SWARMING. 



426 



have thought best to describe the various 

 devices for capturing swarms with undip- 

 ped queens. See Queens, subhead Clip- 

 ping. 



Almost every apiarist has his own peculiar 

 notion as to how a swarniing-device should 

 be constructed. Some of these implements 

 are very ingenious, and of valuable assistance 

 during the swarming season. Their partic- 



Tliis swarm of bees issued June 7 from a colony 



of bees that produced 180 pounds of 



comb honey this season. 



ular use is to remove a swarm after it has 

 clustered, and place it in the hive Avhere it is 

 desired that it take up a new abode. The 

 first one to which we call attention, not be- 

 cause it is the best, but because it is the 

 simplest, is a sort of butterfly-catcher. 



The hoop is made of band iron, and is 

 about 20 inches in diameter. The ends are 

 secured, as shown, to a suitable pole. The 

 bag is to be put up under the swarm, and the 

 hoop is then made to cut off gently the clus- 

 ter so that the bees will fall into the bag. It 

 is then turned edgewise, so as to confine 

 them while being taken down and carried to 

 the hive. As the bag is made of cheese- 

 cloth, the bees have plenty of air. To empty 



SWARMING. 





the bees turn it inside out. The bag has the 

 same diameter as the hoop, and is about four 

 feet long. 



A. E. manum's sw^arming-device. 



This consists of a wire-cloth basket made 

 in the shape of an inverted pyramid, and 

 pivoted at the two opposite corners so as to 

 hang alwiiys in an upright position. Wlien 

 a swarm is captured the basket may be 



manum's SWAHM-CATCHING DEVICE. 



grasped by the ring at the small end, and 

 inverted, dumping the bees into the hive 

 prepared for them. 



Fig. 1 represents the wire-cloth cage or 

 basket; Fig. 2, the device in position, re- 

 ceiving the bees as they cluster on the out- 

 side of the cage. Fig. 3 shows the cage open. 

 As soon as the cluster beginning to form is 



