bees 



