Swarm Control. 99 
INFLUENCE OF FURNITURE USED IN THE NEW HIVE. 
The brood-chamber in which a swarm is to be hived may be fur- 
nished with (1) frames that are empty except a narrow strip of 
foundation about an inch in width to guide the bees in comb build- 
ing, (2) frames containing full sheets of foundation, (3) frames 
containing full sheets of foundation, together with one or more 
frames filled with comb, (4) combs of unsealed or mostly unsealed 
honey, (5) combs of emerging brood in which no eggs have been laid 
for at least 10 days (usually taken from a parent colony 10 days after 
the swarm issued, first having all queencells destroyed), and (6) 
empty combs. There is a great difference in the work in the supers 
after the swarm is hived, depending upon which of these is used. 
The least interruption in the work in the supers usually occurs when 
only narrow strips of foundation are used in the frames in the new 
brood-chamber, and the greatest interruption in the work in the 
supers usually occurs when a full set of empty combs is used. As to 
the degree of interruption of the work in the supers, the other com- 
binations of furniture occupy an intermediate position between these 
two extremes, usually in the order named. When either narrow 
strips of foundation or full sheets of foundation are used in the 
- frames in the new brood-chamber and the supers are transferred to 
the swarm at the time of hiving, there being no vacant cells in the 
new brood-chamber and comb building being in progress in the 
supers, the incoming nectar is taken to the supers. Under these con- 
ditions there is practically no interruption in the work in the supers, 
the work in the brood-chamber usually being carried on slowly for 
some time, especially if only narrow strips of foundation are used. 
In sharp contrast with this, if a full set of empty combs is used in 
the new brood-chamber when the swarm is hived, the work in the 
supers is usually neglected, the energy of the colony being directed 
chiefly to filling the brood-chamber with honey and brood, but after 
’ these combs have been filled such colonies usually work indifferently 
in comb-honey supers. 
A single empty comb together with frames of foundation affords 
such a limited number of empty cells immediately availablé within the 
brood-chamber that its use does not tend to reduce the work in 
the supers materially and it affords storage space for incoming 
pollen which might otherwise be carried to the supers. The use of 
a single empty comb also greatly reduces the tendency to swarm 
out (p. 31). When combs of honey which are mostly unsealed 
are used, the bees may begin to transfer this honey into the supers 
almost immediately after being hived. When combs containing 
only sealed and emerging brood together with honey and _ pollen 
are used, there are so few vacant cells that these are usually prepared 
