44 BEES. 



and will in all probability, if sli6 lives long- enoug-li, be dis- 

 posse.ssed of it by the same means. She makes a terrii.ile 

 disturbance thoug-h, before sbe does set off; and were the 

 bees possessed of reason, we might almost think that they 

 left the hive for the sake of peace and quietness. At all 

 events the old queen uses her experience to some purpose, 

 for she will not leave her former kingdom unless the day is a 

 very fine one. The succeeding swarms appear to pay less 

 attention to the weather. The^ period of delightful coolness 

 which succeeds a summer storm is a common time for the 

 swarm to rise on the wing. If the bee-keeper thinks that 

 the swarm is starting too soon, he can generally send it back 

 into the hive, by gently sprinkling the cluster of bees as they 

 hang out of the hive, with water from a small watering-pot. 

 The same means have been adopted to make the swarm 

 alight where it was wanted, but as water cannot alwjiys be 

 thrown high enough to reach a swarm on the wing, sand has 

 been found sufficient for the purpose, and the bees, mis- 

 taking it for rain, come down at once and settle in some 

 sheltered place. Some bee-keepers recommend firing a gun, 

 which the bees may possibly mistake for thunder. It is a 

 mistake to suppose that a number of swarms will make the 

 hives richer, as a weak hive will necessarily be a poor one, 

 and in many cases the latter swarms are merely caused by 

 the violent conduct of the young queens, who make such a 

 disturbance in the hive that the bees attach themselves to 

 one of them and leave the hive to avoid these disturbances. 

 Sometimes two or even more queens go with a swarm, ia 

 w^iich case there is a battle royal when they arrive at 

 their new residence. Sometimes, also, two swarms select 

 the same spot for their resting place, when a fight is inevit- 

 able, but it is a general fight, and not confined to the queens 

 only. 



When the swarm has settled, an empty hive should be 

 placed under them, and the bough on which the bees are 

 clustering sharply struck, when they will fall into the hive, 

 which should be immediately placed on a cloth spread on the 

 ground, and the bees will soon ascend into the hive, which 

 should be previously sprinkled with sugar and ale, or smeared 

 with honey on the inside. 



if the swarm is too small to make a stronfj; hive it will be 



