WINTERING BEES. 
335 
“ But how did you know about the dead brood?” 
“ Because old stocks are thus often reduced and 
lost.” 
“ What were the indications of its being filled with 
honey ?” 
“ Combs are seldom attached to the side of the hive 
farther down than they are filled with honey. In this 
hive the combs had been attached to the bottom, con- 
sequently must have been full. Another thing, unless 
the family is very much reduced, the hive is generally 
well stored, even when diseased.” 
“ Why did you suppose it was near spring before I 
discovered it?” 
“ I took the chances of guessing. The majority of 
bee-keepers, you know, are rather careless, and when 
they have fixed their bees for winter, seldom give 
them much more attention, till they begin to fly out 
in the spring.” 
“ But what should I have done had I discovered 
the bees coming out ?” 
“ As it was affected with dead brood, it was but 
little use to do anything; you would have lost it 
eventually. But if it had been a stock otherwise 
healthy, and was affected in this way only because it 
was a small family, or the severity of the weather, 
you could have taken it to a warm room, and turned 
it bottom up; the animal heat would then convert 
the most of the water contained in their food into 
vapor ; that would rise from the hive, and the bees 
could retain the excrementitious portion without diffi- 
culty till spring.” 
