282 
DRIFTING 
nies assumed their normal condition with¬ 
out any treatment whatever. But as the 
disease or malady developed right in the 
midst of a honey flow the crop was lost. 
The cause of disappearing disease is not 
definitely known. In some cases at least 
Nosema apis has been found in the intes¬ 
tinal tract of dead specimens taken from 
affected colonies. The Nosema was at one 
time supposed to be the cause of Isle of 
Wight disease. It is probable, however, 
that disappearing disease has no relation 
to Isle of Wight disease, altho the outward 
symptoms are much the same. 
THE MAY DISEASE. 
In Europe, especially in Germany and 
France, there has been reported a disease 
not unlike the Isle of Wight trouble, ex¬ 
cept that it is never seen after early 
summer. In France it has been called 
mal de mai; in Great Britain, “May dis¬ 
ease; in Germany, Maikrankheit. They 
all refer, of course, to the same condition; 
but apparently the symptoms of this dis¬ 
ease are not the same as those of the Isle 
of Wight disease. It comes on in May and 
June, and then disappears. It is more in 
the nature of dysentery, and warm weather 
seems to abate it. It is probable that it is 
not the same condition as described for the 
destructive Isle of Wight disease. 
DISTANCES BEES FLY.— See Flight 
of Bees. 
DIVIDING. — Under the head of Arti¬ 
ficial Swarming, Increase, Nucleus, and 
Swarming, are shown various methods of 
dividing. But dividing, as it is ordinarily 
understood, has to do with the operation of 
increasing the number of colonies or stocks 
by taking part of the frames and adhering 
bees, with or without a queen, and putting 
them in another hive on another stand. 
Generally speaking, dividing is unscientific 
and wasteful, while artificial swarming or 
division on the plans described under Nu¬ 
cleus and Increase are scientific and prof¬ 
itable, because they are worked in such a 
way as to secure a honey crop as well as an 
increase in the number of bees or colonies. 
Dividing may be performed so as to ruin 
all chances of a honey crop, and in addition 
leave the apiary with a lot of weak nuclei ' 
in a totally unfit condition to go into winter 
quarters, for it is an axiom in beekeeping 
that one good, strong colony will secure 
more honey than that same colony unintel- 
ligently split into halves and put on two 
different stands. 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY OF THE 
HIVE. —See Bee Behavior, Brood and 
Brood-rearing; also Development of 
Bees. 
DRIFTING. —This is a word that has 
been coined by beekeepers to designate bees 
in the air that by mistake have gone into 
the wrong hive. Young bees in their play- 
flights (referred to under “Playflights of 
Young Bees and under Robbing), not hav¬ 
ing thoroly learned the location of their 
homes, will drift to a hive or hives where 
many bees are flying strongest, and go in 
just as if it were their regular home. Even 
the old bees, when all the hives are set out 
of the cellar, will very frequently drift 
into the wrong hive. The colonies that are 
making the biggest hubbub in front of the 
entrance will attract flying bees from their 
weaker neighbors. 
Drifting also takes place when a large 
number of similar hives are placed in one 
row. When the conditions at each entrance 
are practically the same, the bees become 
more or less confused. Sometimes drift¬ 
ing under conditions like this results in 
robbing. If there is any disease in any 
hive, drifting will carry it to the neighbor¬ 
ing hives. Under the head of Apiary is 
emphasized the importance of so placing 
the hives in a yard that each colony of bees 
can recognize its own entrance. The hives 
should face different points of the compass, 
except toward the north, and stand near 
some distinguishing object. Shrubs or 
bushes of different sizes, a tree, a stump 
here and a building there, all serve the 
purpose of giving each hive a location and 
an identity all its own. 
When the hives are placed in pairs there 
it not much danger of the bees of the weak¬ 
er colony drifting into the stronger one, 
for the bees seem to know the difference 
between right and left in going back home; 
but they do not readily distinguish their 
own individual entrance when the hives are 
painted the same color, and when each hive 
looks exactly like other hives in the row. 
The arrangement of the hives in the 
