SWARMIXG. 



428 



SWARMING. 



GU3IBERT'S APF A UAl us FUli IiniNU SWA101> 



cent. Aside fi'om this it will be lighter. 

 But it is more desirable to prevent swarms 

 from going beyond our reach— at least clus- 

 tering on elevated limbs. 



HOW TO GET A SAVARM FROM AX IXACCES- 

 SIBLE LIMB. 



Sometimes a swarm will alight upon a 

 limb beyond the reach of any ladder. Pos- 

 sibly, also, the limb upon which the bees are 

 clustered is so far out from the body of the 

 tree that it would not sustain the weight of 

 any one climbing after them. Such a swarm 

 can usually be reached in the following man- 

 ner: Secure a" ball of good strong twine, and 

 tie on the end of it a stone about as large as 

 the single fist. If you are not a good 

 thrower yourself, get some boy who is a 

 good ball-player to perform the throwing 

 act. Uncoil a considerable quantity of the 

 line, then throw the stone into a crotch if 

 one is near the swarm. If you are lucky 

 enough to land the stone in the right place, 

 right in the crotch, draw gently on the line 

 until the stone catches in the fork of the 

 crotch. Give one quick jerk to dislodge the 

 bees and after that keep the limb in a trem- 

 ble until the bees cluster on some other spot 

 which they will do presently if the limb is 

 kept agitated for five or ten minutes. They 

 may cluster higher up. but the probabilities 

 are they will seek some other spot more 



ccessible. 



If there is no convenient crotch at the 

 right point, throw the stone so it will pass 

 over the limb, taking about one foot of 

 line -. then give the string a good jerk, 

 causing the stone with the line to whirl 

 around the limb a couple of times. If you 

 do not succeed in doing this the first time or 

 two. a second or third attempt may be suc- 

 cessful. It is not a very diflicult trick; but 

 the main thing is to get the line attached to 

 the limb at some point near the swarm. 

 Then the rest is e.nsy. 



SPRAY-Pr:HP FOR COXTUOLLIXG SAVARMS 

 WHILE IX THE AIR. 



One of the most useful implements in the 

 apiary during the swarming-time is a good 

 hand force-pump. A swarm of bees in the 

 air with a queen that might otherA\'ise cir- 

 cle about for fifteen or twenty minutes, can 

 usually be made to cluster in from two to 

 five minutes by its use. "Whether the fine 

 particles of water dampen the wings, and so 

 impede their flight, or cause the bees to 

 think it is raining, and that therefore they 

 had better cluster at once, or both, we can 

 not say; but certainly the spray has a very 

 decided effect. One who becomes moderate- 

 ly expert will be able not only to make the 

 bees settle but to compel them to cluster on 

 some point easily accessible to any of the or- 

 dinarv hiving-devices just described. Oc- 



