Feb. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 135 



When the swarm has been attended to, the parent colony should be 

 inspected and queen cells i-emoved, leaving one selected for size and appf ar- 

 ance. When increase is not desired, the apiarist will place the parent colony, 

 which has been cut down to the brood chamber, alongside the new swarm, 

 with the entrances facing the same way. All queen cells are then removed and 

 the colonies allowed to remain for eight days. Then examine the parenc 

 colony, destroy any cells, and place the brood and bees on top of the swarm 

 colony. 



If a swarm should cluster on a high limb and no swarm-catching device is 

 Oil hand, a simple and effective method is to strap a kerosene tin with an open 

 end to a long thin sapling, and work the edge across the swarm so as to cut 

 most of the bees into the tin ; then lower and tip the bees into the prepai-ed 

 hive. Repeat the operation, and tip the next lot at the entrance. 



Swarming with Clipped Queens. 



It must be remembered that in the case of a clipped queen the swarm will 

 not cluster, for the reason that the queen cannot accompany them for more 

 than a yard or two from the entrance. When the swarm issues, therefore, the- 

 apiarist should find the queen and cage her. The flying swarm will then be 

 somewhat under control. The caged queen should be placed in a shaded 

 spot — the pocket for convenience. 



The apiarist should get quickly to work and select a frame of brood con- 

 taining some eggs and larvie. This is then put in the prepared hive, in the 

 centre of the frames containing full sheets of comb foundation. If desired, 

 this brood can be taken from the parent colony providing there are no queen 

 cells on the brood. Next x'emove the parent colony and place the now pre- 

 pared hive on the stand that was occupied by the parent colony, with the 

 caged queen at the entrance. The flying swarm will soon discover that their 

 queen is not among them, and will return to what is now the prepared hive. 

 The supers fi'om the parent colony can be placed on the new hive, but the\' 

 must be above an excluder and contain no brood. Be sure and give ample 

 accommodati^on and so save discontent. The queen can be liberated when 

 the bees settle down, which will be about one hour later. 



The parent colony is put on a new stand, and if the queen cells on the 

 brood are from a good Italian strain that has been forced to swarm through 

 lack of suflicient accommodation, then the cells when ripe can be made use of, 

 leaving with the colony one cell selected for size and appearance. Only one 

 cell is left in this case to minimise the risk of after swarms. If increase is 

 not desired, remove the parent colony and place the swarm on the standi 

 treating as previously mentioned. 



After Swarms. 



After swarms are a second issue from a colony, and are accompanied by 



one or more virgin queens which have issued from cells raised during the 



preparation for the first swarm. It is advisable to return the bees to their 



home, and this is done by driving them through an excluder to find the queen 



