42 NATURAL SWARMING. 



QUIETING AND HANDLING BEES. 



Before a swarm issues from a hive, the bees fill their sacs with 

 honey to last while on their journey and aid them in starting in 

 their new home. While thus filled, they are (like a man soon 

 ■after dinner) uncommonly good natured and obliging, seldom 

 showing any rough points of character. Yet, lest some "luck- 

 less wight " might have been sleeping on the outside of the hive 

 while its comrades were filling their "jackets " within, we will 

 give the clustered swarm a slight sprinkling with diluted honey 

 or sweetened water. If they were docile and tractable before, 

 they are doubly so now. "We may shake them down, hunt out 

 their queen, or perform with them any operation we wish and 

 they will not sting us, unless we compel them by pressure to do 

 so. Here we have the true explanation of all the "charms," 

 "secrets" and "recipes for taming bees," with which unprinci- 

 pled venders have long humbugged a too credulous public. The 

 whole art of " taming bees " is embodied in the following : 



1st. A honey bee filled with "liquid sweets" will not sting 

 of its own accord. 



2d. Bees, when frightened, will generally fill themselves with 

 honey, and if given liquid sweets will invariably accept them. 



Bees may be frightened thus : 



1st. By blowing upon them the smoke of spunk, tobacco or 

 cotton rags. 



2d. By confining them to the hive, and rapping the sides of 

 it lightly with a small stick. At first, the bees will try to get 



Note.— Wood nearly rotten we have fonnd to be much better than a roll of cotto* 

 rags for smoking bees. 



