246 
SUMMER. 
her eggs on them, and the worms soon finish up the 
whole. Yet the bees from the other stocks will gene- 
rally first remove the honey. 
AGE OF BEES INDICATED. 
Hundreds of bee keepers lose some of their stocks 
in this way, and can assign no reasonable cause. 
“Why,’ say they, “there wasn’t ^venty bees in the 
hive; it was all full of honey,” or worms, as the case 
may be. “ Only a short time before, it was full of 
bees; I got three good swarms from it, and it always 
had been first rate, but all at once the bees were 
gone. I don’t understand it !” Such bee-keepers can 
not understand how rapidly a family of bees diminish, 
when there is no queen to replenish with young this 
mortality of the old ones. I doubt whether the 
largest and best family possibly could be made to 
exist six months, without a queen for their renewal, 
except, perhaps, through the winter. 
When standing close on one bench, they are gone 
sooner than if on separate stands, as they often join a 
neighboring hive when they can walk to it. 
NECESSITY OF CARE. 
As this tumult cannot be seen but a few days at 
most, it is well — yes, it is necessary — to make it a 
duty to glance at the hives at this period after 
swarming, every morning ; a glance is sufficient to tell 
you of the fact. Remember to reckon from the date 
of the first issue ; this occurs when the first royal cells 
are sealed over, and is the best criterion as to when 
