Swarm Control. 45 
as in the various methods that have been worked out to anticipate 
swarming, there is a break in the continuity of emergence of young: 
bees within the hive, either at the time of the operation or a few 
weeks later. This reduction in the number of oncoming young bees is 
apparently an essential part of any successful treatment for 
swarming. 
When a queen is being superseded during the swarming season the 
colony may swarm, even though it is lacking in a preponderance of 
young bees, which is present in normal swarming. In this case the 
presence of queencells begun in response to the supersedure impulse 
apparently brings on the issuing of the swarm. Such swarming 
differs in many respects from normal swarming (p. 34). 
When a queen is removed or is lost by some accident several queen- 
cells are usually built, and when the young queens begin to emerge 
swarming may be expected even though the conditions conducive 
to normal swarming are absent. Such colonies apparently swarm be- 
cause of a plurality of emerging queens, behaving in this respect like 
parent colonies in casting afterswarms and quite unlike the behavior 
in normal swarming. 
SUMMARY. 
Among the factors that contribute to the tendency to swarm are 
(1) those connected with inbred characteristics, (2) those connected 
with the size, shape, and arrangement of the hives and the character 
of the combs (immediate environment), and (3) those connected 
with the distribution of the bees as brought about by the peculiari- 
ties of the season, the locality, and the management (general en- 
vironment), 
Inbred characteristics—Some strains of bees have a stronger ten- 
dency to swarm than others. To some extent, therefore, swarming 
may be reduced by careful selection in breeding. 
The hive and combs.—Colonies of bees having large brood-cham- 
bers are less inclined to swarm than those having brood-chambers 
too small. Strong colonies having good queens may need 60,000 to 
70,000 cells for the rearing of brood, during the period of extensive 
brood-rearing in the spring, in addition to the cells used for the 
storage of honey and pollen. 
Colonies of bees having good combs throughout are less inclined to 
swarm than colonies having poor combs. Inferior combs may greatly 
increase the tendency to swarm, both by reducing the amount of 
available brood-rearing space and by acting as barriers in the way of 
a free expansion of the brood-nest. 
Spaces for idle bees, especially within the brood-nest, may reduce 
the tendency to swarm. Such space may be provided by wide spac- 
ing of the combs or by a deep space below the frames. 
