374 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



is clustered, providing the value of the tree does not forbid, and it 

 is not dillicult of accomplishment; then carry the swarm to its 

 intended hive, lay the cluster down directly in front of the entrance 

 and close against it, and the bees will immediately begin to crawl in. 

 If the tree is very high, the limb may be sawed off and let down by a 

 rope. 



Sometimes it is more convenient to jar down the swarm and let 

 it fall directly in front of the entrance of the hive, the hive being 

 placed in the proper position for the purpose. Let the hive be 

 well raised in front so that there will be an abundant entrance. As 

 soon as nearly all the bees are in the hive, so that you feel coutident 

 the queen is there, carry the hive to the stand you intend it to occupy. 



It is the practice of some to use a peach basket on the end of a 

 I)ol(' in which to catch the swarm. Hold the basket under the 

 swarm, and with another pole jar the limb so the swarm will fall 

 into the basket. 



When a swarm is shaken from a limb, it is often the case that the 

 bees will begin to cluster back on the limb again. To })revent this 

 the limb should be constantly shaken in so lively a manner that thb 

 bees cannot settle upon it. This is tiresome work, and one way to 

 make it easier is to have a rope. Tie a stone to the end of the rope, 

 throw the stone over the limb, then let the stone slide down, and, 

 holding both ends of the rope, shake. 



SWARMS WITH CLIPPED QUEENS. 



These must be treated differently. When the swarm issues, the 

 queen, not being able to fly, falls to the ground. The swarm will 

 sail around in the air and perhaps go back to the hive without set- 

 tling, having recognized the absence of the queen. At other times 

 it will settle, and may remain so a few minutes, sometimes even 

 half an hour. Jf no one is on hand, the queen is likely to find her 

 way back to the hive, and the swarm will also return, probably 

 coming out again the next day. (If the queen were not clipped, no 

 one being by, the swarm would probably leave for parts unknown.) 



When the queen comes out, catch her and put her in a cage. The 

 Miller introducing cage is very convenient for the purpose, but 

 you can make a simpler one that will answer very well. Take a 

 pine block 5xlx^ inches, and wrap around it a piece of wire cloth, 

 four inches square. The wire cloth is allowed to project at one end 

 of the block one-half inch. The four sides of this projecting end 

 are bent down upon the end of the stick and hammered down tight 

 into place. A piece of fine wire about ten inches long is wrapped 

 around the wire cloth, about an inch from the open end, wiiich will 

 be near the middlo of the stick, and the ends of the wire twisted to- 



