16 
MANUAL OF THE 
Hive. After Bees hang out in a cluster for a number 
of days, and all things are in readiness, they frequently 
enter the Hive again, to fill themselves with honey ; 
for as a general thing, swarms go loaded from the Hive, 
though it is not always the case. Many burden bearers, 
on their return to the Hive, finding their companions 
gone, go in pursuit of them ; and if they are near by, 
fall in with them and return not again. This, I am 
convinced by several years’ observation, is a fact. The 
emigrants carry with them honey-bread and materials 
for gluing up the inside of the Hive, to exclude the 
light and cool air. In my opinion, the working bee 
has constantly on hand, a greater or less supply of wax, 
through the wax making season. It is made of small 
flakes, resembling minute particles of bran, which 
they remove from the scales on the belly. I have 
frequently seen them picking them out and placing 
them on the unfinished part of their work. This may 
be fully ascertained by any observing Apiarian, espec- 
ially if he uses Stoddard’s Self-protecting Hive. In 
the evening, which is an appropriate time for observing 
their handy work, you can slip back the sliding door, 
and as the back of the Hives are glass, you can observe 
much of the nature and habits of the bee, with a can- 
dle light. 
The days of second and third swarming, may be 
generally predicted as follows: The Apiarian passes 
through his stands of Bees in the evening, listening 
near the entrance of the Hives attentively ; and if a 
swarm is about to come forth, he will hear the Queen 
giving an alarm at short intervals, which will be kept 
up till the swarm comes forth, or one Queen is destroyed 
by the other. He will generally hear two Queens at 
the same time, in defiance of each other; one (in her 
cell) making much less noise than the other. The 
noise can be readily discovered, being different from 
any other noise made in the Hives, and sounding 
much like that of the mud wasp. Sometimes the 
weather is unfavorable for swarming for a number of 
days, and this generally results in the death of all of 
the Queens but one. The knowledge of the existence 
