thus show that she has not left it, since
the swarm was hived. If this experiment is performed upon an old queen,
in a hive in which she was put the year before, when unimpregnated, the
same result will follow; for as she never left it after that event, she
will have lost all recollection of its relative position in the Apiary.
The first of these experiments has been suggested by Dzierzon.

CHAPTER XIII.

UNION OF STOCKS. TRANSFERRING BEES FROM THE COMMON HIVE. STARTING AN
APIARY.

Frequent allusions have been made to the importance, for various
reasons, of breaking up stocks and uniting them to other families in the
Apiary. Colonies which in the early Spring, are found to be queenless,
ought at once to be managed in this way, for even if not speedily
destroyed by their enemies, they are only consumers of the stores which
they gathered in their happier days. The same treatment should also be
extended to all that in the Fall, are found to be in a similar
condition.

As small colonies, even though possessed of a healthy queen, are never
able to winter as advantageously as large ones, the bees from several
such colonies ought to be put together, to enable them by keeping up the
necessary supply of heat, to survive the Winter on a smaller supply of
food. A certain quantity of animal heat must be maintained by bees, in
order to live at all, and if their numbers are too small, they can only
keep it up, by eating more than they would otherwise require. A small
swarm will thus not unfrequently, consume as much honey as one
containing two or three times as many bees. These are facts which have
been most thoroughly tested on a very large scale. If a hundred persons
are required to occupy, with comfort, a church that is capable of
accommodating a thousand, as much fuel or even more will be required,
to warm the small number as the large one.

If the stocks which are to be wintered, are in the common hives, the
condemned ones must be drummed out of their old encampment, sprinkled
with sugar-water scented with peppermint, or some other pleasant odor,
and added to the others, (see p. 212.) The colonies which are to be
united ought if possible, to stand side by side, some time before this
process is attempted. This can almost always be effected by a little
management, for while it would not be safe to move a colony all at once,
even a few yards to the right or left of the line of flight in which
the bees sally out to the