Of the Natural Swarming of Bees. 156 
ftation, the cloth fhould be allowed to remain 
upon it, to keep off the rays of the fun §, till 
night, when the fkirts may be plaftered over 
with lime mixed with hair, and thus fixed to 
the ftool, and the top covered with turf, as for- 
merly direCted, page 97. 
Sometimes, though feldom, a fwarm will 
fly off, notwithftanding every method that can 
be ufed to prevent it. This happens only in 
very fine calm weather, when the bees have 
U 2 had. 
§ Sometimes, in very hot weather, young {warms have fuffered 
greatly, by the intenfe heat melting the wax, and making their 
combs fall down on the ftool, in confequence of which the honey 
runs out, the bees are befmeared, the young ones bruifed, and 
the hive almoft totally ruined. Many hives fuffered in this mans 
ner, by the great heat laft fummer, (1794 3) but fuch misfortunes 
only happen in the beft years for honey ; and, indeed, it is to be 
regretted, that we have fo feldom reafon to complain of too much 
heat. 
In fuch favourable years, the beft method to prevent fuch con- 
- fequences, is to keep the young fwarms, (for the ftock hives are 
in no danger,) well {creened from the feorching rays of the fun, 
by covering them over on the fouth fide, or placing fereens be- 
fore the hives in fuch a manner as to keep off the heat, at the 
‘fame time, that they do not obftruét the bees from going out and 
into their work. One of the large boards or tools, which the 
hives ufually ftand on, being placed on edge upon the ftool be- 
fore the entry to the hive, but in fuch a pofition that the bees 
may have free accefs and egrefs, will anfwer this purpofe, and 
can eafily be removed, as foon as the exceflive heat is over. 
