SUMMER. 



CHAPTER X. 



MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 

 HOW TO CONQUER BEES AND PREVENT THEM FROM STINGING. 



When bees are alarmed for the safety of their 

 stores, they immediately rush to the cells and fill 

 their sacs with honey, apparently to provide against 

 any contingency that might arise. When in this 

 condition, they are perfectly harmless, never volun- 

 teering an attack; consequently, to tame bees or 

 render them docile and easily driven or handled, 

 simply take advantage of this peculiar instinct. Con- 

 fine them closely to their hive, and rap repeatedly 

 on its sides for a few minutes, they will become 

 alarmed, and gorge themselves with honey, when 

 they can be handled and controlled at pleasure. 



We have adopted the following plan, which we 

 find best adapted to our hive, and recommend it to 

 others, with the assurance that it will give satisfac- 

 tion. Take clean cotton or linen rags, such as are 

 used in the manufacture of paper ; make a nice roll 

 of these, about an inch in diameter and from six to 

 twelve inches long ; wrap it pretty tight, either with 

 narrow strips or shreds torn from pieces of cloth, or 

 wrapping yarn of any kind ; prepare a number of 

 such rolls, and keep on hand in a box or any dry 



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