Cooperative Work with Colu:mbia University 423 



to accumulate and protect, and start life anew, trusting to a kind 

 Providence to help them again establish a prosperous home. 



The old hive is now depleted of its population to a great extent, 

 ibut it remains rich in stores of honev and maturing brood, with 

 several rapidly-maturing virgin queens. The oldest one will 

 ■emerge from its cell in about eight days. As it has a natural 

 -animosity for a rival queen, it at once explores every part of the 

 hive and kills the inmates of the other royal cells. However, if 

 the bees of the colony desire to swarm again, they will cluster 

 over the young queens and prevent their destruction, with the 

 result that another swarm issues from the hive, accompanied by 

 the oldest virgin queen. Often, several swamis will issue from 

 the same hive, until the swanning impulse is satisfied. 



The first swarm is called a '' prime swarm." With it is the 

 old queen, ready to lay eggs as soon as the bees can build combs 

 in which she can deposit them. This gives the prime swarm an 

 advanced start over the later swarms, as they have virgin queens 

 that cannot lay eggs until they are fertilized, which requiresi 

 about two weeks' time. 



When a swarm issues from a hive, the bees will circle in the 

 air a few moments until all are ready, and then set out in a '^ bee 

 line " for the place previously selected by the scouts, which were 

 sent out a few days previous for the purpose. If, however, the 

 scouts failed to find a suitable place, such as a hollow tree, for 

 example, the swarm will settle on a near-hy branch of a tree and 

 remain until a more suitable abode is found. Their first work 

 after they settle in their new abode is cleaning house, and this 

 they do very thoroughly. They will repair and varnish every 

 crevice and make their abode rain-proof. Then their life work of 

 comli-building, brood-rearing, and honey-gathering goes on as 

 usual. 



THE condition OF THE OLD COLONY 



We shall now observe the disorganized condition of the old 

 colony. The hive which a few days before contained a population 

 of perhaps fifty thousand worker bees, all harmoniously striving 

 for their common good, and increasing its stores of honey several 

 pounds every day, is now nearly depopulated, having only a 

 " home guard " for protection, with a virgin queen that cannot 

 lay eggs in less than two weeks. So far as honey-gathering is 

 concerned, it is " out of 'business " for several weeks. 



