BEEy. 100 



which the prudent bees are supposed to be filling their 

 pockets with provisions for their journey), and a sing-ular 

 humming- noise at nig-ht, presumed to come from tlie 

 young- queen-bees • announcing" their advent. But these 

 warnings apply less to the first than to the subsequent 

 swarms. However, there is a pretty good rule for effective 

 action. As soon as you find the side-box is nearly full^ 

 watch for an opportunity when the queen, with about two- 

 thirds of the bees of the colony, is in the side-box, then cut 

 off the communication with, and remove the parent hive 

 three or four feet distance, and put an empty hive in its 

 exact position. The returning bees will flock into the side- 

 box as before, and that hive is done with. As to the 

 parent-hive, the nurse-bees will take every care of the brood 

 in it ; in fact, they will be just as though a swarm with 

 the queen had left them ; and will proceed with due equa- 

 nimity to supply her place in the approved way. This is 

 the mode practised with success by Mr. Grant, and may be 

 varied according to circumstances. For instance, if the 

 queen should not have been left in the side-box with the 

 greater portion of the bees, and has, therefore, been re- 

 moved with the parent hive, the rest must be in effect the 

 same, as regards the two hives; most of the bees then 

 might leave the side-box and flock to the queen in the 

 parent-hive ; but if there be brood in the side-box, it appears 

 that the nurse -bees will not desert it, and, therefore, there 

 are still two communities, and both well provided with all 

 they require for a new start in life. 



5. There is also practised, it is said with great profit, a more 

 summary way of proceeding to make an artificial swarm, 

 which consists in fumigating the bees, in order to divide them 

 into two bodies as before. The period chosen is from the be- 

 ginning of May to the middle of July, and when there are 

 as many bees on the board at the bottom as will fill a 

 thirty-two (eight and a half inches by six) sized flower-pot. 

 To ascertain this, blow a little smoke into them and turn up 

 the hive. Before commencing operations, place the hive 

 intended for the new colony on the stand, with a bit of 

 comb in its roof, and a stick across the middle to aid in the 

 support of the combs. If you are short of hives, this one 

 may be used instead of an additional empty hive in per- 



