The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-11-21

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UNITING COLONIES OF BEES.
An ExpertS Plan For Uniting Weak Colo
mics In the Fall.
It often happens that some Of the col
onies are too weak in numbers, and the
remedy is to unite two or more colonies
In one hive. There are many plans for
uniting bees, but q. M. Doolittle, sue
cessful New York apiarian, prefers the
following for fall use He says in The
American Bee Journal:
In the first place, the queens in part
Of the colonies are to be taken away and
disposed of in some way, either by SELL
ing or destroying them. Having the
queens disposed of, wait three days to
a week, so the colonies may realize their
queenlessness, for some cool, cloudy
day, when it is few degrees colder than
the bees desire to fly in, when you will
find the bees all clustered compactly,
something the way they are in winter.
When taking the queens away, take all
the combs from the hive but three, IN
less the colony is too large, leaving only
those which contain the most honey.
The combs left are to be spread apart
from three-fourths to an inch, setting
them out two or three inches from the
81 1T ho k1ok hn
all be clustered on these combs instead
Of hanging to the sides or any part Of
the hive. The hive which is to receive
these bees and combs is to be also pre-
pared beforehand by taking away all
the combs but three or four, those left
being the ones having the most honey
in them, said combs being placed close
to one side of the hive.
When the day arrives, light the smok-
or and put on your bee veil Now go to
the hive having the queen and uncover
it, giving the bees little smoke to keep
them quiet, and leaving the hive open
so that you can set the other frames
right in without any hindrance. Next
go to one of those you took the queen
from, blowing smoke in at the entrance
quite freely while uncovering the hive.
Blow few puffs Of smoke around the
combs and over them, when the smoker
is to be set down and the front fingers
placed between the first two frames near
their ends, the large fingers between the
second and last frames, while the third
and little fingers are placed beyond the
third frame. Now close up with the
thumbs and all of the fingers, thus lift
ing the frames and cluster Of bees all
out of the hive at once, when they are
to be carried to the open hive where
they are to stay and set down in it all
together close up to the frames of bees
that are in this hive Go back and get
the smoker, and blow smoke enough on
the bees to keep them down, when you
can arrange the frames, division board
and hive, as you like, without very
many, if any, bees flying.
Should few bees stick to the hive
you took the frames out Of, bring the
hive to the one having the united colony
in it, and brush them out on top of thu
frames, as they will be pretty wei
chilled by this time. In doing this yo1
will have to smoke those in the unitet
colony pretty we'll, or many will fly a
you, for these partly chilled bees viii
throw their poison out on their sting
so that the scent of it will anger tn
bees of that colony that are in tn
united hive. If you fixed all as it SHOULD
be when taking the queen away ant
preparing for uniting and smoked tn
bees as told, there will be only now ant
then one that will require this las
operation, as all will be snugly clustered
on the combs Close the hive as soon a
you have things fixed to suit you, whel
everything is to be removed from tn
stand of the colony that was unite'
with the other. Some bees will fly o
hover over the old spot where hom
was, but not finding it will return t
the united colony, having marked thei
new location enough on flying out t
know where to go, seeing the old HON
is not found.